Digital Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Happy New Year! The Girl found December sweeping her off her feet, with some wonderful Holiday parties, a lot of singing, and a lot of Yoga. Before I knew it, it was January 2, 2012, and time for the 123rd Tournament of Roses Parade.

This is something to which I pay little attention. The floats are lovely and all, and I can appreciate the work and dedication each one takes. But parades and pageantry have never been my thing. I’m also very thankful I don’t live in Pasadena’s immediate vicinity–those poor residents have to deal with blocked streets and the hoopla that surrounds such an undertaking for weeks (sometimes months) before the event actually happens. If I did live there, I’d probably go on vacation for the entire month of December; but, I digress….

The 2012 Tournament of Roses Parade caught my attention this year because our old friends of #OWS will be presenting a float at the end of the festivities. From Friday’s Los Angeles Times:

“Occupy protesters are busy finishing their float that will run at the end of the Rose Parade: a 70-by-40-foot octopus made of recycled plastic bags.”

Can you say, “Media whores”? Seriously, a parade that spends and takes in millions, if not billions of dollars, is more a reflection of corporate greed than a hedge fund–no matter how noble, altruistic,  and community-oriented its veneer. Yet, the flailing Occupy “activists” are jumping on the train, even choosing to play nice for the cameras:

“The group says the protest will be ‘G-rated’ and will stick to nonviolence in expressing Occupy’s messages against income inequality and corporate power.”

Whatever. I’m sure it will go over like a lead balloon, right in sync with the whole movement. The Pasadena-Star News decided to do a profile on the Occupy Rose Parade leader’s questionable past.  This past includes petty theft, having his law license suspended, andconnections to the 9/11 Truther movement.

So much for gaining more credibility with the general public. I sincerely hope that the year 2012 will see Occupy Wall Street and its offshoots fade to black.

Digital Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So #OWS has moved from absurd and fraudulent, to dangerous. Pundit & Pundette and Michelle Malkin give a good rundown on the violence in both Seattle and Oakland. Will New York and Los Angeles be the next shoe to drop? Just what we need, another Los Angeles uprising to completely decimate our already falling revenues.

As a card-carrying political junkie, I’ve been watching with bemusement the whole alleged Herman Cain scandal. Is it a scandal when the actual charges and the women remain “anonymous”? It’s been five days in, and not much more has been revealed. The whole refusal to speak (except through her lawyer) on the part of the accuser is still a non-starter. Seriously, the mainstream media avoided the real scandal (with real evidence) that was John Edwards and Rielle Hunter until the National Enquirer broke the story. You know your industry is in trouble when a rag like the Enquirer becomes the bastion of breaking news and hard-hitting journalism.

As far as I’m concerned, this Politico hit piece is one more nail in the coffin of traditional media and its failing relevance. Not only are they not driving the narrative, they are sitting in the dust on the side of the road.

Unfortunately, the Republican-leaning media is no better, already washing their hands and writing post-mortems on Herman Cain’s candidacy. Jennifer Rubin is first out the box with Cain’s political demise: the end of a charming outsider. Aside from the headline, she says nothing complimentary about the man, basically telling him, “here’s your hat, what’s your hurry?”

“Now, Cain could stay in the race, I suppose, and turn each debate and appearance into a three-ring circus. He could risk losing all the goodwill and future book sales he’s earned up to now. He could continue to inflict humiliation on his family and his supporters, making a great number of his defenders look like dopes. But a smart business guy in control of himself and in command of the situation would realize the jig is up and any future public career depends on the disappearance/atonement/revival pattern that has characterized so many careers (including his current opponent Newt Gingrich.) A decent and disciplined man would not put his political party through this ordeal.”

The not-so-strange thing is, the actual voting public could not care less. A recent Post-ABC Poll show most Republicans dismissing the allegations.

Only time with tell, but from the mad fundraising numbers and the polls, it doesn’t look like we can count Herman Cain out just yet.

In today’s Wall Street Journal, Bishop Harry Jackson poses an interesting comparison/contrast if Cain became the Republican nominee:

“An Obama vs. Cain contest couldn’t be cast as a referendum on a black man’s qualification to hold the highest office in the land. Instead it would be a choice between two black men who see everything—from the role of government in a free society, to the very definitions of life and family—almost completely differently.”

“The Churches of Cain and Obama“

Wow. I’d welcome an actual contest that reflected different perspectives on the Black American experience as opposed to the ramblings of the media-certified talking heads of Smiley, Dyson, and Sharpton.

Digital Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It’s the weekend of All Hallow’s Eve. For you 99 percenters, that’s Halloween.

For certain Christians, this holiday is anathema, while others celebrate, preferring not to toss out good clean fun and fond memories of Halloween’s past for superstition and misplaced hysteria. Thanks to a friend, I got to thinking about those past Halloweens, and how they made a positive impact in my life. So I decided to reclaim the day in my own way. Read about it on my Examiner page: My return to All Hallow’s Eve.

I get to spend the rest of today hobnobbing with women professionals for At The Helm: Women in Biz 2011. Alaia Williams of the Entrepreneur Connection has created an event that will be the talk of the town! A full day of networking with entrepreneurs and industry leaders, engaging in panel discussions geared toward the business person, and a host of speakers from all across the spectrum.

At the top of my list: my friend Susan M. Baker (The Escape Hatcher), Lizzy Shaw (Lizzy Shaw PR), Nailah Blades (Polka Dot Coaching), and Lisa Steadman. But I am particularly excited about the energy and ideas generated when like-minded people come together. You’ll be hearing more about this when it’s all said and done.

Happy Saturday, and Happy Halloween!

Chicken crossing by Peter Griffin/publicdomainpictures.net

You keep giving me absurd news copy, I’ll keep writing posts!

Under the This is Rich category, The OWS kitchen staff is getting fed up with homeless and ex-con freeloaders who are eating their food… Say what?!

“The Occupy Wall Street volunteer kitchen staff launched a ‘counter’ revolution yesterday — because they’re angry about working 18-hour days to provide food for “professional homeless” people and ex-cons masquerading as protesters.

For three days beginning tomorrow, the cooks will serve only brown rice and other spartan grub instead of the usual menu of organic chicken and vegetables, spaghetti bolognese, and roasted beet and sheep’s-milk-cheese salad.

They will also provide directions to local soup kitchens for the vagrants, criminals and other freeloaders who have been descending on Zuccotti Park in increasing numbers every day.” (emphasis mine).

How thoughtful! Today’s definition of Irony: “Protesting that the wealth needs to be shared while withholding your own.”  Occupy Wall Street Kitchen Slow-down Targets Squatters.

Occupy Portland is upset because it’s lost $20,000 in donations via PayPal:

“Organizers of Occupy Portland say they fear as much as $20,000 donated to the group through a PayPal account has disappeared.

They also say the group’s finance committee has hijacked the demonstration’s Internet domain name and filed for incorporation against the wishes of the group’s decision-making body.

The demonstrator who filed the papers with the state said Wednesday she did so to protect the protest, and she has received death threats as a result.”

Death threats? That’s beyond the pale, but then, so is this supposed movement. Occupy Portland fears it has lost $20,000 in donations.

Finally, in the Too Stupid to Run a Mile category, the idiot Mayor of Los Angeles has come to the conclusion that Occupy Los Angeles “cannot continue indefinitely.” Occupy LA: Occupy LA “Cannot Continue Indefinitely,” Villaraigosa says.

Yah think? With the violence and law enforcement push back in Oakland, Atlanta, and other cities, Villaraigosa sees the handwriting on the wall: All this bad press will ruin the PR for my December trade mission to Asia!

Just like him–when the going gets tough, the tough get out of town.

Chicken crossing by Peter Griffin/publicdomainpictures.net

As our own village idiot, Mayor Villiaragosa, passed out 100 ponchos to rain-soaked protestors last week, and City Councilmember Richard Alarcon rides this wave of unrest by pimping his “responsible banking” ordinance, it’s clear that the OccupyLA movement has been fully embraced by our supposed city leaders.  You know, the ones that are tasked with balancing our budget shortfall and and bringing back jobs and industry to Los Angeles. How’s that working for them? We already know how it’s working for us.

Well, the lovefest may be coming to a screeching halt: Los Angeles is broke, and complying with the rabble’s demands of cracking down on banks could cost at least $58 million. A pull quote on the potential “damage” of sticking it to the Man:

“Last week, lawmakers asked city analysts to continue developing a plan to use the city’s financial heft to punish misbehaving financial institutions. On Tuesday, City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana issued a dire warning: Such a move could cost the city at least $58 million.

“Severing agreements with major lenders could trigger sizable termination fees and lead to higher interest rates, Santana said. That could in turn complicate financing for an array of city initiatives, from replacing deteriorating sewers to rebuilding part of the Convention Center to make way for an NFL football stadium, he said.”

Official’s embrace of OccupyLA loosens a bit over fiscal issue.

Hell, just tell Angeleans about the kabosh on NFL football in L.A. and I betcha the sports fans would pour into the streets and kick the occupiers out!

And the Kabuki theater is now being peddled to children as education. This just in from the Los Angeles Times.

“The fifth- through eighth-grade students from Sequoyah, a private school in Pasadena, munched on their lunches while protesters engaged them in discourse about how democracy works.”

Students visit OccupyLA for a lesson in democracy.

And this gem came from one of the teachers who organized the field trip:

“‘My goal as a teacher, regardless of my own personal beliefs, is to expose the students to as many viewpoints as possible,’ Barkataki said as she watched her students explore the Occupy L.A. encampment. ‘We’re here to get first-hand experience.’”

I thought influencing with viewpoints was the role of the parent, and the teacher’s job was to teach them the Three Rs? I wonder how much any of these children are learning about the the Revolutionary War and the United States Constitution? Johnny don’t know much about history, but he sure knows how to protest!

LA Weekly at its snarky best, keeps it real. Their commentary on the first of the OccupyLA protests:

“The turnout was less than rousing:

The blog LA Activist says about 70 protesters showed up Saturday outside City Hall. And if you’re in L.A., class warfare is really about Trader Joe’s vs. Whole Foods (we kid).”

They may kid, but I do not. That statement is exactly on the money. It’s very hard to take a movement seriously that offers “Yoga with Raquel“ at their medical tent as part of “wellness”.

As far as I’m concerned, the supposed 99 percenters of OccupyLA would be more effective if they marched due west and parked their protest at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power building. LADWP holds every Angelean hostage with their rate increases to support massive CEO salary and lactation classes for employees.

Apparently Steven Crowder is finding the same “lack of seriousness” in the Occupy Dallas bunch, who were on, wait for this… lunch break! when he arrived to interview them. He had great fun talking to some 9/11 Truthers and LaRouchites, then makes an effort to comprehend what is truly incomprehensible:

And from the New York Zuccotti Park crowd, this self-described 99 percenter has been outed as part of the 1 percent. It seems Edward T. Hall III is a  Columbia graduate student and a trust fund baby –so I’m sure he doesn’t carry any student loan debt. Wish I could say the same.

Mr. Hall appears to be starving… for attention. Language alert here:

The pushback over all this silliness gets little to no attention from the L.A. Times or any other mainstream media outlet. But thankfully, it does exist.

Tumblr has a great blog, We Are The 53%, for all of us who actually pay taxes so the supposed 99 percent can whine, protest, clog streets, and stink up parks and city property.

And Heather Mac Donald pulls no punches in her City Journal article,  ”Get A Job“:

“There are times when mass protest carries an undeniable dignity and grows out of an unbearable necessity; the civil rights marches and sit-ins in the 1950s South were one of those moments. But our culture’s glamorization of protest—most celebrated when the message is a leftist one—scants the unsung virtues of showing up and doing your job.”

What a concept. One that is lost in the rush to legitimize this illegitimate movement.

Chicken crossing by Peter Griffin/publicdomainpictures.net

It’s raining in Los Angeles today. The saving grace  is that we probably won’t have any Anti-Wall Street protesters in front of City Hall whining about the “Capitolist” and imperialism. People cancel appointments rather than drive in the rain around here, so do you think they’re going to make their way to a protest? Oh, I think not.

Manhattan has not fared so well, and I’m sure Wall Street and every other working person they have disrupted for the past two weeks are hoping for snow storms to drive out that lot.

You know your movement is whack when George Soros says he “sympathizes with protesters speaking out against corporate greed in ongoing protests on Wall Street[..]” The man who single-handedly funds many Democrat politician’s campaigns and PAC groups? Are you sh@tting me?

Even more absurd is Michael Moore waxing philosophical about this “movement” ad nauseum. This Fat (literally)-cat filmmaker who lives high on the hog off his returns from propaganda films, while railing against the capitalist system that allows him to rake in those very earnings, has always rung false. He’s a tool, but unfortunately, a loud one.

Alec Baldwin and Susan Sarandon are no better. Say Alec, what’s your annual salary from 30 Rock and all those endorsements, like Capital One?

Now that I’ve expressed my disdain, I’m going to finish an article for my Examiner job so that I can get more virtual pennies. Then it’s off to my other job as a Yoga instructor, where I hope my gas tank lasts to the next pay day.

I might be inclined to protest, but I’m too damn busy trying to earn a living.

Digital Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

CareerCampSFV and Social Media and Your Career were huge successes! But after planning two events back-to-back, along with my Yoga classes, writing and stirring all the other pots I have my fingers in, the Girl is, well… tired.

So I’ve been sorta taking the week off. More of a mental vacation than physical, as I still need to teach the Yoga. But I’ve probably taken more naps this week than I have in my entire life! I’ve turned 45 and become a napper–who would have thunk?!

Of course, my life would be remiss if I didn’t get back on the political junkie bandwagon. WARNING: This post will go long, but it will be well worth it!

This started with a Facebook post by my brother-in-law, who I have the utmost respect for in most areas, except his political leanings. I’m the black sheep of the family on a number of fronts, so why should politics be any different?

So he posted this chart (above), allegedly from the United States Department of the Treasury, about who really increased the deficit. Of course, it was the usual “blame Republican Presidents, Democrat Presidents are perfect” stuff.

I have no idea whether this actually came from the U.S. Treasury. Even if it did, we have a Secretary of the Treasury who is a known tax evader, and the height of the propaganda machine that exists in the Obama administration is legend–Can you say Attack Watch.com boys and girls?

I’m more inclined to believe the Heritage Foundation’s numbers. Yes, they are a conservative think-tank, but their work is respected across party lines, and generally reality-based.

Heritage Foundation: The Truth about Obama’s Budget Deficit’s, in Pictures.

So I chimed in on my BOL’s post with these comments. First, that “he’s a disaster”, then, with clarification on whom I considered the disaster and the reasons why I feel this is the case:

“President Obama. Unemployment was less than 6 percent at the end of both those Republican President’s (Reagan/Bush) terms. Businesses were able to grow and hire people. Obama has not been in office for one term and unemployment is 9.2 percent, and 16.9 among African-Americans. He has no interest in creating jobs and he has no interest in helping his people–he only wants to save himself and get re-elected.”

Of course it was met with disagreement by a number of people, and then the discussion went down the rabbit hole of how opposed the President is, and how he is not given a fair chance, “because he’s black!”

SMH.

After another clarifying and challenging comment, I gave up, because I liked my mental vacation better than a fruitless debate.

A nice young man, who happened to see my posts, private-messaged me. He thanked me for my courage in stating my views, and agreed with me that this President is no friend of anyone but himself, and anyone who can keep him in office.

I messaged him back, thanking him for his feedback, and added:

“It makes me very sad that my people are only interested in supporting a ‘Black President’ without looking at his accomplishments or his character, or holding him accountable for all he is not doing for the American people or Black people.”

Sixteen-point-nine percent unemployment among Blacks. Almost double the national average. I don’t even count myself among that number, because I do my own work, and I refuse to be another Black statistic.

And then there was that pathetic speech Obama gave before the Congressional Black Caucus last week. Don’t get me started on how useless this bunch is–that’s a topic for another post. President Obama put on his best black preacher dialect and pulled from folk tales to set his story, then ended it with a most curious charge:

“Take off your bedroom slippers, put on your marching shoes. Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying.”

Take note my AA peeps: This is the thanks you get for turning out in droves in 2008. He’d rather pander to other interest groups, but tell his own people to “stop crying” and “complaining.” Yet, you are still defending him and harping on the old canard of racism instead of calling a spade a spade (Yes, I said it!).

If our President was any other color than what he is, there would be immediate calls for him to step down and let someone of competence run in 2012. Instead, racism is used as an excuse for a piss-poor leader, and your own poor choices.

Still SMH.

Now Janeane Garofalo, great font of political wisdom she is, decided to play the race card concerning Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain–who actually has a real black preacher dialect. Methinks being an actual preacher helps in that regard. From Janeane’s mouth to our ears:

 ”Herman Cain is probably well liked by some of the Republicans because it hides the racist elements of the Republican party. Conservative movement and tea party movement, one in the same.

“People like Karl Rove liked to keep the racism very covert. And so Herman Cain provides this great opportunity say you can say ‘Look, this is not a racist, anti-immigrant, anti-female, anti-gay movement. Look we have a black man.’”

Racists Republicans Support Cain.

So, Cain is a puppet prop, but all that propping up and fawning over Obama by the Dems because he is black doesn’t count? She calls into account the political side she doesn’t agree with, while ignoring it in her own party.

She doesn’t even deserve a head shake.

Finally, Morgan Freeman, a truly supreme actor who just needs to keep doing that, commented on the nefarious Tea Party and their motivations, and says racism has gotten worse under Obama. Morgan Freeman: Tea Party Racist.

I thought now that we had a Black President that racism as we knew it would no longer exist. So, whose fault is that?

Continually SMH.

The below video link, created by CareerCamp Founder and Chairman Emeritus Douglas E. Welch shows the testimonials of attendees and speakers from CareerCampSCV.

The jobs news is bad, folks–initial jobless claims jumped last week to 428,000–the highest this quarter. But we at CareerCamp International don’t dwell on this! The beauty of the CareerCamps is that it equips individuals to take control of their skills and assets, and in doing that, take control of their future–so they can  build the career they deserve.

Registration is still open for CareerCampSFV on September 24, but may not be for long–don’t miss out on this effective and unique Career Event!

Video: What are people saying about CareerCamp?.

Digital Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Girl has been turning faster than usual lately in the thick of planning two Career events.

The first is a Social Media and Your Career panel on Wednesday, September 21. We are a featured part of Social Media Week Los Angeles this year! The Panel includes yours truly, Douglas E. Welch, Susan M. Baker, and Marla Dennis. We will be moderated by Colton Stenke and Denise “The Oracle” Cook.

Registration opens today (Yay!) and I have linked this Event in the sidebar, or you can click here.

I can’t believe that CareerCamp #5 is about to happen on Saturday, September 24. This brainchild of Douglas E. Welch, founder and Chairman Emeritus, continues to grow, and the Girl enjoys being an active part of it!

CareerCampSFV (San Fernando Valley) is back where it all started, in beautiful Northridge, at the Congregational Church of Northridge. For those not familiar, CareerCamp is an unconference dedicated to “helping you build the career you deserve”. The day will include speakers, ad hoc presentations and breakout sessions on all aspects of building your career.

It doesn’t matter whether you are employed or not–the day is for anyone who wants to build and/or improve their career. However, if you are in between successes, CareerCampSFV is right up your alley!

Registration is in the sidebar, or click here.

This testimonial video was created by Sizzle in the Middle‘s Tracy Pattin. It highlights the unique benefits of CareerCamp from the mouths of the attendees.

And here a link to the video from my CareerCampLA discussion, “Building an enduring Career Reputation” back in March. It’s a taste of what you can expect from The Girl at both the Social Media and Your Career panel, and at CareerCampSFV.

These Events are FREE–so if you’re in Los Angeles, clear your schedule and make your way out to Social Media and Your Career on September 21, and CareerCampSFV on September 24!

Digital Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So after being immersed in Yoga, Yoga, YOGA since February, I feel as though my writing is starting to come back into balance. I think… or perhaps deadlines just generate the ideas. It’s hard to tell at this point.

I am thoroughly enjoying my new gig as the YL (that’s Young Ladies for you non-Hams) Columnist at World Radio Online, and also delighting in the new exposure to an entirely different audience. I’ll let you know whether I’m still feeling that same emotion once the comments come in, but for now, I’m savoring the spotlight–such as it is.

The September YL column will feature the women of the Military Radio Collectors Group (MRCG)-West, an organization that I effectively married into. My geek hubby is a member and loves it. I love it too, and we recently had fun at a meet up in Santa Paula at the airport.

I think it is one of the reasons we are still going strong–the family that CQs together, stays together. Okay, that was a bad pun.  Anyways….

I am currently working on a profile of Dr. Kate Hutton, K6HTN for the November YL column. In Los Angeles–heck, how about the U.S. and world?–she is the Caltech seismologist known as the “Earthquake Lady”. Kate dispenses expert information and commentary on the major and minor earthquakes that occur, and she is a regular fixture on television whenever we get a tremor here in L.A.

And I happen to personally know her  (yes, I too can get celebrity fever).  She is teaching a CW (International Morse Code) class, and I am one of her students. So she is my sensei in all things CW, as well as a very smart and erudite YL. Her life, career and hobbies are fascinating, not to mention she has a great sense of humor.

The rest of the Amateur community should know her personally too, hence, why she’s getting a write up. Look for it, whether you’re an Amateur or not!