SodaHead - Fef's Blog

Semper Cop: Joseph Wambaugh's Hollywood Moon

2009-11-07T08:35:27Z

+10 raves

I've known Joe Wambaugh, the author of this new novel, since my childhood. I played hide-and-seek at his mansion in San Marino, California. I didn't think of him as a big shot novelist, but rather a another former cop friend of my dad's. Wambaugh, a marine turned cop, patrolled the streets of Los Angeles from 1960-1974. His work as a "Blue Knight" gave him great material, but his talent to convert those tales into sales started in 1971 when he finished "The New Centurions." If you have any interest in reading the most accurate police stories in fabled LAPD's history, pick up a copy of any of Wambaugh's books and let me know what you think. Wambaugh's Best Sellers Watch Wambaugh discuss his novel:

BlogTalkRadio Interview - Fef and Kim Beasley

2009-11-05T19:51:14Z

Fef

0 raves

I just finished a wonderful interview with Kim Beasley of . The interview lasts 1 hour and covers everything from making money on the internet via blogging and using SodaHead to generate an audience for your blog, website or whatever you want to promote online.

Congressman Alan Grayson Backfires for Health Care

2009-10-27T00:34:35Z

Fef

+20 raves

Congressman Alan Grayson (Democrat, Florida 8th District) recently gained a lot of attention as an advocate for government health care. The Democrats can do better to hold someone in the public light than Grayson. His immature presentation on the floor of Congress with his poster cards won him lots of points on the Left. His cards read: 1) "Republican Care Plan: #1. Don't Get Sick" 2) "Republican Health Care Plan: #2. And If You Do Get Sick..." 3) "Republican Health Care Plan: #3. Die Quickly." The Left has complained that the rhetoric on the Right exceeds civil discourse. We've heard that parotted a thousand times. Yet, Grayson takes the cake for lowering the bar of civil discourse. This immature stunt does nothing to help push the Democrats agenda forward -- attacking the Republicans who have no power doesn't build a bridge or stretch out a hand for reconciliation. It further incites and divides people. Should we expect to hear the Left criticize Grayson for his tone and speech full of hate? Nope. How about this other outrageous attack full of hate and vitriol Grayson leveled at Vice President Cheney: Well, my response is -- and by the way, I have trouble listening to what he says sometimes, because of the blood that drips from his teeth while he's talking. But my response is this: He's just angry because the president doesn't shoot old men in the face. But by the way, when he was done speaking, did he just then turn into a bat and fly away? You know you've crossed the line as a Democrat when Chris Matthews from Hardball tells you to calm down. Oh God -- we gotta keep a level here. Let me ask you this: Don't you have any Republican friends? Any day now, expect Grayson to give up his public seat for a talk show. He'd make more money and we could actually laugh at his jokes instead of cringe that an elected official would talk like that -- about anyone, let alone the immediate past Vice President. I hope he uses the same vitriol for our enemies. Please share any links, videos or text if you can find Grayson attacking Ahmedinejad, Usuma Bin Laden, Kim Jong-il or any of our enemies with such fervor as he attacks Americans. http://grayson.house.gov/ Edit: Fans of Grayson support his childish behavior. Grayson posted this video no YouTube because he find great pride in insulting people. One fan, obviously who learned from Grayson, posted a profane reply: Keep up the good work YOU F***ING ROCK!!! (I removed the letters, not Grayson or YouTube) Do we really want people like Grayson in office leading America and setting the tone for healthy discussions?

Critics of Health Care Reform do Care About People

2009-10-16T20:56:41Z

Fef

+5 raves

The debate about Health Care involves an emotional issue of caring for others. Supporters of a government/public-option insist that we need to care about everyone, not just the wealthy who can afford medical coverage and insurance. They paint critics of reform as non-caring, pro-business, heartless people who don't care about the poor or "47 million without insurance." That argument does a great disservice to the debate. The majority of people on both sides of the debate care about others. Only the fringe -- a fringe on both sides -- doesn't care about other people as much as they should. Many opposed to the government option cite costs - that it will raise taxes and cost a lot to provide medical care to more people. Supporters argue that we need to spend the money because we care -- and those who don't want to spend the money don't care. I disagree with that logic, and to illustrate my point, consider this... Seat belts save lives. The government requires seat belts on all cars and trucks. Many state governments require wearing seat belts. And we "can't put a price on the life of a child." So should government pay to install seat belts on all public school buses? 26,000,000 schoolchildren take the bus every day. So why not spend $1,500 - $2,000 seat belt cost per bus? If someone doesn't want government to spend the money, do they not care about the 26 million children -- "our future"? No. It costs too much. Sadly, an average of seven to nine children will die in bus crashes in an average year. However, that statistic represents an incredible safety record considering the 4 billion miles of school bus travel each year. And, seat belts may not have saved each of those precious lives. It would cost $37,500,000 to $60,000,000 annually to install seat belts in the 25,000 to 30,000 buses produced each year. This does not include the cost of retrofitting existing buses. The money would save far more lives if spent on hospitals, medical research, safer highways, etc... I encourage eveyrone to believe that critics of a government plan do care about people and health care. In fact, I care so much about other people and quality of care that I don't want a government option because it will reduce quality and coverage.

Health Care Reform Now! But baby steps.

2009-10-16T20:55:07Z

Fef

+3 raves

I think most people agree that we need health care reform. What doesn't need reform? Americans always want to improve and not settle for what we've got. Instead of making this a knock-down, drag-out fight about BIG government options and mandates on private business, why don't we pass some reform on the things most people can agree upon? Tort Reform: Democrats and Republicans can agree that we need reform in the area of litigation. The costs of malpractice insurance -- both direct and indirect -- increase the cost of care far too much. Indirect costs include defensive medicine -- tests and procedures the doctors order unnecessarily to avoid lawsuits. Portability: Individuals should own their plans, not their employers. This would allow people to change jobs and keep their coverage, which helps cover people with pre-existing conditions. Most states don't allow employers to compensate employees for their individual health insurance, effectively outlawing portability. Interstate competition: Increase the number of providers and competition in order to provide more options and lower costs. Don't make each state an island when it comes to health insurance. I fear that activists, politics and lobbyists have influenced the reform initiative too much. Let's start with these basic, common sense options today.

Communist China Honored at NYC Empire State Building - Outraged?

2009-10-01T08:32:55Z

Fef

+20 raves

I saw something about the Empire State Building getting lit up in red and yellow in honor of China -- I thought we did something to honor the country or our relation with them. I couldn't believe it when I learned we lit it up to honor the Communist Revolution in China 60 years ago! When a giant ape from Africa climbed up the building we blasted it with airplanes and killed the ape. Now, instead of fighting a more dangerous and evil enemy, we welcome it to the same building and honor it with a light ceremony. Huh!?! Who thought of doing that? And who allowed it? The Chinese Consulate said the ESB contacted the consulate about the idea. Chinese Consulate spokeperson Gao Wen Qi said, "in this instance, the building approached the Consulate" according to the Huffington Post. U.S. News and World Report published an editorial Wednesday titled "The Empire State Building's Disgusting Kowtow to China," which asked: Is this to honor Mao Zedong, whose euphemistically-named Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution led to the mass starvation and mass murder of 40-70 million Chinese, a death toll perhaps surpassing that of Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin combined, and led him to declare, "China is such a populous nation, it's not as if we cannot do without a few people?" http://www.usnews.com/blogs/doug-heye/2009/09/30/the-empire-s... Again, did I miss something? Did China buy the building and we didn't know? Someone paid attention to what Communist China has done in the area of human rights: I did some research and learned that the ESB does have lighting ceremonies for just about anything, including: Columbus Day, Easter, Israel Tribute Committee, Salute to Israel Parade. As a USC Trojan alumnus, it looks great in my school's colors of Cardinal & Gold: But, frankly, I'd rather see King Kong up there than Communist China

Space Butterfly: Beautiful Science Captured by Hubble

2009-09-10T07:17:26Z

Fef

+22 raves

The image tops several spectacular new snaps taken by the orbiting eye on the sky since it was repaired and upgraded in daring spacewalks by shuttle astronauts in May. The delicate insect is really vast streams of gas racing at over 600,000mph from a dying star. Source: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2629817/Hubbles-bes...

LIVE: Presidential Address to Students on SodaHead

2009-09-08T15:52:43Z

Fef

+21 raves

http://www.sodahead.com/political/address-students-across-ame... Watch the address live and leave your comments here. THE PRESIDENT'S BACK-TO-SCHOOL MESSAGE TO AMERICA'S STUDENTS Help get America’s students engaged! On Tuesday, September 8 — the first day of school for many students — the President will talk directly to students across the country on the importance of taking responsibility for their education, challenging them to set goals and do everything they can to succeed. We want to make sure that as many schools and classrooms nationwide can participate in this special opportunity, so we are making the President’s address and all the information that comes with it available as widely as possible. Whether you are a teacher, a school board member, or a member of the media, find information below to help you watch and be engaged with the President in welcoming our students back to school. More resources on the president's speech: http://www.whitehouse.gov/mediaresources/ http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemark...

Angry Mob Agitators aka Reckless Politicians

2009-08-23T05:49:21Z

Fef

+14 raves

A friend of mine shared this email correspondence he had with a Democratic candidate for State Assembly in California, Carol Lutness My friend doesn't belong to any angry mob, hasn't carried any swastikas to rallies, or killed baby whales in the name of Ronald Reagan. He lives, works and spends time with his family like the rest of us. Yet, you can see how he can get pushed to join an angry mob when politicians treat him like an enemy. Read his commentary and correspondence below... --------- My Friend's Correspondence ------- The following is an e-mail exchange between a politician Carole Lutness and myself, which took place between August 5 and August 9. She originally sent out an e-mail missive to her Democratic associates attacking another e-mail from a Republican which attacked the Health Care Reform bill. The contents of the Republican attack on the bill and the Democratic reply are unimportant. This is not about the bill. This is about how a certain politician who ran for State Assembly views a majority of the people she wanted to represent. I think it goes without saying that I have lots of friends and family with a huge variety of political affiliations, and those that know me well know that I enjoy a good well-reasoned debate about lots of topics. Carole Lutness has never met me, would not know me if she bumped into me on the street, and yet she found it perfectly acceptable to insult me with every cliche and thesaurus entry she could find. Personally, I don't care. Why I'm making this public is because it's very alarming that this type of discourse is becoming the norm. --------------------- **Carole** (To an associate) Please send this out to the Repugs/o/s who may have received the lie-filled e-mail about Health Care Reform. Thx. C **Associate** (to me) Great best side reading but provides a deeper level of understanding on the house’s healthcare bill. . . check out the bill itself at http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3200/text . . . . **Jason** (to Associate, and cc: to Carole) Careful who you send this to when you call somebody 'Repug'. Truly offensive. **Carole** Sorry if I offended you. I am obviously offended by the Corporate HMO/Republican attempt to sabotage health care reform. The current profit-driven system is destroying this country, driving businesses out of business and only serves to make the fat-cats fatter. We have the worst health care outcomes than any other developed country at 2-3 times the cost. C **Jason** I don't believe that you are sorry about anything. Believe whatever you want about the health-care issue. The problem is that when you resort to crass name-calling, any claim you have to credibility in the debate is out the window. I'm not a politician, elected representative, or party leader. I'm just a guy making a living in [town name] who is a registered Republican, and because I have a differing viewpoint from yours, gets the honor of being called repugnant. How lovely. -Jason- **Carole** Don't know how you got the e-mail - it was sent to some Dem associates. C **Jason** That's kind of surprising, since you specifically asked for them to send it out. **Carole** You're right. I would have assumed people would remove the top message but you are correct. I have grow weary of what the Corporate Right has done to this country and the world and the stupidity of those on the Right who still drink their kool-aid. We are at a tipping point economically, politically and environmentally and yet the oligarchs are fighting with every ounce of power they have to maintain control/power/wealth. People on the Right don't see what they are doing and when they swallow their Cato Institute/Heritage Foundation propaganda and lies(paid for by the big corporations) I get angry. Why people who are victims of these thugs/thieves continue to believe them is beyond me. So yes, I'm disheartened about the stupidity of the Right. My father in law was an Eisenhower Republican. A reasonable, rational man. Back then R & D's could differ but come to some compromise. The Rebublcians could see that investing in good school, having a safety net, having a great infrastructure was good for business. Now the Right wants it all - take no captives. Their dog-eat-dog philosophy- no body can tell me what I can or can't do - to hell with the "common good" - plunder our resources, poison our oceans/air and land, let the disparity between the 'have nots and the have yachts' widen obscenely, ignore the needs of our children, destroy the safety net, etc. - for what? To make the rich man richer. image This chart shows the change in the distribution of wealth since Reagan took office. As you can see the so-called "Reagan Revolution" did exactly what it set out to do - redistribute wealth. So now we have the continuing deterioration of of society, our infrastructure crumbling and our democracy unraveling because people like you believe the corporate oligarchs that someday, you too, will be one of the 1%. So go back to your kitchen table, drink your kool aid, numb your mind with senseless TV and by all means never wake up from the spell they have put you under. C **Jason** Great, so now not only am I repugnant, but I'm stupid and mindless as well, and apparently personally responsible for the decay of society. I will wear those words from you as a badge of honor. I need to ask, is this *really* the level of discourse you wish to engage in? Or is the only one you're capable of? Ah, I knew your apology was not sincere. You hate me for the fact that I have an (R) after my name on my voter registration. That's bigotry, plain and simple. I could spend all day debating the facts about health-care reform, income redistribution, Ronald Reagan, pretty much anything. It would be fun. But I would never do so with you, or anybody who from the outset shows such disrespect and incivility that it distracts from their case. I started this e-mail exchange with you to find out if it's true that some running for public office in, or to represent, [town name] really felt this way about the average citizen, or if it were perhaps just a joke made in jest. I'm sad to say that I'm disheartened to learn that it's the former. **Carole** Your mind was made up about me from the git-go. Now you can blame it on my 'incivility.' And I suppose you have never call people on the Left names? Yes, you and those like you are to blame for your intellectual laziness, your gullibility and slavish devotion to your corporate masters. We the People should be united to fight the plutocracy. Instead you align with your captors. You fall for their Gods, Guns and Gays propaganda which they use to divide us and make you think I'm the enemy because I read and think and see things as they are, not as the man behind the green curtain would have you believe. During our Revolution, you would have been on England's side. Remember, our forefathers fought an economic war against the Crown and the largest corporation in the world, the East India Tea Company - owned by the British royals - that wanted to insist that the American merchants accept a monopoly on tea. Our forefathers realized that if they accepted a monopoly on tea, they would have to accept a monopoly on all imports. That is the primary reason we went to war. If the Crown had won, we would be reading British textbooks, not about our revolutionary heroes and the founding of Democracy but about the 'terrorists' like Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, that wanted to destroy the Empire. So go on and villify me because I called "you" a name. It's easier than thinking. C **Jason** Your responses and assumptions speak volumes about you. I really had no idea who you were from the 'git-go'. But now I know everything I need to know about you, thank you very much. Very pleased to add intellectual laziness, gullibility, and slavish devotion to my list of traits. Again, very original and thoughtful critique from someone that knows absolutely nothing about me except my party registration. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to suckling on the corporate teat. I already missed my whipping for the day. Thank you, -Jason-

My New Hero, Harry Alford

2009-07-18T22:53:00Z

Fef

+71 raves

Black Chamber of Commerce, President and CEO Harry Alford accuses Senator Boxer (D-CA) of playing race politics during a Senate EPW Committee hearing on green jobs. We need more people like Mr. Allford who don't sit idle and take abuse from politicians. I respect Senator Boxer from the great state of California, where I live. I look forward to more open and honest discussions instead of the typical witness/senator discussion that looks like a prepared speech. Mr. Harry Allford: Mr. Allford calls Sen. Boxer "ma'am" several times as the US Army taught him how to speak respectfully to a woman. Recently, we saw Sen. Barbara Boxer lose it when Brigadier General Michael Walsh called her "ma'am". EDIT: Mr. Alford felt insulted and racially provoked. I think, given the circumstance, he kept his cool. If Rev. Sharpton or Rev. Jackson had a senator refer to their expert testimony as just another "black man's" opinion, they would have unleashed into tirades and started a campaign to impeach the senator for racism.