Los Angeles, Baby!

We're in Los Angeles, safe and sound.  It's only 9:30 but everyone's crashed due to the time difference.  From the time we left my Mom's house this morning to arrival at our hotel, almost 13 hours had passed.  And everything went without a hitch.

First impressions of Los Angeles:

1.  It's a cliche, but the weather was actually 72 and sunny.  No joke. Steve Martin is a genius. 

2.  Traffic, traffic, traffic.  Holy cow.  It's wall to wall and the highways stretch on forever.  Witnessed a fenderbender within 45 minutes on  the road.  The exception to the madness was the occasional HOV lane which soared gracefully into the sky, a lonely, angelic, literal skyway for weary travelers.  Unfortunately, we missed every one until it was too late to get on.

3  Every single episode of 24 was totally full of crap.  If that show were realistic, the world would have ended during the first season while Jack was stuck on the 5 North.

We're staying at the lovely Miyako Hotel, a Japanese owned establishment in Little Tokyo, with a very Japanese clientele.  It's comfortable and I love the decor.  We'll be in good shape here for the next three days.

Finally, for dinner we ate at the restaurant of the guy who supposedly INVENTED the California Roll.  The restaurant was Oomasa and it was good.  We didn't get anything off the wall, just standard stuff because we wanted to see how it compared.  It compared very well.

So, off to bed.  Tomorrow it's Hollywood and Rent, directed by Neil Patrick Harris and starring Wayne Brady, at the Hollywood Bowl.

Now this is how you resist an illegitimate President

Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles County) rocks. He issued this statement today.

REP. LIEU STATEMENT ON REPORT OF TRUMP ASSOCIATES’ POSSIBLE COLLUSION WITH RUSSIA

March 23, 2017
Press Release

Washington – Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles County) issued the following statement regarding the CNN report that Trump associates possibly colluded with Russia to affect the outcome of the 2016 election in the United States.

“The bombshell revelation that U.S. officials have information that suggests Trump associates may have colluded with the Russians means we must pause the entire Trump agenda. We may have an illegitimate President of the United States currently occupying the White House.”

“Other than allowing routine governmental functions, there must be a total and complete shutdown of any agenda item being pushed by the Trump Administration. Congress cannot continue regular order and must stop voting on any Trump-backed agenda item until the FBI completes its Trump-Russia collusion investigation.”

“Congress must immediately form an independent commission and appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the collusion allegations with impartiality and independence. Congress also needs to pass the Resolution of Inquiry, authored by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and I, to compel the Trump Administration to publicly disclose information on its Russian ties to the American people. At this point in our nation's history, there is nothing more important than finding out whether or not high crimes were committed by associates of Donald Trump or possibly by Trump himself.”

We are uncovering more and more evidence that members of Trump's team, and maybe even Trump himself, may have worked with the Russians to subvert the American Presidential election. 

If this doesn't bother you, then how can you call yourself an American? Is getting an anti-abortion Supreme Court worth putting a traitor in charge of the country?

Thanks Congressman Lieu. Let's hope the rest of the Democrats follow your brave example.

Fanboys

I REALLY want to see Fanboys. There's an interesting story behind the film which has been sitting on the shelf for years. It comes out on Feb. 6 but only in "select" cities (Austin TX, Houston, TX, Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA, New York, NY, Philadelphia, PA, San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA). Let's hope it does well enough to warrant a larger release.

If you're going to complain, at least do your research

Very few people in the United States really understand what an "atheist" is. Do some basic news searches and you will find atheists being demonized and demeaned by people who have no clue what an atheist actually believes. But that's okay for them because they'd rather attack a stereotype anyway.

Sam Harris wrote an excellent op-ed in the Los Angeles Times a couple of years ago. It addresses myths such as "Atheists believe that life is meaningless," or "Atheism is dogmatic," or "Atheism provides no basis for morality."

Check it out here: 10 myths -- and 10 truths -- about atheism.

Looking forward to this!

Since I had such a good experience with my first-ever massage when we were in Los Angeles, for Christmas Carol got me a gift card for a massage at a local spa!  Sweet!

The card says the massage comes with a "happy ending".  I don't know what that means, but it sure sounds swell!

Summer Vacation Roundup

Okay, this is long overdue.  Following is the rest of our California vacation summary.  Here's the first part.

I'll get to the life-long goal previously mentioned in the first part (hopefully BEFORE the end of my life).

On Tuesday, we took the Warner Brothers Studio tour.  We wanted to tour one of the studios and were told that the WB tour was the best.  We saw no reason to doubt, as it was tremendous.  The lot was strangely quiet which was interesting.  Our tour guide was informed, interesting and smart.  We had a great time.

We saw the set of Two and a Half Men which we don't watch, and went onto the set of Chuck which we do watch.  It was very cool being on the set of a TV show you've watched many times.  We saw the exterior of the morgue from Pushing Daisies.  We saw the area where they shot the T-Rex chase in Jurassic Park and we sat on the couch from Central Perk on Friends. 

Most cooly, we went into a small house that's been used for all kinds of shows.  As we looked up a staircase with a landing at the top and a room to our right, our tour guide told us that it had been used as Ross and Monica's parent's house in the video where Rachel's date doesn't show up for the prom and Ross is encouraged to take her.  As soon as he said it, we recognized the set.  That's one of Friend's best episodes and one of our personal favorites.  And we were where they filmed it.  Sweet.

Our guide on the Friends' stairs.

Afterwards, I suggested we check out the Griffith Observatory, which has been used in tons of movies, most notably Rebel Without a Cause, and most recently, Transformers.  Thanks to the GPS, we had no problem finding it.  The observatory sits on hills overlooking the entire city.  Unfortunately, the lot was full so we had to park down the ways a bit and walk quite a distance up hill.  Ben was less than enthusiastic.

But boy, we were glad we did.  The view of Los Angeles was spectacular (see below).  The observatory itself was wonderful.  They had just finished a multi-million dollar renovation so there were many modern astronomical exhibits.  It was a great find and well worth spending more time than we did.

After the observatory, we returned to Disneyland where we spent the rest of our trip.  We visited both Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure over the next three days.  More on that later.

LA Update

Wow, how busy we've been.  We've been squeezing a lot into our days and nights here in Los Angeles.

On Saturday, we visited the vast tourist mecca that is Hollywood.  Saw the Walk of Fame, the El Capitan Theater (but didn't go inside.  $20 a ticket to see Toy Story 3!), Graumann's Chinese and Egyptian Theaters, the Kodak Theater, the Capitol Records building, the Hollywood sign, and the Pantages theater.  That night we went to the Hollywood Bowl to see Rent.  It was a chilly night and we stupidly didn't have any coats, but the thousands of other human beings made the temperature tolerable. The show was great, even Vanessa Hudgens as Mimi.

On Sunday, we spent the day at Venice Beach.  We did the beach thing south of the boardwalk and the Venice pier where there were very few people.  Ben loved the ocean.  The rest of us were wusses and just enjoyed the beach.  Afterwards, we walked a long way up the boardwalk towards Santa Monica.  There were thousands of people, some freakish, others not.  On the way back to the hotel, we drove around Beverly Hills and checked out all the rich bastards' houses.

Sunday being our anniversary, Carol and I went to the Miyako Hotel spa and got our first ever massages!  I really enjoyed it.  Carol slightly less so but it was very relaxing and I still feel pretty good.

On Monday we left the Miyako (recommended), and took a tour of USC for Rachel.  She doesn't really want to go to college on the West Coast but they have a great theater department so we figured the information would be useful.  The campus was beautiful. Ben, as expected, was less than thrilled.

Afterwards, we decided to check in at Disneyland's Grand Californian Resort and spend the evening at Disneyland.  (Okay, Carol wanted to go to the Getty Museum, the mob overruled her.)  It was hot and crowded and not like our beloved Disney World, but we had a good time after a slow start.  As a bonus, we got to see the ultra-cheesy Captain EO, presented again in commemoration of Michael Jackson.  Wow, was that dated.

And that night, I finally achieved a nearly life-long goal. 

More about that later.

Atheist parents are better at raising children

This week in DUH Magazine.

Whether it’s to instill traditional family values or simply to get them into a good school, many parents raise their children to be religious in the belief that it is best for them.

But it turns out there’s just no need, with studies showing that children raised without religion do just fine – and in some areas, outperform their religious counterparts.

In a recent op-ed in the Los Angeles Times, sociologist Phil Zuckerman explains that far from bringing children up in a moral vacuum, atheism can give them better clarity about right and wrong – because beliefs are more likely to be rooted in empathy than fear of punishment in the hereafter.

He found that a secular upbringing provides children with firm moral foundations.

One of the (many) problems I have with religion is the idea that morality springs from faith. I'm pretty sure that most Christians in America believe they are morally superior to atheists. So let's say it together:

Believing in God does not make you a moral person.

Morality comes from empathizing with other people. It comes from walking a mile in their shoes, trying to understand them, and treating them the way you wish to be treated, all universal ideas that don't belong to any religion. Rote belief in scriptural pronouncements doesn't teach you how to be moral, which takes wisdom and understanding. And since many religious beliefs are antiquated, horrific and hateful, being religious makes you more susceptible to bad moral choices.

He quoted studies that found atheist teenagers were less worried about fitting in, more tolerant of others, less likely to exhibit racism, and more likely to support women’s equality and gay rights.

Zuckerman also pointed out that atheists commit fewer crimes as adults – making up less than 1 per cent of the US prison population, according to Federal Bureau of Prisons statistics.

Meanwhile, a study conducted by the University of Chicago found that children brought up in secular households showed more empathy and kindness than those raised in religious ones.

Damn straight.

Deploying the Gestapo

Trump, citing crime as a pathetic justification, continued the fascist takeover of American cities today by assuming control of the DC Metro Police, deploying untrained FBI agents into the streets, and calling up the National Guard. First it was Los Angeles, now DC, and he's already projected future invasions of New York, Baltimore, Chicago and Oakland, all of which are run by Black Democrats. What a weird coincidence, huh?

And if you ever wonder about the allegiance of police to their city, rather than the Rightwing, the DC Police Union issued a statement supporting the takeover.

So just to get this straight. This wasn't enough to call out the National Guard:

But this is enough to send the jackboots through our nation's Capitol.

WASHINGTON - Total violent crime for 2024 in the District of Columbia is down 35% from 2023 and is the lowest it has been in over 30 years, according to data collected by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves. A breakdown of the data is available here. Link

Makes perfect sense.

I will say that I believe that TRUMP believes the bullshit about these cities being hellscapes, because his demented brain is stuck on an image of 80's movie dystopia, reinforced by a lifetime of stupidity and racism. The rest of his administration may know the truth, but are very happy to take advantage of his profound delusion to effect the fascist oligarchy of their dreams.

The Staycation 2011 Begins

Every summer, the family and I visit our family in Indiana for a week.  Then, sometime earlier or later in the summer we take an actual vacation.  Carol budgets it so that we go somewhere "big" (aka expensive) every other year.  Last year we went to Los Angeles, the year before New York City, the year before Florida and Disney World, etc.

This summer, after we went to Indiana in June, work got really busy for me.  We had a new rulemaking issue in August (yep, more job-killing regulations!) and I needed to be there for that.  Plus, Rachel and Carol have been taking some time visiting colleges around the Northeast.  So, our actual vacation just didn't get a chance to happen.

Now that the kids are back to school and work has calmed down somewhat, I've decided to take some time off.  I'm on vacation starting Monday until the following Wednesday.  My plan is to stay home, get some things done around the house, use my massage gift card (yes, I've been so busy I haven't used the massage card Carol got me for Christmas), and rest.  I've wanted to try this for years and now can do so without guilt.

My intent is to post every day, detailing what I get done (or don't).  We'll see how that goes.

Anyway, let the Staycation begin!

Here's a Halloween scare for you!

Damn, I'm sorry I know this exists. Now you know it exists. I guess it's like the cursed VHS tape in The Ring. Here's the Wikipedia link if you're a masochist.

Trump Tower is a work of fiction by Jeffrey Robinson, originally credited to Donald Trump, and billed as Trump's "debut novel" by the publisher. It was first published in 2011 by Vanguard Press. Trump had previously attempted to create a television series titled Trump Tower, modeled after Dallas, Dynasty, and Upstairs, Downstairs. He worked with MVP Entertainment, contracted a writer in Los Angeles, and successfully had Showtime Networks develop a television pilot. After receiving a payment for television rights to Trump Tower, he marketed the idea to Lifetime. The book by this title was developed in 2011 listing Trump, but when released in 2012 credited Robinson as sole author.

The plot of the book is set within a fictional version of Trump Tower, with Trump himself appearing as a character in the work. Detailed sex acts are depicted including BDSM and the rape of a woman. An employee of the building is described having sex on the set of The Celebrity Apprentice.The plot moves from erotica to murder mystery, and the building manager is initially a suspect before later being cleared. Bill Clinton and other celebrities appear in cameo appearances.

Sorry.

Seems a little uncomfortable, doesn't it?

Climate change is here and wreaking havoc around the world.

Meanwhile, the American government actively works AGAINST measures to fight it. Because the rich can't have their livelihoods threatened, even if it means the loss of civilization.

In early July, all-time heat records were set all over the world. The Algerian city of Ouargla set a new recorded high for the entire continent of Africa: 124.3 degrees Fahrenheit, or 51.3 degrees Celsius, on July 6. But that’s far from the only place where—to quote Cole Porter—it’s too darn hot.

• In Texas, the extreme heat is widespread. Multiple cities are reporting runs of five or six days in a row with temperatures over 100. The record-breaking heat is overwhelming the state’s electric power grid. One day was so hot that the grid set a new system-wide all-time peak demand record.

• An “unprecedented” heat wave in Japan has been declared a natural disaster. Kumagaya, a city near Tokyo, recorded the highest-ever temperature in Japan—41.1 degrees Celsius, or 105.98 degrees Fahrenheit. At least 80 people have died of the heat so far, but some weather officials say the death toll is more likely in the hundreds. More than 30,000 people have been hospitalized for heatstroke. The extreme weather also is forcing officials to postpone construction of venues for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

• In Sweden, high temperatures and persistent drought are being blamed for the spread of some 44 wildfires. Sweden has asked other European countries for assistance in fighting the fires. These wildfires are reaching as far north as the Arctic Circle.

• Heat records are being broken all over: Denver; Los Angeles; Montreal; Glasgow, Scotland; Shannon, Ireland; Belfast, Northern Ireland; and many locations in Russia, including Siberia. In the U.S. alone, nine all-time temperature records have been broken and 10 have tied records.

• In Ireland’s Boyne Valley north of Dublin, the extreme heat and an accompanying drought, with the help of a drone camera, uncovered the footprint of an ancient Stonehenge-like structure on land that is usually green with crops.

There are many, many more examples, including boiled bats in Australia. All of this follows 2017, which also had record-breaking heat. As a matter of fact, the five warmest years on record all have occurred since 2010.  Link

I do have some hope that humanity will figure out a way around this. But every year of inaction by one of the biggest polluters on the planet makes that less and less likely.