Kurt's Thoughts

The following executives are part of Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum, a group of advisors that will frequently meet with the president during his administration.

• Uber CEO Travis Kalanick
• Tesla CEO Elon Musk
• PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi
• Patomak Global Partners CEO Paul Atkins
• General Motors CEO Mary Barra
• Cleveland Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove
• JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon
• Blackrock CEP Larry Fink
• Disney CEO Bob Iger
• Boston Consulting Group CEO Rich Lesser
• Wal-Mart CEO Doug McMillon
• Boeing CEO Jim McNerney
• Global Infrastructure Partners chairman Adebayo “Bayo” Ogunlesi
• IBM CEO Ginni Rometty
• Former General Electric CEO Jack Welch
• IHS Markit vice chairman Daniel Yergin
• EY CEO Mark Weinberger
• Former Federal Reserve System board member Kevin Warsh

Source:
https://greatagain.gov/president-elect-trump-announces-additional-members-of-presidents-strategic-and-policy-forum-8aa8822eced9#.i7rusae1x

Oppose Bannon, call: 202-224-4751.
“Hi my name is ______. I am an American citizen, and I am opposed to Bannon on the National Security Council.” THAT’S IT! 30 seconds.
No busy signal! Call and leave a message! You don’t have to talk to anyone. The Senate Committee on Homeland Security is taking calls about Bannon’s appointment to the NSC.

Please spread the word by cutting and pasting this.

If you’re interested in the resistance to the current administration’s direction & want to hear from one of the leaders of the fight against the most unethical, unqualified, unworthy, un-American president in US history, you’re in luck.

Robert Reich, Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley and Senior Fellow at the Blum Center for Developing Economies, does a live broadcast called the “The Resistance Report” on Facebook Live EVERY DAY at 5:00PM PST at:

• “The Resistance Report”
  https://www.facebook.com/RBReich/
  To see “The Resistance Report” video archive, go to:
  https://www.facebook.com/RBReich/videos/?ref=page_internal

ADD TO CALENDAR
To add “The Resistance Report” broadcast to your calendar & have it appear every day at 5PM, download the following iCalendar file:

• The Resistance Report – Daily FBLive Broadcast (.ics)
  https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ao0Dfn8MQdoAqcYE7n91CuZP5-y-Fw

So you’re looking to find Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, are you?

Look no further: I’ve got it mapped out so you should have no problem locating it.

ADDRESS
The address on the Hollywood Walk of Fame web site is wrong.  It’s actually closer to:

• 6859 Hollywood Blvd,
  Los Angeles, CA 90028

…so you’ll probably wanna plug that into your phone or GPS.

PARKING
Self parking is available at Hollywood & Highland, a shopping complex immediately in front of Trump’s star. 

Entrances to the parking lots are on Highland Ave or Orange Dr and lead underground.  You will have to walk a bit through the shopping complex to get back out to Hollywood Blvd.

MAP
Here’s an overhead map of the area.  https://binged.it/2ju5LUB

STREET VIEW
This is what the street view looks like.
https://binged.it/2ju3KHP

FINDING TRUMP’S STAR
As you can see, it’s near a Sephora & an American Eagle.

There are two grates in the sidewalk:  One are outdoor elevators used for loading stuff underground.  The other are air vents.  Trump’s star is between these two grates.  It’s also right beside the star for Kevin Spacey.

Enjoy!

UPDATED (6/25/17):
Here’s some easy steps on how to prepare for Election Day 2018.

1. YOUR CONGRESSMAN IS LISTED HERE.
   (Figure out who your Congressman is, if you don’t know. If they were Republican, they voted against public interests. Click here to look them up.)
   http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
2. GET REGISTERED TO VOTE.
   (Prepare for the next Congressional election. Make your vote count. Click here to get registered.)
   https://vote.gov/
3. VOTE & ENCOURAGE OTHERS. (November 2018 is the next Congressional election. Voting is the single most impactful action you can take. Click here to find out when & where the next election will be in your location.)
   https://www.usa.gov/midterm-state-and-local-elections

ORIGINAL POST (1/21/17):
I’m sure there are many people that feel awful after today.  And despite the positivity of the marches going on today, both in defense of women’s rights & protest of what will likely be the most unethical & dishonorable president in US history, there are people that are probably wondering, “What do I do now?”

Here’s something you can do:  Mark down Election Day 2018 on your calendar – Nov 6th, 2018 – and be sure to VOTE.  Why?

This is the day 33 senate seats, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, and 14 governorships currently held by Republicans will be up for reelection.

Donald Trump currently has a royal flush, with Republicans owning both the house & the senate, not to mention a huge number of state governor’s.  If you’re wondering what to do now, the only way to resist the current administration is to attack his power base & that’s Congress & your local politicians.

Much of this is discussed in this article:

• The Election Is Finally Over, So Let’s Talk About the Next One: What’s at Stake in 2018
  http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7573296/presidential-election-over-2018-midterm-elections-next-whats-at-stake

To add Election Day to your Outlook or Mobile Calendar (through a .ICS file), download the following:

• Time to Vote – Election Day (Add-to-Calendar/.ICS file)https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ao0Dfn8MQdoAqatf_YPyh9l1_g1Q6w

What an amazing fan film.  20 minutes of sheer bliss.  There is a momentous & epic feeling to this prelude that the other films haven’t had since Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

The original goal was a full length feature film with A-list actors, A-list writing, A-list production & filming.  Written by & for Star Trek fans.  Through kickstarter, Alec Peters, the creator, rasied $1.1M.

Well, the Prelude (and the money) was so good that CBS/Paramount sued the creators/producers for copyright infringement.  Here’s a video that goes over the lawsuit.

Alec Peters lost the suit… and everyone mourned what looked to be the end of Axanar Productions. Today, it was announced that a settlement had been reached.  Instead of a feature film, 2 15min short films will be released, meaning that Alec Peters is having to rewrite and rejigger his plans.

But at least one good thing came out of this.  As Alec Peters said today to Ars Technica:

“We’re not paying anything.”

For more on the conflict over Axanar, visit the article on Ars Technica:

• Axanar Productions, Paramount, and CBS settle Star Trek copyright lawsuit
  http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/01/star-trek-fanfic-creator-to-make-substantial-changes-to-settle-copyright-case/

For more on this film, visit their web site.  And maybe donate a buck or two.

• Axanar
  http://www.axanarproductions.com/

Annnnd I’m done.  I’ve unfollowed all political accounts on Twitter & Facebook.  For posterity:

Twitter

• Black Aziz Asnani
• Adam Khan
• Keith Olbermann
• Politifact
• PoliticalMath
• NarratedPOTUS
• Owen Ellickson
• Evan McMullin
• Mindy Finn
• Sharethefact
• Splcenter
• SopanDeb

Facebook:

• Pantsuit Nation
• Dan Rather
• TRM – Trump Resistance Movement

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is calling on tech companies to unite in defending Internet users against Trump & and his authoritarian disregard for a citizen’s privacy.

Here is the ad they are taking out:

For more information, visit:
https://supporters.eff.org/donate/eff-wired

Surprisingly, it seems that 4K/UHD Digital Streaming over Ultraviolet is not included with most 4K/UHD Blu Ray disc purchases.

I’ve been having this conversation about 4K/UHD with my coworker. This is a list of 4K/Blu Ray/Digital HD titles I own, the distributor, and whether the Digital HD stream rights you redeem comes with the UHD rights as well. 

It seems that even if you bought the 4K/UHD version of the movie, you likely don’t get the UHD streaming rights and have to pay for it separately (full price) if you want them for the ability to download and playback on mobile devices, laptops, tablets, etc.

• Jason Bourne – Universal (Complimentary UHD)
• Suicide Squad – Warner Bros/DC (Complimentary UHD)
• Sully – Warner Bros (HDX only) UHD for $29
• Secret Life of Pets – Universal (HDX only) UHD for $29
• Star Trek Beyond – Paramount (HDX only) UHD for $29
• Mad Max – Warner Bros (HDX only) UHD for $29
• Creed – MGM (HDX only) UHD for $29
• Xmen Apocalypse – 20th Century Fox (HDX only) NO UHD STREAM AVAIL
• Magnificient Seven – MGM (HDX only) NO UHD STREAM AVAIL

Kudos to Jason Bourne & Suicide Squad for granting 4K/UHD streaming rights to buyers of the 4K/UHD discs at no extra charge.

ABOUT DISNEY
Note: There are no Disney/Marvel Studios titles available on UHD – either via disc or streaming. Disney has chosen to not make the 4K/UHD discs for these available for purchase, likely so they can get you to rebuy the same titles later at 4K/UHD.

• Zootopia
• Pete’s Dragon
• Finding Dory
• Civil War

My son & I have been playing Lego Dimensions and we’ve discovered a few things. 

First of all, there is a directory of existing Level, Team, Fun, and Story Packs located at http://dimensions-builder.com/.

Secondly, there is a guy named the “adlingtont” on YouTube which is playing as well.  And he’s videoing all his gaming on Lego Dimensions.

He is unfortunately playing it on Playstation 4 – which has one annoying thing about it.  There is a PS4 exclusive character that he uses a lot – SUPERGIRL.  Apparently, the character is only available when you buy the PS4 Lego Dimensions Starter Pack and isn’t available for purchase separately, making it one of the rarer & more valuable minifigures in the Lego universe.

SIDENOTE: This exclusivity of Supergirl to PS4 of course makes me want to hurt someone.  So I hunted down the mini-figure on eBay, verified that it works on Xbox One still, and bought it.  Don’t judge me.

Anyway, here’s “adlingtont’s” video series to date on Lego Dimensions:

• PROPOSITION 51 – School Bonds
  • NO – Don’t issue $9B (actually $17B) in bonds for school repairs. It’s a bad investment, there are better ways to fund repairs at a local level, & the money won’t likely go to the schools who need it.
  • FINAL RESULTS: YES – 54.13%
• PROPOSITION 52 – Hospital Fees
  • YES – Prevent the state legislature from inappropriately redirecting Federal funds for medical services into the general fund without taxpayer approval.
  • FINAL RESULTS: YES – 69.91%
• PROPOSITION 53 – Revenue Bonds
  • YES – Any project requiring $2B in Revenue Bond debt should always be approved by CA state citizens. Local projects will always be below $2B and unaffected by Prop 53.
  • FINAL RESULTS: NO – 51.07%
• PROPOSITION 54 – Publishing Bills Online
  • YES – This is about accountability. There’s absolutely no reason to not educate the public about bills being proposed at any time – much less 3 days before a vote. No reason to not provide video tape of discussions unless there’s something to hide.
  • FINAL RESULTS: YES – 65.01%
• PROPOSITION 55 – Extending Taxes for Education
  • YES – We need the funding for a state ranked 40th out of 50 in education, and received an “F” in spending per pupil, and a “B” in equity and that’s with the CURRENT tax in place. Without it, the implications are scary around how far we could sink. http://www.edweek.org/ew/qc/2016/2016-state-report-cards-map.html
  • FINAL RESULTS: YES – 62.59%
• PROPOSITION 56 – Cigarette Tax 
  • YES – Help fund Medi-Cal, smoking reduction, cops, & tobacco research. (And BTW it’s only Big Tobacco that’s against it. It’s supported by American Cancer Soc, American Heart Ass., and American Lung Ass.)
  • FINAL RESULTS: YES – 63.77%
• PROPOSITION 57 – Criminal Sentencing
  • YES – Prosecutors with agendas should never determine if minors are tried as adults – Judges should. And early parole for non-violent offenders is going to happen anyway because the prisons are FULL & there’s a federal mandate that we reduce the prisons anyway.
  • FINAL RESULTS: YES – 63.79%
• PROPOSITION 58 – Bilingual Education
  • YES – Greater flexibility in language instruction is good where it’s needed. Preventing folks from teaching two languages simultaneously via directive is restrictive & doesn’t consider situations on a case by case basis. Let the schools & parents decide what’s best.
  • FINAL RESULTS: YES – 72.84%
• PROPOSITION 59 – Overturn Citizen United
  • YES – Corporations may influence folks but are not people, are not entitled to “free speech” & shouldn’t have a direct say in our political system through limitless funding/lobbying.
  • FINAL RESULTS: YES – 52.91%
• PROPOSITION 60 – Condoms
  • YES – The state should license & regulate the porn industry. If you think porn producers are concerned about their actors, you’re fooling yourself. No, the industry will NOT moving out of CA – the land of beaches & sun, like opponents say – that’s absurd.
  • FINAL RESULTS: NO – 54.26%
• PROPOSITION 61 – Prescription Drug Prices
  • YES – CA state drug prices shouldn’t be any higher than the Vas negotiated rate. Lower prices = higher purchase volumes, yet no one is explaining how increased volume of drug purchases from CA is going to somehow result in higher FEDERALLY-NEGOTIATED VA drug prices. Besides, we’re doing what’s best for the state here.
  • FINAL RESULTS: NO – 54%
• PROPOSITION 62 – Death Penalty Abolish
  • YES – It’s been 10yrs since an execution because of $150M in appeals fees charged to the state of CA. Additionally, people are released from prison on new evidence all the time: The death penalty ends this by killing innocents – that’s wrong. Life without parole is enough.
  • FINAL RESULTS: NO – 53.62%
• PROPOSITION 63 – Background Checks for Ammo Sales
  • YES – If you can’t wait for a background check on an ammo sale, you definitely need a background check. Owning a large capacity magazine would now be a charge that law enforcement can use against serious criminals.
  • FINAL RESULTS: YES – 62.67%
• PROPOSITION 64 – Marijuana
  • YES – It’s not for me but criminalizing & jailing people for it is ludicrous when everyone gets it anyway, it’s no worse than alcohol, so why not tax it & help fund CA with $1B in projected revenues? The only people against this are actual drug smugglers & folks with a vested interest in using drug laws against citizens – and I’ll let you figure out what that means.
  • FINAL RESULTS: YES – 56.45%
• PROPOSITION 65 – Plastic Bag Proceeds
  • NO – This proposition was initiated by companies that make plastic bags to prevent grocery stores from profiting on the sale of reusable bags. (Reusable bag proceeds must got to the state per this proposition & not to the grocery store)
  • FINAL RESULTS: YES – 54.80%
• PROPOSITION 66 – Death Penalty Speed Up
  • NO – Innocent people could die & more importantly, the backlog of people on death row (700+) are far too deep to ever catch up on.
  • FINAL RESULTS: YES – 51.30%
• PROPOSITION 67 – Ban on Plastic Bags
  • YES – We’ve transitioned past environmentally dnagerous plastic bags with reusables instead. The only folks fighting against this are plastic bag companies.
  • FINAL RESULTS: YES – 52.90%
• Measure A – LA County Property Tax Increase for Parks, Beaches and Open Space  
  • NO – Any property tax increase, no matter what the size is ridiculous considering our current property taxes in LA County are already horrendous because of the 3rd highest avg home values among US states (https://www.trulia.com/home_prices/) & RE tax rate of .81%. (https://www.trulia.com/home_prices/) And it will increase every year as the tax is tied to inflation.
• Measure M – LA County Sales Tax for Transportation
  • YES – A permanent half-cent sales tax hike, as much as I hate it, is needed to reduce congestion in LA’s roads & highways. There’s no choice in the matter.

Over 100+ served last night.

Totally worth staying home for, for every “OMG MISTER” and “WUUUUUUUUT” and “YOU ARE THE BOMB, DUDE!”

But the best – the absolute best incident – was a group of 4 well-costumed kids that came by, stared at me as I opened the door and quietly said, “Trick or treat?” as if asking a question.

As I brought out the stack of giant chocolate bars (7oz) for them, their eyes got really big and they suddenly started jumping up and down screaming, “WE FOUND IT! WE FOUND IT! WE FOUND THE HOUSE!” One girl started hugging another girl and the boy high fives his Mom who was in my yard watching the kids from a distance. I hadn’t even given them the candy when one girl turned and looked at me and said, “We’ve been looking for you ALL NIGHT!” The aforementioned Mom chimed in, “They have! You’re legend in this neighborhood: They call you the “big chocolate house!”

After I handed them the candy, they all screamed THANK YOU as they danced – and I mean DANCED – away down my front steps yelling, “We totally did it! OMG, we found it!”

That’s right… I AM THAT HOUSE.

EPILOGUE:
Somewhere in an elementary school in my neighborhood tomorrow, I imagine a group of kids coming out during recess, talking about the bounties of candy they’d collected from the night before, trading M&Ms for Junior Mints… Swedish Fish for Haribo Gummi Bears… and one kid saying, “Hey, did you guys find the ‘big chocolate house’?” And the other kids going, “OH DUDE! TOTAL SCORE!”

…because that’s what I did when I was a kid. I searched for the legendary “big bar” house in the neighborhood every year, the one that gave out full-size candy bars.

And you know what? I never found it. Not kidding. All throughout elementary school, we used to go through 10+ streets, both sides, and I never found that house.

So in case you’re curious, that’s why I do this. The “legendary big bar house” that kids search for was a really important part of Halloween for me, and it would have been so memorable for me to have found it, just once, when I was a kid. Now I get the chance to make that legend possible for an entirely new generation of children.

By the way, so can you.

Third party candidates want to be serious contenders, so John Oliver considers them seriously as potential presidents.

This is awesome for the torching that Jill Stein got alone.

Whoohoo! The Pain train is back, baby! Terry Tate, Office Linebacker, drops the harm!

Super Bowl commercial champ “Terrible” Terry Tate comes out of retirement to inject some much-needed law and order in the 2016 presidential campaign: “You can’t go grabbing people willy-nilly!! That’s just creepy, baby!” Newly discovered footage from the infamous Access Hollywood Donald Trump / Billy Bush conversation unveils an eye-popping demonstration of the famed Office Linebacker doing what he does

I decided to register to vote.

HOW TO REGISTER TO VOTE
I registered at http://vote.gov for the upcoming election.  It led me to http://registertovote.ca.gov and after filling out the form, I got a receipt online and printed it below.

The next step is actually voting on November 6th.

WHERE TO GO TO, TO VOTE?
This was convoluted.  I found this page however for California:

Find Your Polling Place

You may also find your polling place by scrolling down to the county you live in, then clicking on the link for your county or calling your county elections office.

http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place/

For Los Angeles county, you have to go here:

Polling Place & Sample Ballot Lookup
https://www.lavote.net/Locator/

A few items to share with my piano-playing son.

Funny of Die did a pretty funny video featuring the “real” Jewel doing Karaoke… but in a disguise.  I live pretty close to the Gas Lite.  This is hilarious… really wish I could have been there.