tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52696183413832139792024-02-07T01:20:35.028-08:00Mister Earl's Musings from South PasadenaA Blog by Ron RosenMister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-37232719309219061622021-12-23T22:30:00.001-08:002021-12-23T22:30:43.441-08:00<p> <span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Christmas Breakfast Story - An Annual Tradition Since 2008</span></p><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="" dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc ihqw7lf3 dati1w0a" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_ld" style="font-family: inherit; padding: 4px 16px 16px;"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg" style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px;"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb d9wwppkn iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">This is dedicated to the memory of Karin Bugge, the Altadena Hiker, who urged me to make it an annual tradition.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Christmas morning can be a challenging time for a single Jewish guy who wants to go someplace for breakfast. Every year I get in my car and drive toward Pasadena. Very few places are open, but I always seem to find one.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">One year, the bakery next to Mi Piaci on Colorado Boulevard was open. Another year, it was Robin's in Hastings Ranch. It seems to vary from year to year, and I can't count on any place to be open from one year to the next.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Several years ago, as I made my way into Old Town on Christmas morning, I noticed that Ruby's Diner at the corner of Green and Fair Oaks was open. Ruby's was a '50s-style diner that had great food and waiters and waitresses dressed in 50s-style outfits. It also had an electric train that went around on an elevated track above the dining area. (Ruby’s has long since left Pasadena, but perhaps can still be found in one or two other Southern California locations.) </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Sometimes my swing-dancing friends, and I would go there in the evening after a dance at Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association and dance in the aisles between the tables to the 50s music they played on the speaker system. I was really happy that Ruby's was open that Christmas morning.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Upon arriving, I realized that I needed to buy an LA Times to read as I ate, but decided I'd wait until after I ordered my meal. As I entered, a young woman greeted me and asked me if I was there for breakfast. I thought this was a rather odd question. It was around 8:00 a.m., so what else would I be doing walking into a restaurant?</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I noticed that the waiters and waitresses were not wearing their usual red and white Ruby's outfits. Instead they were wearing blue jeans and flannel shirts. I thought, "That's funny, but it is Christmas. Maybe they just thought they'd let them wear regular clothes." </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I was taken to a booth, and I sat down waiting for someone to bring me coffee and a menu and take my order. As I waited, I noticed that instead of the usual salt and pepper shakers on the table, there were those little paper envelopes. I also noticed that the utensils were plastic. I thought, "Well, it's Christmas. I guess they didn't want to bring in a full crew of people to wash dishes and bus tables."</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I sat for quite a while without getting a menu or being offered a cup of coffee. I was becoming a little impatient, when suddenly two young waitresses appeared at my table. One had a pot of coffee and the other had a rectangular styrofoam plate containing scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast, which she began to place in front of me.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"What's this?" I asked.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"It's breakfast," one of them said in a tone that suggested the answer should have been obvious.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"But I didn't order this," I said.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Just then a lightbulb went on in my head.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"Is this a free breakfast for the homeless?" I asked. </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"Yes," she said.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"Oh," I said as I thought about sliding down under the table from embarrassment,</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"I can't eat this. I didn't realize... There’s no sign or anything out front…" </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"Don't worry about it," she said, "We have enough food to feed 500 people and only 50 have shown up. We're just going to have to throw it out." </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">So reluctantly, I began to eat my free Christmas breakfast. I looked around sheepishly at the other diners. There were a few homeless-looking people, and a few large tables of what appeared to be special-needs patients.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I had to eat my breakfast without the company of a newspaper because, you see, I felt so guilty for being there, I didn't have the nerve to show I had disposable income by getting up and spending a quarter on the LA Times.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">After I was done eating , I went over and offered to pay for my food or to make a donation.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The waitress said, "There's no way you can. We don't have registers working, and all the food's been donated and paid for. We're just going to have to send all the leftovers to the park where they're serving lunch, and there will be way too much food." </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I just shook my head and rolled my eyes, still very embarrassed. At least, as they say, I got a story out of it!</div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div class="l9j0dhe7" id="jsc_c_le" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; padding-top: 500px; position: relative;"><div class="ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs pmk7jnqg" style="font-family: inherit; inset: calc(0% + 0px) calc(50% + 1.01px) calc(0% + 0px) calc(0% + 0px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute;"><a aria-label="May be an image of 1 person and standing" class="oajrlxb2 gs1a9yip g5ia77u1 mtkw9kbi tlpljxtp qensuy8j ppp5ayq2 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 rt8b4zig n8ej3o3l agehan2d sk4xxmp2 rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 mg4g778l pfnyh3mw p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x tgvbjcpo hpfvmrgz jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of du4w35lb n00je7tq arfg74bv qs9ysxi8 k77z8yql btwxx1t3 abiwlrkh p8dawk7l q9uorilb lzcic4wl i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 tm8avpzi" href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10223252186906961&set=pcb.10223252184226894&__cft__[0]=AZUA_6gBAuHbE3FNQux4x5AdK9DRs1urp8Hg4Wqz3eRyGyXUKpSdgsW93Afl6zyQfJnpJgeroyDJC7sL0LYVX6I2RYu3adqjCkVGBgrzLFCadDKLdtv_xi4n9dD7wOo_q_0&__tn__=*bH-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; 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overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; width: 100px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="gpro0wi8 pcp91wgn" style="font-family: inherit; padding-left: 6px;">2</span></span></span><span class="gpro0wi8 cwj9ozl2 bzsjyuwj ja2t1vim" style="background-color: var(--card-background); float: left; font-family: inherit; margin-left: -100px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="pcp91wgn" style="font-family: inherit; padding-left: 6px;">Vince Fry and David Behm</span></span></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="pcp91wgn" style="font-family: inherit; padding-left: 6px;"><br /></span></span></div></div></span></div><div class="kb5gq1qc pfnyh3mw c0wkt4kp" style="background-color: white; color: #65676b; flex-grow: 0; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; width: 7px;"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-73445729883334667942016-12-24T14:36:00.000-08:002016-12-24T14:36:11.520-08:00The Christmas Breakfast Story - An Annual Tradition Since 2008<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; 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Christmas morning can be a challenging time for a single Jewish guy who wants to go someplace for breakfast. Every year I get in my car and drive toward Pasadena. Very few places are open, but I always seem to find one.</div>
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One year, the bakery next to Mi Piaci on Colorado was open. Another year, it was Robin's in Hastings Ranch. It seems to vary from year to year, and I can't count on any place to be open from one year to the next. </div>
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Several years ago, as I made my way into Old Town on Christmas morning, I noticed that <a href="http://www.rubys.com/" style="border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; color: #0044aa; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ruby's Diner</a> at the corner of Green and Fair Oaks was open. Ruby's was a '50s-style diner that had great food and waiters and waitresses dressed in 50s-style outfits. It also had an electric train that went around on an elevated track above the dining area. (Ruby’s has long since left Pasadena, but can still be found in some other Southern California locations.) </div>
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Sometimes my swing-dancing friends, and I would go there in the evening after a dance at Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association and dance in the aisles between the tables to the 50s music they played on the speaker system. I was really happy that Ruby's was open that Christmas morning.</div>
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Upon arriving, I realized that I needed to buy an <em style="border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">LA Times</em> to read as I ate, but decided I'd wait until after I ordered my meal. As I entered, a young woman greeted me and asked me if I was there for breakfast. I thought this was a rather odd question. It was around 8:00 a.m., so what else would I be doing walking into a restaurant?</div>
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I noticed that the waiters and waitresses were not wearing their usual red and white Ruby's outfits. Instead they were wearing blue jeans and flannel shirts. I thought, "That's funny, but it is Christmas. Maybe they just thought they'd let them wear regular clothes." </div>
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I was taken to a booth, and I sat down waiting for someone to bring me coffee and a menu and take my order. As I waited, I noticed that instead of the usual salt and pepper shakers on the table, there were those little paper envelopes. I also noticed that the utensils were plastic. I thought, "Well, it's Christmas. I guess they didn't want to bring in a full crew of dishwashers and table bussers."</div>
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I sat for quite a while without getting a menu or being offered a cup of coffee. I was becoming a little impatient, when suddenly two young waitresses appeared at my table. One had a pot of coffee and the other had a rectangular styrofoam plate containing scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast, which she began to place in front of me.</div>
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"What's this?" I asked.</div>
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"It's breakfast," one of them said in a tone that suggested the answer should have been obvious.</div>
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"But I didn't order this," I said.</div>
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Just then a lightbulb went on in my head.</div>
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"Is this a free breakfast for the homeless?" I asked. </div>
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"Yes," she said.</div>
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"Oh," I said as I thought about sliding down under the table from embarrassment,</div>
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"I can't eat this. I didn't realize... There’s no sign or anything out front…" </div>
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"Don't worry about it," she said, "We have enough food to feed 500 people and only 50 have shown up. We're just going to have to throw it out." </div>
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So reluctantly, I began to eat my free Christmas breakfast. I looked around sheepishly at the other diners. There were a few homeless-looking people, and a few large tables of what appeared to be special-needs patients.</div>
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I had to eat my breakfast without the company of a newspaper because, you see, I felt so guilty for being there, I didn't have the nerve to show I had disposable income by getting up and spending a quarter on the <em style="border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">LA Times</em>.</div>
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After I was done, I went over and offered to pay for my food or to make a donation.</div>
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The waitress said, "There's no way you can. We don't have registers working, and all the food's been donated and paid for. We're just going to have to send all the leftovers to the park where they're serving lunch, and there will be way too much food." </div>
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I just shook my head and rolled my eyes, still very embarrassed. At least, as they say, I got a story out of it!</div>
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Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-37287037630573563842013-12-21T06:26:00.001-08:002016-12-24T12:32:21.898-08:00The Christmas Breakfast Story - An Annual Tradition Since 2008<br />
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Christmas morning can be a challenging time for a single Jewish guy who wants to go someplace for breakfast. Every year I get in my car and drive toward Pasadena. Very few places are open, but I always seem to find one.</div>
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One year, the bakery next to Mi Piaci on Colorado was open. Another year, it was Robin's in Hastings Ranch. It seems to vary from year to year, and I can't count on any place to be open from one year to the next. </div>
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Several years ago, as I made my way into Old Town on Christmas morning, I noticed that <a href="http://www.rubys.com/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0044aa; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ruby's Diner</a> at the corner of Green and Fair Oaks was open. Ruby's was a '50s-style diner that had great food and waiters and waitresses dressed in 50s-style outfits. It also had an electric train that went around on an elevated track above the dining area. (Ruby’s has long since left Pasadena, but can still be found in some other Southern California locations.) </div>
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Sometimes my swing-dancing friends, and I would go there in the evening after a dance at Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association and dance in the aisles between the tables to the 50s music they played on the speaker system. I was really happy that Ruby's was open that Christmas morning.</div>
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Upon arriving, I realized that I needed to buy an <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">LA Times</em> to read as I ate, but decided I'd wait until after I ordered my meal. As I entered, a young woman greeted me and asked me if I was there for breakfast. I thought this was a rather odd question. It was around 8:00 a.m., so what else would I be doing walking into a restaurant?</div>
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I noticed that the waiters and waitresses were not wearing their usual red and white Ruby's outfits. Instead they were wearing blue jeans and flannel shirts. I thought, "That's funny, but it is Christmas. Maybe they just thought they'd let them wear regular clothes." </div>
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I was taken to a booth, and I sat down waiting for someone to bring me coffee and a menu and take my order. As I waited, I noticed that instead of the usual salt and pepper shakers on the table, there were those little paper envelopes. I also noticed that the utensils were plastic. I thought, "Well, it's Christmas. I guess they didn't want to bring in a full crew of dishwashers and table bussers."</div>
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I sat for quite a while without getting a menu or being offered a cup of coffee. I was becoming a little impatient, when suddenly two young waitresses appeared at my table. One had a pot of coffee and the other had a rectangular styrofoam plate containing scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast, which she began to place in front of me.</div>
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"What's this?" I asked.</div>
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"It's breakfast," one of them said in a tone that suggested the answer should have been obvious.</div>
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"But I didn't order this," I said.</div>
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Just then a lightbulb went on in my head.</div>
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"Is this a free breakfast for the homeless?" I asked. </div>
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"Yes," she said.</div>
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"Oh," I said as I thought about sliding down under the table from embarrassment,</div>
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"I can't eat this. I didn't realize... There’s no sign or anything out front…" </div>
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"Don't worry about it," she said, "We have enough food to feed 500 people and only 50 have shown up. We're just going to have to throw it out." </div>
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So reluctantly, I began to eat my free Christmas breakfast. I looked around sheepishly at the other diners. There were a few homeless-looking people, and a few large tables of what appeared to be special-needs patients.</div>
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I had to eat my breakfast without the company of a newspaper because, you see, I felt so guilty for being there, I didn't have the nerve to show I had disposable income by getting up and spending a quarter on the <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">LA Times</em>.</div>
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After I was done, I went over and offered to pay for my food or to make a donation.</div>
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The waitress said, "There's no way you can. We don't have registers working, and all the food's been donated and paid for. We're just going to have to send all the leftovers to the park where they're serving lunch, and there will be way too much food." </div>
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I just shook my head and rolled my eyes, still very embarrassed. At least, as they say, I got a story out of it!</div>
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Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-90230865321186624422013-10-30T18:18:00.001-07:002013-10-30T18:18:35.870-07:00Philip Putnam - Verbal Chameleon<br />
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In early 2010, a citizen told the South Pasadena City Council that a columnist had identified Joe Payne as the preselected choice to become the next police chief.<span> </span>Although no official search for a chief had begun, anyone paying attention to what was going on at City Hall knew that the statement was true. Yet Philip Putnam responded, “Don’t believe everything you read in the papers.”</div>
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In February 2010, Putnam wrote a letter to the Review explaining that only the City Manager has the authority to fire a police chief. His clear intent was to disabuse the public of what many knew – that it was Councilmen who were behind the move to replace Chief Watson.<span> </span>In response to those concerned that the Council had become a political machine Putnam wrote, “I do not believe that there is a machine in South Pasadena (at least no effective one), although there are many who would like to be.<span> </span>And many who have tried to be.<span> </span>But none successfully.<span> </span>And none will be.<span> </span>Our community is too active and well informed for that to happen.”<span> </span>Yet, when was passed over for mayor in December 2012, Putnam provided the Review with what can only be called a rant in which he referred to what had happened as a “putsch” (which is how Hitler came to power) and “Tammany Hall politics.”<span> </span>There’s no “machine” when Putnam is defending his colleagues, but when Putnam doesn’t like what others are doing, “[there’s] a small group . . . who think they control City Hall.”</div>
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In July 2011, the District Attorney found in effect that the November 2009 closed-session meeting (and any other meetings) at which the Council discussed Chief Watson’s performance was a violation of the Brown Act.<span> </span>Putnam responded with a letter to the Review twisting the D.A.’s words beyond any reasonable meaning. Denying that any violations had occurred, Putnam said, “I should also point out that everything complained about occurred while Dr. Schneider was mayor.”<span> </span>This was a colossal distortion because (1) the initial meeting that initiated the violations occurred under Mayor Sifuentes, and (2) Putnam was casting blame on the one Councilman, Schneider, who openly opposed the removal of Watson, doing all he could to expose the facts.<span> </span>Putnam: willing to point the finger at the City Manager or Mayor Schneider, but unwilling to tell the truth.<span> </span>As Mayor Schneider wrote in response, “Mr. Putnam and I know what happened in the closed sessions.” </div>
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In January 2013, Chief Joe Payne resigned at the apparent request of the City Manager Gonzalez. Putnam told the Star News, “’. . . I am concerned . . . about why the police chief was supposedly let go when there seems to be no reason for it . . .’ He said he plans to ask the city attorney what power the council has to find out more about the personnel issues involved. ‘When you hear nothing it has got to bother you. . . .’” This was the same Putnam who so vehemently insisted when Watson was under fire that the removal of a police chief is entirely up to the City Manager and that the Council should not interfere.<span> </span>The same Putnam who turned a deaf ear when citizens were clamoring for information about why Watson was being removed. The Star News went on to say that Putnam compared the removal of Payne to <span lang="EN">Watson's resignation in December 2009. How disingenuous. </span>The removal of Watson was an underhanded political deal -- the removal of Payne was not.<span> </span>By comparing the two, Putnam was both casting doubt on Gonzalez’ action by equating it to one of the most ugly episodes in our political history and minimizing that very episode.<span> </span></div>
Putnam’s own published words show him taking one position when it suits him, and the opposite position when it doesn’t.<span> </span>Rather than tell the truth, Putnam is quick to blame others.<span> </span>He did it again at the candidates’ forum on October 3, 2013 when he incorrectly blamed Watson’s removal on the former City Manager – going so far as to expose highly personal matters about him. Philip Putnam is not the pillar of honesty and virtue some hold him up to be.<span> </span>He’s quite the opposite.<span> </span>The evidence is there in black and white.<span> </span><br />
Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-67831539197142772992013-10-07T23:00:00.000-07:002013-10-07T23:32:55.367-07:00Councilmen Still Need to Come Clean about Dan Watson<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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At the South Pasadena CIty Council candidates forum on October 3, 2013, the candidates were asked
whether the nonrenewal of former Police Chief Dan Watson’s contract was handled
properly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I did not ask the
question and was surprised it was asked.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philip Putnam responded that the nonrenewal of Watson’s
contract was entirely the work of former City Manager John Davidson and went on
to state that Davidson was “disengaged” because he was having “personal issues,”
which Putnam then described. Putnam’s statement revealing personal matters
about Davidson was insensitive and seems unethical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition it is incorrect and reveals a willingness to blame
others to avoid personal responsibility.</div>
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<br /></div>
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From the beginning, Putnam has been the Council’s biggest
defender in the Watson matter. Early on, he lectured the City Council audience
about how the hiring and firing of a police chief is entirely up to the City
Manager.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wrote a long letter to
the Review saying the saying the same thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, Putnam was describing how city government is
supposed to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was not
describing how it was actually working, and he’s smart enough to know it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Watson’s departure was not the work of Davidson. The day
after Putnam and Cacciotti were reelected in November 2009, the Council met in
closed session. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the meeting, Mayor
Sifuentes presented a list of complaints against Watson and suggested that his
contract not be renewed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only
councilmember who openly opposed what Sifuentes wanted to do was Dr. Schneider.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The day after the meeting,
Davidson met with Watson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He told
Watson that the Council wanted to make a change, that they had someone else in
mind, and wanted to do a “soft recruitment,” (which means to simply hire
someone without an open interview process.) Watson quickly realized that the
replacement the Council had in mind was Joe Payne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shortly before all this occurred, Davidson had praised
Watson for being his best department head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was clear to Watson that Davidson did not want him to
leave, but during the ensuing weeks Davidson could not find three members of
the Council willing to prevent what Sifuentes wanted to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Davidson had to do what Sifuentes,
supported by at least three and probably four councilmembers, wanted him to do
or he would have been fired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like
a good soldier, Davidson, who had only been with the city for six months, did
the Council’s bidding by not offering Watson an acceptable contract and by
eventually hiring Joe Payne, whose questionable qualifications were born out by
his short-lived term as Chief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>None of this is what Davidson wanted.</div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Why does Putnam keep
blaming the City Manager instead of telling us the truth of his own
involvement?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Putnam and
Cacciotti had joined Schneider in opposing Watson’s departure, it would not
have happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the forum,
Cacciotti said that this was “the most difficult decision” in his twelve years
on the Council and seemed to regret his actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also said he could not discuss the matter because it was
a closed-session personnel matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s not correct.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
DA’s Public Integrity Division found that any closed session where Watson’s
performance was discussed violated the Brown Act and is not subject to the
confidentiality rules.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have emails from the DA clearly stating that. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The question now is not why Watson’s contract was not
renewed, but why Cacciotti and Putnam did not join Schneider in putting a stop
to Sifuentes’ shenanigans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
answer to that question is not a personnel matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So come on, Mr. Putnam, let’s stop falsely blaming
Davidson and tell us what really went on. </span><!--EndFragment-->
Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-10600306278814928192012-12-25T05:20:00.002-08:002012-12-25T05:20:40.660-08:00Christmas Breakfast Story - An Annual Tradition<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85ZP9a0-6qPKVn_H1d9A9YA2qpjUOg1Cl_yXCweDc3qsKSkgGo5MZedRHvsORDD5XmMUkRXxZvhghInoQx5tYOGfQDWaQeLIZ688hOgeSsH4ZsjSZ9h5t0KIQmw56JJ5cjRtzTCs8T2w/s1600/images-4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85ZP9a0-6qPKVn_H1d9A9YA2qpjUOg1Cl_yXCweDc3qsKSkgGo5MZedRHvsORDD5XmMUkRXxZvhghInoQx5tYOGfQDWaQeLIZ688hOgeSsH4ZsjSZ9h5t0KIQmw56JJ5cjRtzTCs8T2w/s1600/images-4.jpeg" style="cursor: move;" /></a></div>
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Christmas morning can be a challenging time for a single Jewish guy who wants to go someplace for breakfast. Every year I get in my car and drive toward Pasadena. Very few places are open, but I always seem to find one.</div>
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One year, the bakery next to Mi Piaci on Colorado was open. Another year, it was Robin's in Hastings Ranch. It seems to vary from year to year, and I can't count on any place to be open from one year to the next. </div>
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Several years ago, as I made my way into Old Town on Christmas morning, I noticed that <a href="http://www.rubys.com/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0044aa; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ruby's Diner</a> at the corner of Green and Fair Oaks was open. Ruby's was a '50s-style diner that had great food and waiters and waitresses dressed in 50s-style outfits. It also had an electric train that went around on an elevated track above the dining area. (Ruby’s has long since left Pasadena, but can still be found in some other Southern California locations.) </div>
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Sometimes my swing-dancing friends, and I would go there in the evening after a dance at Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association and dance in the aisles between the tables to the 50s music they played on the speaker system. I was really happy that Ruby's was open that Christmas morning.</div>
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Upon arriving, I realized that I needed to buy an <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">LA Times</em> to read as I ate, but decided I'd wait until after I ordered my meal. As I entered, a young woman greeted me and asked me if I was there for breakfast. I thought this was a rather odd question. It was around 8:00 a.m., so what else would I be doing walking into a restaurant?</div>
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I noticed that the waiters and waitresses were not wearing their usual red and white Ruby's outfits. Instead they were wearing blue jeans and flannel shirts. I thought, "That's funny, but it is Christmas. Maybe they just thought they'd let them wear regular clothes." </div>
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I was taken to a booth, and I sat down waiting for someone to bring me coffee and a menu and take my order. As I waited, I noticed that instead of the usual salt and pepper shakers on the table, there were those little paper envelopes. I also noticed that the utensils were plastic. I thought, "Well, it's Christmas. I guess they didn't want to bring in a full crew of dishwashers and table bussers."</div>
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I sat for quite a while without getting a menu or being offered a cup of coffee. I was becoming a little impatient, when suddenly two young waitresses appeared at my table. One had a pot of coffee and the other had a rectangular styrofoam plate containing scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast, which she began to place in front of me.</div>
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"What's this?" I asked.</div>
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"It's breakfast," one of them said in a tone that suggested the answer should have been obvious.</div>
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"But I didn't order this," I said.</div>
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Just then a lightbulb went on in my head.</div>
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"Is this a free breakfast for the homeless?" I asked. </div>
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"Yes," she said.</div>
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"Oh," I said as I thought about sliding down under the table from embarrassment,</div>
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"I can't eat this. I didn't realize... There’s no sign or anything out front…" </div>
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"Don't worry about it," she said, "We have enough food to feed 500 people and only 50 have shown up. We're just going to have to throw it out." </div>
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So reluctantly, I began to eat my free Christmas breakfast. I looked around sheepishly at the other diners. There were a few homeless-looking people, and a few large tables of what appeared to be special-needs patients.</div>
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I had to eat my breakfast without the company of a newspaper because, you see, I felt so guilty for being there, I didn't have the nerve to show I had disposable income by getting up and spending a quarter on the <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">LA Times</em>.</div>
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After I was done, I went over and offered to pay for my food or to make a donation.</div>
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The waitress said, "There's no way you can. We don't have registers working, and all the food's been donated and paid for. We're just going to have to send all the leftovers to the park where they're serving lunch, and there will be way too much food." </div>
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I just shook my head and rolled my eyes, still very embarrassed. At least, as they say, I got a story out of it!</div>
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Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-39153346866982504312011-12-30T18:38:00.000-08:002011-12-30T18:38:52.216-08:00Trees and Cars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yesterday I went to an event around the corner from this street, and I saw these two cars that had been damaged by a falling tree in the recent windstorm. This morning I went over to take some photos and ran into the owner who was meeting with someone from a car-salvaging company. These cars were in the driveway when a huge deodar cedar tree, which I would have mistaken for a pine, fell on them. The tan car has a 6-inch thick branch piercing the roof that goes all the way to the floor board. The lower photo shows another deodar cedar on another part of the property that is similar to the one that fell.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9TOQccrnNb69TSrqeRe-sVn0JRmfyhFSPUODHCf4CZIF-yfyW8ahUtOZu4c2ps-U_Jv5SmRrqVqKth7hI5c-dpxtZ92YqXUamXW1UR1pKhwSwtxTxVh65iQiDHOcAK6Gf1-YmK9-9tc/s1600/DSCN0843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9TOQccrnNb69TSrqeRe-sVn0JRmfyhFSPUODHCf4CZIF-yfyW8ahUtOZu4c2ps-U_Jv5SmRrqVqKth7hI5c-dpxtZ92YqXUamXW1UR1pKhwSwtxTxVh65iQiDHOcAK6Gf1-YmK9-9tc/s320/DSCN0843.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-68988501072805625222011-12-25T06:43:00.000-08:002012-12-25T05:16:42.784-08:00Christmas Breakfast<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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Christmas morning can be a challenging time for a single Jewish guy who wants to go someplace for breakfast. Every year I get in my car and drive toward Pasadena. Very few places are open, but I always seem to find one.</div>
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One year, the bakery next to Mi Piaci on Colorado was open. Another year, it was Robin's in Hastings Ranch. It seems to vary from year to year, and I can't count on any place to be open from one year to the next. </div>
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Several years ago, as I made my way into Old Town on Christmas morning, I noticed that <a href="http://www.rubys.com/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0044aa; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ruby's Diner</a> at the corner of Green and Fair Oaks was open. Ruby's was a '50s-style diner that had great food and waiters and waitresses dressed in 50s-style outfits. It also had an electric train that went around on an elevated track above the dining area. (Ruby’s has long since left Pasadena, but can still be found in some other Southern California locations.) </div>
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Sometimes my swing-dancing friends, and I would go there in the evening after a dance at Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association and dance in the aisles between the tables to the 50s music they played on the speaker system. I was really happy that Ruby's was open that Christmas morning.</div>
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Upon arriving, I realized that I needed to buy an <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">LA Times</em> to read as I ate, but decided I'd wait until after I ordered my meal. As I entered, a young woman greeted me and asked me if I was there for breakfast. I thought this was a rather odd question. It was around 8:00 a.m., so what else would I be doing walking into a restaurant?</div>
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I noticed that the waiters and waitresses were not wearing their usual red and white Ruby's outfits. Instead they were wearing blue jeans and flannel shirts. I thought, "That's funny, but it is Christmas. Maybe they just thought they'd let them wear regular clothes." </div>
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I was taken to a booth, and I sat down waiting for someone to bring me coffee and a menu and take my order. As I waited, I noticed that instead of the usual salt and pepper shakers on the table, there were those little paper envelopes. I also noticed that the utensils were plastic. I thought, "Well, it's Christmas. I guess they didn't want to bring in a full crew of dishwashers and table bussers."</div>
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I sat for quite a while without getting a menu or being offered a cup of coffee. I was becoming a little impatient, when suddenly two young waitresses appeared at my table. One had a pot of coffee and the other had a rectangular styrofoam plate containing scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast, which she began to place in front of me.</div>
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"What's this?" I asked.</div>
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"It's breakfast," one of them said in a tone that suggested the answer should have been obvious.</div>
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"But I didn't order this," I said.</div>
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Just then a lightbulb went on in my head.</div>
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"Is this a free breakfast for the homeless?" I asked. </div>
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"Yes," she said.</div>
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"Oh," I said as I thought about sliding down under the table from embarrassment,</div>
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"I can't eat this. I didn't realize... There’s no sign or anything out front…" </div>
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"Don't worry about it," she said, "We have enough food to feed 500 people and only 50 have shown up. We're just going to have to throw it out." </div>
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So reluctantly, I began to eat my free Christmas breakfast. I looked around sheepishly at the other diners. There were a few homeless-looking people, and a few large tables of what appeared to be special-needs patients.</div>
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I had to eat my breakfast without the company of a newspaper because, you see, I felt so guilty for being there, I didn't have the nerve to show I had disposable income by getting up and spending a quarter on the <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">LA Times</em>.</div>
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After I was done, I went over and offered to pay for my food or to make a donation.</div>
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The waitress said, "There's no way you can. We don't have registers working, and all the food's been donated and paid for. We're just going to have to send all the leftovers to the park where they're serving lunch, and there will be way too much food." </div>
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I just shook my head and rolled my eyes, still very embarrassed. At least, as they say, I got a story out of it!</div>
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Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-51156339066899250132011-12-10T12:31:00.000-08:002011-12-10T12:31:23.831-08:00Small Town<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Members of the South Pasadena High School Band make their holiday rounds by playing in front of Shakers diner and Bristol Farms Market. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixysoI7WocUpxTLoMq7eHFWcTdYPkQQyXzvQefTZyB5j_rcxtRbqIJJDLB00nzmHo2pEYuuExeAMDXJ39NBBDwfFbHeN8cW4UdWnGqXrRcYIc_74nXMVjkhfP7Ar5EzHjCYInUrqw6suY/s1600/DSCN0790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixysoI7WocUpxTLoMq7eHFWcTdYPkQQyXzvQefTZyB5j_rcxtRbqIJJDLB00nzmHo2pEYuuExeAMDXJ39NBBDwfFbHeN8cW4UdWnGqXrRcYIc_74nXMVjkhfP7Ar5EzHjCYInUrqw6suY/s320/DSCN0790.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLiLl1In_64ZB7euiToQSxa-40Y-pkZoxkqqJ87F13tUljV-pJq4pf6NAucqZkGfH81K7xXuTr8nSLjCT-l_ACabquc0lQFAC0Ia8L-ytU_OmmumCdXfH_hHU29CzxhD9pal7-b9iPSY/s1600/DSCN0808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLiLl1In_64ZB7euiToQSxa-40Y-pkZoxkqqJ87F13tUljV-pJq4pf6NAucqZkGfH81K7xXuTr8nSLjCT-l_ACabquc0lQFAC0Ia8L-ytU_OmmumCdXfH_hHU29CzxhD9pal7-b9iPSY/s320/DSCN0808.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-65571142312658927342011-11-25T07:49:00.000-08:002011-11-25T12:50:17.623-08:00The Cover for Trout Fishing in America<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGlv5vQYdidqBN08yNLMrhVELbe5eDLzJS7fxqSN0Vc5D-fUhOOIFlx_A1Xlh6yc-nSSHcNVlCANMTbGpYIwWyGya7Qp2BSlo1eQtiroBvBt94RsiSn6TY-yPj5Jn8fEeiVjV45_dNM8/s1600/DownloadedFile-5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGlv5vQYdidqBN08yNLMrhVELbe5eDLzJS7fxqSN0Vc5D-fUhOOIFlx_A1Xlh6yc-nSSHcNVlCANMTbGpYIwWyGya7Qp2BSlo1eQtiroBvBt94RsiSn6TY-yPj5Jn8fEeiVjV45_dNM8/s1600/DownloadedFile-5.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">"The cover for Trout Fishing in America is a photograph taken late in the afternoon, a photograph of the <a href="http://brautigan.cybernetic-meadows.net/tiki-index.php?page=Benjamin+Franklin"><span style="color: windowtext;">Benjamin Franklin</span></a> statue in San Francisco's <a href="http://brautigan.cybernetic-meadows.net/tiki-index.php?page=Washington+Square"><span style="color: windowtext;">Washington Square</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">Born 1706--Died 1790, Benjamin Franklin stands on a pedestal that looks like a house containing stone furniture. He holds some papers in one hand and his hat in the other.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">Then the statue speaks, saying in marble:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">PRESENTED BY<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="http://brautigan.cybernetic-meadows.net/tiki-index.php?page=H.+D.+COGSWELL"><span style="color: windowtext;">H. D. COGSWELL</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">TO OUR<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">BOYS AND GIRLS<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">TAKE OUR PLACES<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">AND PASS ON.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">Around the base of the statue are four words facing the directions of this world, to the east WELCOME, to the west WELCOME, to the north WELCOME, to the south WELCOME. Just behind the statue are three poplar trees, almost leafless except for the top branches. The statue stands in front of the middle tree. All around the grass is wet from the rains of early February.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">In the background is a tall cypress tree, almost dark like a room. <a href="http://brautigan.cybernetic-meadows.net/tiki-index.php?page=Adlai+Stevenson"><span style="color: windowtext;">Adlai Stevenson</span></a> spoke under the tree in 1956, before a crowd of 40,000 people.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">There is a <a href="http://brautigan.cybernetic-meadows.net/tiki-index.php?page=Washington+Square"><span style="color: windowtext;">tall church</span></a> across the street from the statue with crosses, steeples, bells and a vast door that looks like a huge mousehole, perhaps from a Tom and Jerry cartoon, and written above the door is "Per L'Universo."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">Around five o'clock in the afternoon of my cover for Trout Fishing in America, people gather in the park across the street from the church and they are hungry.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">It's sandwich time for the poor.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">But they cannot cross the street until the signal is given. Then they all run across the street to the church and get their sandwiches that are wrapped in newspaper. They go back to the park and unwrap the newspaper and see what their sandwiches are all about.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">A friend of mine unwrapped his sandwich one afternoon and looked inside to find just a leaf of spinach. That was all.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">Was it <a href="http://brautigan.cybernetic-meadows.net/tiki-index.php?page=Franz+Kafka"><span style="color: windowtext;">Kafka</span></a> who learned about America by reading the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin....<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 27.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">Kafka who said, 'I like the Americans because they are healthy and optimistic.'"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;"> - Richard Brautigan</span><br />
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</span></div>Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-61759301144547775112011-10-28T19:45:00.000-07:002011-10-29T11:35:53.314-07:00Police Unions, South Pasadena, and Art Salinas<div class="body blog_post NS_26y3wwn123" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="user_content pie-clearfix" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><h1 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; font-size: 1.857em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.154em; margin-bottom: 0.385em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I appreciate and respect the work of those who serve as our public safety officials. On the other hand, I have serious concerns about some of the tactics their unions employ. </span></span></h1></div></div><div class="standard_template template NS_26y3wwn123" id="blog_post_template" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="main_text" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a column in the Pasadena Star News on February 2, 2010, </span><a href="http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/wilson" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0044aa; cursor: pointer; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Larry Wilson</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.allbusiness.com/labor-employment/labor-relations-labor/13879820-1.html" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0044aa; cursor: pointer; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">wrote of</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> a law firm in Upland, CA called </span><a href="http://www.policeattorney.com/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0044aa; cursor: pointer; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lackie, Dammeier & McGill</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. They are former police officers who advise police unions on the tactics they should use to obtain higher wages and benefits. Wilson revealed what was on the firm’s website back then. The more controversial stuff has since been moved to a private area of the website.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wilson wrote, “We know what the lawyers have advised officers' associations to do—guilt-trip the electeds, give money to their campaigns, use crime as a wedge issue in order to scare the public, use work slowdowns and the blue flu to get what you want.” </span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wilson went on to describe what else was on the website, “From "Negotiations After Impasse": "Now is the time those political endorsements, favors, and friendships come into play." From "Political Option": "The association should be like a quiet giant in the position of, `do as I ask and don't (tick) me off."'</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From "Let the Games Begin": "Storm City Council"; "Billboards - Nothing seems to get more attention than a billboard entering the city limits which reads that crime is up and the City could (sic) care less about your safety," even when that is not true.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Public Ridicule - Blunders by the City Manager, Mayor, or City Council members or wasteful spending should be highlighted and pointed out to the public at every opportunity."</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Focus on an Individual: Avoid spreading your energy. Focus on a city manager, councilperson, mayor or police chief and keep the pressure up until that person assures you his loyalty and then move on to the next victim.”</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ironically, just one day after Wilson's column appeared and only a short time after it was clear that Police Chief Watson would be sent packing, Councilman Mike Ten thought it would be a great idea to show a video, </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEFxpfJQnZA" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0044aa; cursor: pointer; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Police Officers Under Attack</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, at the Council meeting. Well, we know that Mr. Ten's on board with the program.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So how do these tactics play out in South Pasadena? Four years ago, David Sifuentes, a Fire Captain and union official with LAFD, who’d only recently moved to town, was elected to City Council. Sifuentes received about 95% of his campaign contributions from the police and fire unions. His campaign manager was Jeffrey Monical, a public-safety union consultant who runs a firm called Lavell Communications.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next thing we know, Sifuentes and Monical decide that it would be a great idea not to renew Police Chief Dan Watson’s contract although they never pointed to anything specific that made this necessary. In fact, in the entire time Sifuentes has been on the Council, he never once discussed the police department with Watson. </span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Watson tried to get answers about why the Council didn’t want to renew his contract, he was told by the City Manager that some Councilmen were “uncomfortable” with him calling them, and he was ordered not to contact them. </span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So it’s clear, it wasn’t anything Watson had done that made Sifuentes and Monical move Watson out: Watson points out that Sifuentes never had a substantive conversation with him about the police department. Maybe he wasn’t as favorable to the POA as they wanted him to be, but it appears that the primary reason was they wanted to pay off retired sergeant Joe Payne for deciding not to run for City Council. There is no doubt that Sifuentes knew that Payne would be the next police chief before Watson even knew that his contract would not be renewed. In an article in the South Pasadena Review on October 26, 2011, Watson says he was aware from two sources in early 2010 that Sifuentes had told people that Payne would be the next Police Chief. This was before the job was even announced. Even in December 2009, people around City Hall were saying that Payne would be the next Chief. </span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Payne admitted to the </span><a href="http://southpasadena.patch.com/listings/south-pasadena-review" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0044aa; cursor: pointer; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">South Pasadena Review</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that he’d discussed the job with SIfuentes “months earlier.” This is what South Pasadena got when it elected a POA-backed candidate. </span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the spontaneous community uproar at the removal of Watson, it appears that Sifuentes feared he would lose if he ran for reelection—something that would not be good for the higher political aspirations he’s rumored to have.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what did he and Monical do instead? They found a surrogate candidate, Art Salinas. Salinas is one of the few candidates who is taking union money—</span><a href="http://www.pasadenasun.com/news/tn-pas-1016-campaigncash,0,1086645.story" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0044aa; cursor: pointer; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">his largest contributor to date is the POA</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">—and at his campaign kickoff, he introduced Jeffrey Monical, the union consultant, as his “campaign advisor.” </span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salinas is saying all the right things. He even says he objects to the back-room way that Watson was removed, says he won’t tolerate back-room deals. Wanna bet? Do you really think Salinas will be “his own man” when Sifuentes, Monical, and the POA come knocking with the next step in their game plan, whatever it may be? </span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I recently emailed Salinas and asked him how he could expect us to believe that he’s against back-room deals when he’s supported by the champions of the back-room deal. Salinas’ answer was as you might expect.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First he points to the fact that 4 of 5 councilmen supported the decision, “I must believe their decision was based on what they believed to be in the best interest of the City. If it was a bad decision, and done in an underhanded, non-transparent, manner, how do 4 of 5 support it?” </span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, let’s see, maybe it’s because they all felt beholden to the POA and its political pressure. Maybe it’s because we have a Council of horse-trading less-than-honorable players. It appears that Cacciotti and Putnam were under heavy POA pressure to go along with the plan. Sifuentes and Ten were already on board. </span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salinas goes on, “Furthermore, if as you say Mr. Sifuentes was responsible, that he got three other Councilmen to agree with him says a great deal about his leadership ability.“</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Really? Even bullies have leadership ability. That’s exactly what they do have. What they don’t have is character and good intentions. Leadership ability is only part of the story. It’s what you do with it that matters. </span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then comes the bizarre part, “If Dr. Schneider was against the move as he says, if it was done improperly, and if it was so wrong for the community, why didn’t he stop it? Isn’t that what we want from our leaders?” </span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salinas’ thinking is so twisted that he’s willing to blame the one councilman who refused to go along with the plan, and who, by the way, was the only one not beholden to the POA. This in spite of the fact that his own backers, Sifuentes and Monical, were the perpetrators of the plan.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sounds to me like Salinas has drunk the Kool-Aid. Do we want a guy who thinks like this on the City Council? Can we trust that when it’s crunch time Salinas will not be right there, ready to do whatever Sifuentes, Monical, and the POA want? I don’t think so. </span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There’s a reason the POA is putting its money behind Salinas. They will want a return on their investment.</span></div></div></div>Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-20584797362356213492011-09-27T06:29:00.000-07:002011-09-27T06:50:09.879-07:00Letter in the Star News<h1 class="articleTitle" id="articleTitle" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; width: 640px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">This letter from M.A. Abassi appeared </span></i></span></h1><h1 class="articleTitle" id="articleTitle" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; width: 640px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">in the Pasadena Star News yesterday. </span></i></span></h1><h1 class="articleTitle" id="articleTitle" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; width: 640px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">I wish I knew who M.A. Abassi is.</span></i></span></h1><h1 class="articleTitle" id="articleTitle" style="color: #262b7f; font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; font-weight: bold; width: 640px;">Letters to the editor: South Pas </h1><h1 class="articleTitle" id="articleTitle" style="color: #262b7f; font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; font-weight: bold; width: 640px;">council</h1><div class="articleByline" id="articleByline" style="color: black; font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"></div><div class="articleDate" id="articleDate" style="color: #000088; font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">Posted: 09/25/2011 07:47:09 PM PDT</div><br />
<span fd-id="default" fd-type="start"></span><br />
<div class="articlePositionHeader" style="text-align: center;"></div><span fd-id="default" fd-type="end"></span><br />
<div class="articleBody" id="articleBody" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; padding-right: 10px;"><div class="articleViewerGroup" id="articleViewerGroup" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; float: right; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span class="articleEmbeddedViewerBox" style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"></span><span fd-id="default" fd-type="start"></span><span fd-id="default" fd-type="end"></span></div><span fd-id="default" fd-type="start"></span><strong>South Pas council</strong><br />
With the City Council elections coming up in South Pasadena, residents should take note of the endorsements each candidate is receiving, which serve as a reliable indicator of where their allegiance will lie once in office.<br />
<br />
Larry Wilson's recent column reveals that candidate Art Salinas is being supported by Tom Jacobs and the police union. The same union that was instrumental in the coup to remove former Chief Dan Watson. It is also to be noted that Salinas has hired well-known union political consultant Jeffrey Monical as a campaign advisor.<br />
<br />
If you think that the police union is supporting Art Salinas because he is tough on crime, think again. The South Pasadena Police Union, like all public employee unions, hopes to handpick those City Council members who will vote for the union's interests when the time comes to re-negotiate the union contract.<br />
<br />
As many other cities have discovered recently, those contracts often come at the expense of the taxpayers and residents of those cities. The more money that goes toward police salaries and benefits, the less money is available for libraries, schools, social services and infrastructure improvements.<br />
<br />
In deciding who to support, follow the money and watch the endorsements - it can tell you all you want to know about the candidate.<br />
<br />
M.A. Abbasi<br />
South Pasadena</div>Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-74893940903508114302011-09-21T21:02:00.000-07:002011-09-21T21:47:15.076-07:00Larry Wilson's Pasadena Star News Column<h1 class="articleTitle" id="articleTitle" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; width: 640px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i>September 21, 2011. Pasadena Star News </i></span></h1><h1 class="articleTitle" id="articleTitle" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; width: 640px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i>Columnist Larry Wilson comments on an</i></span></h1><h1 class="articleTitle" id="articleTitle" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; width: 640px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i> exchange between me and South Pasadena</i></span></h1><h1 class="articleTitle" id="articleTitle" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; width: 640px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i> Police Chief Joseph Payne.</i></span></h1><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><h1 class="articleTitle" id="articleTitle" style="color: #262b7f; font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; font-weight: bold; width: 640px;">Larry Wilson: When a police chief </h1><h1 class="articleTitle" id="articleTitle" style="color: #262b7f; font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; font-weight: bold; width: 640px;">dares to post online</h1><span fd-id="default" fd-type="start"></span><br />
<div class="articlePositionHeader" style="text-align: center;"></div><span fd-id="default" fd-type="end"></span><br />
<div class="articleBody" id="articleBody" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; padding-right: 10px;"><div class="articleViewerGroup" id="articleViewerGroup" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; float: right; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span class="articleEmbeddedViewerBox" style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"></span><span fd-id="default" fd-type="start"></span><span fd-id="default" fd-type="end"></span></div><span fd-id="default" fd-type="start"></span>THE South Pasadena watchers among us, weary of the disaster that has been the turgid construction project on Fair Oaks Avenue being the only subject of conversation in town, harken back to the glory gossip days of last year, when a police chief was ousted in a political coup.</div><div class="articleBody" id="articleBody" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; padding-right: 10px;"><br />
Regular readers will recall the situation. And they will recall that, here in the post-Wild West, chiefs of police outside a megalopolis don't report to an elected mayor or the members of a city council. Democracy is not the point here - it's the taint of patronage, and favoritism, that comes with political placements.<br />
<br />
That's why we have city managers, appointed by the elected leaders, to whom all other professional staff in the city report - usually with the exception of a city attorney, and sometimes a city clerk; in the case of South Pas, the treasurer is also elected.<br />
<br />
But it was very fishy, as I reported, the way popular, affable former Chief Dan Watson was drummed out of town. (From all reports, by the way, the former LAPD commander is doing fine as the new chief in Mammoth Lakes, an excellent place to round out a career.) His ouster seemed to many in town to come out of closed-session council meetings, not any independent action by the city manager. It also seemed to come out of the blue, and to not be tied to any dereliction on Watson's part. Word was, I reported, that the former South Pas officer who was installed as chief had talked about running for council himself, and that a cabal of the current council talked him out of it by dangling the chief's job before him.<br />
I called the council members who went along with the putsch - Mike Cacciotti, David Sifuentes, Philip Putnam and Mike Ten - the Gang of Four, and lauded Councilman Richard Schneider for not going along with the purge.<br />
<br />
I know that Sifuentes is not running for re-election. But I see that he was at the kick-off for candidate Art Salinas, and that his campaign manager is Jeff Monocal, who works with the police union. Tom Jacobs, head of the police union, was at the event, and was introduced.<br />
<br />
But something I find particularly interesting is an exchange I read this week in the comments section of a South Pas blog. Local Ron Rosen, who I think sometimes calls himself "Mr. Earl" in anonycommentary, writes: "Looks like we have someone using an assumed name. If I were guessing, I'd guess it's one of the players in the story. Mike Ten? Joe Payne? David Sifuentes? A member of the POA?" Then a certain Joseph Payne responds: "Not me, Ron. The days of `Mr. Earl' notwithstanding, I have never felt the need for disguised posts, and I resent your reckless inference to anonymous posts. To put your claims in perspective, when a police chief loses the support of the council, city manager, and the POA, it's time for a change of scenery . . . Any one of those three spells trouble. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #ffd966;">As far as my appointment, sometimes the ends justify the means."</span><br />
<br />
Do they?<br />
<br />
This past Sunday, the chief bowed out bowed out of the conversation, promising to comment no more.<i></i><br />
<i></i></div>Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-76256002384412652152011-04-20T23:31:00.000-07:002011-04-20T23:31:22.368-07:00Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Long Beach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2d2-OZPvRUUNfG4kGLVqHmUBMlI3EJZ20_O8drTTXHQ_NAAeiYaa136OpnK9s3oZ71A_1_1WNyYRLJYKxvo9hGvyARNXsPO1Hzu8Dz4FRy3nTLOnaxmsgL8Dg70av3mkcHwQhFovfaZ0/s1600/DSCN0213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2d2-OZPvRUUNfG4kGLVqHmUBMlI3EJZ20_O8drTTXHQ_NAAeiYaa136OpnK9s3oZ71A_1_1WNyYRLJYKxvo9hGvyARNXsPO1Hzu8Dz4FRy3nTLOnaxmsgL8Dg70av3mkcHwQhFovfaZ0/s320/DSCN0213.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-70185095850051059432011-04-15T21:16:00.000-07:002011-04-15T21:22:38.476-07:00All American Asphalt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYfI7_95FVT_WO3RFr3xya3IF6hj-3UvyORplPn98_SrHgxjRaWNiGkrGfAC1WInAm2Ym-PtAGD7N4nd2TnGXYw9L2rsQh0-D9B_ORj9wXgcKTLC_ju0ifhVy4QrA5sp9sfiOwwrgT844/s1600/DSCN0176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYfI7_95FVT_WO3RFr3xya3IF6hj-3UvyORplPn98_SrHgxjRaWNiGkrGfAC1WInAm2Ym-PtAGD7N4nd2TnGXYw9L2rsQh0-D9B_ORj9wXgcKTLC_ju0ifhVy4QrA5sp9sfiOwwrgT844/s320/DSCN0176.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Ever since All American Asphalt has been tearing up Fair Oaks Avenue in South Pasadena, several of us pointed out that the work crews didn't look very professional, and some of the work looked shoddy. Today we bring you the reinstallation of the newspaper stands in front of Starbucks/Wells Fargo at Fair Oaks and El Centro. It seems that one of the stands is facing the wrong way. Yes, folks, the stand in the lower right opens out to the street, as you can see by the way we propped the door open. Shoddy, unprofessional? Whatever could we have been thinking?<br />
<br />
Too bad they took away the "Sandblasting" sign before we could take a picture of it. It looked like something a 7-year old would have done, and the writing was barely large enough to see.Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-73217873435144126922011-04-02T20:56:00.000-07:002011-04-03T05:55:39.747-07:00Lost and Found<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mRn9z0ngdLCXBNqsr7pHY3FAYywZAXFv1wr9BITnYVCPz9Gp29rUlCU_Y7_7ExhVgInnTI7UpUV219r68O04b9widHNPUBfqYLZ4_qoR_W4ijQDKwbOvIk1t0ZjrPZY6WLL7RjuaTX8/s1600/DSCN0161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mRn9z0ngdLCXBNqsr7pHY3FAYywZAXFv1wr9BITnYVCPz9Gp29rUlCU_Y7_7ExhVgInnTI7UpUV219r68O04b9widHNPUBfqYLZ4_qoR_W4ijQDKwbOvIk1t0ZjrPZY6WLL7RjuaTX8/s320/DSCN0161.JPG" width="244" /></a></div><br />
I found this print in a frame in South Pasadena on April 1. If it's yours, contact me.Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-58309410839109599362011-03-11T05:39:00.000-08:002011-03-11T05:39:42.995-08:00Earth Quakes and TsunamisI do a gratitude list almost every morning. I have a hard time being thankful that my part of the world is OK when other parts of the world are not.Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-11357406096558185502011-02-20T17:15:00.000-08:002011-02-21T05:35:41.955-08:00Cold Sunday Morning in Pasadena<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrstLKaEvpW2k-vqvYc4OZdyV8TGZyMd7JilxpiUdX9vtWgnJdbVjyyWwUSVdtrnbYDKb5zVpL5ybXsLe0djj0t0eAziqL4K7_HSwoPRrR6h6LhH8qvGlLF_sHkO_T0jglVquI9Ms9hy0/s1600/DSCN0082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrstLKaEvpW2k-vqvYc4OZdyV8TGZyMd7JilxpiUdX9vtWgnJdbVjyyWwUSVdtrnbYDKb5zVpL5ybXsLe0djj0t0eAziqL4K7_HSwoPRrR6h6LhH8qvGlLF_sHkO_T0jglVquI9Ms9hy0/s320/DSCN0082.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6RD55vr9QKj3lkpjVGwYXH0GlcudEqSyVdi9-mgoNX-3fpgH4rpkN19_-aHMXO_LFBEB5CwlnvdmYL2WjmH4NzphLMbDY8oiSlOki4OgOKk8zkERhRaT9kuP3lkg50Th4y17xLFHmeM/s1600/DSCN0080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6RD55vr9QKj3lkpjVGwYXH0GlcudEqSyVdi9-mgoNX-3fpgH4rpkN19_-aHMXO_LFBEB5CwlnvdmYL2WjmH4NzphLMbDY8oiSlOki4OgOKk8zkERhRaT9kuP3lkg50Th4y17xLFHmeM/s320/DSCN0080.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUoHSUHdbYCyq_N5Hw-ViF8ZZMrAP1uL-JQbBhP1P6FXiFBEiQgnUQoeT-j7X9u_luI-XXc9RAc6aZlb1Es8hSW2ssG-EI8ZF4-8zTJLNqbLe84E-MgthOyB4kcFNL9if8Jb7Q34Oku28/s1600/DSCN0083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUoHSUHdbYCyq_N5Hw-ViF8ZZMrAP1uL-JQbBhP1P6FXiFBEiQgnUQoeT-j7X9u_luI-XXc9RAc6aZlb1Es8hSW2ssG-EI8ZF4-8zTJLNqbLe84E-MgthOyB4kcFNL9if8Jb7Q34Oku28/s320/DSCN0083.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-82868770201262743042011-02-12T14:56:00.000-08:002011-02-12T16:33:56.765-08:00Hahamongna with a Twist<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">What do you do when you get the day wrong for the Hahamongna Walkabout? You watch a frisbee golf tournament. That's what!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJcRB-4umEAZgp4LG4fdqEu5fiPhhG3mJu5-lenSfTTiBdAwU8coFVfFaapbx-h2RUTJlD7zuC1DwDa8beykuA_H-1wnS-lZ00KRPDOrZ64gfY4TuNca-ehssC9_6QBrjO7Vqy9rB6nU/s1600/DSCN0048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJcRB-4umEAZgp4LG4fdqEu5fiPhhG3mJu5-lenSfTTiBdAwU8coFVfFaapbx-h2RUTJlD7zuC1DwDa8beykuA_H-1wnS-lZ00KRPDOrZ64gfY4TuNca-ehssC9_6QBrjO7Vqy9rB6nU/s320/DSCN0048.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6P9zDEAU-j1LzUCRGSMPaC5iVqEVXw1loPgrQ2eBgSTBL_PW5KxCe25PgQtgsD0-zuxphx_StuXTOR9Xz2APKY7XDX3M6SN7HMhPoKcubb2RuhDM4hdzhEXL0lkVLfaK-C8Gk2kE8kM/s1600/DSCN0047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6P9zDEAU-j1LzUCRGSMPaC5iVqEVXw1loPgrQ2eBgSTBL_PW5KxCe25PgQtgsD0-zuxphx_StuXTOR9Xz2APKY7XDX3M6SN7HMhPoKcubb2RuhDM4hdzhEXL0lkVLfaK-C8Gk2kE8kM/s320/DSCN0047.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's what I learned: Frisbee golf is very sophisticated. Like regular golf, each player has several frisbees that they use for different situations, depending on what they need to do. There are putter frisbees and distance frisbees and frisbees that curve and frisbees that go straight and frisbees that glide. Each player carries a bag of frisbees around, just like golfers carry bags of clubs. These are not your regular frisbees, either. These are all special frisbees. Some guys were telling me that the frisbee's characteristics change as they get beaten up, and some of them get better. It's against the rules to manually alter a frisbee, but changes that occur naturally from using it are ok. Below is one manufacturer's chart showing all the frisbees it makes and what each one's characteristics are.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg576mBvTyi7_dIyvJeSYqhQxW3hjdgue23d0LesDRR1_A-mEN7xLHvFkw89UJdW3s2kNvaY-AUcSEImOQ1Dc3jsb-ivAsPTZfnKU88E-VSzAZGaZin8tmdYyurisQRSEG9SIEvcIaZNXs/s1600/DSCN0050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg576mBvTyi7_dIyvJeSYqhQxW3hjdgue23d0LesDRR1_A-mEN7xLHvFkw89UJdW3s2kNvaY-AUcSEImOQ1Dc3jsb-ivAsPTZfnKU88E-VSzAZGaZin8tmdYyurisQRSEG9SIEvcIaZNXs/s320/DSCN0050.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-q5NcVLIJnpSa02gpZWLoLKY3kc9dADBqN-H0EbUrvCGT0S5GlpLo6Kp6PNnp9CwBNydqOX_4qUOu-8_ZmsURwrs8A3HJJNP7OtLSHBHYCCR6-FZ06XkwHG97zlK7N_oYaPQwCkK1po/s1600/DSCN0062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-q5NcVLIJnpSa02gpZWLoLKY3kc9dADBqN-H0EbUrvCGT0S5GlpLo6Kp6PNnp9CwBNydqOX_4qUOu-8_ZmsURwrs8A3HJJNP7OtLSHBHYCCR6-FZ06XkwHG97zlK7N_oYaPQwCkK1po/s320/DSCN0062.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
A disc golfer goes for the hole, which is that basket thing in front of the red car next to the dumpster. The disc in mid-air is right in front of the rock behind the red station wagon.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFI2dNNIoxy65xCtiatJaF1m6VLDfxD9hhkgZ2zfw5CgliENxp_iFnGPTo3VF7lF39SNQKq4Ry9dVPye13Iaa2ulVfBC7UsTB1cxVkRAZaJbY30lKI450RPn2KMl5q5dlvCEZ1sL1wiE/s1600/DSCN0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFI2dNNIoxy65xCtiatJaF1m6VLDfxD9hhkgZ2zfw5CgliENxp_iFnGPTo3VF7lF39SNQKq4Ry9dVPye13Iaa2ulVfBC7UsTB1cxVkRAZaJbY30lKI450RPn2KMl5q5dlvCEZ1sL1wiE/s320/DSCN0046.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here's what I came to see to begin with. Here's the info on the Hahamongna Walkabout scheduled for February 19, 2011. <a href="http://www.savehahamongna.org/walkabout.htm">http://www.savehahamongna.org/walkabout.htm</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-2552445875890947072011-01-17T12:08:00.000-08:002011-01-18T22:20:10.943-08:00No on 14 - Martin Luther King, Jr.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMCxsIaul1hupFHOrKTfRL9IJAJpZYeW1LZIOptoSDv3dftsp4AJ2_v_czKciJ0y8SNRedZZ3VGQMFDISzUqVfxG-J2T4Zbt6L1Ah0gKTpje79PMOX0D8PLRwjYpZQyCKELVL1aXEl99g/s1600/100_2034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMCxsIaul1hupFHOrKTfRL9IJAJpZYeW1LZIOptoSDv3dftsp4AJ2_v_czKciJ0y8SNRedZZ3VGQMFDISzUqVfxG-J2T4Zbt6L1Ah0gKTpje79PMOX0D8PLRwjYpZQyCKELVL1aXEl99g/s320/100_2034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21px;">"Would you want your daughter to marry a realtor?" In 1964, Proposition 14 was on the California Ballot. The purpose was to overturn the Rumford Act, which prohibited discrimination in housing. The California Realtors Association supported Proposition 14, thinking homes would be harder to sell if neighborhoods became mixed, or perhaps that property values would fall if people began to move out of neighborhoods in large numbers. Proposition 14 passed by 65%, but was later declared unconstitutional by the California Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. This is a button from the anti-14 campaign.</span>Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-26323612269871655632010-12-25T09:40:00.000-08:002010-12-25T18:00:06.909-08:00Christmas Breakfast Reprise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm30jEqL-t_iC_EYh0QefV6IicHF3eTv1SRh9dLxXP2dF0y6YfjU4T49NyQ9MTsSB-jLCqLkvBRFE3tlRgocF0gXtSuAUt0VYJE97S-6ryO5dKjAzMypVS-4-69eNmTnWaGZ14kZEyMNM/s1600/SuperStock_1785-7921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm30jEqL-t_iC_EYh0QefV6IicHF3eTv1SRh9dLxXP2dF0y6YfjU4T49NyQ9MTsSB-jLCqLkvBRFE3tlRgocF0gXtSuAUt0VYJE97S-6ryO5dKjAzMypVS-4-69eNmTnWaGZ14kZEyMNM/s320/SuperStock_1785-7921.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="color: #cc6600; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.25em; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 28px;">[At the special request of Karin, the Altadena Hiker, the engineer of the best Christmas Train around, mystery woman of the East Denas, and Queen of All Internet Smackdowns, whose every wish is my command (whether she knows it or not), and who, I might mention, is tall enough to be the perfect height, I'm reposting for the third consecutive year, my Christmas Breakfast Story.]</span></h3><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 28px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmsBXzHd3dEr7GOxIX0kiBKrkKDL60mgx6thOWfdUdUCJFBavrHVWJbROPGG1m2Ib5-p66HsTPeK1wC9sPcSMq1fAokd2IZNZrny7JgR25aj2YXG2dX6XKue0TOk4F0sL_FQoPNY7Y_M/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmsBXzHd3dEr7GOxIX0kiBKrkKDL60mgx6thOWfdUdUCJFBavrHVWJbROPGG1m2Ib5-p66HsTPeK1wC9sPcSMq1fAokd2IZNZrny7JgR25aj2YXG2dX6XKue0TOk4F0sL_FQoPNY7Y_M/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="post-body entry-content" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><div class="post-body entry-content" style="line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Christmas morning can be a challenging time for a single Jewish guy who wants to go someplace for breakfast. Every year I get in my car and drive up to Pasadena, and I always seem to find at least one place that's open. One year, the bakery next to Mi Piaci on Colorado was open. Another year, it was Robin's. It seems to vary from year to year, and I can't seem to count on any place to be open year after year.<br />
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Several years ago, as I made my way into Old Town on Christmas morning, I noticed that Ruby's Diner (<a href="http://www.rubys.com/" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;">http://www.rubys.com/</a>) at the corner of Green and Fair Oaks was open. Ruby's was a '50s-style diner that had great food and waiters and waitresses dressed in 50s-style outfits. (It has long since left Pasadena, but can still be found in some other locations like Fullerton, for example.) Sometimes my swing-dancing friends and I would go there in the evening after a dance at PBDA (<a href="http://www.pasadenaballroomdance.com/" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;">http://www.pasadenaballroomdance.com/</a>) and dance to the 50s music in the aisles between the tables. I was really happy that Ruby's was open that Christmas morning.<br />
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Upon arriving, I realized that I needed to buy an LA Times to read as I ate, but decided I'd wait until after I ordered my meal. As I entered, a young woman greeted me and asked me if I was there for breakfast. I thought this was a rather odd question. It was around 8:00 am, so what else would I be doing walking into a restaurant? I noticed that the waiters and waitresses were not wearing their usual Ruby's outfits. Instead they were wearing blue jeans and flannel shirts. I thought, "That's funny, but it is Christmas, and maybe they just thought they'd let them wear regular clothes."<br />
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I was taken to a booth, and I sat down waiting for someone to bring me coffee and a menu and take my order. As I waited, I noticed that instead of the usual salt and pepper shakers on the table there were those little paper envelopes. I also noticed that the utensils were plastic. I thought, "Well, it's Christmas, I guess they didn't want to bring in a full crew of dishwashers and others."<br />
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I thought it was odd that it was taking so long for them to come and take my order, when suddenly two young waitresses appeared at my table. One had a pot of coffee and the other had a rectangular styrofoam plate containing scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast, which she began to place in front of me. "What's this?" I asked. "It's breakfast," one of them said. "But I didn't order this," I said.<br />
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Just then a light went on in my head. "Is this a free breakfast for the homeless?" I asked. "Yes," she said. "Oh," I said trying to slide down under the table from embarrassment, "I can't eat this. I didn't realize..." "Don't worry about it," she said, "We have enough food to feed 500 people and only 50 have shown up. We're just going to have to throw it out." </div><div class="post-body entry-content" style="line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">So reluctantly, I began to eat my free Christmas breakfast. I looked around sheepishly at the other diners. I saw a few homeless-looking people, and a few large tables of what appeared to be special-needs patients. I had to eat my breakfast without the company of the LA Times, because you see, I felt so guilty for being there, I didn't have the nerve to show I had disposable income by getting up and spending a quarter on a newspaper.<br />
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After I was done, I went over and offered to pay for my food or to make a donation. The waitress said, "There's no way you can. We don't have registers working, and all the food's been donated and paid for. We're just going to have to send all the leftovers to the park where they're serving lunch, but there will be way too much food."<br />
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So that's the story of my embarrassing Christmas breakfast at Ruby's Diner.<br />
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</div></span></div>Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-82273872964806243482010-12-21T06:47:00.000-08:002010-12-22T05:48:18.227-08:00The Great Tamale Headline Keyboard Smackdown<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSykP65hw-j3abDU5FBZbNmLj3nTiRdhGTg_wruFO_fMN995xT0M4xB7ixa56dH3Gau4OEqA87kwT2Hf99wYfT1E2TK69vuPNMvgnHmfTs9HP1zjBM7GlzVbhz0W4JsYLWNHiSUBw4cPs/s1600/166135_1503686760701_1490205778_31068760_6900756_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSykP65hw-j3abDU5FBZbNmLj3nTiRdhGTg_wruFO_fMN995xT0M4xB7ixa56dH3Gau4OEqA87kwT2Hf99wYfT1E2TK69vuPNMvgnHmfTs9HP1zjBM7GlzVbhz0W4JsYLWNHiSUBw4cPs/s320/166135_1503686760701_1490205778_31068760_6900756_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>It all started when Facebook Friend Kris decided to present her tamale-party dinner. She placed it on her computer, but used a newspaper as a "barrier" to protect the keyboard.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkDN2L95VvvEBqsRQJLnCdgX82gIIcmdKl44mnG6Kgrct1eCjaTUiXIisloye82lfzrmHvMrCK4adkQDMU7qltYysXZlF9EU2kUKUVhZdJm1vtd-fu2-n6v8atB9S_u0IQXJm9hy3Cvw/s1600/100_1937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkDN2L95VvvEBqsRQJLnCdgX82gIIcmdKl44mnG6Kgrct1eCjaTUiXIisloye82lfzrmHvMrCK4adkQDMU7qltYysXZlF9EU2kUKUVhZdJm1vtd-fu2-n6v8atB9S_u0IQXJm9hy3Cvw/s320/100_1937.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I followed suit with a tamale, a plate, a newspaper, and a keyboard. The Tamale Headline Keyboard Smackdown was on. I thought the Giants World Series Victory was a nice touch.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglodYH2g06A9JFBSxzdlDhxz_-L_sw3GJhKmTNJVCkNoxHd8BEKAPAe7nq3swox6Ea1OEvAjCXZk8bb6H162lLHaRSG4aHYZNWP1dwjqRMHg-lgqyS1-8R13s2EgpeoA_DPlXaWrYcE-s/s1600/164095_1503684000632_1490205778_31068757_6572960_n-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglodYH2g06A9JFBSxzdlDhxz_-L_sw3GJhKmTNJVCkNoxHd8BEKAPAe7nq3swox6Ea1OEvAjCXZk8bb6H162lLHaRSG4aHYZNWP1dwjqRMHg-lgqyS1-8R13s2EgpeoA_DPlXaWrYcE-s/s320/164095_1503684000632_1490205778_31068757_6572960_n-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">We soon discovered we'd been hoarding some interesting headlines. Rules: Tamale (or part thereof), plate, keyboard, newspaper.</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwauOv8BPHjkRzojwhcykSZnmp9rmzhf-5_PX0_7OfMlO8kgVTsFP9ab9znXQHZESmxt3VTTvxPVyDODFWZRRO9_xzLEQy18_qJZ5ghl1Rw4XccUK-Ppx3C7U5vzuR0J0hxg33qMGjwEY/s1600/162947_1503765722675_1490205778_31068833_3199092_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwauOv8BPHjkRzojwhcykSZnmp9rmzhf-5_PX0_7OfMlO8kgVTsFP9ab9znXQHZESmxt3VTTvxPVyDODFWZRRO9_xzLEQy18_qJZ5ghl1Rw4XccUK-Ppx3C7U5vzuR0J0hxg33qMGjwEY/s320/162947_1503765722675_1490205778_31068833_3199092_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lorena Bobbit touch</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrP4_jVSvpPcxAuXhvJ6d-Ca9u-MBgTXBKHzSt4-z4PH1OSvUdPavuohPCGVfJYhFpzrUvBtBerxZ3Z3jeouCd51Ug6-lh0VgGiyWm0UWWkHMJzsYSd72moRv2DYAqjok-Z1uHVxmh5A/s1600/165171_1503815243913_1490205778_31068963_668319_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrP4_jVSvpPcxAuXhvJ6d-Ca9u-MBgTXBKHzSt4-z4PH1OSvUdPavuohPCGVfJYhFpzrUvBtBerxZ3Z3jeouCd51Ug6-lh0VgGiyWm0UWWkHMJzsYSd72moRv2DYAqjok-Z1uHVxmh5A/s320/165171_1503815243913_1490205778_31068963_668319_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br />
Were we suckers?<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lemon or not?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Which one's the Jesus Juice?</div>Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-56235781777677799722010-11-02T18:52:00.000-07:002010-11-02T18:50:51.823-07:00SF GIANTS - WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguirMQyFAGt5HPRAHpJzVFIaGxo8MSiFJkVGkJn6d8FlErUy6WxURjOiTotjySD7mgJ7oI6J38DBU8NAXWP5d-Rp0WE8ni-agIhClzGktFPf-sqkFIy5FpOPIYUaptaIzO7-CCaMtxbUo/s1600/world_series_trophy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguirMQyFAGt5HPRAHpJzVFIaGxo8MSiFJkVGkJn6d8FlErUy6WxURjOiTotjySD7mgJ7oI6J38DBU8NAXWP5d-Rp0WE8ni-agIhClzGktFPf-sqkFIy5FpOPIYUaptaIzO7-CCaMtxbUo/s320/world_series_trophy.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Following is from a blog called RocketShoes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">by Drew Hoohorst</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 26px;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1.467em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0em; padding-left: 2em; padding-right: 2em; padding-top: 0em;">This is why I’m a Giants fan. This exact moment. Scratch that: this is why I like stupid, grunt grunt sports in general. San Francisco, this very moment.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1.467em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0em; padding-left: 2em; padding-right: 2em; padding-top: 0em;">It’s legitimately a magical time in San Francisco right now. I have the fortune of working approximately two blocks away from AT&T/”For Christsakes, it’s PacBell” Park, and it’s been absolutely surreal. If a unicorn came around the corner and high fived me right now and said, “Go Giants”, I wouldn’t even take an earbud out. I’d just high hoove him right back and point and smile.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1.467em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0em; padding-left: 2em; padding-right: 2em; padding-top: 0em;">For people who don’t understand why people love sports so much, move to a town where this kind of thing might happen, and you’ll get it.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1.467em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0em; padding-left: 2em; padding-right: 2em; padding-top: 0em;">This team has done something to this city that is unreal. It’s even more unreal because this is San Francisco. Home of the polarizing “I hate your district NO I HATE YOUR DISTRICT LET’S MAKE OUT THOUGH BECAUSE WE BOTH LOVE SAN FRANCISCO” landscape. Hipsters hate marina guys. Marina guys hate hipsters. We judge every goddamn thing on the planet that isn’t organic, and then can’t understand why people judge the crap out of us right back (irony alert). I mean…I work down the block from a <em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">fucking artisan grilled cheese store</em>. This town is, by no means, indicative of the rest of the American landscape. We’re just weird, and we embrace the living crap out of it.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1.467em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0em; padding-left: 2em; padding-right: 2em; padding-top: 0em;">And right now, everyone is a Giants fan. Everyone. Your grandma. That homeless guy directing you into a <em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">wide open</em> parking spot and then expecting you to congratulate him for his non-feat with a dollar. Right now? I’d give him two. Because this town is effing electric.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1.467em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0em; padding-left: 2em; padding-right: 2em; padding-top: 0em;">You know what? To all the people who hate “bandwagon” fans? Let it go. Who cares. You know who you are? You’re the guy who liked the Kings of Leon and then got mad when everyone else did. You’re the guy who said “this band is SO good”, and then when someone said, “hey I agree” you said NO YOU DON’T ONLY I CAN LIKE THEM. That’s silly. Knock it off. Let them in. Buy them a beer, or a kombucha. Whatever it is. I don’t care. Just let this happen and stop Eeyoring the crap out of our unlimited happiness we’re on the brink of.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1.467em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0em; padding-left: 2em; padding-right: 2em; padding-top: 0em;">I love sports for this reason. Every now and then, everyone just stops being so damn frumpy and acts like our city is just a big college. You ever been to a college town that <em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">really</em> loves their team a scary amount? Like, Ray Finkel’s Mom amounts? It’s great. You know why? Because everyone is just <em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">actually</em> nice to each other. You have a common bond. And whether or not it’s a bond that is contingent upon a guy throwing a ball or waving a wooden stick, it’s an awesome bond.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1.467em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0em; padding-left: 2em; padding-right: 2em; padding-top: 0em;">I love this time. I find myself smiling at people when I buy coffee. I see my friends who bicker over ridiculous crap calling each other and inviting each other to hang out. I see strangers hugging because a guy from the Dominican Republic is hitting sac fly’s. Marina guys are wearing the same goddamn t-shirt hipster guys are wearing. HOW CAN YOU NOT BOTTLE THIS MOMENT UP? We’re in a vacuum. Enjoy it.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1.467em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0em; padding-left: 2em; padding-right: 2em; padding-top: 0em;">I have grown up with the Giants. My brother and I spend half of our “that’s so adorable that they are ACTUALLY best friends” time talking to each other about them; it genuinely brings us together. It’s in the blood of my family, and I was taught from a very young age to bring a blanket to the ‘stick because it’s never a comfortable temperature in this city. My mother and father brought our family together with this ridiculous game. If you never lived here or you’re just getting on the bandwagon? Let me be your creepy metaphorical father and open the front door and hand you a beer. Welcome. We love you, too.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1.467em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0em; padding-left: 2em; padding-right: 2em; padding-top: 0em;">So fear the Just for Men beard. Embrace the fact that every woman in town is in love with the good guy (THAT NEVER HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE). Embrace the fact that we have a pitcher that resembles one of the greatest characters in film history, one Mitch Kramer (he even smokes pot…how San Francisco is that?). Embrace it.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1.467em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0em; padding-left: 2em; padding-right: 2em; padding-top: 0em;">No matter what happens, San Francisco, embrace it. This is why we like sports. Because they are ridiculous, and they make people really happy when we’d usually just bide the time complaining about what we don’t like about each other.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1.467em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0em; padding-left: 2em; padding-right: 2em; padding-top: 0em;">Embrace it, San Francisco. This is why we like each other. Right now.</div>Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-89973522811318975802010-09-17T05:53:00.000-07:002010-09-17T06:01:58.297-07:00South Pasadena City Council Exposed[This editorial appeared on September 16, 2010, in the Pasadena Star News and related San Gabriel Valley News papers. It's nice to know that someone with a voice has some sense.]<br />
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We've reported since late last year on the odd way popular former South Pasadena police Chief Dan Watson was removed from his job - or, as the city would have it, did not have his contract renewed. He was recently hired as police chief by the town of Mammoth Lakes.<br />
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In theory, the appointed city manager, rather than the elected City Council, appoints chiefs of police. But we've also reported on the strong public perception in South Pasadena that the Watson resignation and the looming - and now, as of Wednesday night, actual - appointment of a retired former South Pasadena sergeant, Joe Payne, was engineered by council members, many of whom have known Payne for decades, not by relatively new City Manager John Davidson.<br />
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Because personnel issues are discussed in closed sessions, it will remain hard to prove much about whether a putsch was engineered in South Pasadena. But we certainly know that the council abused California's open-meeting laws when it met with Payne and another chief candidate using the ruse of an executive session labeled "performance evaluation of the city manager." A leading open-government expert said that fudging of the facts violates California's Brown Act.<br />
Joe Payne is well-known and well-liked in South Pasadena, his hometown even after he left the force. If his appointment sticks, he may well be an excellent chief - we hope so. But community concerns about the whole process deserve to be addressed by City Hall.<br />
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Citizens know that, whether or not Payne will really be a pushover for the salary demands of the union he belonged to for decades, he was recently glowingly profiled in a city employees' union newsletter as a "stalwart" and a "workhorse." They know that four of five council members - the principled exception being Richard Schneider - were behind the move to dump Watson by "inviting him to reapply for his job," a dishonor he declined. They know that, though Payne indeed served the department for a long time, it's highly unusual for a policeman who's never been in senior management ranks to take over a department, even in a small town. South Pas has 25,000 residents, for instance; Sierra Madre about 11,000. Yet when the latter hired Marilyn Diaz as chief, she came as a commander from the Pasadena Police Department.<br />
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Come clean, South Pasadena. Confession is good for the soul.Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5269618341383213979.post-6518518844971261012010-08-06T22:50:00.000-07:002010-08-07T10:35:21.782-07:00My Kind of Town<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was enlisted to fly to Chicago to teach two one-hour classes. Things got off to a good start when I misplaced my car keys with just enough time to head for the airport. Luckily, I found the backups. Got to the airport. Long lines to check bags at American, but none were moving. I have no idea what these counter people were doing to go so slow. An agent tells me there are shorter lines at the other end. She's right, but they were moving even slower. Takes me a full hour to get checked in and through security.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We get on the plane a little late and when we're all on and ready to go the pilot announces that the navigation computer isn't working right. We sit for an hour while they fix it. At some point, some people get up and head for the front of the plane. The attendants announced that people should sit down, but apparently some got off. Finally we taxi out to the runway. But then, we pull off to the side. The captain explains that because some people got off, they have to recalculate the weight and fuel. We wait, and wait, and wait. The captain is pissed, "I'm not getting the information I need to take off," he tells us. Then they have the attendants come out and hand count the passengers. I mean come on. If you knew it was important why didn't you count the ones who got off? Why did you let them get off in the first place? Who knows what's going on? Maybe they had to retrieve their bags or something. After about 45 more minutes of sitting by the side of the taxiway, we finally get to leave. When I ask out loud if they can go over the safety instructions again, no one laughs. And don't expect free drinks anymore when this kind of stuff happens. These planes don't carry enough food and drink to go around. They routinely run out of the "food" they're selling.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When we arrive in Chicago two-and-a-half hours late, we learn that there's no gate for us. That's another twenty minutes. I look at the news on my Blackberry. Seven dogs dead on American Airlines flight to Chicago earlier that morning. This is not AA's day. Or maybe it's their usual, I don't know. As we get off, the captain announces that our bags will be at carousel 5. Our flight is not on the monitors at the baggage claim. I ask an agent and she tells me that our bags will probably come out on carousel 7. She doesn't tell all the other passengers that. Why bother? She also tells me that the monitors are broken. After probably 45 minutes I see that our bags are coming out on carousel 7. After I get mine, I go back and tell the others who are waiting at 5 to go to 7. For a moment, I'm in control of the baggage area. Is there a work slowdown at American?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHP_5J1sN5-5vQB8fiWdvYHQWdrd-KYtem6lsksbx_HhsBp9HxEfkrLLCV8O8_ZL7ByG3FrzNV-JCc19Ye1-4bF83LfoF1z_EaEvuz0ezEJePytLY2k-1jDaxOmP8edl9yD-IE0yzORGs/s1600/100_1875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHP_5J1sN5-5vQB8fiWdvYHQWdrd-KYtem6lsksbx_HhsBp9HxEfkrLLCV8O8_ZL7ByG3FrzNV-JCc19Ye1-4bF83LfoF1z_EaEvuz0ezEJePytLY2k-1jDaxOmP8edl9yD-IE0yzORGs/s320/100_1875.JPG" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But that's not the story. The story is how the big 300 pound guy, who looked like he had no business walking into a Hyatt Regency, jumped in between my friend and his wife as we're walking into the revolving door at our hotel after dinner. The guy blocks the door with his foot and starts pounding on the glass. My friend is trapped inside the door, and I'm in the back, exposed to the street, but there are two guys behind me. At first I think the guy who's blocking the door is crazy and he's throwing some kind of weird tantrum. But then the guys behind me are kind of getting up too close to me and telling me to push on the door with both hands as hard as I can, as if this happens all the time and they know just what the cure is. This makes little sense to me. In split seconds, I'm trying to decide if the door is broken and the crazy guy is trying to help fix it, but I keep seeing he's blocking it. "He's blocking the door," I say. The guys behind me keep telling me to push with both hands. But I realize it would be futile, and I also realize that I have no particular need to get through this door, so I say, "Why would I do that?" and step aside and over to one of the regular doors. Only when I'm in the lobby and they are gone do I realize that this was all about picking my pockets, but they didn't get anything. I don't leave things that exposed, and I never committed both hands to pushing the door as they wanted me to. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgDhMrvLGlABKl71kBjl_CsU8WLsgqyaHyJh7So-dLhNxZgVQEkz58uuidkUnzTJjuT6gpGABvk93CO96kytCVmcCNuPjOZlYYibkvluQGS89X6jU4x8ENS71kG3N_7I8APIsQBPjvBE/s1600/100_1876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgDhMrvLGlABKl71kBjl_CsU8WLsgqyaHyJh7So-dLhNxZgVQEkz58uuidkUnzTJjuT6gpGABvk93CO96kytCVmcCNuPjOZlYYibkvluQGS89X6jU4x8ENS71kG3N_7I8APIsQBPjvBE/s320/100_1876.JPG" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Well I'm glad their little plot was foiled and I didn't have to spend today in Chicago trying to figure out how to fly without identification or money. These guys seemed like amateurs. I could give them some tips on what they did wrong, but I'll save that for another day.</span>Mister Earlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18405041951237611622noreply@blogger.com16