Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Taking a page from Putin

If we were to take the 50 United States and list their economies individually, California would be at the top of the list.  If we were to then take that list of states and insert it into the ranking of the economies of the world's nations, California would rank 12th.  In fact, California's Gross Domestic Product represents almost 13% of the GDP of the entire United States.  California should do well in Congress given our economic importance and the fact that we have the largest delegation in the House of Representatives.  We don't.  In fact, for every dollar of federal tax revenue that comes out of California and goes to Washington, D. C., we receive only 78 cents of federal spending within our borders.

It is also worth noting that in social attitudes, in political slant, California really does march to the beat of a different drummer than the other 49 states.  If the states that cast their electoral votes for President Obama in 2012 were labeled as the "liberal" states, California would be among the most liberal of liberal states.

The political/social differences between our state and the fact we don't get a good return on the revenue we provide our profligate politicians in our nation's capitol are why we should follow the lead of Russian President Vladimir Putin.  Not in corruption, but in demanding a referendum on statehood and secession.

Imagine if California were to secede from the U. S.  The world's 12th largest economy.  We could negotiate a revised NAFTA deal that would treat the new Republic of California as Canada and Mexico are treated.  Free passage over the borders.  Nevada would definitely support this concept, given how dependent their hotel/casinos are on visitors from California.

The question is, could we get another 24 states other than Nevada to support our bid for secession.  In Texas v White back in 1868, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that unilateral secession was unconstitutional; but that secession with the consent of the other states was not. 

You're right.  We'd never get enough states to consent.  Were we to be forced to get the consent of a majority of states, we'd never be allowed to secede.  So why is the vote in the Crimea any different?  It had the opportunity to stay with Russia when the Ukraine gained independence in 1990.  It makes no more sense for the world to recognize this so-called referendum than it would for the other 48 states (I told you, Nevada would be fine with California secession) to sit by and watch idly as California and all our resources leave the Union.

Every nation in the world needs to stand firmly against this sham Putin perpetrated.

* * *

Joan Rivers is 80 years old.  She will turn 81 in June.  Before then (actually between tonight and May 4th), she will make nine live appearances.  During that time she will go from coast to coast to coast to coast.  Her show "Fashion Police" is on E! network every Friday night.  The reality show she films with her daughter will begin a new season a week from Saturday on the WE network.  She was on QVC this past weekend pimping her line of fashions and jewelry.  19 months ago, she handcuffed herself to a shopping cart at a Costco to generate publicity for her 11th book.  Her 12th book will be released on July 1st of this year.  She also has an online talk show that is distributed on YouTube.

What I'd love to be able to ask her is...why?  Why is she going at such a full head of steam at her age?  Estimates put her net worth around $150 million, with current earnings of $3 million per month.  I don't think she feels she needs the money. 

I think I understand why she still wants to work.  It gives one a sense of purpose.  Knowing that you matter to others because of the work you do is empowering.  It certainly is to me.  But I can't wrap my brain around the frenetic pace she's keeping up.  I love serving my clients and I love my teaching but I'm already resolved to limit my teaching and "off-season" work this year.  I don't want to work that hard.  Maybe the problem is me.  Maybe I'm just lazy.

While I'm not a big fan of Ms Rivers, I admire her strength of will to be able to keep up the pace she's maintaining.  Especially since she's an octogenarian.

* * *

Random Ponderings:

After reading that Courtney Love thinks she's found Malaysia Air Flight MH-370, I'm wondering just what she's smoking these days.

If Angus T. Jones was that good at being a "paid hypocrite" on "Two and a Half Men" he should consider a career in politics.

Wrongful death I've heard of.  Wrongful termination is a common lawsuit.  Wrongful pregnancy I'd never heard of until now, but it makes sense.  Doctor ties woman's tubes, she still gets pregnant, time to sue.

The mother of a college student who was charged $787.33 for a cab ride of less than two miles got it right.  The cabbie who tried to rip her off is only sorry he got caught.

Did publicists for Khloe Kardashian cut short her interview with an Aussie program, or did the phone call just drop as Khloe claims?   I think the jury is going to be out on this one for awhile.

President Obama awarding the Medal of Honor to 24 men whose valor was never fully recognized is overdue (no fault of the current President) and today I'm especially proud to be an American and a veteran.  Here is a list of the honorees one more time:

—Sgt. Candelario Garcia, born in Corsicana, Texas, for courageous actions during combat operations in Lai Khe, South Vietnam, on Dec. 8, 1968.
—Spc. 4 Leonard L. Alvarado, born in Bakersfield, Calif., died during combat operations in Phuoc Long province, South Vietnam, on Aug. 12, 1969.
—Staff Sgt. Felix M. Conde-Falcon, born in Juncos, Puerto Rico, killed during combat operations in Ap Tan Hoa, South Vietnam, on April 4, 1969.
—Spc. 4 Ardie R. Copas of Fort Pierce, Fla. killed during combat operations near Ph Romeas Hek, Cambodia, on May 12, 1970.
—Spc. 4 Jesus S. Duran of San Bernardino, Calif., for courageous actions during combat operations in South Vietnam on April 10, 1969.
—Cpl. Joe R. Baldonado, born in Colorado, killed during combat operations in Kangdong, North Korea, on Nov. 25, 1950.
—Cpl. Victor H. Espinoza of El Paso, Texas, for courageous actions during combat operations in Chorwon, North Korea, on Aug. 1, 1952.
—Sgt. Eduardo C. Gomez, born in Los Angeles, for courageous actions during combat operations in Tabu-dong, South Korea, on Sept. 3, 1950.
—Pfc. Leonard M. Kravitz, born in New York City, killed during combat operations in Yangpyong, South Korea, on March 6-7, 1951.
—Master Sgt. Juan E. Negron of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, for courageous actions during combat operations in Kalma-Eri, North Korea, on April 28, 1951.
—Master Sgt. Mike C. Pena, born in Newgulf, Texas, killed in action during combat operations in Waegwan, South Korea, on Sept. 4, 1950.
—Pvt. Demensio Rivera, born in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, for courageous actions during combat operations in Changyong-ni, South Korea, on May 23, 1951.
—Pvt. Miguel A. Vera, born in Puerto Rico, killed during combat operations in Chorwon, North Korea, on Sept. 21, 1952.
—Sgt. Jack Weinstein of Saint Francis, Kan. for courageous actions during combat operations in Kumsong, South Korea, on Oct. 19, 1951.
—Pvt. Pedro Cano, born in La Morita, Mexico, for courageous actions during combat operations in Schevenhutte, Germany, on Dec. 3, 1944.
—Pvt. Joe Gandara, born in Santa Monica, Calif., for courageous actions during combat operations in Amfreville, France, on June 9, 1944.
—Pfc. Salvador J. Lara, of Riverside, Calif., for courageous actions during combat operations in Aprilia, Italy, May 27-28, 1944.
—Sgt. William F. Leonard, of Lockport, N.Y., for courageous actions during combat operations near St. Die, France, on Nov. 7, 1944.
—Staff Sgt. Manuel V. Mendoza, born in Miami, Ariz., for courageous actions during combat operations on Mount Battaglia, Italy, on Oct. 4, 1944.
—Sgt. Alfred B. Nietzel, born in New York City, for courageous actions during combat operations in Heistern, Germany, on Nov. 18, 1944.
—1st Lt. Donald K. Schwab, born Hooper, Neb., for courageous actions during combat operations near Lure, France, on Sept. 17, 1944.
 
How cool is it that one of these brave men was born in my hometown?  Extremely so.
 
The wife of Brigadier General Jeffrey Sinclair claims he lives with guilt over his affair with a subordinate.  She asked the judge for a sentence that doesn't punish her and their children any further.  Since when does the welfare of the family of a criminal get factored into how that lawbreaker is sentenced?  He deserves dismissal from the service, and forfeiture of his retirement pay.  But he'll probably get off with less than that.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-1YDwGDGDs is all about how to get "free money" but the only money the pitchman, Kevin Trudeau, will need for the next ten years is however much he's allowed to spend in the prison commissary.  Don't do the scam if you won't go on the lam.
 
The assholes (whoever they may be) who are behind the theft of wages from low-paid McDonald's employees should be sentenced to years of doing minimum wage work with their wages going to those they victimized.
 
Seeing video of the man who "almost" got hit by a train reminded me of something.  Can we stop calling the near-collisions of aircraft something other than a near miss?  It isn't a near miss.  A miss is a miss, whether by an inch or a mile.  It wasn't nearly a miss, it was a damn miss.  Call it a near-hit.
 
Corn dogs are awesome.  An 18 inch corn dog stuffed with cheese and bacon sounds amazing.  But it isn't worth $25, even if it comes with a side of fries.
 
According to the non-partisan Center for Public Integrity, the top ten donors to Super PACs in 2013 gave $44.7 million to those vote-gathering machines.  Seven of the ten names on the list (there are people and organizations listed) are described as leaning Democratic.  The names of Charles and David Koch aren't on the list.  Did they take 2013 off?
 
* * *
 
March 18th in History:
 
37 – The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius's will and proclaims Caligula emperor.
235 – Emperor Alexander Severus and his mother Julia Mamaea are murdered by legionaries near Mogontiacum (modern Mainz), ending the Severan dynasty.
633 – Ridda Wars: The Arabian Peninsula is united under the central authority of Caliph Abu Bakr.
1229 – Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, declares himself King of Jerusalem in the Sixth Crusade.
1241 – First Mongol invasion of Poland: Mongols overwhelm Polish armies in Kraków in the Battle of Chmielnik and plunder the city.
1314 – Jacques de Molay, the 23rd and the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, is burned at the stake.
1438 – Albert II of Habsburg becomes Holy Roman Emperor.
1608 – Susenyos is formally crowned Emperor of Ethiopia.
1644 – The Third Anglo-Powhatan War begins in the Colony of Virginia.
1673 – John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton sells his part of New Jersey to the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers.
1741 – New York governor George Clarke's complex at Fort George is burned in an arson attack, starting the New York Conspiracy of 1741.
1766 – American Revolution: The British Parliament repeals the Stamp Act.
1793 – The first republic in Germany, the Republic of Mainz, is declared by Andreas Joseph Hofmann.
1834 – Six farm labourers from Tolpuddle, Dorset, England are sentenced to be transported to Australia for forming a trade union.
1848 – March Revolution: in Berlin there is a struggle between citizens and military, costing about 300 lives.
1850 – American Express is founded by Henry Wells and William Fargo.
1865 – American Civil War: The Congress of the Confederate States adjourns for the last time.
1871 – Declaration of the Paris Commune; President of the French Republic, Adolphe Thiers, orders the evacuation of Paris.
1874 – Hawaii signs a treaty with the United States granting exclusive trade rights.
1892 – Former Governor General Lord Stanley pledges to donate a silver challenge cup, later named after him, as an award for the best hockey team in Canada the Stanley Cup.
1906 – Traian Vuia flies a heavier-than-air aircraft for 11 meters at an altitude of one meter.
1913 – King George I of Greece is assassinated in the recently liberated city of Thessaloniki.
1915 – World War I: During the Battle of Gallipoli, three battleships are sunk during a failed British and French naval attack on the Dardanelles.
1921 – The second Peace of Riga is signed between Poland and the Soviet Union.
1922 – In India, Mohandas Gandhi is sentenced to six years in prison for civil disobedience. He serves only 2 years.
1925 – The Tri-State Tornado hits the Midwestern states of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, killing 695 people.
1937 – The New London School explosion in New London, Texas, kills 300 people, mostly children.
1937 – Spanish Civil War: Spanish Republican forces defeat the Italians at the Battle of Guadalajara.
1937 – The human-powered aircraft, Pedaliante, flies 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) outside Milan.
1938 – Mexico nationalizes all foreign-owned oil properties within its borders.
1940 – World War II: Axis Powers – Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini meet at the Brenner Pass in the Alps and agree to form an alliance against France and the United Kingdom.
1942 – The War Relocation Authority is established in the United States to take Japanese Americans into custody.
1944 – The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Italy kills 26 people and causes thousands to flee their homes.
1945 – World War II: 1,250 American bombers attack Berlin.
1946 – Diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the Soviet Union are established.
1948 – Soviet consultants leave Yugoslavia in the first sign of the Tito-Stalin split.
1953 – An earthquake hits western Turkey, killing 250 people.
1959 – President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a bill into law allowing for Hawaiian statehood, which would become official on August 21.
1962 – The Evian Accords end the Algerian War of Independence, which had begun in 1954.
1965 – Cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov, leaving his spacecraft Voskhod 2 for 12 minutes, becomes the first person to walk in space.
1967 – The supertanker Torrey Canyon runs aground off the Cornish coast.
1968 – Gold standard: The U.S. Congress repeals the requirement for a gold reserve to back US currency.
1969 – The United States begins secretly bombing the Sihanouk Trail in Cambodia, used by communist forces to infiltrate South Vietnam.
1970 – Lon Nol ousts Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia.
1970 – The U.S. postal strike of 1970 begins, one of the largest wildcat strikes in U.S. history.
1971 – In Peru a landslide crashes into Lake Yanahuani, killing 200 people at the mining camp of Chungar.
1974 – Oil embargo crisis: Most OPEC nations end a five-month oil embargo against the United States, Europe and Japan.
1980 – At Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia, 50 people are killed by an explosion of a Vostok-2M rocket on its launch pad during a fueling operation.
1989 – In Egypt, a 4,400-year-old mummy is found near the Pyramid of Cheops.
1990 – Germans in the German Democratic Republic vote in the first democratic elections in the former communist dictatorship.
1990 – In the largest art theft in US history, 12 paintings, collectively worth around $300 million, are stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts.
1992 – In a national referendum white South Africans vote overwhelmingly in favour of ending the racist policy of Apartheid.
1994 – Bosnia's Bosniaks and Croats sign the Washington Agreement, ending war between the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and establishing the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
1996 – A nightclub fire in Quezon City, Philippines kills 162 people.
1997 – The tail of a Russian Antonov An-24 charter plane breaks off while en route to Turkey causing the plane to crash and killing all 50 people on board and leading to the grounding of all An-24s.
Famous Folk Born on March 18th:
 
Mary Tudor, Queen of France
Frederick III, King of Denmark and Norway
John C. Calhoun
Grover Cleveland
Rudolf Diesel
John Kander
Fidel V. Ramos
John Updike
Michael Reagan
Rod Milburn (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAHMjrQU4BY apologies if you don't speak German)
Seymour Butts (didn't this guy write a book titled "Under the Backstop")
Vassily Ivanchuk
Brian Griese
Brian Scalabrine
Adam Levine
 
 

posted by me at 10:28 PM