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The Whole Friday the 13th Thing
In honor of this special day, I'll be breaking mirrors, walking under ladders, walking paths black cats frequent...all those wonderful things in life.— June 13, 2008 7:42 a.m.
Service at Restaurants
Josh, you'd better not go visit Prague. Service in America, compared to what passes for service in the Czech Republic (and some other central and eastern European countries), is wonderful. What you described above as being far below average service, would be just about par for the course at almost every Czech restaurant. The food sucks too. Pork, dumplings, and cabbage. Ugh. So if you ever visit Prague, get a room with a kitchenette and cook for yourself, or be prepared for harrowing experiences at the hands of waiters and waitresses who are eager to rip you off, resentful of your presence, and likely to have spat in your food. The beer's great though...— June 12, 2008 6:57 a.m.
City Auditor Says Blackwater Didn't Misrepresent Self, but Criticizes City Procedures
Gunny, please vote for Obama. Even if you've been a life-long republican, you owe it to yourself and your fellow soldiers to get new leadership into the White House. Otherwise, the republicans will continue this same corrupt business of replacing our military with mercenaries. Best, Fred— June 10, 2008 6:59 a.m.
Michael Ellis, a Founder of Metabolife, Gets Six Months in Custody for Lying to FDA
Don, above and beyond the damage done to individual's health, what about the damage to our country. Metabolife and its founders were major donors to local and national politicians. If I recall correctly, they were some of the biggest backers of bigot Brian Bilbray, the chancre of the congress, who actively blocked efforts to shut them down. Only with this kind of political pull could these meth makers peddle their meth substitute to the public. I recall Rush Limbaugh babbling on and on about how "supplements" ought not be regulated. I think he was talking about Metabolife in particular. Later he was exposed as an oxycontin junky, and served NO TIME at all. Hedgecock spouted similar bilge. I wonder what he's on. Now we know that Metabolife was knowingly selling a seriously dangerous drug. But when you're wealthy and well-connected, a polite and pleasant six months is all you'll get for defrauding the public and killing people with your shoddy product. On the other hand, if you're a student at SDSU trying to make a few bucks on the side selling grass to your buddies, the storm troopers bust down your door, put a rifle in your face, stomp on your neck, and call you scumbag. Is there any reason for optimism when our society has gone so far off course?— June 10, 2008 6:53 a.m.
Federal Judge Says Blackwater Can Go Ahead with Shooting Range; City Attorney Protests Decision
Wow. After reading the Manuel Real story, and finding out that Judge Huff wanted to exonerate this creep, there are only a two reasonable conclusions: A.) Judge Huff is incompetent, doesn't understand the law, and should be taken off the bench. B.) Judge Huff is corrupt, willingly breaks the law, and should be taken off the bench. Please vote for your choice.— June 10, 2008 6:33 a.m.
Grand Jury Tells CCDC To Stop Claiming It Funds Redevelopment Projects
Well-connected insider Peter Q. Davis is shilling for the CCDC here: http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2008/06/0… Please join in commenting on his commentary. We can see the establishment in action here, defending its turf from interlopers. He wants his CCDC goose to keep laying golden eggs. Especially since the omelets made from these expensive eggs are consumed by only a very privilaged few...including himself.— June 9, 2008 7:22 a.m.
Class Action Lawyer Lerach Seeks Prison Treatment for Alcoholism
Rule number one of holding political fundraisers...get the attendees drunk. It's true. Good fundraisers usually have lots of booze to go around, and they make sure to have the favorite tipple of the most generous donors. The more tight they become, the more they loosen thier purse strings. We all know that Bill Lerach was a big donor to politicians. He gave away millions during his hey-day. Politicians drove this man to drink. It's clear. If only he could be put in a place far away from their insidious influence, he might recover. But since he's in jail...he needs treatment. I look forward to the day when donors at fundraisers don't have to drink to make it through the boring presentations, shrill exhortations to give, and vacuous promises no one believes.— June 9, 2008 7:02 a.m.
The gentle decline of golf in San Diego
The UT today ran a paeon to golf and it's unquestioned goodness. I was almost as nauseating as Matt Hall's fluffer piece on Sanders. No mention of how much the city spends on golf each year. While we cut back on pools and swimming programs for inner-city kids, we can lavish money on a sport for the elite. Guess that drought doesn't bother golfers who demand freshly watered and manicured greens. Lawn farming is where the city spends its money, instead of libraries, roads, and ensuring the future water supplies for the city. Gotta pamper the wealthy, after all. They're the ones who write the campaign checks, so they must be served. If they want golf, they get golf. We can ignore the corruption, mismanagement, and militarization of our police forces. Golf is more important. What's that? We're still woefully unprepared for firestorms? Well, at least we've got golf to save us! Huh? Still over two billion in the hole on our finances? Let's go play a round or two! Scott Peters will be out there every Friday, since it's more interesting and important than actually studying what he's voting on. Yep. We sure have the city "back on track". Unfortunately, that track is heading into a long dark tunnel, and the light that is coming toward us isn't from the sunshine, but from another speeding train called the economy. And it might be too late to switch tracks now. Trainwreck alert anyone? Nah, let's play golf instead.— June 8, 2008 1:04 p.m.
JROTC popular in San Diego, but critics abound
Hi Tomo, I think all of us approve of earnest young people who desire to learn more about military careers by participating in JROTC. Just as joining a sports team gives you a sense of place and purpose, so it is with JROTC...or the chess club, or swing-dance nights. Extra-curricular activities can be good for your development into a productive and proud member of the community. I think you'll agree that no one should be forced into JROTC, just as no one should be forced onto the chess team. When the JROTC instructors exagerate their subject's importance in gaining college admission, they need to be called-out on their deceptions. The military may be a good choice for some, but only those who go in with their eyes wide-open are likely to succeed. Hopefully they are giving you the "straight skinny" on how the military works, and not just filling your head with "No 'I' in JROTC" sloganeering. You should be in JROTC out of real desire, not brainwashing about "be all you can be" "keep the faith" or "give a hundred ten percent" nonsense. You deserve better than that. Best of luck to you and your colleagues. I hope it turns out well for you. But be careful of blind loyalty. It's what turns a democracy into a dictatorship. The truest American value is questioning authority, not mindlessly obeying it. Best, Fred— June 8, 2008 12:55 p.m.
City Auditor Says Blackwater Didn't Misrepresent Self, but Criticizes City Procedures
I was in the reserves with SBU-13 at NAB Coronado during the late eighties. Even then the SEALS used Pendleton for some of their training. If the SEALS need Blackwater to show them their job, we're all in deep doo doo. On the contrary, Blackwater entices our SEALS away from serving our country to becoming guns for hire. Blackwater dreads losing their war-profiteering contracts, and wants to diversify. This facility looks like it's for training Border Patrol agents: Blackwater said this to the House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security in May 2005: "Just as the private sector has responded in moving mail and packages around the world more efficiently, so too can Blackwater respond to the customs' and Border Patrol’s emerging and compelling training needs." So in the future, instead of merely apprehending border crossers, I guess we can look forward to Blackwater trained agents mowing them down with machine guns. Just another reason to vote for Obama in November, my friends. As to whether this is non-germane to the discussion of the permits, well, let's remember that they claimed to be a "vocational school". Well, teaching paramilitary and police tactics is NOT vocational training. It's military or law enforcement training, perhaps even bootcamp. We can assume they're going to be using live amunition. They lied on their applications, and they didn't identify themselves, instead hiding behind shell companies with different names. Bonfiglio, over at VOSD, was shown to be a liar who could not come close to defending Blackwater from the community protests that forced it out of Potrero. Seems he's used the city of San Diego and it's corrupt Development Services Department to avoid the laws and jam similar training in another part of San Diego. Welcome to San Diego, America's finest mercenary training city. Shut up or you'll get a boot in the face, Americans. Do what you're told and NEVER question anyone with a badge and a gun, or you'll get what's coming to you. Blackwater already has a contract to "fight drug trafficking", which means you can expect more storm trooper tactics against low level offenders. Blackwater continues to rip us off, at every opportunity, literally taking money away from REAL soldiers to shower it on thugs and mercenaries. I look forward to when President Obama orders the arrest of Mr. Prince.— June 7, 2008 12:23 p.m.