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Photography Is Not a Crime
THAT GUY ALSO CHEWED GUM IN PUBLIC! SO IF ANYONE OBJECTS TO YOUR CHEWING GUM, YOU MUST IMMEDIATELY STOP, BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU'LL KIDNAP CHILDREN!!!— July 20, 2011 8:37 p.m.
What war economy would do for San Diego
What a great comment thread...starts off with Don's article about defence spending cuts impact on San Diego, evolves into a discussion of imperialism and quickly absconds into rodent recipe territory... Rodents...the other, OTHER, white meat. Sometimes participating in Reader online discussions is more rewarding than one could ever imagine. Thank you, everyone. Fred (What about all the bones? While the large rat I baked according to the instructions came out just as crispy and tasty as you promised, I found I had to really be careful to avoid swallowing one of those sharp little bones. Any advice? What about mincing the rodent, bones and all, and then using it as a hamburger substitute? Have any of you tried that yet?)— July 18, 2011 10:42 p.m.
SOHO Organizes Protest Against Plaza de Panama Plan
Wow! Sanders sent three officers? Does he send police officers to monitor the supporters of Jacobs' asphalt and guardrails plan?— July 18, 2011 10:34 p.m.
What war economy would do for San Diego
Replacing lawns with vegetable patches should be encouraged. When one thinks of all the imported water wasted, chemicals deployed, and labor expended to grow faux mini-golf patches in front of houses in dry San Diego...it boggles the mind. What will future generations think of us?— July 17, 2011 8:20 p.m.
What war economy would do for San Diego
More on the economics of imperialism: http://reason.com/archives/2011/07/15/temptations… "The security and prosperity allegedly offered by empire is an illusion, and those societies that pursue it—even with the best of intentions—will ultimately receive neither. It’s a lesson that could serve Americans well."— July 17, 2011 8:16 p.m.
What war economy would do for San Diego
The historian Niall Ferguson notes that the collapse of empires typically are preceded by an debt crisis, resulting in an inability to afford the military that props up the empire, leading to a downward spiral. Ferguson also talks about "Chimerica", the symbiotic relationship between China and the US, where China lends America the money it spends buying Chinese products...resulting in current massive imbalances. China's ambition to displace the dollar's privilaged, and very lucrative, status as the world's currency is well-known and seemingly inevitable in the long run, and maybe the medium too. So China seems likely to be the most serious existential threat to the US going forward. San Diego's geography may be its saviour, when it comes to military expenditure. The biggest "losers" will probably be NATO (increasingly irrelevant) and east coast military installations. (While I've name-checked Ferguson, these are my opinions and conclusions.) Best, Fred— July 13, 2011 10:09 p.m.
Bethel Baptist Church
1. Judge Moore was removed from office for good reasons. He doesn't understand (or support) the 1st Amendment of the Constitution, and he refused a lawful court order. I'm quite glad he's no longer in a position of authority. (Though he's now running for governor of his state, it seems.) 2. Did Pastor Hitchcock really say: “The unpardonable sin is fully conscious and stubborn hatred against God." ...and... “If someone gets to the point in their life where they honestly say that they want nothing to do with God, then the truth is they probably never really had Him in the first place.” Pastor Hitchcock should run for political office...he sure knows how to straddle both sides of the fence. (BTW: Why did Jesus invent hell anyway? There's no mention of it in the Bible until the allegedly forgiving "Son of God" brings it up...)— July 3, 2011 9:16 a.m.
Photography Is Not a Crime
I'm flattered. I'll tell my wife. I'm sure she'll be eager to start receiving death threats when I take on the most wealthy and powerful interests in San Diego in a doomed attempt to do what's right. She'll be thrilled to see our savings spent, our reputations maligned, our privacy lost. Having run for office already (1994, got over 70,000 votes for the SDCCD Board of Trustees in the city-wide run-off) and managed or volunteered on dozens of other races, I know it's no picnic -- especially if you're neither rich nor willing to sell yourself to the highest bidder. What consistently amazes me is the low calibre of those who eventually win elected office. I've interacted with a number of well known San Diego politicians, and I can tell you they are particularly dull witted. (Not all, but most.) Barb, I prefer my current work as an IT consultant. I can live anywhere in the world, and get paid to work with some of the smartest people on the planet. Besides, it's my considered opinion that America is heading for a very dark and dangerous place in its history, and I'm pretty sure there's not much I can do to stop it. It's mostly too late now, I'm afraid. A peppy optimism about America's bright future is simply naive. Historically, great falls are far more sudden and severe than we expect. America's great fall is on the way, I'm sure, though no one can say exactly when. Until then, even participating as I do (my work opposing CCDC corruption, advocating police reforms, helping on various campaigns in San Diego), is really just so much pissing in the wind. America's problems are structural, and getting worse. There's little reason to be hopeful that anything I do is going to change anything significant now. Still, thanks for the compliment Barb. I wish America were the kind of country where an honest man can serve the public interest...but it's not. So I won't be asking my wife to give up everything so I can tilt at windmills and play hero by running for office. Best, Fred— June 28, 2011 9:19 p.m.
Superintendent Jesus Gandara “Separated” From Sweetwater Union High School District
I've been following McCann's career ever since he tried to swindle Chula Vista into paying for another Chargers Stadium. When this "hero" ran for the Assembly in 08, his masters raised over a million dollars for his campaign. Then after trying to get out of it, he got deployed to Iraq (BTW: he's a supply clerk) and even tried to get his wife appointed to his seat on the council. While there, he got fawning coverage in the UT. He's BAAAACK and now he's on the school board, showing why he should never be entrusted with public office again. He brags about his "accomplishments" but they translate into being a big supporter of redevelopment and getting really cozy with developers, religious zealots, and anti-immigrant fanatics. McCann is not someone who should represent the public any more. This Martin Casas, however...he's a math teacher and seems pretty articulate. How can we help HIM into office? Just from seeing a few seconds of him on video, I can tell he'd be way better than the current crop of political hacks running the district into the ground. Best, Fred Williams— June 26, 2011 5:45 a.m.
Photography Is Not a Crime
I'm a new father, protective as a grizzly bear...and if I'm in public I have every expectation that people can and will take pictures of my little one. Parents need to get over themselves, stop projecting their insecurities on their kids, and most importantly of all, stop getting their legal and psychological education from television. Barb, you are 100% right, both on the law and on the facts of life. You can add more facts to your arsenal: * Crime has been dropping for two decades. Kids are far safer now than kids used to be. Yet FEAR of crime is at all time highs. Police, media, and politicians all get elected and more funding in the name of protecting children, so they hype the threat. * Over-sheltered, over-protected, over-praised, and over-weight kids have little chance of thriving in the world today. While America is pretty safe, the rest of the planet is not. When America really does go into crisis, these pampered little angels will be a danger to themselves and others. * Paranoia and the myth of "stranger danger" is shown to harm kids: http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/nurture-shock/2009/… * Finally, some practical advice. Don't tell kids "Don't talk to strangers." On the contrary, tell them not to answer when a stranger tries to talk to them. The kid should herself feel VERY confident in going to a stranger...and being able to talk to them and ask for help. This has been flipped on it's head, and it's long past time for it to be corrected. So, as a father, I can guarantee you that not all parents are as ignorant, paranoid, misinformed, egocentric, and thickheaded as the ones you've described and engaged with here in arrogant opposition to not only you, Barb, but the freakin First Amendment of the Constitution. (And if anyone is REALLY genuinely concerned about privacy for their families, they'd better get educated on how the 4th amendment has been gutted in America...worry about the TSA and your local SWAT breaking down your doors to search for a roach...not some woman in weird glasses taking pics of your cute toddler in the park.) Best, Fred Williams— June 26, 2011 5:34 a.m.