Peter Douglas, Long Time Head of the Coastal Commission, Dead at 69

For more than 25 controversial years, Peter M. Douglas fought to preserve California’s shoreline as well as the independence of the powerful regulatory agency he helped create.

By Elaine Woo, Los Angeles Times

Peter M. Douglas, the controversial and resilient executive director of the California Coastal Commission, who for more than 25 years fought to preserve the natural beauty of the state’s shoreline and the independence of the influential regulatory agency he helped create, has died.    Read more »

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March: Six Initiatives Fail to Qualify; Six Begin Collecting Signatures

March was a mixed bag for ballot measures: Six failed to gain the signatures needed to qualify while six others won the green light to begin collecting signatures.

It’s unlikely any of the six measures that began collecting signatures in March will appear on the November ballot although a temporary tax increase backed by Gov.    Read more »

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Former Democratic Campaign Treasurer Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Clients of Millions

Kinde Durkee, once California’s go-to Democratic political campaign treasurer, pleaded guilty March 30 in Sacramento to five counts of mail fraud stemming from filing false campaign reports to cover up stealing millions of contributions made to her clients — the largest campaign embezzlement scheme in state history

Durkee, 59, “routinely” defrauded at least 50 candidates, office holders and political groups of more than $ 7 million over more than a decade, according to federal prosecutors.    Read more »

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More Fun Than Adults Should Really Have Talking About Politics

Karen Skelton of Skelton Strategies, Rob Stutzman of Stutzman Public Affairs and Torey Van Oot of the Sacramento Bee

Where Else? “Politics on Tap”    Read more »

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Mitt Romney Wants Money

 

The following letter was recently sent to GOP households in California:

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Hoodies in the State Capitol

This is the text of an email from Cine Ivory, chief of staff to Sen. Rod Wright, a Los Angeles Democrat:

“On Thursday, March 29, members of the California Legislative Black Caucus, Latino Legislative Caucus and Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus will don their ‘hoodies’ and join together in a show of solidarity with the family of slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin, who continue to seek justice in his death.      Read more »

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Meaning of the Name “Yosemite”

A group of some 200 miners called the Mariposa Battalion entered the Yosemite Valley on (March 27) 1851, hoping to drive out a tribe of Native Americans who lived in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and were threatening the miners’ claims to the land and its ore.

The group was led by John D.    Read more »

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Ryan Gosling and the Apocalypse

“The way I do most of my posts is I think, how can I get someone to press ‘like’ on this?”

      — Mark Stopera, an editor at BuzzFeed, quoted in the Sunday March 25, 2012 San Francisco Chronicle Business Report, which goes on to say:

“At BuzzFeed, Stopera compiles popular articles and lists that people can share on Facebook by clicking a ‘like’ button.    Read more »

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Happy Birthday Robert Frost!

The American poet was born March 26, 1874.

Below is “Dedication,” the poem Frost wrote for President John Kennedy’s 1961 inauguration.

He didn’t recite it, however.

The sun’s glare off the snow blinded the 86-year-old poet. Instead, he recited from memory, “The Gift Outright.”  

NBC’s Brian Williams offers a touching postscript.    Read more »

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There’s No Shortage of Stupid Headlines

Deaf College Opens Doors to Hearing

Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Ax

Include your Children When Baking Cookies

Iraqi Head Seeks Arms

Jerk Injures Neck, Wins Award

Kids Make Nutritious Snacks

Lack of brains hinders research

Legislator Wants Tougher Death Penalty

Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half

Messiah Climaxes In Chorus Of Hallelujahs

 

 

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