PotP: Pachoo on the Propositions

Here's my take on the upcoming California propositions. Hey ma, look! I'm a wannabe political pundit!


Prop 73 - Prohibits abortion until 48 hours after a physician notifies the minor's parent/guardian. Hey let's be realistic, if some teens were forced to notify their parents in the event of an abortion, they'd probably rather go to some dangerous backalley illegal place to get one than face their parents' wrath. To avoid that situation (and to reduce unwanted pregnancies altogether) requires good parent-child communication and basic morals and common sense on the part of the teenager. That type of stuff you just can't legislate. No on 73.

Prop 74 - Increases probationary period for public school teachers from 2 to 5 years before achieving tenure. Why make it even more difficult for people to become teachers? Sure, there are losers and deadbeats who just want to be teachers for an easy paycheck, but if someone really wanted to milk the system, they'll find a way. In the meantime, you'll have a bunch of young teachers walking on eggshells for 5 years performing to the desires of the school boards and evaluators. No on 74.

Prop 75 - Prohibits using public employee union dues for political contributions without individual employee's prior consent. No matter how people spin it, this prop boils down to weakening the power of the unions which typically align with the Democratic party. To be fair, why not make all political contributions subject to voting by the members of the group that contributed? Shouldn't all shareholders be required to give consent when their corporation makes a political contribution? Overall, I think unions do more harm than good when it comes to performance and efficiency. But fair is fair. No on 75.

Prop 76 - Limits state spending to 3 years prior average revenue growth. Gives more power to the Govenor to reduce budget appropriations. Nobody likes to cut programs, especially when half of the programs are pork-barrel projects. Fiscal restraint and moderating increases is necessary to keep debt in check. When there's a deadlock, the govenor (whether it's Democrat or Republican) should be given the power to cut through the BS and cut funding as necessary. Sure, the governor will have the power to cut education and healthcare, but if he's gonna cut that, he should be prepared for any political fallout. Yes on 76.

Prop 77 - Requires 3-member panel of judges selected by legislative leaders to oversee redistricting. The current redistricting program is a complete sham designed to keep and protect political boundaries. This prop replaces it with another sham. C'mon, selected by legislative leaders? Aren't they just going to pick people they like who will protect the current system? I honestly can't think of a new system that would make all things equal, though. No on 77.

Prop 78 - Discount on perscription drugs - allows the Department of Health Services to contract to pharmacists and drug manufacturers. With such a large population, the DHS should have the buying power to levy lower prices. My only fear is that the DHS will be pressured to pick companies and pharmacists that give political contributions. Overall sounds good to me. Yes on 78.

Prop 79 - Perscription drug discounts. Isn't this almost the same at 78. I dunno. Sure, why not? Yes on 79.

Prop 80 - Subjects electric service providers to regulation by the California Public Utilities Commision. Deregulation didn't work, so let's go back to the old system. Yes on 80.

JT!

Even though it's more than a year or two old, Justin Timberlake's "Rock Your Body" is a catchy song.

Non-credible?

This morning, the Long Beach and John Wayne airports were shutdown because of, according to authorities, a "non-specific non-credible" bomb threat.

Dude, if it's not credible, then why shutdown the airport? Doesn't the act of shutting down an airport by default make the threat credible?

I don't know why I'm ranting about this.

20 Random Facts About Pachoo

1. My dream job is to be a radio DJ/talk show host.
2. Speaking of radio, I am a fan of Howard Stern.
3. I am an information junkie, I like learning random stuff. By the way, did you know that the actress that plays Pam on NBC's 'The Office' is married to the brother of the guy that plays Kirk on the "Gilmore Girls"? And, did you know that Madeline Albright, the former secretary of state, is also a fan of the show? She's planning to make a guest appearance in a future episode.
4. I am extremely ticklish and hate massages.
5. I like wearing my steel-toed work shoes, it makes me feel powerful.
6. Marching band is cool.
7. I think Shania Twain is the second best looking woman. THE FIRST IS OF COURSE MY WIFE.
8. I like engineering.
9. One of my to-do-in-the-near-future projects is to attach a device to my car that secretly releases a bunch of 1/4" ball-bearings or tire-bursting caltrops so I can totally trash those stupid-ass tailgaters in those lame-ass fixed-up cars. I would attach a container under the car with the latch release mounted under the dashboard. The problem is how to avoid hurting innocent people.
10. Another one of my to-do-in-the-near-future projects is to attach a tire-bursting aimable BB or 0.22 caliber rifle under my car so I can secretly take out those stupid-ass tailgaters in those lame-ass fixed-up cars. I would attach the rifle on a servo motor with a digital scope and have an LCD and joystick mounted in my car. The problem is how to avoid hurting innocent people.
11. Another one of my to-do-in-the-near-future projects is to install a PC in my car, so I can not only play mp3s but also play DVDs, write emails, GPS, and all the other stuff a computer normally does, but in a car.
12. I get worried when my mileage falls below 30 mpg.
13. I can't eat pastrami sandwiches because they give me the runs.
14. I want two kids.
15. Sometimes I purposely leave the toilet seat up to annoy my wife and sister-in-law.
16. I find fart jokes very funny.
17. I enjoy reading and listening to political commentaries.
18. I believe that religious fanaticism is due to a lack of proper education.
19. I always get lost when driving from Monterey Park to Pasadena if I don't have detailed directions.
20. I think Los Angeles is the greatest city in the world.

If you're wondering why I did this, it's because lemonpower "tagged" me in his blog. So now it's my turn to tag others. So Hsu-Kwan (both of you), Happy O, and Angelpoo, please write in your respective blogs 20 random facts about yourself. I'm supposed to tag 20 people, but frankly, I don't even know 10 people.

The Asian-Latino Educational Divide

An interesting article was just published in the LA Times which covers the educational divide between Asians and Latinos. The hoopla was created by a newspaper column in the Alhambra High School paper. It explored the different cultural views that Asians and Latinos have in regards to education, and why Asians, as an ethnic group, consistently score higher on state exams when compared to other ethnic groups.

Growing up in Montebello and attending a high school that was 90% Latino, I have to agree with most, if not all, of the points brought up in Robin Zhou's column. It reminds me of an incident in my junior year of high school in 1991. The Montebello School District was in a budget crunch, and several programs were considered being cut, namely many sports and music programs in addition to several honors classes. There was a huge outrage from the parents over the sports programs being cut, but NO outrage when the honors biology class was cut. What's going on?

On a related note, there were no Asian parents expressing outrage at anything, including the honors classes being cut. Probably because we Asians are submissive and are always bending over and taking it from THE MAN.

Go Angels

Since I'm from LA and not OC, I'm more of a Dodgers fan...but watching yesterday's game and seeing the Yankees beat the Angels was quite a heartbreaker. If only Chone Figgins threw that ball a split-second faster in the 7th inning and the Yankees would have been prevented from scoring. So close...

80's and 90's Albums That Still Sound Good Part 1

A few weeks ago I was digging through some of my old stuff at my parents' house and came upon a cache of some music CDs from my formative years. Now nearly 10 years out of college, married, and fully allied with THE MAN, I wondered how my musical tastes have changed. Here's the first one:



(What's the Story) Morning Glory by Oasis, 1995

Was it really a decade ago that these guys were supposed to be the next Beatles? Hmm. After popping this sucker into my car CD during one of my daily 2-plus hour grinds from Monterey Park to Santa Ana and back, I was treated to a surprisingly rich and entertaining pop/rock album. Most people remember "Wonderwall" and "Champagne Supernova", but many of the other tracks sound just as good as the aforementioned singles - notably "Roll With It", "Don't Look Back In Anger", and "She's Electric". Even "Wonderwall" and "Supernova" sound really good when they're not being played on the radio every hour. This album is actually good enough to make it on my proverbial If-I-were-stuck-on-an-island-and-had-to-pick-10-records list.

Congrats to Lachoo!

This past weekend, my brother proposed to his girlfriend in San Diego, CA. Congrats to Lachoo and his soon-to-be Mrs. Lachoo! Notice how he bought a slightly undersized ring...oh well, what's important is that she said "Yes", right? Right!