November 2, 2009, meeting

Here are the announced topics*:

1. An Iraq war veteran doesn't have enough to deal with fighting sleeplessness, sudden angry outbursts, aversion to emotional intimacy and other fallouts from his post-traumatic stress disorder. His wife is being deported because she was brought to the US illegally by her mother when she was 6 years old. The veteran says his 23 year old wife is "his everything". How do you feel about this situation?
2. As you are probably aware, the White house has singled out Fox News as not a news network but rather " a wing of the Republican Party." Do you feel it is appropriate for an administration to try and silence a news organization [sic] because "they were attacking members of the administration and they were organizing political opposition on their shows?"
3. Should the Federal Government govern salaries of the top executives and officials of companies "bailout monies" and the loan remains unpaid and outstanding? Does the fact that some of these executives and officials had valid salary and bonus contracts with the companies before the "bailout loans" were made affect your opinion?
4. There has been a controversy related the H1N1 swine flu shots. Do you feel the controversy has any merit?

Regarding item #2:

Newsweek: Weisberg, Meacham

plus

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
For Fox Sake!
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

For later update, see this: ‘Daily Show’ host, Fox News commentator engaged in entertaining feud

October 19, 2009 meeting

Regular meetings are held the 1st and 3rd Mondays from 7 to 9 p.m. at Montecito Clubhouse.

Here are the announced topics:

1. California is in dire need of raising revenue to cover the large deficit in the budget. Various proposals have been advanced. Some of the proposals which we can discuss are (a) off-shore drilling for oil, (b) modify proposition 13, and (c) replace some of the income tax rates with an expanded sales tax on food, medicine and various services which are presently exempt. Can you offer some other proposals which would be more effective or more fair?
2. A memorial to the veterans of WW 1 was erected in the 1930s in the Mojave National Preserve in the form of a large cross. It has been challenged in the Supreme Court on the constitutional grounds of separation of church and state. How should the Justices vote?
3. Should owners of property in high risk areas of fires and floods be charged a surcharge annually to offset the costs of dealing with these calamities? Should they be allowed to build or rebuild in these areas?

Regarding item #2:

SCOTUS 10/7/09: Oyez, AP, CSPAN, oral argument transcript, ACLU explanation

If you're a resident and would like to get meeting notices, please submit your email address at one of our meetings or join the group's mailing list at Google Group SCSHTD.

October 5, 2009 meeting

Meetings are currently set for 1st and 3rd Mondays from 7 to 9 p.m. at Montecito Clubhouse.

If you're a resident and would like to get meeting notices with discussion topics, please submit your email address at one of our meetings or join the group's mailing list at Google Group SCSHTD.

California sales tax / President Obama / the news / the Universe

The topics (or questions) for our Monday, September 14, meeting are:

1. Should California which needs money pass a law to collect sales tax from internet sales to California residents? And charge out of state sales tax too? [sic]
2. Obama opposition
3. How do you get the news?
4. What is our place in the Universe?

At the meeting:

• items 2 thru 4 were deferred
• a discussion was led by Pete Andersen about the HOA meeting that day and new nearby schools.

Meetings are set for 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month, rather than every other week as previously. Next are October 5 and 19.

Regarding item #2:

article from Pete

Maureen Dowd , TNR: Tea'd Off, Newsweek's George Will: Why No One Believes Obama

also from TNR: David Brooks and Anti-Anti-Racism

It's been a big week for anti-anti-racism. Virtually the entire conservative world has waxed indignant about Jimmy Carter's suggestion that racism is responsible for the unusual virulence of anti-Obama sentiment.

video update:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Regarding item #4:

Newsweek: Aliens exist

From another blog of mine: a tale of two Drakes

national health care / California sales tax

This was the covered topic for our Monday, August 17 (changed from the 10th), meeting:

• What is the real Health Plan that is in Congress? Will it benefit us when it is passed? [sic]

See SCSHTD group (email archive) for past meeting notices. [It's been a privilege serving as chairman of the agenda committee. See my thoughts on that job. Also, see my entry on how SCPD does it.]

We touched on national health care recently. See my notes for our June 26 meeting.

NY Times opinion: Real Choice? It’s Off Limits in Health Bills , Get Real on Health Care

KCRW: Concierge Doctors: Primary Care and the Well-to-Do

AARP: Health Reform: Get the Facts

Newsweek: Give It To Us Straight

Here's one animated and simplified view.

I inquired with Lynn about when the homeowners would take control of the HOA. She replied as follows:

The governing documents do specify that the developer will lose 2 positions on the Board at the annual meeting following reaching 75% of the lots authorized in the tentative subdivision map being closed. Based on sales projections that I have been given by the developer that will not happen before the 2009 annual meeting but may happen prior to the 2010 annual meeting. I will be writing an article soon discussing the upcoming annual meeting as well as how all of this works as we progress from a majority of developer members on the board to a majority of homeowner members on the board.

And in the news ... some developers have walked away from their developments before completion. How has that affected the homeowners therein?

locally: Dream homes turning into nightmares

elsewhere: La Cresta near Orlando

I gave an update from resident Don Hauser about a/c problems; see my updated entry for our June 26 meeting. As regards such problems elsewhere, you might wish to look at this anecdotal site.

bailout bonuses / Sotomayor / water

Now that we're on a summer (monthly) schedule, here's what-I-consider interesting viewing:

satire from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central, new episodes locally M-Th 11 p.m. on Time Warner cable channel 56.

California hi-speed train / stimulus money

Two questions for our meeting on Monday, 7/13:

1. What are the economic values for LA to San Francisco hi speed rail line?
2. Where is our stimulus monies coming from? What happens if china refuses to buy our loan issues?

Our Steve Rive presented on compact florescent lamps.

Following meetings:

Monday, 8/10 at 7:00pm

Monday, 9/14 at 7:00pm

Regular every two week schedule will begin again on 10/5 at 7:00pm

Regarding Item #1:

The Official Site

Wikipedia piece

Regarding Item #2:

Time: Elizabeth Warren: Riding Herd on the Bailout

Earlier post: The Stimulus Package

PBS: The Ascent of Money

Geithner on CNN: Where we are now

air conditioning units / national health care / energy

Our next meeting is Monday, June 29, with these suggested topics:

1. Phase 1&2 a/c unit concerns - presentation by resident Don Hauser
2. Two major reforms, which the President ran on, are before Congress now. Can further government action improve

• Health care?
• Energy supply and demand?

Regarding item #1:

The claim is that the metal pans, below the attic evaporators in many homes here, are rusting away and will eventually cause failure in those units, possibly extending to ceiling damage.

Site critical of Pulte

Regarding item #2a:

Slate: Health Care Reform: An Online Guide and from this

infantile denial lies at the heart of much contemporary political disaffection

NY Times editorial: A Public Health Plan

KCRW's To the Point: Competition and the 'Public Option'

The Economist: Heading for the emergency room

Other: Bill Moyers , CSPAN

the President also http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/

Newsweek cover: the cause of Ted Kennedy's life. Also, from Weisberg:

Obama started by courting the major interest groups, and so far none of them—insurers, drug companies, hospitals, or doctors—has come out against him. He has repeatedly stated his flexibility and openness to compromise. Instead of proposing a plan, or even endorsing any specific policies, he has laid out eight broad principles—universality, affordability, portability, quality, choice, prevention, fiscal sustainability, and financial protection—and left the rest to Congress.

Regarding item #2b:

The President

MSNBC , NY Times , CS Monitor , Bloomberg

NPR: Putting A Financial Spin On Global Warming - from that:

A sense of doom or shame only motivates a small segment of the public — and puts off the rest

The piece errs, as so many do, in not drawing a distinction between climate change and energy use.

See also another blog of mine and post there: Jimmy Carter's malaise speech.

This is my principal concern; I can't emphasize this enough. It's summarized in this 2004 interview with Richard Heinberg. Here are active links updated from those in the interview: Richard Heinberg's Museletter and Energy Bulletin.

parental authority / California budget / President Obama

Our next meeting is Monday, June 15, with these suggested topics:

1. What happened to the mother who ran with her son so as to avoid subjecting him to chemotherapy? Does government know best?
2. What's a gubernator to do on B-day?
3. Is there merit in assertions (afloat in some circles) about the new president?

• That he is a secret Muslim with a forged birth certificate.
• That he stole the election with an ACORN.
• That he seeks to perpetuate power by taking control of the Census.
• That he runs the country with 16 (or 17) czars.
• That the economy is all his fault.

Regarding item #1:

from the StarTribune, dannyhauser.com

Regarding item #2:
from WSJ

Lawmakers must pass a balanced budget by June 15 for the state to obtain its annual loans from Wall Street.

also: csmonitor, publicradio, scpr, kcrw, MSNBC

Regarding item #3:

TNR: Counting on Trouble , Fall and Declinism

Foxnews - census, Glenn Beck - czars,

NYT: Rich re Fox News

The President's speech on new financial regulations

PBS Frontline: Breaking the Bank

Moore Is Less

Newsweek:

Poll: Majority of Republicans Believe ACORN Stole the Presidential Election

torture / technology / the economy

Switching to once a month summer schedule, July through September, on the 2nd Mondays.

We discussed these topics at our meeting on Monday, June 1:

1. the torture debate
   
2. technology
   
3. the economy  
   

Regarding the economy:

NY Times on GM: The Quagmire Ahead

Newsweek on BS: The President’s ‘Whiz Kids’

housing meeting / assisted suicide / any good news?

Our next meeting is Monday, May 18, with these suggested topics:

1. Housing Information meeting - Did you learn anything?
2. Assisted suicide - Should it be made legal?
3. Is there any good news to report?

Regarding item #1:

see the previous post

Regarding item #2:

earlier post: SCPD forum club - euthanasia

the movement: http://www.assistedsuicide.org/

Wikipedia article

NPR piece: Death Often Brings Disputes Over Online Lives

update: Synchronized Suicide, Swiss Style and With Help, Conductor and Wife Ended Lives

PBS FRONTLINE: The Suicide Tourist

Regarding item #3 and speaking of the news:

Newsweek:

Reinventing Newsweek, A New Magazine for a Changing World

The Sky Isn’t Falling

Housing Information Presentation

Our Housing Information Committee gave its presentation today to a full ballroom (from a full parking lot).  Here's a (Group) page with the agenda and some links.

2009 Best of the Valley

as compiled by the Desert Sun

May 19, '09 election / flu

Our next meeting is Monday, May 4, with these suggested topics:

1. The May 19 special election
   
2. flu response
3. added: Mike Cohen about new security committee

Regarding item #1:

Secretary of State

Smartvoter

Desert Sun: Decoding the ballot: Voters to determine future of state budget

Regarding item #2:

NY Times:

Virus’s Tangled Genes Straddle Continents

Raising a Mystery About Its Origins, First Flu Death Provides Clues to Mexico Toll

KCRW:

MSNBC: Egypt orders slaughter of all pigs over swine flu

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

100 days

Our meeting on Monday, April 20, at 7:00 pm, has this suggested topic:

How is President Obama handling:

Foreign policy?

• Iraq /Iran
• Afghanistan / Pakistan
  
• Piracy
  
• Mexico and the Americas
  

The Environment and Energy?

• EPA finding about CO2
  
• World oil supply

The Economy?

Re Pakistan & Afghanistan:

PBS Frontline World: Where Women Are Flogged...

Also, see earlier posts such as on The Economy and oil.