The Car....

Well. My car appears to have a steering system problem. The rack may have to be replaced. Needless to say I am not a happy person. At least I was not on a trip when this happened. The fallen tree continues to be whittled away and soon I will have my yard back.

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California faces a $24 billion budget shortfall !!!!

This is a must read bit of information.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. 6/29/2009 (AP) - California faces a $24 billion budget shortfall, an eye-popping amount that dwarfs many states' entire annual spending plans.

Beyond California's borders, why should anyone care that the home of Google and the Walt Disney Co. might stop paying its bills this week? Virtually all states are suffering in the recession, some worse than California. But none has the economic horsepower of the world's eighth-largest economy, home to one in eight Americans. California accounts for 12 percent of the nation's gross domestic product and the largest share of retail sales of any state. It also sends far more in tax revenue to the federal government than it receives - giving a dollar for every 80 cents it gets back - which means Californians are keeping social programs afloat across the country.

While the deficit only affects the state, California's deepening economic malaise could make it harder for the entire nation's economy to recover. When the state stumbles, its sheer size - 38.3 million people - creates fallout for businesses from Texas to Michigan. "California is the key catalyst for U.S. retail sales, and if California falls further you will see the U.S. economy suffer significantly," said retail consultant Burt P. Flickinger, managing director of Strategic Resource Group. He warned of more bankruptcies of national retail chains and brand suppliers.

Even if California lawmakers solve the deficit quickly, there will likely be more government furloughs and layoffs and tens of billions of dollars in spending cuts. That will ripple through the state economy, sowing fear of even more job losses. Californians have already been scaling back for months as the state's unemployment rate has climbed to a record 11.5 percent in May. Increases to the income, sales and vehicle license taxes approved by lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in February acted as a further drag on spending. Personal income declined in California in 2008 for the first time since the Great Depression, and income tax revenue fell by 34 percent during the first five months of this year.

The decrease in spending is especially evident in automobiles. California is the nation's largest single auto market, and sales are down 40 percent from last year. Auto dealers see little hope of a quick turnaround, especially after a 1 percentage point increase in the state sales tax and hike of the vehicle license fee. State agencies also canceled contracts for hundreds of new vehicles, retroactive to March, said Brian Maas, director of government affairs for the California New Car Dealers Association.

Because California's $1.7 trillion annual economy is so important, the state's treasurer has asked for federal help - in the form of a guarantee that would allow California and other states to take out short-term loans at lower interest rates. A federal guarantee would cut the interest rate on the state's borrowing by as much as half, saving California taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. "It's not that California got itself into trouble and wants the federal government to bail it out," said Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Los Angeles. "California wants the federal government to do for a fee that which Wall Street would do for a fee if Wall Street wasn't broken."

But some members of Congress worry about setting a precedent for bailing out local governments.

"You've got many states throughout this country, you've got many cities that are in tough financial problems, so they will all come for help," explained Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield. Any extra federal assistance is sure to be a hard sell in Washington and elsewhere because of California's free-spending image. That may have been true before the recession, but the state cut $15 billion in government spending in February and plans to solve most of the $24 billion deficit through even more cuts.

Government workers face the possibility of three-day-a-month furloughs, teachers are being laid off, lower-income college students stand to lose their grants and hundreds of thousands of poor children could go without health care. The recession is behind this fiscal turmoil. Some 1 million jobs are expected to be lost in California in two years and unemployment is estimated to peak at 12.3 percent in early 2010, said Jeff Michael, director of the Business Forecasting Center at the University of the Pacific in Stockton.

Schwarzenegger has repeatedly stressed that he hasn't asked for a bailout and doesn't want any special treatment for California - though he likely wouldn't reject more stimulus funding if it came his way. Economist Stephen Levy, director of the Center for the Continuing Study of the California Economy in Palo Alto, has argued for another nationwide stimulus package to help all states avoid further cuts to social programs intended to help vulnerable people. "If we are the bellwether, I would have Californians reach out to other states and really make a plea for national assistance," Levy said. "The recession is not our fault."

As goes California, so goes the rest of the nation.... That is a sobering thought.

From The Economist....

"A DECADE ago it would have been unthinkable, but on June 12th, Congress passed the toughest anti-tobacco bill in American history. Those who had waged a long fight against “Big Tobacco” rejoiced. Senator Edward Kennedy hailed the bill as proof that “miracles still happen” in Washington, DC.

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act gives the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) broad power to regulate tobacco products and marketing efforts. Health advocates have long complained that the FDA has oversight over more innocuous products, like lipstick, but not cigarettes, which are responsible for more than 400,000 American deaths a year. The new law will require disclosure of all product ingredients and the placement of more prominent warning labels on packages. The FDA will also have the right to review all new tobacco products before they go to market and to ban companies from advertising any of its products as healthier alternatives by describing them as “lite” or “mild”, for example.

The bill focuses on deterring young people from puffing away. It will outlaw flavoured tobacco (except for menthol), which some claim lures children, and bar tobacco advertisements from appearing near schools. The Congressional Budget Office says the new legislation will reduce the number of young smokers by 11% and adult smokers by 2% by 2019. Some say the legislation will save many more lives. Nine out of ten smokers start before the age of 18, reckons the American Cancer Society’s advocacy affiliate, so hindering tobacco companies’ access to youth could reduce the number of smokers dramatically in the long term.

The new law adds more pain to the tobacco industry, which saw a federal tax on cigarettes nearly triple earlier this year and the imposition of many new state-level bans on smoking in public places. Now the tobacco industry must finance the government’s new regulatory activities by paying fees according to each company’s share of the market. The total cost of the FDA’s tobacco regulations will begin at $85 million a year and rise to over $700 million in ten years. The battle is not over, though. The tobacco companies are expected to go to court, contesting the advertising restrictions as an infringement of the constitutional right to free speech."

The above ran in the Economist on the 18th of June, 2009. The question now is who will gain from all of this? I doubt very much this new government intrusion into the lives of citizens will do much to cure cancer, or prevent heart attacks and whatnot. Congress must have a very short memory. Look what happened when they banned the consumption of alcohol. We had almost everyone breaking the law not to mention a host of colorful characters making bathtub gin and selling it in speakeasies. The word Gangsters comes to mind and I'm not talking about Rap music here.

It's Another Manic Monday....

Had coffee this AM at Panera. Good conversation and some time to read and think about research methodology.

Looks like some tropical moisture is being drawn up from Mexico... lots of clouds in the sky and its currently 85 degrees. That means its going to be a humid day. Think I will stay inside and keep cool...

Hey... how about that Madoff sentence? 150 years for a 71 year old person. If they think that will be a deterrent to others who will bilk people, I think they have it all wrong. Humans will figure out a way to swindle each other. Greed seems to be part of what it means to be a human. I think society has to rethink what it means to be successful. I remember seeing t-shirts with "The one with the most toys wins." printed on them... and grown people were wearing them. That attitude is part of the reason why our country is in this economic depression. If there is a basic flaw in Capitalism, it is its failure to take into account and deal with greed. Human history is filled with tales of greedy people and the harm they have done. Sigh.... I'm sounding like a postmodernist....

Sunday

Had a relaxing time reading all about Phenomenological research methods. Its all about the writing and rewriting! Tomorrow I start my chapter three rough draft. This should be interesting.... gonna have to lay in a mega supply of cigars.

The gardener has started clearing the debris from the fallen tree. Not only did the tree take out the ornamental plum tree it also smashed the acacia tree. Looks like I'm in for some major landscaping time. Hummm. This may be the time to consider a victory garden.... naw, the gophers would get way too fat. Oops... its after 5... gotta go and get that Manhattan...

Wow...

More on the falling tree episode. Edison arrived 45 min after I called and power was restored soon after they arrived. Verizon arrived 1 hour after I called and restored FIOS after re-hanging a new fiber optic cable. The employees of both of these utilities did a great job. Not what I have come to expect from mega companies. It was a refreshing experience.
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Trees rule the World!

At 5 this morning a rather large tree in my back yard decided to go wandering. It fell and took out the power, FIOS, and copper phone lines. Edison responded in 45 minutes, Verizon said the would be here between 8 AM and 7 PM. I am going to have a lot of wood to cut as the tree was over 50 feet tall. I know what I will be doing all next week. Girrrr.
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Friday Evening

Well, Capt. Spaulding is enjoying Manhattans at his favorite watering spot... The Vault.
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A Phenomenological Study it will be.

The meeting with my Chair went well. More later.
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Friday ... TGIF

Well we have made it to Friday with two celebrities dead, one Governor having an affair in another country and the California assembly looking like it will not pass a budget. What a week. Oh... and my car is still not fixed. Bummer. Hopefully the car will be up and running soon as I have lots of errands to do.... Read a book on qualitative research design this morning in preparation for a meeting with my dissertation chair. Its going to be a "fun" afternoon.

What a Day!

One of Charlie's Angels dies, then Michael Jackson. What a day. Time to say Good Night. Good Night.

Michael Jackson

The Associated press has just reported that Michael Jackson has died.

No matter what you think of his rather strange life, he did have talent. When he teamed up with Quincy Jones the result was the Thriller album, which I think was his best effort.

RIP Michael Jackson, 1958 - 2009.

The Vault

Ah yes. A Martini bar. Two dollar Tuesdays, Live music on the weekends, and a good crew mixing up the drinks. (Natalie, Daniel, Jerrod, Christian, Alan, and Damon do the honors= there are others but I can't remember them as I write this.) This is one of the few places that has a outdoor patio where one can smoke and enjoy your drink. Its a good place to unwind after work. I hear they are now serving Hanger 24 beer on tap. Check them out at 20 E. Vine street in Redlands, CA Phone 909-798-2399. Open from 4:30 PM to 2 AM Tuesday through Saturday, and they open later in the evenings on Sundays and Mondays.

They have DJ's several evenings each week, and the one on Friday evenings, well, to put it as nicely as I can, plays way too much house/trance stuff and it brings out a rather odd crowd.

Things get really going around 9:30 PM. This when people start walking in from the other bars located within walking distance. Almost all the bars worth visiting in Redlands are within walking distance from each other. Oh, and The Vault makes a great Manhattan. This is Captain Spaulding's favorite watering spot.

Another Day

It is a really strange feeling not to have a car available when I want one. This power steering issue is going to drive me nutz! I guess I will just have to get use to it until its fixed.

On another matter... the Republican party keeps on imploding. What's up with that? The latest victim is Gov. Sanford of South Carolina. In the history of our country, South Carolina has been the colony then state, that has always been at the center of controversy. It was S.C. that demanded the section condemning slavery in the Declaration of Independence be removed. Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired, is in S.C. Now another promising republican presidential contender bites the dust because of a desire to be with another person other than his wife. Human beings... Mazlow had it down with his hierarchy of needs. The republicans need to know, and understand Mazlow's hierarchy, then they may be able to rebuild their party.... but I doubt it.

Graft, greed, and corruption seem to run deep in the current republican party. I think they have lost sight of what it really means to be a Republican in America. Do they really know what it means to be a conservative? Or are they just a bunch of ditto heads following some radio personality? Remember, radio show hosts have to keep the number of listeners up so they can keep their jobs. They will do whatever it takes to get and keep listeners. One has to be really careful and dig deep to make sure they are not being fed a bunch of merde. But of course that means using critical thinking and listening skills and taking time to do research and read background material so that one is able to verify what someone is saying. Now how many people do you know who do that? Most don't because it's hard work and it takes time.

This one reason why our country is having problems. Critical thinking and listening skills do not come to one naturally, they are skills that one has to learn. If you don't learn and use these skills, you are open to being lead around by anyone. Just like a bunch of herd animals. It is the nature of humans to take the easy path, the course of least resistance, and the result is what we are living now. Humans also have the ability to change and adapt, so there is hope.

More on this as time goes by....

Good News - Bad News

Well the good news is that my Art bag was found unmolested, the bad news is that my car is still leaking. Looks like a new power steering hose is in order. Oh well. I guess that was a sign not to take any time off from the dissertation. At least cocktail time will be a little more relaxing this evening.

Girrrr. Lousy Day

Just one of those days. My car's power steering system has sprung a leak and I have lost all of my watercolor brushes, paper, drawing pencils and carrying bag somewhere in Redlands today. When it rains it pours. Bummer.

The Humidor

Looking for a cigar lounge? This the place. 12 E. Vine Street in Redlands. Large selection of cigars and accessories to choose from. If partaking of tobacco is part of your lifestyle, then this is the place for you.
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Innabi Mediterranean Grill

Tucked away in a strip mall that has a mental health clinic, a massage parlor, a nail shop, a fried chicken place and a liquor store you will find a little resteraunt that has amazing deli sandwiches, huge breakfasts and dinners at great prices. I counted over 108 items on the menu. If you are looking for ambiance, this place may not be for you. But if good food at reasonable prices is what you are looking for... This is the place. Check them out at 820 W. Colton Ave. Redlands CA. 909-335-3441
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Weather and stuff

What a gloomy morning. Its supposed to get up into the 90's today. We'll see.

Had a great conversation on the nature of Socialism, Capitalism, The Builderbergs, The Power Elite, globalization, and Communism and their relationship to the current economic crisis in America.

Coffee

I find it interesting that the conversation at coffee has, for the last 100 days, not included any negative stuff about the current national administration but tons of comments about our gov. Arnold.
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Wednesday AM

Can things get any worse for the small business person? Nobody is spending money, tax collection is way down and the the price of living has gone up. Ouch!

I think I will spend the day doing watercolors, and try to not think about the financial hardship that many people are starting to feel here in the Golden State.

More thoughts

Hah! I now can post from my BlackBerry Storm! Way cool.
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Random Thoughts

Just got done reading Pragmatism, Bourdieu, and Collective Emotions in Contentious Politics by Emirbayer and Goldberg from the Journal, Theory and Society. It was published in 2005. What an interesting topic... no really. It was all about how words (symbols) are used to elicit emotions and create power for their users. Think about that old rhyme, Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Seen in the light of this monograph, nothing could be further from the truth. Words are powerful and it amazes me just how many people don't think about how they use words. The authors cite pragmatists Pierce, James and Dewey along with Freud and even Kant to make their point. Strong stuff. I'll never teach the same way now that I have read this.

Tuesday evening.

Well things are not looking so good for the personal services sector. The person who cuts my hair is making about $70 dollars per day. This is not good. It looks like its going to be a very lean July. So much for the economic recovery here in California.

Evening time...

Off to Mo Valley. Why? Good question.... Friends live there.

10:30 - time for a break

OK, so I have been researching and writing about early 20th century American philosophy since 6 this morning. My head hurts and its time to do something that does not take much effort like clean the cat litter box or pull weeds. On second thought, I think I will just vegetate and think about having a cigar....

Coffee Fueled writing

Up real early, started this blog, and am running on high test coffee. Delving into the nature of truth from the perspective of the Pragmatists. Interesting stuff.
According to William James, Truth is a condition that happens to an idea through the course of events as experienced and analyzed by human beings. Truth is not a stagnant property inherent in an idea, apart from the process of its emergence in history and and from its possession by human beings interacting contingently with each other and with the larger natural world.

A new blog in town

It may take a while to get this going. Still working on my dissertation.