My Tribute to Spam (the food)

I remember the first time I cooked SPAM in front of my roommates.  They were appalled and disgusted and couldn’t stand the smell of it.  Then they tried it.  Next thing I know, my SPAM cans start disappearing and “Spam and Eggs” became the perfect thing to eat while watching South Park at one in the morning.  

Spam always has a negative connotation to it.  For too long Spam has been the butt of many jokes and urban legends.  We’ll it’s time to stop the hate and pay tribute to the mystery meat that has provided our great country with its delicious taste for many years.  

Did you know that SPAM  played an important role in WWII?  

NFL History: Detroit Lions 0-15…worst record ever

The Detroit Lions made NFL History Sunday as the team with the worst record…ever.  The Lions were routed by the New Orleans Saints 42-7 setting the stage for a perfectly imperfect season.

“Awful, embarrassing,” Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky said. “We stunk. Any bad adjective you can use, throw it in there.”

Drew Brees threw for 351 yards and two touchdowns after four Saints ran for scores in the first half in their first game since they were eliminated from playoff contention.

 

New Orleans was so effective it went 11-for-11 on third down until kneeling on the last play of the game, tied a team record with 32 first downs, and didn’t punt.

Obama creates WH Task Force for Working Families

 

It’s a good afternoon.  Finally got a good night’s sleep and woke up to more     good news from President-elect Obama.  If you missed it, Obama is announcing his intention to form a “White House Task Force on Working Families,” chaired by none other than VP-elect Joe Biden. 

The task force’s goal is to raise the living standards of middle-class, working families in America.  It will be made up of the top-level administration policy makers and will hold regular meetings and outreach sessions with representatives of labor, business, and activist representatives. 

“President-elect Obama and I know the economic health of working families has eroded, and we intend to turn that around,” Biden told ABC’s “This Week.”

“We’ve got to begin to stem this bleeding here and begin to stop the loss of jobs in the creation of jobs,” he said.

Will credit card companies screw us before the new laws go into effect?

I was ecstatic to hear that goverment regulators adopted new rules for the credit card industries to protect consumers.  Some of these rules include giving consumers 21 days before a late fee can be charged and protection  against arbitrary increases in interest rates.  It’s a great holiday surprise from the government in a time of economic turmoil.  But what stops the credit card industries from continually hiking up interest rates until the laws go into effect in 2010

Prop 8 Supporters want to nullify 18k gay marriages.

It is upsetting that a prominent dean from my alma mater is reportedly representing proposition 8 groups, who now want to nullify 18 thousand gay marriages in California. The associated press reports that Ken Star, former federal judge and dean of Pepperdine University law school has signed on as the lead counsel to argue the case.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

by Jonathan Tamayo

Although you may not be as grouchy as Ebenezer Scrooge, your bank account might be. I know mine is. So here are
some cheap gift ideas that are both thoughtful, and affordable.

The Disinformed Electorate

by Jonathan Tamayo
A new study is shows the American electorate isn’t as informed as one would hope. The Annenberg Public Policy Center poll shows that voters believed a lot of the bull that both the Obama and McCain camp put out there.

I wish I could say we’ve evolved since the beginning of our nation when Thomas Jefferson called John Adams a, “howling hermaphrodite,” in response to Adams telling voters that if Jefferson were to win, “rape and incest would be taught in schools,” but we really haven’t. Although the rhetoric in negative campaign tactics has dramatically toned down, the basic strategy of telling voters something that is clearly not true still exists.

Bring a $10 toy and get into Knott’s Berry Farm for free

Toys for Tots has teamed up with Knott’s Berry Farm to help underprivileged kids get gifts for Christmas.

This weekend just bring an unwrapped toy $10 or more to Knott’s Berry Farm and get free admission into the park. It’s pretty simple. The offer is good this Saturday (12/20) and Sunday (12/21).

Toys for Tots is an organization run by the United States Marine Corps reserve. This year they are in desperate need for toys for their annual holiday toy drive.

If you can’t make it to Knott’s but still want to help, donors are invited to drop off toys at any Orange County Fire station or CVS drug stores. You can find drop off locations in LA County here.

Ready for take-off: Horizon Air begins daily flights from LAX to Mammoth

As loads of fresh powder hits California’s popular Mammoth resorts, Horizon Air is offering daily flights from LAX to Mammoth. The winter service will starts today, December 18 until April 12, 2009.

CA cuts $3.8 billion in funding

 

While snow created road closures in the Antelope Valley today, California’s top financial officials unanimously voted to freeze $3.8 billion in financing on roads, levees, and school and housing construction projects throughout California.  

The decision comes after a continued political stalemate over how to close a record budget shortfall threatened to deplete California’s cash.  

“California’s fiscal house is burning down,” said Treasurer Bill Lockyer in a statement.  ”The people still wait for their elected leaders to pull them out of the fire, stop the blaze and rebuild the house on a solid, lasting foundation.  Until that happens, the infrastructure work so vital to getting our economy back on track will lie crippled.”

The cuts may also impede the state’s ability to raise funds by selling bonds, and according to officials, may cost tens of thousands of jobs in a state already hurting from the collapse of the housing market.  

Among the public works projects to be postponed or idled is the carpool lane on the 405 North Freeway between the 10 and 101 freeways and $373 million in repairs and overcrowding relief for Southern California schools, according to state agencies.  

A delay on another project will leave judges courtless at an appeals courthouse in Santa Ana.  The lease of their current court runs out in the spring, and the new coourthouse was suppose to be completed by then, according to a court official.

School districts that have already singed construction projects will be legally liable for the costs, causing education officials to fear repercussions and lawsuits from contractors and architects.

Governor Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear said in a statement: “It’s outrageous that Republicans and Democrats would continue to play politics while tens of thousands of hard-working Californians face the possibility of being laid off this holiday season.  Californians have seen enough politics and posturing from the Legislature, it’s time for them to negotiate and reach a compromise.”     

Yesterday, Democrats were unable to pass bills to cut $7 billion of spending while raising $11.3 billion with higher taxes.  The tax hike would have increased taxes on retail sales, oil production, and alcoholic beverages, similar to those backed by Schwarzenegger and blocked by the Republicans in the state legislature.  

The Republicans, although in the minority, still have enough power and votes to prevent a two-thirds vote needed to pass a budget.