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Dead dad's Social Security benefits bilked
More than a decade ago, when my father passed away, the mortuary I was using made a really big deal about reporting deaths to the SSA. They claimed to be heavily under the gun to get them reported pronto, and insisted upon having proof of his SSN. The deposits stopped immediately.— November 7, 2017 8:30 p.m.
San Ysidro's Gateway Inn demolished
When some spot of squalor like this one is finally eliminated, there's always the sob story of the residents who are displaced. That's a consideration for sure, but do we want to leave all of those ancient hotels, motels and shacks in place? Do that and soon all of San Diego and the So County cities will look just like TJ (or worse.) Is that what we want in the USA? As I read of Rachel, I wonder why she doesn't move south of the border to be with her hubby. No, Alex, I know why. It's all about the money, and as tough as it is to get by on welfare here, going there with no assistance would be far worse. Ain't illegal immigration great?— November 6, 2017 8:24 p.m.
Broadcom plots $100 billion bid for Qualcomm
Don, this would be a momentous takeover. Qualcomm has the local reputation as a hard-charging operation, with flaws. The flaws are its heavy use of temps for long-term work, and its abuse of the H-1B visa program. As a local corporate citizen, its record is poor, and the founder/largest stockholder, Irwin Jacobs, along with his sons, is now a force in local politics, and usually not for the good. How things would change. Or would they change on the political front? As far as local jobs go, every or nearly every such takeover has resulted in a loss of local jobs. In many cases, the whole operation subsequently folded or was moved out of the county. This would not be good news on the local job front. Where will all those H-1B's go?— November 3, 2017 8:24 p.m.
Get nervous, team-owning robber barons
Regardless of the cause, it is nice to know that this president isn't in the pocket of the NFL. While it was seldom flaunted, the league had easy access to the prez for a very long time. Wonder how they pulled off so many things that were favorable for the sport? If you can buy Congress and the president, or at least have them favorably disposed to you, almost anything is possible.— November 3, 2017 4:40 p.m.
Ex-councilmember Frye sniffs conflict, sues city
There's another angle on this. Why does the city need to be hiring so many outside law firms and attorneys? Can't the in-house staff cope with the load? And why is that so? When budget time rolls around, I'll bet the city attorney is in line for a big boost every year, and uses the workload to justify it. But then when a tough suit comes along, the office cannot handle it, and the city attorney goes out on the street for a law firm to do the work. I had been hoping that this new city attorney would make a difference, and early on she made some rulings that finally made sense, or so I though. But now I wonder. SD city hall has people coming and going, yet some things there just never change.— November 3, 2017 1:49 p.m.
What SDPD narcs learned about weed in Colorado
I'm sure the people in Humboldt County could prove a wonderful source of insight, too. They are actually proud of the economic effect of all the pot growing.— November 3, 2017 8:46 a.m.
Dad embezzled $275,000 from Disney ship
Disney is better at disguising the greed than the NFL can ever be. Everything they do has that nicey look and feel. About a year ago we were in eastern Canada when a Disney ship was making a port visit for the day. As it was preparing to leave, the ship's whistle sounded the first few bars of "When You Wish Upon a Star" to summon the passengers back aboard. That outfit can get more mileage out of stuff that was popular long before most of the customers were even born. There's greed there for sure, but they are geniuses for milking everything for big bucks.— November 1, 2017 9:41 a.m.
Middle-aged cops were alleged targets of rage
He cursed the jury, huh? I'll bet that even Bowman didn't like that. He's in a world of hurt; his sentence could and should be life. Then he will be turned over to the tender mercies of the prison guards who take an intense dislike to cop killers or wannabe cop killers.— October 31, 2017 8:37 p.m.
The Canadian Rockies: Banff, Jasper, and Yoho National Parks
This is an excellent report. My first look at the area was in 1960. At that time the "highways" in British Columbia and Alberta were primitive, generally following the Canadian Pacific tracks, and crossing them here and there at a 90-degree angle. No power outside the towns and cities. It was very Third World then. Strangely enough, rural Canada still has that Third World feel once you're away from the cities. Oh, the Rockies are spectacular, and I think anyone who can get there should see them. Just don't expect too much from the pockets of civilization. Banff and Jasper just don't have enough tourist lodgings to handle the summer rush. All kinds of local residents rent out rooms in their houses to tourists; some are good places, but too many are not. Most tourists just have to take their chances. One thing I didn't see mentioned here is Rocky Mountaineer Rail Tours. It is a slick operation, and spends a mint every year advertising their scenic trains. Don't fall for it. The trains are OK, but you'll never see one of the spectacular lakes mentioned in this story. No, the train whisks you through the Rockies in two or three hours out of a two-day journey. Most of the travel is on the western slope, far from the peaks, following the Fraser River to Vancouver. You'll find yourself trapped on the moving train for up to twelve hours. There is an overnight stop in overcrowded Kamloops which offers little more than lodging and food. If you want to see the area, get to Calgary or Vancouver or Edmonton, rent a car, and just drive. A drive along the Icefields Parkway is incomparable. The people are friendly and polite. Be polite back to them, and you'll do just fine. Set your own pace, stop when you feel like it, and go again when it feels good. Be prepared to pay far too high a price for gasoline, and a sales tax of 15% (more or less) on everything. (The Canadians say they have to pay for their socialized medicine somehow.) But beyond those irritants, the place is welcoming and worth the visit.— October 31, 2017 7:59 p.m.
Dad embezzled $275,000 from Disney ship
Since he's now in custody and charged in federal court, maybe he outsmarted himself. Using the banking system and using US communications while making use of stolen property to defraud Disney and its US operations are likely to subject him to US law.— October 31, 2017 5:13 p.m.