July 10, 2008 - Daily Brief
Written by Jeff on July 10th, 2008I’m really trying to like the new Coldplay album. But it seems that even though I’ve grown alot since their first album was released in 2000, their musical style and lyrics really haven’t. Don’t get me wrong ,I enjoy many of the tracks on Vida la Viva, but I’m finding that their replay value is quite low. I guess the critics are right; Coldplay is not Radiohead.
News & Stuff
- OMG SUPER SMOG BLANKET OVER SCV: It’s as thick as pea-soup out there in the place formerly known as blue sky, according to multiple media reports this morning. Parimal Rohit reports that the air quality meter hit 154 yesterday, making Santa Clarita the place with the sixth dirtiest air in SoCal. On the bright side, all that automobile pollution is keeping things cooler and making for some spectacular sunsets and sunrises. Link
- Jeff O’Keefe out as City Transit Manager? A news article at the East Hampton Courant says the town council there has chosen to hire Jeff O’Keefe as its town manager. The article says O’Keefe will get the job for three years at a salary of $120,000 per year. He apparently starts there in September. Wow, that’s surprising! Santa Clarita Transit is undergoing a lot of changes lately; they just hired a new contractor, they’re implementing a huge GPS system, and now their chief is leaving. Link
- More on regional water plan for Santa Clara River: Jim Holt reports today that local water agencies and companies are teaming up to better utilize the Santa Clara river and to “secure state funding.” The water agencies involved include the typical Santa Clarita organizations plus the City, LA County flood control, and the Sanitation district. One wonders where the impetus to start all this came from and why it wasn’t done sooner? Could the Delta Smelt’s impact on the State Water Project have anything to do with it? Link
- McKeon focuses on School Lunch program costs, media responds: Yesterday at a hearing of the Houses’ Education and Labor Committee -on which Buck McKeon is the senior Republican- our representative said that free and reduced school lunch programs for low income households were being hit hard by rising food costs as a result of, you guessed it, rising fuel prices. “Make no mistake about it, a major factor behind rising food prices in the federal child nutrition programs and on supermarket shelves around the country is the cost of fuel and the impact of America’s energy policies,” McKeon told the committee. His comments helped spark at least two media reports, one from the AP and one from Northwestern University journalism department. There’s also a YouTube video of McKeon speaking.
- Another income opportunity for City of Santa Clarita: I suppose the foreclosure crisis that has impacted the region has a silver lining: as of yesterday, local governments have the ability to fine banks up to $1,000 per day if the banks don’t maintain foreclosed properties thanks to a new law signed by Governor Schwarzenegger. So just how many such properties are in Santa Clarita? There’s over 150 listed in Canyon Country according to Foreclosure.com. This could be way more effective than hosting a street party for distressed areas, could it not?
- Victorville City Councilman defends CEMEX deal: Responding to Bob Conaway’s recent Letter to the Editor of the Victorville Daily Press, Victorville City Councilman Mike Rothschild says the CEMEX deal engineered by Buck McKeon does not mean CEMEX will mine on land it may receive in the Victorville area. “There will be no mining on this property,” Rothschild writes, “what this bill does is exchange land in Santa Clarita for land near Victorville, allowing Victorville the opportunity to develop it under the City’s master plan.” He says Conaway is either ignorant of HR 5887’s specifics or Conaway has other motives, motives I speculated upon in my recent post. Rothschild ends his letter by referencing McKeon’s House website. Link
- Geeky Santa Clarita couple subject of Times article on World of Warcraft Nerds: Have you heard of World of Warcraft? No? That’s probably because you’re normal and well-adjusted. Just kidding- WOW is what’s called a massively multi-player online role-playing game, or MMORPG for short, and it’s so hot that some couples, like the Murdocks right here in Santa Clarita, spend most of their free time on the game, becoming skilled wizards and warlocks battling other clans. The Times says the Murdocks are so involved with the game that they removed their dining room table and placed an L-Shaped computer desk that can hold two PCs. “I started playing because I got sick of just lying around watching TV and trying to crochet,” Cynthia Murdock told the Times. Well, I suppose it’s better than just watching TV…Link
- Google Maps incorporates Wikipedia, Pictures: Google Maps has added Wikipedia entries and photographs into their mapping system, making for a much richer experience if one zooms in on, say, the Santa Clarita Valley. It’s pretty cool, you should check it out.
- FrankenFerry launches new video: This time, the anonymous YouTuber slams the City’s Newhall redevelopment efforts and the library vs streetscape debate, the idea of building so-called “high density”projects on the Cadsden property (while also calling into question Laurene Weste’s land ownership in the area), questions why the city is moving ahead with a non-motorized traffic plan, explores Frank Ferry’s appointment of his own personal secretary to the Parks Commission, and ends with an exhortation to viewers that they have the power to force the city to preserve “our suburban bedroom community”, end illegal immigration in town, prevent the city from building commercial and industrial projects “in our backyard”, and stop corruption. Yeah, it’s a mouthful. As usual, the 10 minute video features mildly-entertaining cuts and segues, plus a funny slow-down of Mayor Bob Kellar speaking and a creepy masked man who sounds like God. And just as usual, it’s manipulative and aimed at its audience, wealthy people who own houses in Valencia, Placerita Canyon, and other places. Of course it presumes to speak for all of us. Link
- We Love Tim Myers for his mathematical precision: First he dissected City Council results, now the blogger at WRB has dissected the reported amount of people who attended last week’s Fourth of July parade. Surprise, surprise, the 25,000 who were reported to have attended just doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. “This means that approximately 190,000 linear inches exist for folks to set up the preferred method of parade viewing: The folding camp chair. An average camp chair measures 30 inches horizontally, so if parade attendees set up camp chairs all along the parade route elbow to elbow the route could accommodate just over 6,300 attendees. To achieve 25,000, one would need to see people four deep elbow to elbow ALL ALONG THE PARADE ROUTE.” NICE!
- Two from Dave Bossert: For once, the opinionated Dave Bossert and I agree; he commented yesterday on Frank Ferry’s selection of his personal secretary as a member of the Parks Commission. But he also went into some detail on Laurie Ender’s selection of a PTA volunteer for the City’s important Planning Commission. He says the whole appointment affair shows how mutated politics in Santa Clarita have become. And in a post today, he says doesn’t hate Ken Pulskamp.
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Jeff,
Do you see the KCAL news broadcast last night? They did a story on the derringer bicycle. It is pedal and gas motored. It gets 180 miles to the gallon and you can pedal and use the engine at the same time. Top speed is 35 mph. The bikes are custom made in Hollywood at a cost of approx. $3500. Because of demand, it will take 10 weeks to have your bike delivered.
As it relates to the appointment of various commission positions. I wish everyone can stop pretending and just call it appointments, instead of going through an “application process” which is just a croc. Everyone knows in advance who is going to be appointed. Do you think it was coincidence that all of the people who were appointed attend the council meeting Tuesday, well those who applied and were not selected didn’t show up. It reminds me of the MTV Movie Awarsd, where only the winners show up (because they know in advance they won).
This is the sytem we have in place and to the winners go the spoils. Simple fact is this: for the new “faces” that were appointed, you need to give them time and see them in action, before your form your opinion on their performance.
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“FrankenFerry launches new video”
Again a clever video, however I could have done without the ‘creepy’ voice over!
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“Laurie Ender’s selection of a PTA volunteer for the City’s important Planning Commission”.
I suspect the sitting commissioners must feel that the importance of their work on the commission is not very meaningful or important. For the new girl to nominate an individual with no background or even a hint of planning experience, proves that the new girl is not worthy of the very important City Council position.
What a joke! Other words omitted to pass the Jeff test.
The Council could have at least established certain minimum standards for the commission positions. Or perhaps they did; applicants must be a good ole boy, or close friend or have supported your campaign.
I do not know how Bob Kellar sleeps at night knowing he has to work with such a bunch.
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What is a Coldplay?
Estimating the number of attendees at the Parade in that manner really ASSumes a lot. For instance, there were many places where people WERE 5 or 6 deep. There were many places where people were sitting on blankets, etc, and not on folding chairs. And finally….25,000 has been the estimate for years and Santa Clarita sure isn’t getting any smaller. Last but not least, some butts are smaller than others!
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“Estimating the number of attendees at the Parade in that manner really ASSumes a lot”.
Don’t assume, all one need do is watch the parade video to conclude that there were far fewer than 25,000 in attendance. Some areas along the route had no people on the sidewalk.
Timmy’s number is too low and, 25k is a bit of an stretch. I think it is safe to say that 10% of our community was not at the parade.
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Coldplay is the most overrated band since….Radiohead.
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navigator wrote: “Last but not least, some butts are smaller than others!”
Very good Navigator! I don’t believe that everyone sits during the parade. I know some residents that walked to get a good view from their own homes, without chairs.
Cash, when you say that you “think it is safe to say that 10% of our community was ‘not’ at the parade”, what community? The entire Valley? Just those who live in Newhall and Valencia? Because that 10% is not a large number which means that it could have been possibly more than 25,000.
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Re: Geeky Santa Clarita couple subject of Times article on World of Warcraft Nerds:
Frank Pearce with Blizzard Entertainment who is a founder, said that there’s a huge social element to the game (WOW). I don’t know about that. This is a make believe game and while you are playing you are make believe. That doesn’t sound social just well, make believe. I’m all for game playing; I think sometimes it’s a great release, but when one of the players stated that he (Michael Akers) sometimes plays to get out of conflicts with his wife (who doesn’t play) and that he made her wait 10 minutes while she was in labor (to get her to the hospital) so that he could finish an ‘end boss’, that sounds pretty obsessive and taken a bit too seriously for a ’social’ part of ones life.
Now, this blog I find social. I can actually interact with real people with real ideals and opinions, and any conflicts that may arise are done with out the need to fight the boss…….who would that be Jeff?
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HUGE Coldplay fan here. Not that your readers here care, to each their own. But I think their new album is incredibly good. It’s a bit of a departure instrumentally from first 3 albums..but that’s what Chris wanted to do, to kind of restore some of the glory back to the 3 other members, since the spotlight and the music has had so much to do with just him over the last 3 albums. Track 3,4,and,5, and 9, are all incredible - if you hear them enough times you may start to agree. 3 is my favorite by far - “lost”. As far as replay value, I’m continuous on track 3, 4, and 9. Give it some time, maybe you’ll come around. I see their first US show Monday at the Forum…pretty excited. Take care.
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mike c on Jul 10th, 2008 at 9:24 am
“…..As it relates to the appointment of various commission positions. I wish everyone can stop pretending and just call it appointments, instead of going through an “application process” which is just a croc. Everyone knows in advance who is going to be appointed. Do you think it was coincidence that all of the people who were appointed attend the council meeting Tuesday, well those who applied and were not selected didn’t show up. It reminds me of the MTV Movie Awarsd, where only the winners show up (because they know in advance they won)…..”
Mike, everyone is notified in advance of the commission announcement at city council so they WILL have an acceptance speech ready, so this in itself is not dishonest, just allows new appointees the chance to appear before the City Council prepared to accept the position bestowed upon them. It is true, sad to say, that some applicants know even before they put their names in for the commission positions that they have the position no matter how unqualified they are compared to the other applicants. In Duane’s case, he did not know until the 11th hour he had been chosen, so fear not, that commission position was still being given serious thought right up until the very end, and yes, the most qualified applicant for that position was chosen when Duane retained his Parks and Rec seat. But, Duane would have been at city council anyway because Parks and Rec Commissioner Laura Hauser asked Duane to read her comments regarding her departure from Parks and Rec.