The Luckiest Guy

The LAT (or Dog Trainer) gets a few things right about Kevin McCarthy. He's lucky, he's fun, he's smart. You couldn't ask for a better friend.

We're Winning the Cultural War! How bout that!


The City Journal validates what we all know (or suspect) to be true, The combo of cable TV, the internet and the capitalist impulses of the publishing industry, have opened the doors for new ideas to bloom and grow.

Money Quote:

The Left's near monopoly over the institutions of opinion and information -- which long allowed liberal opinion makers to sweep aside ideas and beliefs they disagreed with, as if they were beneath argument -- is skidding to a startlingly swift halt.

Another indicator of the tide's turn are box office receipts and billboard charts of some of the outspoken liberal celebrities. George Clooney, Harrison Ford, Madonna et al, although still rich, aren't making the kind of money they would like.

Hat Tip to 4 Right Wing Wackos

Orange County Tea Party

I am going to be in OC this weekend for the Irish Tenor cousin's wedding (you should hear him sing - and play the piano) and my sister and I want to host a baby shower for my biological niece at a cute tea house, cafe, garden spot, dessert diner or something similar in Cypress or very close. My sister gave her up for adoption 30 years ago or so, and my niece found my sister about 10 years ago. On the birth certificate, my sister had listed our last name and the fact that she went to Sac State. My niece came to the Sac State library and looked at the yearbooks and tracked my sister down. She's delightful, and grew up with a businessman dad and artist mom in Beverly Hills.

So, not being a southern californian, I really need some good ideas about where I might be able to host a casual event. There will only be 6 - 10 of us and we're going to do this between the wedding at 2pm and dinner at 6pm.

Please come through with some ideas.

Sometimes I Think Like A Man

I followed the Calblog's link to the Gender Genie to get analyzed.

When I posted about Arnold making nice with McC, they were 62% positive I was a woman (Female Score 261/Male Score - 154)

When I posted about Steve Samuelian, the Genie was 100% positive I was a man (Female Score 0 - Male Score 127)

But Big Schock-o ...When I postd the 100 Things You Should Do In California - The Genie things I'm a man. That Genie can't read. Only women could do that many fun things. Men are too serious.

Ted Costa is Brilliant

The Insider reports that Ted has got quite a plan to fix our disastrous reapportionment problem.

New district lines for 2006?

Ted Costa and Peoples Advocate, sponsors of the Davis Recall, today unveiled a proposed ballot measure to change the way political district lines are drawn. Costa's plan would allow legislative leaders to appoint 20 Californians to a pool from which the Judicial Council would select three special masters to make the decision. The masters would choose a plan from among those submitted by lawmakers and citizens groups. The choice would then go back to the Legislature for ratification and, finally, to a vote of the people. Costa hopes to qualify the measure for the November, 2004 ballot. If approved by the voters, the plan would take effect immediately, meaning that new districts would go into effect for the 2006 elections, even as voters had before them the question of whether they approve of those districts.


Posted by dweintraub at 01:42 PM

I think this means that after the voters approve the initiative, the masters select a plan and the legislature votes to ratify the plan. When the campaigns for the legislature and congress start, voters will choose who they're going to support in the primaries, and when they go to the polls they'll vote for their candidate and yes on the district lines. Seems like it will be easy to get a yes vote on the district lines when people have already committed to voting for a candidate running in that district. The hard part will be getting the legislature to ratify. Wonder if there is a back-up plan if they refuse.

A beautiful aspect of this is it will all be accomplished during Arnold's first term. He'll be there to veto any horrific plan and to lobby for the acceptance of a good plan. But just in case he doesn't like being governor and decides he doesn't want a second term, he'll have accomplished the most important thing he can do for the Republican Party.

As you all know, I'm crazy for Arnold and hope that he'll want to run for reelection and stay involved in the party for a long long while. But politics can be very ugly and lots of people don't like it once they see the ugliness.

I Told You So

The Clam and Ben both suggested that Arnold would be sabotaging McC's re-election chances. I argued at the time that putting Beth Rogers on the transition was a sign that Arnold would be trying to assist McC. I was right. It looks like he not only scared the moderate republican out of the race, but has scared the Dem out as well.

Things You Should Do in America

Today is Wictory Wednesday. Every Wednesday, I ask my readers to volunteer and/or donate to the Bush 2004 campaign. If you've already volunteered and donated, then get a friend to join you.

If you're a blogger, you can join Wictory Wednesday simply by putting up a post like this one every Wednesday, asking your readers to volunteer and/or donate to the Bush campaign. And do e-mail to the Polipundit
so that he can add you to the Wictory Wednesday blogroll, which will be a part of the Wictory Wednesday post on all participating blogs:

You can check out the Wictory Wednesday Blogger's list on the Right side of this page.

I've had so much fun making my list of the 100 Things You Should Do in California (see below) that I've decided to start a list of Things You Should Do In America. Please add a comment with your recommendations --- what do you think tourists to our country should do to enjoy the unique American experience.

And here's another reason to support President George W. Bush, do it for the tourists!

Things You Should Do In America

Sleep with a moose in Glacier National Park, Montana
Do the shag in Myrtle Beach
Have a cafe au lait & beignet at the Cafe Du Mond, New Orleans
Run up the Rocky steps, Philadelphia
Cheer for the Cubbies at Wrigley Field, Chicago
Dig for quahogs (pronounced co-hogs) with your feet in the waters of Rhode Island.
Raft down the Grand Canyon, Arizona.
Take a wild ride on America II(America's Cup Contender), Maui
Eat green chile stew in Old Town Albuquerque, New Mexico
Eat Beans and see a Rodeo with Real Cowboys at the Jersey Lilly in Joe Montana, Montana



What would you recommend?

Personal Responsibility

Gail from The Right Coast blogs about the code of the West and how we can't afford to lose it.


Money Quote:

California wildfires are just like the rest of real life. If you want to make sure that your interests are being attended to, it's best to attend to them yourself.

Junior High Pollsters

Steve Samuelian, Fresno's Junior Assemblyman, commissioned a poll to assess his popularity in the district. High-propensity Republican voters were called by his employees and asked if there was any circumstance where the voters might consider voting for his re-election. Surprizing everyone, some voters said yes, when pigs fly.

Things you should do in California


I've nearly completed the list I'll be submitting with my application to serve on the California Tourism Commission. Any last minute suggestions?

1. Sing at the Piano Bar at the Mission Ranch Inn, Carmel
2. White Water Rafting on the Kern River, followed by Prime Rib at Ewing's On the Kern, Kernville
3. Sail the San Francisco Bay
4. Watch the polo matches in Griffith Park
5. Take a night hike in Topanga State Park, Pacific Palisades
6. See a show at Yoshi's Jazz Supper Club, Oakland
7. Make a wish in the Snow White Fountain at Disneyland
8. Have a drink at Yamashiro's watching the blinking light at the top of the Capitol Records Building spell out "Hollywood" in Morse Code.
9. Shop with the musical geniuses on Haight Street, San Francisco
10. Sip some Barbera at Villa Toscano Winery, Amador
11. Drive a Convertible on the 17 Mile Drive, Pebble Beach
12. Hear a Jazz Singer at the park in Marina Del Rey
13. Watch Irma the Ghost play the piano at the Magic Castle in Hollywood.
14. Learn to Race at Thunderhill Park, Willows
15. Tour the State Capitol (will be way cooler when Arnold arrives)
16. Rent a beach cruiser in Santa Barbara
17. Jay Leno Show, Burbank
18. Take a hiking break at the Tourist Club Chalet, Mill Valley
19. Ride the Big Dipper in Santa Cruz
20. Go to Corky Carroll's Surf School, Huntington Beach
21. Rent a Houseboat on Lake Shasta
22. Watch a Whale, San Mateo
23. Enjoy Opera at the Bear Valley Music Festival
24. Hike the Tahoe Rim Trail
25. Fireworks on the Beach in Santa Barbara
26. Visit the oldest McDonald's in Downey
27. Make out in the garden @ the Norton Simon in Pasadena
28. Have a Bolivar at the Grand Havana in Beverly Hills
29. Stay awake at the Buena Vista Cafe
30. Brush Up On Your Shakespeare in Lake Tahoe
31. Be a Hip Chick at a Shag show.
32. Squish some clay at the Sawdust Festival in Laguna Beach
33. Sing Summer Nights behind the stands at Marshall High
34. Row through the canals of Venice
35. Get certified to officiate at a California wedding at the Norwalk City Hall
36. Let Steven Spielberg's mom cook a kosher meal for you in West LA
37. Sleep on the beach at Pt. Mugu
38. See the Giants beat the Doggies in (newly named) SBC Park, San Francisco.
39. Kayaking on San Luis Obispo Bay followed by soaking in Sycamore Springs
40. Have a beer at Brennan's and watch the turtles race in Marina del Rey
41. Cut a rug with Buck Owens, Bakersfield
42. Watch the planes take off and land while you get drunk at the Encounter in that building at LAX
43. Go old-fashioned to the Victorian Christmas, Nevada City
44. Count Koi at the pond at the Sportsman's Lodge
45. Lose yourself in books in Brentwood
46. See some blood at a Rugby Game
47. Place some flowers on John Ritter's star on the "Walk of Fame" in Hollywood
48. Crash a party in Holmby Hills
49. Cruise by the Governor's Mansion, Sacramento
50. Swingtime at The Derby, Los Angeles
51. Dance at the Sacramento Jazz Festival
52. Have an afternoon beer at the Awahnee Hotel, Yosemite
53. Visit the Donner Memorial at Truckee, CA -- make bad jokes about cannibalism.
54. Go to the Rose Bowl Flea Market and get some really GOOD junk to replace your old worn-out junk.
55. Take your Harley on the Avenue of the Giants
56. Ride the cable cars in SF
57. Watch the Christmas boat parade in Newport Harbor.
58. Go off-roading in Death Valley
59. Place a wager on the horses at Del Mar ("And away they go!")
60. Take a cruise on the Tahoe Queen, Lake Tahoe.
61. Watch the sea otters play in the water at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and read Steinback's Cannery Row while enjoying a bowl of Clam Chowder soup.
62. Feel the celebrity handprints at Mann's Chinese Theatre.
63. Taste a Syrah at the Firestone Winery, Maybe you'll run into The Bachelor and Jen, Santa Barbara.
64. Ride a hot air balloon in Napa.
65. Pan for gold in the American River where John Sutter started the Gold Rush, Coloma (near Placerville)
66. Climb Half Dome in Yosemite (there's a trail up the back side).
67. Watch the sunrise over the Mojave Desert from the (aptly named) Sunrise Highway in the Laguna Mountains.
68. Waterski the Delta
69. Watch the hangliders take off at sunrise from Glacer Point, Yosemite NP
70. Visit the ultimate hands-on science museum, the Exploritorium in San Francisco.
71. Eat a lumberman's breakfast at the Samoa cookhouse, Humboldt County
72. Don't get cheated at Pat O'Shea's Irish Bar, San Francisco
73. Attend Gilroy's garlic festival and learn what good food really tastes like while those around you pass out:
74. Watch the sunset over the San Francisco Bay from Grizzly Peak Blvd in the Berkeley Hills.
75. Hang out on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley
76. Have a pint of quality microbrew in the garden of the Mendicino Brewing Company in Hopland, CA.
77. Shop at the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market.
78. Enjoy an In-N-Out double double with grilled onions while watching a drive in movie.
79. Try to figure out the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz.
80. Help assemble next year's Rose Parade float.
81. Ride a boogie board on the waves at San Clemente.
82. Watch the seals sunbathe on the beach at Children's Pool in La Jolla.
83. Celebrate the return of the swallows to Mission San Juan Capistrano on St. Joseph's Day, March 19th.
84. Take the tram to the top of the mountain in Palm Springs and go hiking.
85. Drink and dance the Sunday afternoon blues away at the Whole Enchilada and Moss Landing Inn, Monterey.
86. Roller blade along Venice Beach.
87. Take the ferry to Avalon on Catalina Island.
88. Surf in the Morning, Ski in the afternoon.
89. Have brunch at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego.
90. Visit Julia Morgan's grand design at Hearst Castle, Cambria
91. Go to the Big Game at Stanford or Cal.
92. Pamper yourself at the Golden Door Spa, San Diego
93. Hang with Tiger and Kevin Costner at the Tap Room, Pebble Beach
94. Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge
95. Shop on Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles
96. Celebrate Fleet Week on the Jeremiah O'Brien (one of the last remaining Liberty ships) in San Francisco.
97. Run the Rock-N-Roll Marathon, San Diego.
98. Bike and Drink in Calistoga, unwind with a mud bath
99. Cross the border at the Cal-Neva Lodge where Frank use to hang out, win a big jackpot, bring the money back to California to spend it, and
100. Have a Schnitzel at Schatzi's.

What numbers have you done?