"Orange Juice! Politics For The Rest Of Us." - 12 new articles
Check the rates on your phone cards!
Anna travels every week to London or there abouts. A few years ago we found a good deal on a phone card at Costco. The Sprint card was a great rate of 3.1 cents for Domestic and 6.9 cents for certain International locations. Then we spotted an International phone card at the Post Office and tried that one for awhile. Can’t remember the rate but we think it was better than the Costco rate. Finally, we found a great phone card at CVS drugs….a good International phone card with rates to the UK of 4 cents a minute. We couldn’t beat that price. This was a Sprint card with Germany for 5 cents a minute and France/Mexico for 6 cents. If you got the card recharged at CVS drugs you got an additional 10% added to the card. The card went for $20 bucks….with a recharge value of $22. It was all very cool. Then came the aquisition. A company called STI Prepaid aquired this Int’l Prepaid Phone Card. Aquiring your number seemed a little more cumbersome…but other than that….the service and the rates all remained the same……until last month. Suddenly, the advertised 4 cent rate to Italy, the UK and Canada….bounced to 22.5 cents a minute. We will explain why momentarily. Additionally, if you used your Mobile Phone to either call or receive or both on this card….the rate quickly moves to 80 cents a minute. By the way….if you mistakenly use this card for Domestic calls….it is going to cost you 13.5 cents a minute. “Surprise, surprise…Sergeant!” The explanation was that in February, they decided to change the rates. The rumor is that Sprint and its various aquisition groups and companies were deeply invested in Toxic Assets, Sub-Prime Loans, Credit Default Swaps and the like. Who knows? One thing is very clear……if you have phone cards it might be the time to call and find out how many minutes you have left. When we asked how the FCC allowed them to arbitrarily change the rate as listed…..they responded: “On the card, it says that we can change rates at any time!” Our days with STI Prepaid and Sprint…are over! We will be going back to Costco to check out what their cards are doing these days. In the meantime, if you hear of a good deal on International Phone Cards…..let us know! Will Hillary Clinton take Miguel Pulido on her trip to Mexico?
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is going to Mexico late this month, according to the L.A. Times. Will she take Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido with her? Somehow I doubt it as her trip to Mexico involves U.S. concerns about security in the wake of the over 7,000 lives claimed in the drug war. But Pulido has lost control of crime in his city too. Then again, Pulido has major connections in Mexico and this might be a way to test the waters should Clinton end up supporting his bid to become U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. But don’t forget that Pulido previously visited coca farmer and Bolivian President Evo Morales. That surely looks bad now, particularly since Morales has become very belligerent towards the U.S. Some advisers to Obama are asking him to send the U.S. military to Mexico. That would not go over well with the Mexican people. They are still pissed about the last U.S. invasion of Mexico. Clinton will have a lot on her plate trying to mollify our southern neighbors while also looking to bolster our own security. The issue she has to deal with eventually is that U.S. drug users are the ones driving the drug market in Mexico. And our drug war has done nothing to keep us safe. Never mind sending Clinton to Mexico. Obama could end all of this by changing our nation’s drug policy. Don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen. In the interim, I will be watching to see how much Pulido is involved in this week’s Obama visit to Orange County. We may find out soon if Clinton is going to bring Pulido along on her Mexican vacation. “Outrageous!” AIG is handing out your money as bonuses!
You taxpayers are Number 1! Thanks for our well-deserved bonuses at AIG this coming week! Thanks Guys!They’ve worked hard to bring the company to its knees and the bonus money proves it. It takes work and dedication to force an undiciplined insurance giant to the brink of ruin and demand that taxpayers bail it out. Multi-million dollar bonuses for the top AIG brass will be paid out this week. Of course, not everyone’s happy about this raid of public funds. I know I’m not. I’m angry! So is Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell R-Kentucky:
Remember when you and I bailed AIG out last October? Two weeks after they scored the $85 BILLION dollar “loan” from us, those dudes took the money and partied out at the St. Regis @ Monarch Beach, where ocean-view rooms start at $565 a night and "world class luxury" is the rule. Here’s the resort and take a look at the tab we picked up for AIG’s excesses during a time when the average person is financially struggling.
AIG's St. Regis blowout bill: $443,344AIG American General spent: $147,302 for banquets If you can stomach it, here is the actual final bill from the St. Regis and it’s quite a bit more than AIG was willing to claim. But that is OLD news, now isn’t it? Back to the juicy bonus action coming up this week….. This time, AIG’s chief executive, Edward Liddy, claims that the bonuses are legal and that the government cannot nullify those contracts. There will apparently be lawsuits by those fat cats if they don’t get their expected bonuses for their mismanagement and fraud! AIG’s “hands are tied!” Liddy stated to Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner. Hmmmm….. Is that Blackmail I smell? Really, now. I think that each one of those fatties should have their name and the amount of the intended bonus published so us lowly tax payers can see just who is holding us tax payers hostage. I don’t understand why any of these parasites even have jobs. The only bonus they deserve is a pink slip and a trip to visit Bernie Madoff. Since when are we obligated to reward people who are responsible for colossal failure? ABC News has a spirited discussion going on right now and if you are interested, here is the link. Dana Point Mayor Lisa Bartlett voted for higher taxes!
Dana Point Mayor Lisa Bartlett voted for higher taxes! What is it about OC GOP Republicans at the local level that leads so many of them to vote for higher taxes - when they come in the form of hotel taxes? Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle did this recently, by going after online travel bookings, and I got a note today from former Dana Point Council Member Jim Lacy indicating that this has happened again. Here is his message:
This won’t help Mayor Bartlett come election time, but these squishy Reeps never seem to learn…yet they call themselves conservatives. I think not! What impact would an Open Primary have in the 69th A.D.?
The threat of the Open Primary is making O.C. Democrats sick… I have noticed a lot of activity lately from Democrats on Facebook who are up in arms over Abel Maldonado’s Open Primary measure. I thought the Republicans would be more upset - but the blue party hacks are blue in the face over this. Why is the Open Primary such a threat? The way this would work is that if neither candidate got over 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters would face off in a run-off. Let’s consider how this would work in Orange County, in the 69th Assembly District. The incumbent is Jose Solorio. He is going to term out in a couple of years. I expect a major bloodbath for his seat. But the Republicans have no shot at this seat, nor do any of the third parties. So how might this play out? I expect that several of the Santa Ana City Council Members would file for the 69th. And you might also see SAUSD Trustee Jose Hernandez run as well. Here are the folks who could end up running, from the Democratic Party, for the 69th Assembly District:
Soloro’s district also includes a sliver of Anaheim, but I don’t know which Democrats live there. Let’s say that some of the Anaheim Democrats decide to move into the 69th. Here are a few that might run, although I don’t think any of them would:
The 69th also includes 25% of Garden Grove, but I can’t see anyone running from that city. Ordinarily none of the above candidates who are not Latino would have a shot at the 69th Assembly District. But if GOP voters opt to vote for non-Latino candidates, instead of some loser OC Young Republican candidate, then it could make for an interesting run-off election. According to a demographics report, over 74% of the 69th is comprised of Latino voters. And over 51% are Democrats. Alvarez would have a distinct advantage, assuming Galloway stays out, as the only woman in the primary. But she would be hurt if several other Santa Ana Council Members run. Tinajero would be helped by his profession, as he is a teacher. Most of the above referenced potential candidates are lawyers. Brandman is unknown in Santa Ana. But McLoughlin could be a wild card. He lives in Floral Park and is tight with Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido. He is also popular with the Usual Suspects. And he is known for supporting the recall of former SAUSD Trustee Nativo Lopez, which would help him with GOP voters. I could see him making a run-off, but ultimately I can’t see this seat going to anyone non-Latino, despite the Open Primary. So why are the Democrats so concerned about the Open Primary? Beats me. I think that perhaps it might hurt union shill candidates. I cannot see it having a major impact on Democratic candidates. But it would give Republican voters a say in districts where they are an extreme minority, such as the 69th. All of this is of course conjecture. Even if the Open Primary passes, it won’t apply until 2012. So are you ready to call Alvarez your Assembly Member? Never mind the threat of an Open Primary. What could be scarier than sending Alvarez to Sacramento? What a revolting development… Jerbal R.I.P.?
Is this the end of “Jerbal?” One of my readers noted that the “Jerbal” name is missing over at the Red Clownty blog. Sure enough, it would appear that Red Clownty editor Matt Cunningham has at last dropped his anon name, years after the O.C. Weekly outed him. Gone is the “Jerbal.” I am also told that earlier today a different Red Clownty blogger was noted as their editor. Our former blogger Chris Emami briefly was identified as the new Red Clownty editor. What is up at Red Clownty? Are they finally understanding how much they have damaged themselves by their late reporting of the Fullerton Tax Protest and their very late reporting of the ridiculous endorsement of Democrat Tom Daly, by Red-faced clown John Lewis? Or did the dam break when John and Ken ripped Red Clownty for twenty minutes on their radio show this week? That show has over 670,000 listeners! All of them were told that Red Clownty is a blog for “political hacks” and “Kool Aid drinkers.” So is this curtains for “Jerbal?” Orange County Memories
Saddleback Inn company station wagon used to pick up guests from the OC airport, 1981.For anyone who has lived, worked or visited Orange County and is interested in a historical perspective, there is an interactive website for you: OCThen.com The above picture was submitted by a reader after a story was published at OCThen about the landmark, Saddleback Inn, in Santa Ana. The reader had worked as bell boy who drove that car to pick up guests like Loretta Lynne and now he has left his written memories to accompany the photograph to share with other readers. The site is easy to search and has archived stories of all Orange County cities. Here is a sampling of stories and inquiries found there: Want to know about that old mental hospital in Garden Grove? What was the name of the old tiki-style restaurant in Newport Beach? Can you name the new New Wave club in Fullerton? Remember the Golden Bear Nightclub in HB? Someone is looking for former boy scout members of Santa Ana’s Troop 26. Anyone in Santa Ana remember a guy named Cheerio? Did you ever ice skate at the Glacier Falls Ice Arena in Anaheim? Who else has hung out in Irvine Park during the 1970’s with the van clubs? Here is a link to a feel good story about the Orange Circle in downtown Orange.
I just wanted to share this fun site full of unique Orange County stories and history! Enjoy! Obama now targeting Costa Mesa, not Santa Ana, for his visit on Wednesday
“President Barack Obama's staffers are eyeing the OC Fair & Events Center in Costa Mesa as a possible venue for a town hall meeting when the president visits Orange County on Wednesday, a Democratic party official said Saturday,” according to the Daily Pilot. So I guess Santa Ana is out. Probably too damn dangerous for a presidential visit. It is ironic that Obama may end up visiting a town that is represented by a gaggle of whack-job Republicans, but at least the Costa Mesa City Council has one decent representative in Councilwoman Katrina Foley. Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor’s Talibani Republican pals are already mass emailing folks asking them to protest on Wednesday… Supervisor Bill “Porky” Campbell wants to give tax money to a pro-life abstinence group
After voting to suspend an Orange County education contract with Planned Parenthood because the organization performs abortions, Orange County Republican Supervisor Bill “Porky” Campbell is “considering whether the money should go instead to a group that describes itself as a “pro-life ministry” and uses ultrasound viewings and biblical material to counsel women,” according to the L.A. Times. “To that end, Campbell is looking at Birth Choice Health Clinics as an option. Birth Choice is based in Santa Ana and was founded by Kathleen Eaton, its chief executive, about 26 years ago after she had an abortion at a Planned Parenthood clinic, she said.” Don’t forget that “Porky” Campbell also tried to appoint Catholic bigwig John Urell to a County Commission, even though he knew that Urell ran cover for assorted Cathlic pederasts. So let me get this straight. “Porky” Campbell wants to save the babies, but then he is OK with exposing them to Catholic molesters? Weird. And none of this makes sense in the wake of the latest news from the disastrous Palin family. You may recall that former GOP Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin’s teen daughter, Bristol, got knocked up last year, and she was supposed to marry the father of her baby, Levi Johnston. However, Johnston recently “confirmed to the Associated Press a Star magazine report that he and Ms. Palin mutually decided "a while ago" to call things off, according to the New York Times. Yep. Abstinence sure worked out for the Palin brood! What a joke “Porky” Campbell is! I am sure however that his lackey Matt “Jerbal” Cunningham is very excited about all this. Jerbal was of course the founder of the ill-fated “Urell Amigos” website, that revealed the names of several victims of molestation. No wonder Jerbal is the editor at the “Red Clownty” blog! Shooting in the Santa Ana Artists Village
“Three bar patrons were injured, and one man was arrested after a shooting earlier today near “Proof,” a popular downtown bar, according to the O.C. Register. The incident occurred after the individuals left Proof bar, which is at 215 N. Broadway, after last call. A guy named Eberardo Hernandez, 25, of Santa Ana, and three other men were walking down Broadway around 1:50 a.m. A second group of patrons, three men and a woman from Anaheim, also left the bar and were walking down the street. Hernandez fired at their feet for some unknown reason. Proof is just up the street from the CSUF Grand Central Art Center, in the heart of the Artists Village, which just celebrated ten years of wasting taxpayers money. And this is all we have to show for it…folks shooting up the town as they leave one of the local bars. Nice. Add the Artists Village to the list of Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido’s many failures… BTW, Proof is located next door to the Memphis, where the blue county crowd has their weekly Drinking Liberally event. They might want to invest in Kevlar vests when they visit Santa Ana to toast their boy Pulido. Alternative Focus Public Access program on President Obama’s “stimulus” now airing
PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT Alternative Focus is pleased to announce it’s latest “public access” cable TV program covering the president’s “stimulus” package that will air over the next three weeks on Time Warner systems in Orange County. Bruce Crawford, an alumnus of UCLA, is the program host who will interview guest Larry Gilbert regarding his view of president Obama’s stimulus plan in this fast moving 30 minute program. Alternative Focus can be seen on channel 6 in the Garden Grove area at 4:30 and 10:30 p.m. It will also air in the above listed cities on cable station channels, 95, 97 and possibly 98. Producers/directors Nancy and Doug Thomson email: dhthomson@earthlink.net Fact or fiction. “Iran missile, nuclear threat ‘real, dangerous’ - Russian analyst”
As president Obama is in a race running up trillion dollar domestic recovery programs we would like to hear a foreign policy report from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding the following story from a Russian source that should be very troubling to our State Department. “Iran missile, nuclear threat ‘real, dangerous’ - Russian analyst MOSCOW, March 12 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and the West would be making a big mistake if they ignored or underestimated the potential missile and nuclear threat coming from Iran, a Russian military expert said on Thursday. “Iran is actively working on a missile development program. I won’t say the Iranians will be able to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles in the near future, but they will most likely be able to threaten the whole of Europe,” said Maj. Gen. Vladimir Dvorkin, head of the Moscow-based Center for Strategic Nuclear Forces. Some Western and Russian sources claim that Iran may be currently running a program, dubbed Project Koussar, to develop a totally different missile with a range of 4,000-5,000 km (2,500-3,300 miles). “Iran has long abandoned outdated missile technologies and is capable of producing sophisticated missile systems,” Dvorkin said at a news conference in RIA Novosti. Iran successfully launched last year an upgraded Shahab-3 ballistic missile as part of a navy exercise, dubbed Great Prophet 3, in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. With a reported range of 2,000 kilometers and armed with a 1-ton conventional warhead, the Shahab-3 puts Israel, Turkey, the Arabian peninsula, Afghanistan and Pakistan within striking distance. Western powers led by the United States, along with Israel, accuse Tehran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missile technology for their delivery. Iran says it needs its nuclear program for the peaceful generation of electricity and missile program for space exploration. Iran has consistently defied international demands to halt its nuclear program and insists it plans to use enriched uranium fuel produced at a uranium enrichment facility at Natanz in its first domestically-built nuclear power plant, in the town of Darkhovin, which is scheduled to become operational in 2016. Tehran announced in late February that it had 6,000 operating centrifuges at Natanz and was planning to install a total of 50,000 over the next five years. Commenting on the Iranian nuclear program, Dvorkin said the potential danger of its military aspect was not the possibility of a nuclear strike against some countries, but the ability to assume a more bold approach in dealing with the international community after becoming a nuclear power. “The real threat is that Iran, which is already ignoring all resolutions and sanctions issued by the UN Security Council, will be practically ‘untouchable’ after acquiring nuclear-power status, and will be able to expand its support of terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Hezbollah,” the expert said. He added that the possession of nuclear weapons by Iran could force non-nuclear countries to seek similar weapons and ballistic missile technologies thus starting a nuclear race and increasing the possibility of a nuclear conflict. Dvorkin has had a role in writing all major strategy documents for the Strategic Nuclear Forces and the Strategic Missile Forces. As an expert in the field he participated in preparing the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and the START I and START II pacts, and has made a significant contribution to formulating Soviet and Russian positions at negotiations on strategic offensive arms control and reduction.” This report can be found on the following link: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090312/120537431.html OK Juice readers. Do we put our heads in the sand regarding this report? What role , if any, can/should the US play regarding this future threat to our strategic energy sources? Should we give Israel’s IDF the green light to fly directly over Iraq if they take a pro-active position to protect their nation? Should we tell Israel that we will support/oppose them in any future UN Resolutions that impact their Homeland Security? Do you believe this story to be “fact or fiction?” |
Click here to safely unsubscribe now from "Orange Juice! Politics For The Rest Of Us." or change subscription settings
Unsubscribe from all current and future newsletters powered by FeedBlitz
| Your requested content delivery powered by FeedBlitz, LLC, 9 Thoreau Way, Sudbury, MA 01776, USA. +1.978.776.9498 |
0 коммент.
Post a Comment