Earth to America

As our country seems to now be moving in the right direction...going green, I thought this...Well see for yourself.

WHAT WAS I THINKING

Well this is a subject I was really trying to shy away from (Me) but with the economy the way it is I must tell you I myself, now a number in the ranks of the unemployed.

I had a really good job working as a Concessions Manager at a arena that from the day it opened in December of 2005 has lost almost 7 million dollars all due to poor management. I can go on about reasons why but the fact of the matter is the city built a multi-million dollar facility and didn’t know how to utilize it. There were very few concerts and a facility like that cannot survive on just hockey.

The company I worked for was contracted through the management of the facility which was contracted through the city. The company I worked for was in the red this year due to the snowball effect by $300.000 or so. Because of this in the last year I had 4 General Managers I had to work for and the last one was, well…not a nice guy, he had a job to do and that was to cut back costs and all costs.

I not being blind to my surroundings and always in present time (well I try to be) hear and see what’s going on started a job search and had a few coals in the fire before the demise of my position.

I knew I was expendable. However, the working conditions got so bad, with my employees on my case because they were no longer on the schedule. The building management on my case because concession stands were not properly staffed for the events we did have. Employees that were working were pissed off and did everything in their power to try to make me look bad as I am not one to throw anyone under the bus and took the blame for my manager’s decisions. All this crap for what and knowing I would be out the door myself real soon.

Now I put up with this for a lot longer than one should as the working conditions were unbearable, my family was suffering because I would come home and vent on them when I made it a rule to never bring my work home or my home to work. I use to be good at the separation. So on February 5th of this year I turned in my keys and badge and never looked back.

Let me say this and let me make this very clear “I am not a quitter and I never ever quit a job before in my life.” But I did have some pretty good prospects for future employment and was not worried. Looking back now I can’t say that was the smartest decision of my life. And for the coals I had in the fire, well…all but one has burnt out, mmmmm.

The point of this blog is that after the fact I then read a book (yesterday in fact) titled “The Problems of Work” one of the books in the series of what is called “The Basics” in the Scientology library written by L. Ron. Hubbard. And a lot began to make sense. I saw my role and what was actually going on around me and now, have a better understanding. If I had read this book before I quit maybe I could have reversed some of the actions taking place. But again I think it was so far gone at the time, maybe not. However, I now know how I can apply this science to my next job.

I know! I know what you’re thinking, oh no another nut, a scientologist. I aspire to be a scientologist; I have read some books and taken some courses all to improve myself. The science does work when applied properly, that’s a fact.

I guess what I am trying to say is that all that went on at this arena with bad management from day one (building management) caused CONFUSION and this can be summed up in a very short excerpt from the book.

"CONFUSION COULD BE CALLED AN “UNCONTROLLED RANDOMNESS”. ONLY THOSE WHO CAN EXERT SOME CONTROL OVER THAT RANDOMNESS CAN HANDLE CONFUSIONS. THOSE WHO CANNOT EXERT CONTROL ACTUALLY BREED CONFUSIONS."

Not to say this is it in a nut shell but it was the root of the problem and without going into detail of the book it all comes back to CONFUSION.

Not only in the work place but this works for life in general.

CALIFORNIA MAY LEGALIZE MARIJUANA?

CALIFORNIA MAY LEGALIZE MARIJUANA

To be honest I have indulged once in a while and probably would more if it was legal but the fact is that weed, pot, ganja, and tree whatever you may call it is California’s biggest cash crop and has been for years. If this was done right it could work…

The San Francisco Chronicle Reports

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/23/BAO416354C.DTL&type=politics&tsp=1

California would become the first state in the nation to legalize marijuana for recreational use under a bill introduced Monday by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano of San Francisco.
The proposal would regulate marijuana like alcohol, with people over 21 years old allowed to grow, buy, sell and possess cannabis - all of which is barred by federal law.

Ammiano, a Democrat in his third month as a state lawmaker, said taxes and other fees associated with regulation could put more than a billion dollars a year into state coffers at a time when revenues continue to decline.

He said he thinks the federal government could soften its stance on marijuana under the Obama administration.
"We could in fact have the political will to do something, and certainly in the meantime this is a public policy call and I think it's worth the discussion," Ammiano said. "I think the outcome would be very healthy for California and California's economy."

A spokeswoman for the Drug Enforcement Agency in Washington, D.C., declined to comment on the proposal. A White House spokesman referred to a statement on a question-and-answer section of an Obama transition team blog that says the president "is not in favor of the legalization of marijuana."

While Californians have shown some tolerance for marijuana, such as use for medical conditions with voters' passage of Proposition 215 in 1996, the proposal will face tough opposition in Sacramento.

A lobbyist for key police associations in the state called it "a bad idea whose time has not come."
"The last thing our society needs is yet more legal intoxicants," said John Lovell, who represents the California Peace Officers' Association, California Police Chiefs Association and California Narcotic Officers' Association. "We've got enough social problems now when people aren't in charge of all five of their senses."

But Ammiano's proposal has the support of San Francisco Sheriff Michael Hennessey, who said the idea "should be the subject of legislative and public debate."

It also has the backing of Betty Yee, who chairs the state Board of Equalization, which collects taxes in California. An analysis by the agency concluded the state would collect $1.3 billion a year from tax revenues and a $50-an-ounce levy on retail sales if marijuana were legal.

The analysis also concluded that legalizing marijuana would drop its street value by 50 percent and increase consumption of the substance by 40 percent.

A spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, which advocates for reform in marijuana laws and is backing Ammiano's proposal, said any expected increase in consumption is a "false notion."
"They are making an intuitive assumption that a lot of people make that really does not have that much evidence behind it," said Bruce Mirken, the group's spokesman, who predicted it could take up to two years before the idea wins legislative approval.

"Don't tell me that doing something like (this) proposal is going to introduce another drug into society. That's a load of bull."

E-mail Wyatt Buchanan at wbuchanan@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page B - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

My Thoughts:

Two issues.

1. I'm not sure of the specifics that will determine the marijuana market price but I assume it should be at most $50-$100 an oz, assuming that prosecution by the Feds and gang violence are neutralized, and not the $400/Oz sold on the streets now. A $50 tax is quite exorbitant here. In reality the tax should be tagged on the market price which should be regulated by the state.

2. If there is a $50 tax, god knows the black market is going to take advantage of that. If California wants this plan to work they need to either create legal distribution outlets, or they need to let the free market run its course, but then they need to crack down on tax evaders. I doubt California can track down many of the small time dealers who will fly under the radar, creating the black market. These dealers are going to reap the benefit by not paying taxes thus not charging the tax, or charge the tax and still not pay it. Just like any business there will be the legit and then there will be the scammers. I am a free market guy but if we are going to tax something so heavily, we need license the sellers or have legal distribution outlets just like we use selling alcohol and tobacco. Otherwise, legitimate sales get swallowed by the black market thus defeating the purpose.

Time will tell as history shows us that after the prohibition it took some time before it worked as alcohol was still sold on the black market for some time.

Our Children are our future and yet they keep falling through the cracks in our school systems

As a parent and someone who cares about the future of the human race, why is it that any cuts due to government spending, do our schools suffer the most? Teachers spend their own money for school supplies (well the ones who care)and never get any of that back. I am on a good subject here but where the hell do I really start...

This is nothing new as this has been snowballing for years and it is just getting worse. Teachers are leaving for better paying jobs, teachers are getting laid off due to budgets and class room sizes are getting bigger. My daughter is a prime example of our schools today. In fact just to make her story short I pulled her out of school as she is now 18 and would not have graduated anyway because she was short on credits all due to faculty not following up and her repeating classes that she did not need to repeat. She is now enrolled for her GED and working on her Associates degree at the same time. Sure she is to blame somewhat but the fact remains that if her counselors were on top of the situation this would not have happened. And sure do to budget cuts there are fewer counselors for the number of students and their plates are quite full.

Let's see... if our state reps were to take a cut in pay or get paid for what they actually do instead of what they don't do there would be some extra money there for the schools. If the lottery system was used for what it was actually attended for then the money would be there as well. If our government didn't spend 8 billion dollars on a war that...Well don't get me started on that one. The money is there but our state and federal reps don't know how to be creative. Here in California as I am sure most of you see the news our elected officials have not been able to balance the budget in the last 8 months and just the other day California laid off over 20,000 state workers and stopped thousands of construction projects that will affect many more people and yet our officials are still getting paid. For What? They all took their holiday break in December during the crisis as if everything is just fine. Our Governor should have TERMINATED all pay months ago until they came up with a budget plan. I mean he was the TERMINATOR after all...

Back to the schools something has to be done here. I mean this is the future of our country, the world, the human race. This besides police and fire should be at the top of the list.

I know I am not a writer and my grammar sucks and my punctuation needs work but these are my words and if anyone has any input on how we should take this problem in our own hands and make things happen, well let's hear it. We need to make sure our future, our children's future is a bright and fulfilling one and an education is the utmost important gift we can give them.

Multiple Stab Wounds Found To Be Harmful

I found this very enlightening as I have often wondered about stab wounds and their affect on living creatures.

Our World

Things That Make You Go... mmmm

First off I want to thank all of you who ever you are for checking out my very first blog. So to began with one of my thougts, some of those things that make you go...mmmm.



I have always wondered why a certain flooring outlet is named what is is named as I often go to a flooring store to buy new carpet or hardwood flooring but I have never been asked if I would like it to GO!! I mean how would one answer that one..."No I would like it for here please", mmmm. Floors To Go now that's a good one.



I have always wondered why the doctor tells you to watch your weight and when you get it out to where you can see it real good, he than tells you that you need to loose the weight, mmmm.



I have always wondered what the hell does "It is what it is" means as of course it is and it is what it is but don't we know that? mmmmm

As I said this is my first post and I will have more and this is really just a launcher for my new Website and a test.