Tonight the Los Angeles Lakers head to the World Famous Madison Square Garden. Even when the Knicks were terrible, and even during the 3-5 seasons of disappointing Laker basketball in my 30 years, MSG games were always something different and something to feel excited about. NY vs. LA. The established primary US city vs. the city that continues to erode the primary city's importance. East vs. West. Biggie vs. Tupac. Tonight's game feels much different.
Forget the fact that the Knicks are undefeated at home this year. Forget the fact that D'Antoni is heading in to coach his first game against his former team. Forget the fact that two future Hall of Famers are not playing. After all, this isn't about playing against a hot team, isn't about taking time to implement an offense, and isn't about a lack of chemistry on the offensive end or of offensive production components. We can look back at various stretches of the 2003-04 season to draw comparisons, and at no point did the Lakers look as lifeless and beatable as they do right now.
The game isn't until 5 on the West Coast tonight, but I'm already recouping from what will be the Lakers' fourth straight loss. Of course I'm still going to tune in and hope that they actually show up and play, but I also try to be a realist. There is no heart, and no fight in this team (exemption, Kobe), and they are absolutely going to miss the playoffs at this rate. With four future Hall of Fame first-ballot inductees.
It's gut check time, Lakers. I know fans are giving you the excuse of blaming the front office, but I don't buy the whole notion of pigeon-holing a professional basketball coach into a single, monochromatic style. Phil and Jerry are exceptions, not the rule, so a Mike D'Antoni team can play defense. Any other excuse is complete B.S. and needs to be treated as such. Better defense leads to run-and-gun offense, so the two can absolutely compliment each other. Maybe we run Shell Drill all damn practice to drive the point home, but the latest disappointment in Cleveland clearly shows that it's time for everyone in the locker room to have a long look in the mirror and ask themselves what they are doing to earn their paycheck. Mitch has done plenty, so don't let him (and the rest of us) down.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Monday, December 03, 2012
Rise Above: The Fiscal Cliff's Largest and Easiest Target
The Nation's pending financial reset known as the "Fiscal Cliff" is in the news daily, and while there is much talk about the political game of chess, there is very little being talked about in the form of solutions. And, most unfortunately for American History, even talking about compromise (the very thing that created this Great Nation in the first place) has become taboo, an excuse for ridicule from one's own party or even worse, the other. It cannot be looked at as a political black mark, it cannot be considered an act of traitorship (I may be creating words, and I'm okay with it) to engage in a process that is the very being of this country. That John Boehner has brushed aside Tom Cole's call to action to take a 98% deal is ludacris.
Obama has drawn a line in the sand at letting the Bush-era tax cuts expire for the top 2%. While I completely undersatnd Boehner's stance that the "Top 2%" of income tax returns hardly denote the wealthiest Americans, as many Mom and Pop businesses would actually fall into this category and potentially pay higher taxes, these businesses also have the ability to manage their bottom lines to reach tax efficiency. They can use their tax professional to make the system work for them when it changes.
Obama's line in the sand is frustrating and unfortunate at best, but given the way the Fiscal Cliff works, these negotiations are to his party's advantage. If the US goes over the cliff, everyone's taxes go up, and Republicans are square to blame for not playing ball. So why not start with the 98% deal? Obama has also let it be known that he's open to further negotiation, but his sticking piece is the end of the tax cuts for the top 2%. So why not work within that foundation? Tom Cole is ready to do so, and it seemed for a moment that Lindsey Graham was, too.
It's time to stop pointing fingers. It's time for Democrats to embrace folks like Tom Cole and their willingness to come to the bargaining table. It's also time for Democrats to put forth an olive branch of compromise to folks like Tom Cole in good faith. After all, once we begin bipartisan collaboration, don't we want to endorse and encourage it?
Obama has drawn a line in the sand at letting the Bush-era tax cuts expire for the top 2%. While I completely undersatnd Boehner's stance that the "Top 2%" of income tax returns hardly denote the wealthiest Americans, as many Mom and Pop businesses would actually fall into this category and potentially pay higher taxes, these businesses also have the ability to manage their bottom lines to reach tax efficiency. They can use their tax professional to make the system work for them when it changes.
Obama's line in the sand is frustrating and unfortunate at best, but given the way the Fiscal Cliff works, these negotiations are to his party's advantage. If the US goes over the cliff, everyone's taxes go up, and Republicans are square to blame for not playing ball. So why not start with the 98% deal? Obama has also let it be known that he's open to further negotiation, but his sticking piece is the end of the tax cuts for the top 2%. So why not work within that foundation? Tom Cole is ready to do so, and it seemed for a moment that Lindsey Graham was, too.
It's time to stop pointing fingers. It's time for Democrats to embrace folks like Tom Cole and their willingness to come to the bargaining table. It's also time for Democrats to put forth an olive branch of compromise to folks like Tom Cole in good faith. After all, once we begin bipartisan collaboration, don't we want to endorse and encourage it?
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Long Beach's British Invasion
Okay, I get that Long Beach has the Queen Mary, so we're bound to attract tourism from the UK to our sunny Southern California destination. And the Princess Diana exhibit that is currently showing at the Queen Mary is no doubt a big draw. But my ears have noticed a rather large uptick in the King's English being spoken in Downtown LB. Not sure exactly what gives....any reader insights? Any Brits want to clue me in as to why my town is such a popular choice for UK tourism? Any other specific spots in town that you've come to see? The curiosity is beginning to get to me.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Did Anyone Else Notice?
Right under our noses and with no fanfare, justification, or marketing spin, something in Long Beach has changed. A quick check at LBTrainsit's website leaves no clues as to how long this change has been in place, and the observant indivudual in me sure hopes it's only about a week, or so, old.
As can be found HERE, the Passport bus system in Long Beach has drastically changed. There used to be an A,B,C, and D bus that connected downtown to some of the more frequented destinations in Long Beach like Belmont Shore, Alamitos Bay Marina, Long Beach State, the Los Altos neighborhood, Retro Row, and various other stops in between.
However, now only the "C" route, the one which serves the downtown core and tourist destinations (free of charge), is now the only remaining route and maintains the legacy name. But yes, this route is still free, and is a great way to shuttle between Long Beach's most popular destinations in the downtown and waterfront areas. Both the Aqualink and Aquabus are still mainstays, but run only during the peak months, from Memorial Day through Sept 30. Those lines will be back up in May 2013.
As can be found HERE, the Passport bus system in Long Beach has drastically changed. There used to be an A,B,C, and D bus that connected downtown to some of the more frequented destinations in Long Beach like Belmont Shore, Alamitos Bay Marina, Long Beach State, the Los Altos neighborhood, Retro Row, and various other stops in between.
However, now only the "C" route, the one which serves the downtown core and tourist destinations (free of charge), is now the only remaining route and maintains the legacy name. But yes, this route is still free, and is a great way to shuttle between Long Beach's most popular destinations in the downtown and waterfront areas. Both the Aqualink and Aquabus are still mainstays, but run only during the peak months, from Memorial Day through Sept 30. Those lines will be back up in May 2013.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Did Autumn Just Pull a Punxsutawney Phil?
It was getting crisp and cool at night. There were morning thunderstorms last week. We watched football broadcasts across the country talk about how Fall was in the brisk air.
And then yesterday happened. It cracked 100 in parts of Long Beach for a few minutes in the middle of the day, and it's doing so again today. Tomorrow's going to be almost as hot, and Wednesday is supposed to be even hotter before we get some reprieve in the LA basin. Where the heck did Autumn go?
Actually, remember this time last year? This exact week, even? It was just as hot, and I remember the gauge in my dash reading 107 as I came down Bellflower Blvd. So, while you may cry foul on global warming, just remember that this heat streak happened at exactly the same time last year....and then the real Fall finally started and we had a Windpocalypse.
Begin securing your trees...
And then yesterday happened. It cracked 100 in parts of Long Beach for a few minutes in the middle of the day, and it's doing so again today. Tomorrow's going to be almost as hot, and Wednesday is supposed to be even hotter before we get some reprieve in the LA basin. Where the heck did Autumn go?
Actually, remember this time last year? This exact week, even? It was just as hot, and I remember the gauge in my dash reading 107 as I came down Bellflower Blvd. So, while you may cry foul on global warming, just remember that this heat streak happened at exactly the same time last year....and then the real Fall finally started and we had a Windpocalypse.
Begin securing your trees...
Friday, September 21, 2012
Wednesday, September 05, 2012
The Marathon is Coming!
The 2012 Long Beach International City Bank Marathon is just over a month away! That's right, the 28th iteration of Long Beach's 3rd largest event is a little less than 32 full days from today. The event includes a full marathon, half marathon, 26.2 mile bike tour (I'll be participating), a 5k run/walk, and a kids fun run. Check out The Website for more details and to sign up!
Friday, August 31, 2012
Big Pimpin', North Korea Style
In the reclusive Communist nation, the ladies prefer army fatigues to bikinis, but they still flock to their celebrities. There's definitely a slo-mo music video here, and as the headline suggests, it was Jay-Z that was going through my head. What other song might have this KJU shot as part of its music video?
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Sad State of Six Man
Yes, I know this post is over 3 weeks late. Perhaps it's because this year's tournament was overshadowed by the Olympics. Perhaps because the tournament was on a Tuesday. Or perhaps it was because one of the greatest summer traditions in the South Bay was embarrassingly dull this year. The courts weren't filled, the sand seemed empty, and most of the spectators did so from the pier or boardwalk above. The normally packed bars were completely empty. If I owned any of the establishments down there, I would certainly be upset that my biggest weekend of the year just got sacked. Instead, now they must settle for a droll Tuesday crowd that won't bring in even 25% of last year's business. Vendors outnumbered spectators, and only true volleyball die-hards had any enthusiasm for the event. Even the costumes suffered. But at least Richard Jefferson was there to make a celebrity appearance (and to play, as he does every year), thus saving the event from complete disaster. Here's to hoping that Manhattan Beach returns to its senses and brings back the event in epic form next year.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Spinning the News
We all know that Faux News (I'm sorry, Fox News) is expert at winding up the political dreidel to attack, derride, and degrade those who do not share their views. Funny, I thought that the news was simply supposed to contain a factual digest of current events; you know, the who, what, when, where, why, and sentence. Unfortunately, journalistic embellishment through adjectives constantly skews the what, and the why and sentence of the news is rarely more than an opinion column.
And not to defend Fox news at all, but there are many outlets that wind the dreidel in the opposite direction and spin it just as aggressively. Check out this photo of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer. Now, I don't agree with many of her positions, but I'm willing to hear them and give them a fair review. And if it was my job to report the facts, I would most certainly do so with every effort made at standing the dreidel on its point. And if I was a news photographer snapping hundreds of shots at a press conference, I certainly would choose a different shot than this if I was attempting to remain objective...
Apparently media objectivity is an impracticable concept, save in the press box at a sporting event, where cheering is still symbolically not allowed.
And not to defend Fox news at all, but there are many outlets that wind the dreidel in the opposite direction and spin it just as aggressively. Check out this photo of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer. Now, I don't agree with many of her positions, but I'm willing to hear them and give them a fair review. And if it was my job to report the facts, I would most certainly do so with every effort made at standing the dreidel on its point. And if I was a news photographer snapping hundreds of shots at a press conference, I certainly would choose a different shot than this if I was attempting to remain objective...
Apparently media objectivity is an impracticable concept, save in the press box at a sporting event, where cheering is still symbolically not allowed.
Thursday, August 09, 2012
Hospitality?
Perhaps 30 has already turned me into an old, griping geezer, but I've noticed a sad trend lately. Since the month prior to my nuptials last year, I've had the opportunity to visit and stay at hotels in Las Vegas, San Diego, SLO, Surf City, Long Beach, Buellton (CA), Costa Rica, Fulton (IL), and Chicago; 14 different hotels in all (which I was not really aware of prior to writing this; my eyes just dish-panned). No, I do not travel for work, and only one location (3 hotels) was for the honeymoon; my point being that I've stayed in 2-4 star hotels and not just the high or low-end places.
The disappointing trend I've noticed is in the Hospitality industry's increasing lack of knowledge of what their purpose is. I understand that they are running a for-profit business, and I have zero qualms with that. My issue is as follows:
When was the last time you opened a Webster's dictionary? Thought so. Dictionary.com defines hospitality as "the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way." Many of my experiences have been left short of that definition.
But I don't want to drag down the good places, so I will say that my stay at all three hotels in Costa Rica was beyond expectation when it comes to hospitality, the Embassy Suites is a brand exception to the rule, so the SLO and El Segundo (tomorrow night's hotel; now we're at 15) are also exempt from my consumer dissatisfaction. The Best Western Plus in Downtown Long Beach is solid as well, though pricey for what it is, and the Comfort Inn in Fulton showed some true Midwestern hospitality.
My poor experiences were at two Hard Rocks two Hyatts a Marriott, and a boutique hotel in Chicago. Mistake number one for a couple of these hotels (Huntington Beach Hyatt, $39; Hard Rock San Diego, $39; Sutton Place Hotel Chicago, $55, and probably the same at Hyatt Chicago, but we didn't have a car at that point) is that they charge for parking. Look, the typical guest staying at any of those places in between the parentheses isn't really bargain-hunting, so if the price of everyone's room went up by $20 per night, I'm guessing the folks that didn't drive wouldn't even notice that they were subsidizing those that drove. Wouldn't that be the friendly and generous thing to do, rather than profiteer from parking?
Other issues with a number of these hotels were related to the way the staff interacted with the guests. At the Hyatt in Chicago, the employees at the front desk were not empowered to do anything to help the frustrated guests that were trying to check into their rooms at 4pm (which were supposed to be ready by 3pm), only to be told that the room was not yet ready. To Hyatt's credit, when I sent them a rather terse email about the situation, they were highly apologetic and are sending a $50 gift card, but the point is that someone at the scene should be able to help diffuse the situation, because a number of the other guests decided to dictate their emails directly to the staff in the lobby.
Beyond a lack of employee empowerment, the Hard Rock brand embodies an attitude that does not have the word hospitality in its vocabulary. For the prices that the place charges, you would think that they would treat their guests well. However, in Las Vegas, when you stay in the poolside villa for 3 nights, that will only get you two, that's 2, admission wristbands for their "rehab" pool party. When you have two other rooms in addition to the villa in the hotel, and you ask if they can be next to each other, they look at you as if you're speaking a foreign language. On top of that, the minimalist look inside the rooms is designed to make it look nice, but the quality of the fixtures and furnishings did not warrant anywhere near their nightly rate. As for San Diego, the $39 per night parking, the fact that they pay more attention to the incoming clubbers and pool-partiers than hotel guests says it all. When you stay at the Hard Rock, you aren't staying for hospitality at all, I've learned. Just for the party, and you should feel lucky to be a part of it.
Finally, and backing up the parking issue, why has the hospitality industry become as a-la-carte as the airline industry-- but only in the nicer hotels? It seems counter-intuitive that of all the hotels that I've stayed at stateside in the past year-plus, the only one that provided a free hot breakfast, free parking, a free wi-fi connection, and a flat screen, not to mention a working ice machine on our floor, was the Comfort Inn in Fulton, IL. Yes I paid $100/night to stay there but hey, inflation's a bitch, right? So when I pay more, but a supposedly nicer place has an old-school TV, a broken ice machine, no ice machine on my floor, a $50+ per night parking tab, charges $15/day for wi-fi access, or can't provide compensation of some sort (heck,a free couple of drinks at the bar is an easy way to chill out upset customers), it really makes me wonder if the hospitality industry feels any obligation to be hospitable anymore.
But I don't want to drag down the good places, so I will say that my stay at all three hotels in Costa Rica was beyond expectation when it comes to hospitality, the Embassy Suites is a brand exception to the rule, so the SLO and El Segundo (tomorrow night's hotel; now we're at 15) are also exempt from my consumer dissatisfaction. The Best Western Plus in Downtown Long Beach is solid as well, though pricey for what it is, and the Comfort Inn in Fulton showed some true Midwestern hospitality.
My poor experiences were at two Hard Rocks two Hyatts a Marriott, and a boutique hotel in Chicago. Mistake number one for a couple of these hotels (Huntington Beach Hyatt, $39; Hard Rock San Diego, $39; Sutton Place Hotel Chicago, $55, and probably the same at Hyatt Chicago, but we didn't have a car at that point) is that they charge for parking. Look, the typical guest staying at any of those places in between the parentheses isn't really bargain-hunting, so if the price of everyone's room went up by $20 per night, I'm guessing the folks that didn't drive wouldn't even notice that they were subsidizing those that drove. Wouldn't that be the friendly and generous thing to do, rather than profiteer from parking?
Other issues with a number of these hotels were related to the way the staff interacted with the guests. At the Hyatt in Chicago, the employees at the front desk were not empowered to do anything to help the frustrated guests that were trying to check into their rooms at 4pm (which were supposed to be ready by 3pm), only to be told that the room was not yet ready. To Hyatt's credit, when I sent them a rather terse email about the situation, they were highly apologetic and are sending a $50 gift card, but the point is that someone at the scene should be able to help diffuse the situation, because a number of the other guests decided to dictate their emails directly to the staff in the lobby.
Beyond a lack of employee empowerment, the Hard Rock brand embodies an attitude that does not have the word hospitality in its vocabulary. For the prices that the place charges, you would think that they would treat their guests well. However, in Las Vegas, when you stay in the poolside villa for 3 nights, that will only get you two, that's 2, admission wristbands for their "rehab" pool party. When you have two other rooms in addition to the villa in the hotel, and you ask if they can be next to each other, they look at you as if you're speaking a foreign language. On top of that, the minimalist look inside the rooms is designed to make it look nice, but the quality of the fixtures and furnishings did not warrant anywhere near their nightly rate. As for San Diego, the $39 per night parking, the fact that they pay more attention to the incoming clubbers and pool-partiers than hotel guests says it all. When you stay at the Hard Rock, you aren't staying for hospitality at all, I've learned. Just for the party, and you should feel lucky to be a part of it.
Finally, and backing up the parking issue, why has the hospitality industry become as a-la-carte as the airline industry-- but only in the nicer hotels? It seems counter-intuitive that of all the hotels that I've stayed at stateside in the past year-plus, the only one that provided a free hot breakfast, free parking, a free wi-fi connection, and a flat screen, not to mention a working ice machine on our floor, was the Comfort Inn in Fulton, IL. Yes I paid $100/night to stay there but hey, inflation's a bitch, right? So when I pay more, but a supposedly nicer place has an old-school TV, a broken ice machine, no ice machine on my floor, a $50+ per night parking tab, charges $15/day for wi-fi access, or can't provide compensation of some sort (heck,a free couple of drinks at the bar is an easy way to chill out upset customers), it really makes me wonder if the hospitality industry feels any obligation to be hospitable anymore.
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
Chicago from an Angeleno's Perspective
We spent the past week touring the Midwest, primarily in Chicago, but with stops in Fulton along the Mississippi, and Notre Dame.
...and no Midwest experience could possibly be complete without a trip to Notre Dame to visit the beautiful, historic campus, and of course get a glimpse of "Touchdown Jesus!"
But eventually one's time with the rental car must come to an end, so on Tuesday we returned our little Rav-4 to O'Hare and trained-it back to the city and our hotel. The abundance and convenience of the light rail system makes this Angeleno jealous and wondering what it would be like in LA if they never got rid of the red cars...heck, we're just re-doing them as Metro lines, anyway, and a proposal to bring them back to downtown is slated to be on the ballot in November.
Aside from the plethora of public transit, Chicago has a great amount of free activities that the tourist can engage in, so as to keep some extra cash in the pocketbook for a couple of nice nights out. The Lincoln Park Conservatory and Zoo are excellent free attractions, just north of downtown and a walk down Armitage past a unique neighborhood with historic architecture and tons of little boutiques, about 5 blocks from a Red Line stop. It's a bit of a walk, especially when it's hot and humid, but it was good for my fat ass to get out and move around, and it'll be good for yours, too.
A Trip to the Chicago Federal Reserve and the Money Museum is also free, and it's a quick walk from Willis Tower, so it's a great little piggy-back activity. Plus, you can get your picture taken with a million dollars, so why not stop by and learn a little something? We were also able to check out a free Jazz concert on the lawn at the Shedd Aquarium, followed up by fireworks over Lake Michigan.
Definitely check out a barbecue place, a real Irish Pub, a traditional Chicago-style pizza spot, a Chicago-style tavern, an Original Pancake House, and grab a quick lunch with a sandwich at Jimmy John's (better than Subway, and a great value alternative if you don't like it "Mike's Way"). Chicago has great food!
We also went to the Speakeasy dinner show at Tommy Gun's Garage. The wait staff are the acting talent, and they put on one hell of an entertaining show! It is on the South Side, but by South Side, I mean Cermak west of Chinatown, so it's the equivalent of J-Town or around 9th and Grand. The neighborhood has undergone some major revitalization, there's a teacher's academy on Cermak, and the road has been re-paved and re-lit. Nice and safe walk from the Garage to the train, making for a fun night and convenient to not have to designate a driver (or a cab).
Chicago is a great city for an Angeleno or anyone to visit and explore, and there are plenty of things to do!
Fulton is a charming riverside Midwestern Dutch town, complete with an authentic, working Dutch windmill...and thy're pretty proud about it!
...and no Midwest experience could possibly be complete without a trip to Notre Dame to visit the beautiful, historic campus, and of course get a glimpse of "Touchdown Jesus!"
But eventually one's time with the rental car must come to an end, so on Tuesday we returned our little Rav-4 to O'Hare and trained-it back to the city and our hotel. The abundance and convenience of the light rail system makes this Angeleno jealous and wondering what it would be like in LA if they never got rid of the red cars...heck, we're just re-doing them as Metro lines, anyway, and a proposal to bring them back to downtown is slated to be on the ballot in November.
Aside from the plethora of public transit, Chicago has a great amount of free activities that the tourist can engage in, so as to keep some extra cash in the pocketbook for a couple of nice nights out. The Lincoln Park Conservatory and Zoo are excellent free attractions, just north of downtown and a walk down Armitage past a unique neighborhood with historic architecture and tons of little boutiques, about 5 blocks from a Red Line stop. It's a bit of a walk, especially when it's hot and humid, but it was good for my fat ass to get out and move around, and it'll be good for yours, too.
A Trip to the Chicago Federal Reserve and the Money Museum is also free, and it's a quick walk from Willis Tower, so it's a great little piggy-back activity. Plus, you can get your picture taken with a million dollars, so why not stop by and learn a little something? We were also able to check out a free Jazz concert on the lawn at the Shedd Aquarium, followed up by fireworks over Lake Michigan.
Definitely check out a barbecue place, a real Irish Pub, a traditional Chicago-style pizza spot, a Chicago-style tavern, an Original Pancake House, and grab a quick lunch with a sandwich at Jimmy John's (better than Subway, and a great value alternative if you don't like it "Mike's Way"). Chicago has great food!
Chicago is a great city for an Angeleno or anyone to visit and explore, and there are plenty of things to do!
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Chi-Town, Olympics, and Six Man, Oh My!
It's about to be an event-filled two weeks as I head on vacation from my real job. Having just touched-down in Chicago, we'll be exploring the Midwest this upcoming week. Then on Friday, it's the opening ceremonies and the 2012 London Games will be underway. Finally, July 31 is Six Man in Manhattan Beach. No, I don't have the date wrong, and yes, you're looking at the correct calendar. The legendary tournament and beach party is now on a weekday to deter the large crowds. I'll be there to see the effect this has on the fun-tivities. Keep the feed rolling!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Random Thought of the Day
Last night at a city council meeting, Compton officials raised the prospect that the city may need to consider bankruptcy in the near future, which could make it the fourth California city to do so since the financial collapse. At the same time, political campaigns raise hundreds of millions of dollars from deep pockets and celebrities just to blow on mud-slinging advertising.
I wonder what it would be like if celebrities and deep pockets channeled their influence through municipalities to promote electoral campaigns; would any of these cities have gone broke? I'd like to think Dre and The Game would have made the CPT a hip-hop tourist resort town, by now...
I wonder what it would be like if celebrities and deep pockets channeled their influence through municipalities to promote electoral campaigns; would any of these cities have gone broke? I'd like to think Dre and The Game would have made the CPT a hip-hop tourist resort town, by now...
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Introducing Costa Rica to Southern California
It's been six months, and I still have not experienced a comparison. Though Firestone Walker's new 805 Gold brew is legit, it still doesn't compare to the Tico tradition, Imperial. That said, I'm on a mission....to find Imperial in Southern California...and introduce it to YOU!
Home Remedies
So we recently bought a house, and as new homeowners had to figure a few things out the hard way. I thought that we'd pass along a few tips that may enlighten and hopefully help a few other people.
#1: RoundUp kills weeds and grass. Yes, it says so on the bottle, but apparently not quite as common of knowledge as one would think, and if you've already got a pre-made mix running, an off-the cuff question for confirmation can have a negative impact on your new lawn. I recommend Patch Master to correct that error.
#2: Raccoons are some serious SOB's. We had some that decided to camp under our deck and roll up the new sod in the yard to poach on worms and grub. As fun as it is to roll your lawn back over the bare ground a couple of times a week, we decided to take action...swiftly. First, we used Ammonia-soaked tennis balls and tossed them under the deck. This sent them packing for a few days, but they were back within a week. Follow up attacks included moth balls and Critter Ridder, which again worked for a limited time. In the end, what stopped the damn raccoons was depriving them of their food, and using their nocturnal nature against them. The worms and grub always came out when the sprinklers came on to water the grass, which prompted the raccoons. By changing our watering time from 4:30am to 6:15am we may have reduced the optimum utilization that the water companies talk about, but keeping the sprinklers on early (before it gets hot) but after dawn has turned our pests into ghosts. Not a raccoon trace anywhere since. Note to the people!
#3: CFLs are great energy saving tools. However, if you have your light on a dimmer switch (and literally every light switch in our house, save the kitchen and master bath, was on a dimmer), a CFL will not work properly. The reason is that they are already producing less wattage than a standard light bulb, so dialing the current back gives the light a flickering effect-- even leaving the light on high will eventually produce a flicker due to the variable current in the switch. So we changed out a couple of our switches to the standard [on/off] to handle the CFLs, and kept others with standard bulbs on dimmers. We won't save as much energy and risk our commitment to the environment, but it's nice to be able to adjust the intensity of some lights.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Tebow Flirting With Hypocracy and Super-Egotism
Except, Tebow isn't upset for the reasons you would think. He's thinking about suing the company that created and is selling these T-Shirts on the basis of using Tim's likeness and celebrity.
Really, Tim? You're upset because they are using your likeness and you aren't getting paid. Is your name "My Jesus?" Why are you not pissed about the whole False Idolatry part? If you feel the shirt does, in fact, reference you, then aren't you enabling millions in the breaking of the Third Commandment?
But really, Tim, you own the cross and the name just as much as Komen owns the color pink. People may associate you with the symbol, but it isn't yours to cash in on. If you did, and if you even try, then you aren't the Christian that you say you are, or that your millions of fans believe you are.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Residential Lending is Still Stringent: Some Tips
Believe it or not, in most types of lending, credit standards are beginning to ease a bit. Most commercial banks are no longer requiring their guarantors to have liquidity of 3x the amount of their business loans, credit scores by themselves are less and less likely to be the determination for a denial of credit (the litany of short sales and loan modifications can be thanked for that) on an overall basis, and Banks have expanded their LTV capabilities on commercial property-- especially multifamily housing.
But perhaps because of the proximity to disaster, mortgage loan standards remain as tight as they have ever been, and at some points can seem completely unnecessary. If you plan on refinancing your mortgage, given the historic rates, or have realized that if there was ever a time to buy into the housing market it's right now, then here's a few things you should be prepared for.
Have three years' worth of Tax Returns available, first and foremost. Not only that, but just be prepared to explain-- in detail-- the nature of your primary lifestyle activities of the past three years. And by past three, I actually mean past four, given that the tax deadline was last month (if you're on extension, be prepared to have your EA/CPA prepare a draft return for you; this is non-negotiable with lenders still). Also, be prepared with bank account statements, retirement account statements, and any brokerage statements you may have....heck, life insurance statements if you have them, too.
Take my experience for example: My wife had no income to report in 2008 and 2009, as she was in school obtaining her doctorate. Her 2010 return showed her employment, albeit brief (beginning in October of that year), and associated income. Just stating that she was in school should have been enough to piece together the history, but that was not enough for our lender. We also had to provide sealed transcripts and her diploma in order to satisfy the lender.
Not only that, but the lender required the most recent two paystubs from both of us...twice. Once at the initial application, and once again when escrow closing was delayed due to the short-sale lender's process. Even on top of that, the lender placed phone calls to both of our employers to verify our employment....twice!
This is the kind of lender panic and fear that has led to the interpretation that its still impossible to qualify for a home loan still. And while that's not the case, persistence and overwhelming willpower are certainly keys to success in seeing the process through.
So get your ducks in a row; my advice is to get all of those documents into "The Cloud" as you start the process (we used Google Docs, now 'Drive'), and continue saving all of the lending info into the cloud as you fill it out and sign it. More than once we had an issue where the seller's Bank (the Short Sale lender) asked a second time for the same set of info we had already forwarded. Thankfully, since it was already "In The Cloud," I was able to immediately furnish the info to continue pushing our process forward.
And while I wish I could say that this was the only major headache in closing on our purchase, we also had to deal with the fact that we were buying a short sale, were buying someone's rental property that they had as an investment from out of state, a property that had tenants, and a selling agent that continually tried to get us to accept closing escrow before the tenants moved out. Then our insurer decided to get snippy with us about occupancy, though we've settled every outstanding issue and are finally going to move into our little piece of Southern California this upcoming weekend!
While our situation is under normal circumstances "unique," today's environment is anything but normal, with distressed sales amounting to 1/3 of all home purchases. So, that's the kind of madness you may be looking at in the real estate world. Hopefully now you feel a bit more prepared.
But perhaps because of the proximity to disaster, mortgage loan standards remain as tight as they have ever been, and at some points can seem completely unnecessary. If you plan on refinancing your mortgage, given the historic rates, or have realized that if there was ever a time to buy into the housing market it's right now, then here's a few things you should be prepared for.
Have three years' worth of Tax Returns available, first and foremost. Not only that, but just be prepared to explain-- in detail-- the nature of your primary lifestyle activities of the past three years. And by past three, I actually mean past four, given that the tax deadline was last month (if you're on extension, be prepared to have your EA/CPA prepare a draft return for you; this is non-negotiable with lenders still). Also, be prepared with bank account statements, retirement account statements, and any brokerage statements you may have....heck, life insurance statements if you have them, too.
Take my experience for example: My wife had no income to report in 2008 and 2009, as she was in school obtaining her doctorate. Her 2010 return showed her employment, albeit brief (beginning in October of that year), and associated income. Just stating that she was in school should have been enough to piece together the history, but that was not enough for our lender. We also had to provide sealed transcripts and her diploma in order to satisfy the lender.
Not only that, but the lender required the most recent two paystubs from both of us...twice. Once at the initial application, and once again when escrow closing was delayed due to the short-sale lender's process. Even on top of that, the lender placed phone calls to both of our employers to verify our employment....twice!
This is the kind of lender panic and fear that has led to the interpretation that its still impossible to qualify for a home loan still. And while that's not the case, persistence and overwhelming willpower are certainly keys to success in seeing the process through.
So get your ducks in a row; my advice is to get all of those documents into "The Cloud" as you start the process (we used Google Docs, now 'Drive'), and continue saving all of the lending info into the cloud as you fill it out and sign it. More than once we had an issue where the seller's Bank (the Short Sale lender) asked a second time for the same set of info we had already forwarded. Thankfully, since it was already "In The Cloud," I was able to immediately furnish the info to continue pushing our process forward.
And while I wish I could say that this was the only major headache in closing on our purchase, we also had to deal with the fact that we were buying a short sale, were buying someone's rental property that they had as an investment from out of state, a property that had tenants, and a selling agent that continually tried to get us to accept closing escrow before the tenants moved out. Then our insurer decided to get snippy with us about occupancy, though we've settled every outstanding issue and are finally going to move into our little piece of Southern California this upcoming weekend!
While our situation is under normal circumstances "unique," today's environment is anything but normal, with distressed sales amounting to 1/3 of all home purchases. So, that's the kind of madness you may be looking at in the real estate world. Hopefully now you feel a bit more prepared.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Who Named Big Bear, and Why?
Happy Friday, Angelenos and Southern California enthusiasts! Your random So-Cal facts for the day....
Do you know how Big Bear lake got its name?
Originally named Bear Lake, it received its name because of the abundance of bears present during an 1885 expedition to ward off Indians that were coming into the area, ravaging and plundering what they could.
The Lake was named by none other than Benjamin "Benito," B.D. Wilson, for whom the towering (litterally, with communications equipment) mountaintop of the San Gabriels is named. Wilson was twice almost killed by bears.
Do you know how Big Bear lake got its name?
Originally named Bear Lake, it received its name because of the abundance of bears present during an 1885 expedition to ward off Indians that were coming into the area, ravaging and plundering what they could.
The Lake was named by none other than Benjamin "Benito," B.D. Wilson, for whom the towering (litterally, with communications equipment) mountaintop of the San Gabriels is named. Wilson was twice almost killed by bears.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
From the "Wha?..." File
Nothing special, but I just had to share.....
I did a double-take yesterday while at 7-11, picking up a Big Gulp on the way home from work (no, the apple does not fall far from the tree). I was headed out the door when a guy who just walked in asks, "Do you guys have those little packs of gum, you know, the ones for a quarter?" Dude had just stepped out of a Jag to come in the door.
Theme Song: Big Timers, "Still Fly"
I did a double-take yesterday while at 7-11, picking up a Big Gulp on the way home from work (no, the apple does not fall far from the tree). I was headed out the door when a guy who just walked in asks, "Do you guys have those little packs of gum, you know, the ones for a quarter?" Dude had just stepped out of a Jag to come in the door.
Theme Song: Big Timers, "Still Fly"
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Calling the Music Industry to Task
It's midway through April, and I'm sure you've noticed. There is a distinct lack of decent new music right now. I should clarify what I mean by new-- an album released in 2012. This means that the Rihanna, the T-Pain, the Weezy, the Yeezy, Drake, Taylor Swift, and even the Gotye that are currently getting spins were all released for our ears during the year 2011. All the great talent in the music industry, and nobody wants to release an album during a time when there has literally been no competition for new content. It came as quite a shock as I downloaded Roman Reloaded, pulled up the iTunes playlist, and noticed that this was the first album with a 2012 tag.
Needless to say, it caused me a moment of disappointment in the music industry when I thought of all of the talent that's due for something new, but all there has been is silence. The foremost of which had better get his friggin' arse into the booth as soon as his honeymoon is over, because even when I checked over with my friends at Metacritic, Justin Timberlake is still nowhere on the upcoming releases list.
That disappointing news aside, I was pleasantly surprised to see the lineup of new releases for the rest of 2012 from names of familiar artists, and I'm sure that the following list will be further enhanced by some new talent that comes onto the scene as the year unfolds. As of now, information available on Metacritic suggests the following probable release dates....
Needless to say, it caused me a moment of disappointment in the music industry when I thought of all of the talent that's due for something new, but all there has been is silence. The foremost of which had better get his friggin' arse into the booth as soon as his honeymoon is over, because even when I checked over with my friends at Metacritic, Justin Timberlake is still nowhere on the upcoming releases list.
That disappointing news aside, I was pleasantly surprised to see the lineup of new releases for the rest of 2012 from names of familiar artists, and I'm sure that the following list will be further enhanced by some new talent that comes onto the scene as the year unfolds. As of now, information available on Metacritic suggests the following probable release dates....
Upcoming Album Release Calendar
All dates are for U.S. releases unless otherwise noted. Release dates are subject to change, and often do.
| Jason Mraz | Love Is A four Letter Word | |
| SWV | I Miss Us | |
| Train | California 37 | |
| B.o.B | Strange Clouds | |
| Carrie Underwood | Blown Away | |
| Marilyn Manson | Born Villain | |
| Norah Jones | Little Broken Hearts | |
| Pennywise | All Or Nothing | |
| Chris Brown | Fortune | |
| Santana | Shape Shifter | |
| Tenacious D | Rize of the Fenix | |
| Joey Ramone | ...Ya Know? | [Posthumous release] |
| John Mayer | Born and Raised | |
| Slash | Apocalyptic Love | [Former Guns N' Roses guitarist] |
| Usher | Looking For Myself | |
| Kenny Chesney | [Title TBA] | |
| Smashing Pumpkins | Oceania | |
| Maroon 5 | Overexposed | |
| Ludacris | Ludaversal | |
| Green Day | Uno! | {Part of a trilogy of albums] |
| Green Day | Dos! | {Part of a trilogy of albums] |
| Green Day | Tre! | {Part of a trilogy of albums] |
Anticipated Future Releases
These albums do not yet have a firm release date, but are in various stages of development. If an artist appears multiple times, that means multiple albums by that artist are forthcoming.
| Aerosmith | [Title TBA] | Summer 2012 |
| Birdman and Lil Wayne | Like Father, Like Son 2 | Winter 2012 |
| Brandy | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| Busta Rhymes | E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event) 2: End of the World | 2012 |
| Dr. Dre | Detox | 2012 |
| D'Angelo | James River | 2012 |
| Elton John | The Diving Board | Fall 2012 |
| Eve | Lip Lock | 2012 |
| Fabolous | Loso’s Way 2 | 2012 |
| Far*East Movement | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| Janet Jackson | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| Justin Bieber | Believe | 2012 |
| Lil Wayne | I Am Not A Human Being 2 | 2012 |
| Linkin Park | [Title TBA] | Summer 2012 |
| Lupe Fiasco | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| Matchbox Twenty | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| Missy Elliott | [Title TBA] | Jun 2012 |
| Mumford & Sons | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| Muse | [Title TBA] | Fall 2012 |
| Nelly Furtado | Lifestyle | Summer 2012 |
| No Doubt | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| Pearl Jam | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| Phoenix | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| The Killers | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| The Offspring | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| The-Dream | Love IV MMXII | May 2012 |
| Timbaland | [Title TBA] | Jun 2012 |
After seeing this list, I decided a couple of months with nothing new will definitely be more than offset by what's to come for the rest of the year. Should be a great year for music!
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