WordPress.org, Craigslist, Wikipedia, Moveon.org, Reddit, and Firefox browser creator Mozilla are among more than a dozen Web sites that are going dark on Wednesday for a 24-hour period to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA), which critics say threaten free speech on the Internet.
The antipiracy legislation is a move by Congress to crack down on the sales of pirated U.S. products overseas. But U.S. Web site makers say that the legislation infringes on their freedom of speech and could have potential widespread, negative effects for Internet users.
“The proposed bills pave the way for authorities to shut down Web sites accused of online privacy — something that concerns huge sites like Google, Twitter, and others,” Fox News reports.
Google, Twitter, and Facebook — who also are strongly opposing SOPA — say they will not be participating in Wednesday’s blackout. However, at midnight Eastern time Wednesday, Google blacked out its logo on its home page in protest. Visitors who click on the blacked-out logo will be directed to more information about the protest.
The 24-hour blackout starting Wednesday on more than a dozen web sites is expected to detour millions of Internet users.
“We want to give people a visceral example of what would happen when content is blocked,” Rob Beschizza, managing editor of the blog Boing Boing, told USA Today. The blog will be shutting down Wednesday, giving visitors an error message that explains the protest.
President Lyndon Johnson signing Civil Rights Bill as Martin Luther King looks on. Source: Wikimedia Commons
Martin Luther King, Jr., (January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968) was born Michael Luther King, Jr., but later had his name changed to Martin. His grandfather began the family’s long tenure as pastors of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, serving from 1914 to 1931; his father has served from then until the present, and from 1960 until his death Martin Luther acted as co-pastor. Martin Luther attended segregated public schools in Georgia, graduating from high school at the age of fifteen; he received the B. A. degree in 1948 from Morehouse College, a distinguished Negro institution of Atlanta from which both his father and grandfather had graduated. After three years of theological study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania where he was elected president of a predominantly white senior class, he was awarded the B.D. in 1951. With a fellowship won at Crozer, he enrolled in graduate studies at Boston University, completing his residence for the doctorate in 1953 and receiving the degree in 1955. In Boston he met and married Coretta Scott, a young woman of uncommon intellectual and artistic attainments. Two sons and two daughters were born into the family.
First-time home buyers planning to purchase a house later this year may have a better chance of qualifying for a mortgage if they have had a history of paying their rent on time.
Last year, credit-reporting agencyExperian added a section to millions of credit reports showing on-time rent payments and raised the credit scores of many people. The company said that this year it would add in negative marks, including mentions of bounced checks or of tenants’ leaving before a lease was up.
Incorporating rental payments into credit scores could affect millions of people who have not established credit histories through credit cards, student loan repayments, and other credit sources.
Almost half of consumers considered “high-risk” experienced an increase of 100 points or more after their positive rental history was added, according to Experian’s rent bureau. Those with average or higher scores did not experience major movement.
Although it is still too early to show the effects of the new credit report, which began in December, the changes are intended to allow lenders and consumers to have greater transparency, according to Corelogic.
People who have lost their homes to foreclosure and are now leasing may be able to rebuild their credit histories by being responsible renters.
However, consumer groups and advocates are skeptical, noting that reports are sometimes riddled with mistakes and some landlord-tenant disputes may be difficult to capture in a credit report. Rent may not have been paid, for example, because the furnace was left unrepaired for months.
350 angry striped bass fishermen met with Department of Fish & Game (DFG) officials at the Portuguese Hall in Rio Vista recently. Marty Gingras a biologist with the DFG spoke of their plans to eradicate the striped bass due to its predation on the salmon. The reality, as we have explained before is the striped bass and salmon lived in harmony in the Delta from 1879 until recently when the amount of water exported has increased dramatically. In recent years both species of fish have declined. Ironically in 2011 when we had plenty of rainfall and runoff all fish and wildlife in the Delta have rebounded. Striped bass sportfishing is a huge industry in California with licenses alone bringing in over $12 million per year. Their plan is to eliminate the striped bass, which will theoretically increase salmon populations, which will build a case to export more water from the Delta and cause further declines in fish populations.
Gingras and the DFG are basically stooges of an organization called Coalition for a Sustainable Delta whose goal is anything but sustaining the Delta. Their contact Michael Boccadoro appears to be the president of a lobbying organization called The Dolphin Group. Coincidentally the Coalition for a Sustainable Delta and The Dolphin Group share the same address, 915 L Street in Sacramento. The judge that ruled in favor of wiping out the striped bass is none other than Oliver Wanger who has ruled in favor of water exporters many times. You have probably seen Wanger’s name recently when he retired from the bench and shortly thereafter went to work as an attorney for Westlands Water District, a major exporter of Delta water (he has since resigned from the position). If you think I am trying to write a John Grisham novel about California Water thieves you are wrong. I could not make this stuff up. Well, if the Coalition for a Sustainable Delta wants to wipe out the striped bass you can only imagine what the Dolphin Group would like to do to dolphins.
I guess the DFG folks were expecting trouble at the meeting, according to my sources there were no fewer than eight armed game wardens at the gathering. This is a record number of armed guards for water related meetings I have attended. Generally even when I have been at meetings attended by department heads they have only had two or three California Highway Patrolmen as bodyguards.
While I was researching this matter I ran across this interesting email from Michael Boccadoro to Lester Snow (former head of the Natural Resources Agency, Joe Grindstaff (a member of the Delta Stewardship Council), and John Moffatt (a member of acting Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s staff) dated June 03, 2010.
“Just wanted to make sure you saw the most recent letter to CDFG on striped bass from NMFS. Very powerful letter. Does anyone in the administration think this is a priority and maybe deserves some action? This is going to go public very soon since the lawsuit is being heard next week in (Judge Oliver) Wanger’s court. Fish and Game does not seem to have their act together. I would very much like to get a response on this.
It was signed: Michael Boccadoro President, The Dolphin Group 925 L Street, Suite 800
The state-run program, “Keep Your Home California,” which helps homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages now has broader eligibility guidelines. Borrowers who did “cash-out” refinances and own multiple properties now are eligible for the program, according to California Housnig Finance Agency officials.
To date, Keep Your Home California has helped approximately 8,000 low- and moderate-income households that are behind on loan payments or close to default.
There are four parts to the program: Mortgage help for the unemployed, mortgage aid for homeowners with documented financial hardship, relocation help for those in the midst of a short sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure, and reduction of principal.
Homeowners who completed “cash-out” mortgage refinancing now are allowed to take part in the four programs outlined above, and borrowers who own more than one property also can apply for the program. Previously, these two groups of borrowers were excluded from participation.
Mortgage aid to unemployed borrowers also has been extended to nine months, instead of six. Such homeowners can receive up to $3,000 a month. To qualify, borrowers must be receiving unemployment benefits.
Additionally, the program has reinstated up to $20,000 in past-due mortgage payments instead of the previous $15,000 cap.
California home sales posted an increase both on a monthly and annual basis in November, marking the fifth consecutive month of year-to-year sales increases, according to figures released today from the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.). Meanwhile, the statewide median price of an existing, single-family detached home sold in California rose 1 percent compared with October, but declined 5.2 percent compared with a year earlier.
Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California rose to a seasonally adjusted 503,570 units in November, up 2.1 percent from a revised 493,140 in October, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local REALTOR® associations and MLSs statewide.
November home sales also were up 2.3 percent from the revised 492,040 units sold during the like period a year ago. The statewide sales figure represents what would be the total number of homes sold during 2011 if sales maintained the November pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.
The November statewide median price of an existing, single-family detached home sold in California was $280,960, up 1 percent from $278,060 in October but down 5.2 percent from the $296,480 median price recorded for November 2010.
The Unsold Inventory Index for existing, single-family detached homes was 5 months in November, down from 5.3 months in October and down from a 6.2-month supply in November 2010. The index indicates the number of months needed to deplete the supply of homes on the market at the current sales rate.
I have to tell you the fishing in the Delta lately has been great. I think it is because of all the rain this year keeping the rivers full. I met Dillon Pitts, Alex Chatoian, and Andrew Chatoian at Vieira’s Resort. They had just finished a day of fishing downstream on the Sacramento River. They had four nice striped bass to show for their efforts.
The folks at Snug Harbor have likewise been seeing some large stripers caught just offshore from the resort on Steamboat Slough. My man in Oakley, Chris Lauritzen of Lauritzen Yacht Harbor reports excellent fishing down that way too.
Diablo Sail & Power Squadron
Ox Bow Marina in Isleton was the destination for the Diablo Sail and Power Squadron on the weekend of May 14 & 15. I had been emailing back and forth with member Geoff Goselin for a while and he invited Sue and I to join them. Eight boats including a Hunter 340 sailboat made the trek from the Bethel Island area to enjoy the guest docks at Ox Bow. On Saturday the 14th they held a barbecue and games on the marina grassy area near the office. Sue and I arrived in the area just as things were winding down. Yacht broker Nina Ankele attended the lunch and told us that we missed a great meal.
The Diablo Sail & Power Squadron is one of 450 local squadrons of the United States Power Squadron (USPS). The organization started as a power boat squadron at the Boston Yacht Club about 1913. Later the USPS split off as a separate organization and today has about 45,000 members nationwide. Active members may fly the USPS flag in lieu of the yacht ensign or the U.S. flag in U.S. waters. The flag has 13 alternating vertical blue and white stripes with a red canton containing a circle of 13 stars surrounding a fouled anchor.
We took a walk out on the dock and met several of the members and got to look at some of their boats as well as talk to the crews. We met Ralph Price, Gary Smith, Pepper Wardle, and Les Johnson all Diablo members and former district officers of the USPS organization. Later, at 1800 hours we were invited to join the club for dinner at the Ox Bow clubhouse. After cocktails we enjoyed an excellent dinner prepared by squadron chef Mark Galbraith and his lovely wife Brenda. They cooked a large amount of mouth watering ribs and chicken as well as salad, rolls, and potatoes. For dessert we had cake and coffee.
We met Guy Schwartz the commander of the club. I inquired and they said the power squadrons have commanders instead of commodores as most yacht clubs. The Power Squadron is heavily involved in boater education and has many courses ranging from basic boat familiarity all the way to advanced navigation. The Diablo Sail & Power Squadron has been around since 1958 and invites all sailors and power boaters in the San Francisco Bay and Delta areas to join and participate in their activities.
Many people believe as I do that you can never have enough education and are constantly honing their skills as mariners. The USPS has courses and seminars covering almost every aspect of boating from reading a chart to weather forecasting and everything in between. Here is a way to get more education and hang out with some great folks at the same time. You can check out their website at: www.diablosquadron.org
Headed to Franks tract for the high speed run
A View to a Thrill
Hydro Dave Hernandez invited me to take a ride on his race boat. Hydro is one of the coolest people in the Delta, just having a name like Hydro Dave makes you stand out from the crowd. He was in Bethel Island for a few days helping his lady friend Cathy Whitlock do some work on her boat collection. It had been fairly windy for a few days but when I met Dave on a Friday at noon there was just a light breeze that barely stirred the water surface in Frank’s Tract.
I walked down to the dock and Dave and Cathy had just returned from a ride. I heard them coming from several hundred yards away thanks to the over the transom exhaust on Dave’s boat. He pulled close to the dock and killed the engine a few feet away and coasted right up to the pier. The boat has a Casile V-drive with a crash box type of transmission with forward and neutral and no clutch or reverse gear. In a race the engine is revved up to a few thousand rpm in neutral and then shoved into gear, naturally this causes a lot of wear on the moving parts. Dave leaves it in gear when he is not actually racing to save wear and tear on the unit. Dave said he had originally built the boat from a Brendella hull in 1979 and built the motor in 1989. The boat looks brand new and had a beautiful custom paint job that Dave created himself. If you have seen a few of Dave’s paint jobs you will recognize his distinctive style with scallops and symbols that are meaningful to him. Looking at one of Dave’s boats is like looking at a Van Gogh or Picasso painting. They are all different but you instantly recognize the artist by the style of the work.
This home is on the market for $10 million dollars and has a secret entrance. Inspired by the likes of James Bond this home took to five years to build.
Don’t pay up-front fees. Foreclosure consultants are prohibited by law from collecting money before services are performed.
Don’t ignore letters from your lender or loan servicer. Responding to those letters is your best bet for saving your house.
Don’t transfer title or sell your house to a “foreclosure rescuer.” Beware! This is a scam to convince homeowners they can stay in the home as renters and buy their home back later. It might also be part of a fraudulent bankruptcy filing. Either way, a scammer can then evict the victim and take the home.
Don’t pay your mortgage payments to anyone other than your lender or loan servicer. Mortgage consultants often keep the money for themselves.
Never sign any documents without reading them first. Many homeowners think that they are signing documents for a loan modification or for a new loan to pay off the mortgage they are behind on. Later, they discover that they actually transferred ownership of their home to someone who is now trying to evict them.
You may also wish to consider filing a Small Claims Court action. These are informal courts where disputes are resolved quickly and inexpensively by a judge. You can recover up to $7500 in Small Claims Court. You represent yourself and can request a judgment for monetary damages. Visit the California Courts Self-Help Center for further information.
