Yes, I read it in the Register – our kickass new VP candidate Tim Walz is coming to Newport Beach this Tuesday – not sure what time, and the location is only available on RSVP. I sure wouldn’t mind going, but I don’t know… I am making a lot more money these days than our troll(s) seem to think, but $1000 I’d have to pass on. Unless Wylie Aitken (one of the organizers, who’s always friendly to me) will let me come as a journalist.
Except then I might have to miss Tuesday’s Anaheim Council meeting, and not be able to hector his daughter about rent control (that story coming tomorrow.)
I trust this Walz character to not only help beat the Rotting Yam (and HIS running mate Vladimir Futon, right), but also to be “one heartbeat away from the presidency.” But I’ll go postal if I hear one more imaginary anecdote about how damn folksy the Minnesota governor is. I mean, what’s next?
- He’s the kind of a guy that would tackle you in the street, change your oil filter, and then tell you you need more Mountain Dew while picking his teeth with a straw.
- He’s the sort of a person who would give your dog an emergency appendectomy, wipe his hands on his apron, and offer you some barbecue while singing “If I Had a Hammer.”
- He is the type of man who would corner you at Harbor Freight, tell you what sort of post-hole digger works best for the soil in your yard, and then toss a football at your mom’s head while dancing an improvised hoedown.
Enough already! I mean, isn’t it enough that he declared Bruce Springsteen Day in Minnesota? Obviously this Walz guy is Born to Run!
Questions remain, of course. For example, should I compose a “Harris Waltz?” And should it have words?
Engrossed in such deep ruminations, I forgot to click off the TV today when “the Rev” Al Sharpton’s show started – he always gets on my last nerve. But I was glad I didn’t – one of his guests was former professional wrestler AND Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, formerly dubbed “The Body.” The very Independent guy is supporting the Democrat ticket for the first time in memory because he thinks so highly of Tim Walz (and so lowly of Trump. UPDATE – you can hear the interview HERE.)
One of the things that first impressed Jesse about Tim was that when Tim was elected Governor he requested a meeting with Jesse, to learn everything he could about the job and what Jesse thought Minnesota needed. Neither of Jesse’s other successors (Republican Dayton and Democrat Pawlenty) gave the quirky independent the time of day. And Jesse thinks Tim has done a great job.
Jesse also, as you may know, was a Navy Seal before he was a professional wrestler, and expertly debunked the Republicans’ current Swiftboating of Tim (who of course retired from the Army National Guard and began his run for Congress MONTHS before he knew his company would be sent to Iraq.) We’ve heard all that – Jesse went farther, angrily reminding us what a bullshit war Bush/Cheney’s Operation Iraqi Fiefdom was, and how the National Guard should never have been called up at all, if not for the countless and catastrophic Bush failures.
But the high point was when Reverend Al brought up the moronic Hulk Hogan who’d put on a foolish show at Trump’s convention. The antipathy runs deep between The Hulk and The Body. We lucky viewers learned that Jesse had been trying to UNIONIZE professional wrestlers back in the 80s, and “then “HOGAN RATTED ME OUT TO VINCE MCMAHON [WWE CEO] AND I LOST MY JOB!”
There you have it. HULK HOGAN IS A RAT AND A SCAB AND NOW A TRUMPY.
They have the Hulk and Kid Rock.
We have Jesse Ventura and The Boss.
Game on. See you Tuesday SOMEWHERE.
I woke up in Newport Beach on 9/11.
We all woke up somewhere.
I woke up in New York City. Couldn’t see it from my block, but the smell was acrid.
Dem lawmaker from Centrwl Valley denounces party and joins Republicans. https://apnews.com/article/california-party-switch-democrats-republicans-supermajority-308836b4640351d3e4772dcbb2a7ce09
As they said in 73 when Texas Governor Connally similarly jumped ship, she just raised the intelligence levels of both Parties.
I did love the comeback in the article about what the Democratic Senate Leader considered “the bright side” of the move. It’s worth clicking the link for that alone.
Ah – “One silver lining is MAGA Republicans are gaining a pro-choice, pro-LGBTQ+ rights, anti-Trump colleague. We wish her the best of luck.”
The Connally line adapted for 2024!
Vern you just went Zell Miller @ 2004 RNC convention speech.
https://youtu.be/pVryCh7Pj-w
Ho. Lee. Shit, as in “just got real.”
https://voiceofoc.org/2024/08/county-supervisors-wife-declines-to-seek-top-judge-seat-amidst-family-controversy/
Yup and the county is contemporaneously pressing Viet America to cough up $4.2 million.
https://www.ocregister.com/2024/08/09/county-upped-demands-for-viet-america-society-payback-to-about-4-2m-threatened-litigation/amp/
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-08-06/orange-county-demands-group-linked-to-supervisors-daughter-return-millions
https://laist.com/news/politics/oc-supervisor-do-daughter-refund-taxpayer-money
Some interesting developments re FARA at local, state and national level.
https://www.perkinscoie.com/en/news-insights/proposed-legislation-would-impose-fara-like-requirements-on-agents-of-foreign-entities-subsidiaries.html
https://www.wiley.law/alert-FARA-Lawsuit-Against-Steve-Wynn-Dismissed-by-Federal-Appeals-Court
https://spotlightnews.com/news/2024/08/08/fbi-raids-home-of-former-un-weapons-inspector-scott-ritter-amid-investigation-into-foreign-agent-allegations/
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/08/02/sue-mi-terry-south-korean-agent-indictment-column-00172298
https://nypost.com/2024/08/07/us-news/hunter-biden-prodded-us-officials-to-help-crooked-client-but-wont-face-fara-counts-at-tax-trial/
https://www.justsecurity.org/97840/menendez-guilty-felony-convictions/
In other local news, progressive radio lost Vic Gerami and Claudia Shambaugh recently. No one noticed. Yawn.
https://irvinewatchdog.org/featured/kuci-radio-host-of-ask-a-leader-claudia-shambaugh-terminated-without-reason-in-a-blow-to-further-declining-local-journalism/
https://mirrorspectator.com/2024/06/27/new-general-manager-blocks-blunt-post-with-vic/
I’m planning to write about Claudia. I did a couple of projects with her.
Yet another earthquake we could feel rolling through OC!
This time — about a week or so since the previous one — it was a 4.4 south of Pasadena. Just a reminder that we’re about one 8.5 earthquake centered right around OC (enough to take out the LA and San Diego coasts) from Trump being able to win California. OJ Blog always gives you the political angle!
I can’t independently verify this story in Daily Kos about Donald Trump’s past history of not paying bills for services rendered in previous years — but it it is true true then justice doesn’t get much more poetic than this!
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/8/11/2262167/-Deadbeat-Don-Why-He-s-Not-Holding-Rallies
‘Member when Trump came to the Anaheim Convention Center in May 2016? I assume his campaign paid the Convention Center rent, but we estimated about $200k of policing overkill outside, from departments all over the county showing off all their military gear. I’m sure we were never compensated for all that, but… the cops had fun. That was the day Victor triggered all of OC’s rightwingers by bringing a Trump pinata. All told here:
https://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2016/06/trump-brought-his-social-indigestion-tour-to-anaheim-acid-reflux-ensued/
So should Anaheim be on Kos’ ever-growing list?
You can create an account and put it there; I’m staying clear lest they ban me.
Dong dong the DGI is dead. More electeds at their 20th anniversary party than members. 300 strong? Barely 13.
https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=921087933391858
The DGI was so desperate for attendance at their 20th anniversary fundraiser, they gave out the address without an ravp. Which means they potentially places all those electedds in danger.
Ada hung out in Long Beach with Cory Allen instead.
Someone from some new outlet called “OC World” sent me this new video of an interview with our former County CEO Frank Kim — it seems at least worthy of a place underneath the Open Thread! I’ll finish watching it when I have time, might be worthwhile….
I knew Frank Kim quite well at the County. He knew the whole set-up like the back of his hand, and was very able. However he lacked the moral fiber to do the right thing when he discovered a problem. He was a product of the very system he was in charge of.
He’s leaving and all of a sudden $10 million is missing and the county is trying to clawback on Viet America. One can only wonder what is still in the pipeline for the county.
Like did they move on Viet America cuz the feds are circling?
The OCFA gave Tammy shin er Kim oh whatever $150,000.00 to fight a recall effort and then endorsed her in open meeting last night. What the f??
Is she facing a recall?
Is that the firefighters association?
Seems like an arrangement to get more of her help in Joe Kerr’s race.
Or win her vote if city considers exiting OCFA like they did the county library system.
That recall sputtered out quick, a couple months ago. Can she use that money now for her Mayor race?
About this: https://www.ocregister.com/2024/08/14/ab-886-must-pass-to-save-newspapers/
First Amendment considerations here, right? So it will go to the Supreme Court. And I think Google wins there because the Supreme Court gets to hobble the media. Supremely Political!
Think you’ve heard it all ? Sit down for this one-
https://youtu.be/woo19qwWS7Q?si=8Z7XHfDN6h9AHe0Y
Yeah, we’ve been laughing about that one, it’s all over the news. Disney (in Florida) is saying a man can’t sue Disney over his wife’s death because…. years earlier he’d signed up for Disney Plus, which includes a little clause that any dispute with the company has to be taken to arbitration.
Legal expert on MSNBC says that argument COULD fly, things like that HAVE, except that… it was the husband, not the dead wife, who had fallen prey to Disney Plus.
Well, we all know the dingbat minds of Superior Court judges. Just look at OC. It’s hard to believe an appeals court would go for that. But the SCOTUS?
The issue is whether the supposed obligation was contemplated as being within the scope of the contract. It wasn’t.
But, one could say, maybe it’s arguable?
Here’s the problem with that. This is a “contract of adhesion,” written out by one party as a form document to be signed by another — and any ambiguities would be construed to the detriment of the part writing the contract. (This is the opposite of a negotiated agreement, where there may be no presumption on that basis regarding textual construction.
For something like this to fly, the implications of signing would have to be clearly spelled out — “you are forced into arbitration in any further dispute you have with Disney, whether in contract or tort or property, or tax, regardless of whether it has anything to do with Disney” — to make everything entirely clear.
Even then, I doubt that it would be upheld if it wasn’t really prominent at the top and probably reiterated and requiring a separate signature to verify this term and probably suggest getting advice of a lawyer — because many people don’t read these agreements closely or at all and simply might never even suspect any such term to invade the rest of their life.
One could imagine a contract for an online game where the fine print would require you to relinquish the title to your house and your car if you use a cheat code. That’s unlikely to hold up even though it’s addressing actions within the scope of the activity in question, unless if it very very obvious that the consent was knowingly granted.