Where did So. California go??

Ever wake up in the morning and wonder where the mountains went? How do you feel when your out on the town or maybe on the run and you happen to look around you, down into the valley and you see a thick brown cloud? Well that cloud is not rain, fog, nope it is smog and I am not talking about that dragon from the Hobbit. I'm talking about the wonderful pollution that surrounds me daily. And the sad part is that it is not even all from CA. It is from China, India and many other coal burning countries.
Why is it every day there is a new coal plant being built in these countries? Why isn't any one stopping them? I mean if we know so much about global warming, and the future of our earth how come it is still continuing?
It saddens me that it is rare when I can see the beautiful mountain range, the deep valley and the outlines of my state. It used to be rare when I could not. I simply wish that we could go back to when the only thing we had to worry about was a sunburn. Not to worry about going outside too long because of bad air quality.

Ponzi Scheme....what next?

Here it is again everyone! Corporate America is stealing from the rich and poor to give to who?....THEMSELVES! Billions of dollars...BILLIONS simply was just re-directed to a bank in London? HOW???
How does this always happen? the simple sliding under the rug, knowing the whose who to get what you want. Well I am sick of it. I think that this entire situation is not news, it is an addition to history! For as long as there has been money, there has been scams. And I am sick of people pretending to think this is a surprise! They say government officials had no idea that this was going on and that oh if he hadn't slipped we would have never caught him. I bet the government did know, how could they not? They know when someone on a phone conversation says something relating to terror and if you check out a book that has to do with Islam in any way there is a background search being done on you immediately. So how can they say they did not know?
It is utterly ridiculous and I just wish people would come out and say hey we knew he was doing it but we did not do anything about it because in some way it was benefiting us. The only reason the government turned on him was probably because something pointing the finger at them was about to be up rooted and they had to quickly shine every light possible on Madoff.
Well I am sorry Bernie Madoff, it really is a terrible thing to be you right now, you just had your candy stolen from you by the big bully on the play ground and they threw it in the dirt.

Obama in IN

SOUTH BEND, Indiana (CNN) -- President Obama delved into the charged abortion debate in a controversial Notre Dame commencement address Sunday, urging civility and a search for common ground on one of the most divisive issues in American politics.Addressing a sharply divided audience at the storied Catholic university, Obama conceded that no matter how much Americans "may want to fudge it ... at some level the views of the two camps are irreconcilable."

"Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction," he said. "But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature."

The commencement ceremony was boycotted by a number of graduates dismayed by the university's decision both to tap Obama as its commencement speaker and to give him an honorary degree. The president is a supporter of abortion rights and federally-funded embryonic stem-cell research -- positions that are anathema to traditional Catholic teachings.

this excerpt was removed from CNN's website.

Many students were angry at Obama even being allowed to speak at the comencment ceremony in Notre Dame. It was said that many were arrested and numerous were booed and beaten. But why? Aren't they not allowed to express their 1st Amendement rights?

I can empathise with these catholic students who ae frustrated at President Obama being allowed to speak at their graduation. For me graduation is a day to remember all of the days you worked so hard; staying up late researching, writting paperes, going to school for days on end. And why would one want this day, a day of embracing accomplishments and being happy to be rained upon by a President they do not agree with? I think everyone should get off the backs of these students and allow them to feel angered, hurt, frustrated etc. Because it would be like you having to take your younger sibling out with you on your senior ditch day in highschool, or be forced to stay at home and watch your dog rather than go to Italy. Just try to see it at their level, get your nose out of the air. And maybe america and the President can stop looking down their nose at a situation and try to view it from the ground up.

Where is all the water going?

As California begins to enter its third consecutive year of drought, the one question looming over the state is what will residents do to help?

Water is used to produce every household item and food in America.

Researchers have found that the standard trash barrel holds 32 gallons of water and a mid-sized passenger car has room for little more than 800 gallons of water.

Farmers use more than 70 percent of the water in the world and when it takes enough water to fill two mid-sized cars to produce a pound of chicken and a pound of beef how can we continue to use all of this water and be fine?

The answer is we cannot.

Water can replenish itself by rainfall, run-off and melting snow, but with the world population count at more than 6.7 billion, we are not going to be able to rely on Mother Nature to get the job done and provide water for everyone at the same time.

The only answer to this global predicament is to reduce the amount of water being wasted and to act quickly.

At least one large corporation has risen to the occasion and has begun doing its part in reducing its water footprint.

Starbucks has cleaned up its act to reduce the amount of water it wastes using dipper wells that constantly run. It plans to replace those dipper wells with eco-friendly wells this summer.

California authorities have set a goal to reduce the use of 80 gallons of water per person a day to 37 gallons.

A few ways you can begin to accomplish this is to reduce the use of water through simple steps at home.

An average of 30 gallons of water can be conserved if the water is turned off while washing dishes.

Plug up and fill the sink with water while shaving to reduce the use of running water.

Keep the sink off while lathering the soap on your hands or in your hair to save water.

Fix any leaky faucets, toilets or water pipes. Even the smallest drip can add up to loosing several gallons of water a day.

Water your plants and lawns at night, it will help keep them alive as well as avoid the wasting of water in evaporation.

Consider washing your face and brushing your teeth in the shower.

And begin shortening your time in the shower by one minute. Shorter showers means less water being used.

For more ideas about how to conserve water and how to be more eco-friendly, visit www.bewaterwise.com. The site also offers information about the second annual Spring Green Fair hosted by the Metropolitan Water District. The fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 7 in Los Angeles. The event is free, but if you plan to attend a workshop, you are asked to register.

What is the point of a rainy day fund when we're in a drought?

In this photo are hundreds of umbrellas in the quad of Cal State San Bernardino as protesters say no to the alleged prop 1A....


So the Terminator is trying to change our budget again to increase this so called rainy day fund. He is expecting Californians to take tax revenues and put it into this collective pot to store away until our poor state is in dire need of some rescuing. Sounds a little fishy to me.

Why are we as tax payers going to agree to increase our taxing to 12% and place it in this fund that is not going to be regulated? How do I know that my money isn't going towards a senators banquet? or the hooker in the hotel afterward? I mean come on, honestly, you expect me to believe that all this money is just going to magically sit all alone, untouched while we wait for an economic crisis? and if that doesn't come then the scraps will go toward the school system? right.....

I mean the concept in a way makes sense. Reckless California puts money away for desperate times. Kind of like hiding money under your mattress in case the banks fail but this money is way more dirty. Like hiding your money under Pamela Anderson's bed....You just don't want to touch that.

Yes as a student I think our schools should get money, but I am not against this prop because I feel the education system is suffering in all areas of the state. I know some schools that are getting AstroTurf fields and renovating the hallways. While some colleges build new "campus centers" to be used for students but instead throw the administration and higher faculty in there. Yeah my money is going to great use.

So to end this long note...Prop 1A is just another way for the dirty government to try and ruin our lives, why don't you give money to a charity or adopt a homeless child in another country, that would be a better use of your pot o' gold.

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What happend to what we stood for?

"Miss California USA co-directors Shannon Moakler and Keith Lewis will hold a news conference Monday to announce Carrie Prejean's fate.

Officials are reportedly in talks with the beauty queen's camp about losing her coveted tiara over possible contract violations as a result of public appearances supporting opponents of same-sex marriage.

Not to mention those revealing sexy underwear photos taken when she was a teen that she failed to divulge."

This is a clip from the Washington Post commenting on the recent tragedy with Miss CA.

Now, why does America, and the critics constantly set people up for failure that are in the lime light?

Now I am not saying that she shouldn't have answered the way she did, and put down same-sex couples but isn't this a bit ridiculous?

Yes she is representing CA and in doing so should have thought a little harder about how she was going to address politics but what ever happened to freedom of speech?

The Bill of Rights is constantly thrown down and forgotten when it comes to news and any other type of media communication. The one thing our founding fathers built this nation on is not even used in this day and age.

While I do not think Miss Prejean should have said the things she did, I do not think she should be ridiculed and harassed.

We allow talk show hosts such as Conan O'Brien and Bill O'Reilly to continuously bash politics and celebrities but we the people of the United States are not allowed to do so?

I wish that we would stop being bias and take a second to look around and realize whatever we are critiquing on we are most likely doing ourselves.