ISRAELI NEWSPAPER: DNA PROVES JEWS ARE A 'RACE' SAYS GENETICS EXPERT
Well, if not a race, perhaps a Deme.
Interesting read that once again brings up the subject of identity of different human groups. Of course, this genetics expert's contention flies in the face of those who insist 'there is only one race, the human race' (which is as absurd as saying we're all the same because we all bleed red blood).
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AVENGERS MOVIE TURNS COL. FURY FROM A WHITE GUY TO A BLACK GUY TO BE PC
Back when the character was created, he was White. Tsk, tsk, the Avengers has too many Whites in it, so he has now been recast as Black.
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LET US KNOW HOW YOU THINK THE PRESENT CITY COUNCIL AND CITY ADMINISTRATION ARE DOING
Send us your comments in confidence. No identifying information about you will be published or given out to anyone unless you specifically authorize us to do so.
Use our comment box on this blog. If you do not want your comment published, please make that clear in the comment box. If this is your choice, we may just quote a few of your words in a column with no attribution and with no information that will identify you.
Here are a few questions just to get you started. Don't feel obligated to limit yourself to these questions. Fire away!
Q. Are you happy with the present City Council?
Q. Are you happy with the present City Administration?
Q. Is your life in Costa Mesa better or worse or about the same under the present Council and Administration?
Q. Is your neighborhood better or worse or about the same under the present Council and Administration?
Q. Do you think the present Council has the right priorities?
Q. Have you seen any major improvements on the Westside?
Q. Are you concerned about crime and gangs on the Westside?
Q. What would you like to see the Council and Administration do to improve things in the City?
Q. If you've contacted the Council or the Administration, did you get a timely reply, and did it satisfy you?
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VENDING TRUCKS AND THEIR VIOLATIONS
When we talk about the problems with vending trucks, we're not talking about gourmet roach coaches or even roach coaches that visit industrial businesses and construction sites.
We're talking about vending trucks that sell candy, chips and other similar products and which work the slums of Costa Mesa.
These trucks are common in the Fillmore-Coolidge slum; the Mesa del Mar slum and on the Westside.
They steal business from merchants who have fixed store locations and who play by the rules.
They also often violate many other ordinances that impact the quality of life of stable citizens of Costa Mesa.
Here are a few of the most common violations. We've cut out all the verbiage and just give a brief description of what the ordinances mean:
Costa Mesa Municipal Code...
Sec. 10-369 Trash (b) Operator to pick up trash w/in 50' radius.--I've never seen them do this, and the trash is usually left on the street.
Sec. 10-370 Hours of operation (b) Not before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m.--Most common violation is after 5 p.m. and often as late as 8 p.m.
Sec. 10-373 Sound making devices--Horns are sounded constantly as the trucks move from one part of the street to another.
Sec. 10-374 Prohibited Conduct
(a)
1. Not within 500' of active school.
3. Not within 100'of intersection or alley.
8. Not legally parked.
(d) Can't stay in one location for more than 10 minutes.
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BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT
You do it and we do it; we tend to think of things as dualities. Hot and cold. Light and dark. Liberal and conservative. Left and right.
It's a convenient way of thinking and talking and we'll continue to use such terms, but the reality is that existence is not a duality. It is a continuum. Hot and cold, for example, are just gradations on the scale of temperature.
So also is it with politics.
We bring this up because, as you may have noted, if you read our post just below this one or several other posts we've made recently, the CM PRESS isn't buying the incompetence we're seeing coming from City Hall and the Council.
This doesn't mean we've joined with the kooks who constantly complain about the Council over everything they do, because we haven't; it just means that we are on a third track.
Our track is that we want to see improvement in Costa Mesa. That's why we started the CM PRESS many years ago and that's why we keep writing.
We supported those who we refer to as the "good Councilmembers" because we like their talk. But, we don't like the screw ups. We don't like the top heavy hiring. We don't like the excuses and the attempts to blow smoke.
Talk is cheap. We want action.
We'll repeat again, what we've said many times before: we have no friends in politics.
We avoid going to lunch with Councilmembers or interacting with them socially as much as possible. We don't want to hear sweet talk and we don't want to get glad handed. We want results.
Our loyalty is to positions. And, in Costa Mesa, our position now is as it has always been. Costa Mesa needs improvement. Slums need to be razed. Illegals need to be booted out. Charities have to be told to stop being magnets for everything that drives us lower. The City needs to be on an upward spiral, not a downward spiral.
We ask of everything that goes before the Planning Commission or the City Council: Will this help improve Costa Mesa, will it be neutral, or will it be bad for the improvement of Costa Mesa?
That's it. A very simple filter. If you see us take a position for or against something, it's because we believe that it is good or bad for improvement. If you notice us not taking a position, it's because we think the thing is neutral and won't help or harm improvement.
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STILL NO EMAIL RESPONSE FROM THE CEO'S OFFICE
Well, the CM PRESS still hasn't received an email reply about troublesome vending trucks blowing their horns, leaving trash on our streets and staying in the city far past the 5:00 pm deadline.
The top heavy Costa Mesa government is just too busy to respond to a citizen, we guess.
Maybe, in addition to a CEO, an Assistant CEO a Deputy CEO and a Communications Director--all of whom we sent our emails to--we need some more assistant and deputy CEO's and more Communications Directors.
Perhaps it's just as well that we don't hear from them. We're getting pissed off at the BS we hear from staff and even from some of the City Councilmembers who we have supported in the past.
All of you down at City Hall, put away your Business 101 books that you don't understand; stop hiring consultants to generate reports that you don't act on, and start running this city right. Start improving Costa Mesa.
And, why in the hell do we have a permanent Communications Director? Is it to put out that stupid fluff CEO report each week? The thing is as vapid as a travel brochure.
And, what about the guy on staff who organizes parties or events or whatever the hell he does?
City Council, you're screwing up. We're not the only ones who are saying this. We get emails from our readers on our back channel, and some of these readers are your natural supporters, but they're complaining about what they're seeing from you. And, most of these folks who are contacting us aren't lefties.
And, while we're mentioning this, how in the hell can any competent City Hall not get some simple papers to the Registrar of Voters on time? Who's in charge? Doesn't anyone check on these things?
Oh, by the way City Council, did you know you have people on the Planning Commission who don't even know what "fee simple" means? Geez. And, you have one guy on there who is permanently out to lunch.
And, then you have that teats on a bull Parks and Recreation Commission that is a waste of time and which should be folded into the Planning Commission.
And, where the hell is the damn 19 West sign that we suggested many months ago?
Stop blowing smoke. Start improving this city, and start doing it right now, today.
The buck stops with you people on the City Council. And, the voters know this.
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