bloggie blog

The first negative thing I noticed about LA was the billboard blight. To be sure, I didn’t think of the word “blight” right away, but as soon as I saw it used in the title of a blog dedicated to the issue, I knew it was the right word for the problem. It is an issue I am committed to taking action on. I’ve already called my councilmember on this matter, for instance, and I never do that sort of thing.

Now it’s gotten worse, with tenants’ lives put at risk in case of fire. Emergency exits are blocked by enormous vinyl ads. These aren’t exactly billboards, but they are wrong! The LA Times has finally spoken up, with a clear, concise editorial urging the mayor to act now. Heed them, Mr. Villaraigosa. It’s a question of good and evil. It’s one important and obvious way to make this city better — and better looking.

Obama was sworn in Tuesday, but something special happened as a follow-up late Wednesday. This just came to my attention: “There’s no formal name for what President Obama and Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. did last night.” Wha?! And on top of that, Obama said, “We’re going to do it very slowly.” Double wha?!?!

Is that the change we voted for? Take heart, all ye Prop 8 lamenters. Take heart.

This is the first full day of our new president, and it’s an exciting new era, but I’d like to look back and observe that George W. Bush issued fewer pardons than any other 2-term modern president. I congratulate him and thank him very earnestly in this regard. Clinton left office in a flurry of pardons — 140 on his last day, almost as many as all of Bush’s — and that flurry included the pardoning of Marc Rich, an immoral act if there ever was one.

With GWB, some were hoping for pardons for Ted Stevens (barf) and Roger Clemens (poor baby). Others were hoping for massive pardons of everyone involved in torture (such shame). Where these hopers are disappointed, I am elated. Never a fan of the extent to which presidents can pardon, I am quite glad indeed. Thanks, Bush 43! I disagreed with most everything you did, but on this account, I thank you!

Whoa! Check out this warning from The Founders’ Great Mistake in The Atlantic (Jan/Feb 2009): “Unless these problems are fixed, it will only be a matter of time before another hot-rodder gets hold of the keys and damages the country further.”

Garrett Epps writes an article that has a cogent, liberal summary of weaknesses in the Constitution vis-à-vis the presidency. I recommend the article to you. At the end, he makes a couple of recommendations for change along the lines of what you’ve learned — and a couple recommendations completely out of left field!

From nowhere, he suggests a Cabinet – Vice President – Midterm Election shuffle. Wha?! Maybe this is a good idea, maybe not. But your other good ideas are connected in some way to the previous paragraphs in your article, Mr Epps. Did The Atlantic trim your writing, or did your political ideas trump your writing skills?

Same with your suggestion to vote for President and Attorney General. Not a worthless idea, no sirree. But you threw another curveball there, buddy! Please provide additional history and background on this one, too.

Over the past days, we’ve watched A Christmas Story and It’s a Wonderful Life, staples of the holiday. Watching Jimmy Stewart and Lionel Barrymore was different this time, in light of our current economy and the way its woes are connected to housing, and it really got me thinking. Maybe in the past I noticed the romance more, or nostalgia. Not this time. No nostalgia, that’s for sure, given how current it seemed.

Our economic woes were on my mind and particularly the greed and gains of many key players. I swear, most of the people who are to blame got rich in the process. And don’t forget their employees who figuratively push them around in their wheelchairs, watching silently as they steal an uncle’s and nephew’s life.

Though I’ve seen It’s a Wonderful Life many times, I noticed something for the first time yesterday. In the montage where we learn about brother Harry’s war heroism and George’s homefront duties, we see George spit at somebody. From Stewart’s reaction, it’s clear he only spat on himself. What a contrast between the plight of a good soul, and the life of Potter, George Bush, bad mortgage pushers, and so many other people on this planet whose shit don’t stink. Good people spit and they spit on themselves. They wisely abstain from buying that house, they don’t get bailed out by the government but end up bailing out the foolish and the evil. Or, back to the movie, they lose a few thousand dollars and they’re bound for jail, but not so the stealer of those thousands. He’s miserable, but there’s no further ramifications — how much more black can Potter get? None more black. A good way to avoid jail on this planet is to lose/bilk millions or billions, not thousands. Be bad through and through, don’t be a good person who makes a mistake. Same with murder. Kill one person or a handful, go to jail. Be responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of people, and you’ll never even see a trial. I’m talking to you, Rumsfeld. And McNamara. And so many others.

I stepped out during the time where George goes to throw himself off a bridge. I couldn’t watch the whole thing — which has happened before because it felt too corny, too dated, too hackneyed or some completely different reason. Sure, I know that for me there are no George Baileys, no idyllic towns like Bedford Falls, no guardian angels. But there are plenty of Potters out there, and their wheelchair pushers. And tramps like Vi.

Enough! It’s the holidays, and I’m not letting these things get me down — now that I’ve gotten it off my chest. Thanks for listening. Back to joy, snow, family, food, and many other good things in this life of ours, this life that’s … you know … what’s the word? Exactly.