Make American Graffiti Again - 2024 Edition

When we first moved out to the Inland Empire to further our journalism careers, the general consensus for most of us from Orange County, we were heading out to the sticks. Fontucky. Rialtohoma. 

We have since lived out here for more than half our lives at this point - more out here than behind the Orange Curtain. We've seen the region grow. Become more and more like Orange County, with more and more housing, more shopping, and more of everything.

But every once in a while, something happens to slap you in the face to remind you of the region's past - and some of those who live here that were part of those early judgments of the region. The IE can grow, but it doesn't mean it's completely grown up and left the Tucky part of Fontucky behind.

Every day after I drop our son off at school, I head away from the school toward the freeway to get me to work.You cross a heavily traveled railroad crossing (lots of freight trains), past a recycling yard, and heavy machinery rental businesses, along with logistics and trucking companies. The street Ts at what is basically a freeway frontage road that doesn't have much to speak of.

When you reach the T, there is a hill across the freeway, where at the bottom of it is a now-closed roadhouse restaurant/bar called the Stop Inn. At the top of the hill is a condemned structure that has been overrun with graffiti. But for a long time, there was a big sign supporting Donald Trump. 

It's been gone now for a couple of years. But given the upcoming election, I was almost dreading the return of pro-Trump propaganda up there. Not because I think that someone shouldn't have the right to speak their mind, but because, well, the building is already an eyesore, and having that would just make it more so.

But it didn't show up on that building. It showed up on the billboard that is part of that property. In handwritten black paint. And it wasn't just a pro-Trump message - it was an attack on everyone else.

That first message showed up on a Thursday morning. And it left me a little shook. Because, why? Why make it "personal" like that? The thing is, you know that the person who did that was really proud of himself. "I'll show them."

When I headed off to work Friday morning, the billboard had changed. 

I can only imagine that the person who made this change said, "I fixed your sign for you."

(For the record, we drove by on the freeway Saturday, and dude number one had been back up there and added back the 2024, and changed his attack to "antifa," because that's soooo much better.)

So, yes, no matter how much the Inland Empire has change, it's still kinda the same. There's still people out here who's best idea of a comeback is just to insult you rather than actually have a conversation.

MORE FORMER PRESIDENT: The freeway trip was out to Moreno Valley to take care of an issue with my new glasses (in that I ordered them in May, and they still weren't completed in August).

Anyway, we got parked and were greeted by a car parked in a space for the disabled that was decorated with stickers and flags supporting the convicted felon former president. One of the stickers ready "Trump Won." *eyeroll* Time to move on, people.

We finished our business and returned to our car, and the owner of that car was at his car.

Now, I want you to close your eyes and get the image in your mind of what someone parked in a disabled space, lives in the Inland Empire, and supports Trump might look like. And you would probably be right.

 

 

OK, so dude didn't have a bottle in his hand and was generally better dressed. But, man, when we saw the car, I know we each had a vision of what the person driving that car looked like, and the stereotype we each envisioned turned out to be pretty damn close.  

 

So, yeah, the Inland Empire has grown up and mostly become a purple region - but there are still holdouts that are going to be loud and proud about loving the freedom they get from living out in what was once considered the "sticks" of Southern California.

 

The only problem is that the "sticks" are getting smaller and smaller as developers come in to try and carve out every piece of property they can for warehouses and more homes that less and less of the people who currently live out here can afford. And no matter what candidate you support, getting that to change is going to be a heavy lift. 

 

ONE LAST THING: We have a podcast! Just a pair of Gen Xers sitting around talking and reminiscing about the crazy things we went through and dealt with. Come over and check it out when you can.
 

Check out Just Another Gen X Podcast on Spotify:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justanothergenxpodcast

Click this link to improve your life!

Congratulations!

You clicked through to see how you – yes, you – can have a better life.

Unfortunately for you, this better life is not going to include magical sums of money, instant fame, or any of the material things you desire.

 

So, what is this great and powerful way to a better life?

Reading comprehension and critical thought!

I’m sorry, does that sound hard? Well, no one said getting everything you want in life is easy. It takes hard work to get where you really want in life. Or, at the very least making the world a less scary place.

What does this include? Well, first off, you don’t believe everything someone says on TikTok (or your favorite short-form video service). Because a lot of the people doing those videos aren’t exactly presenting you with all the information you need to know.

Then, when you go to research their claim, please take the time to read the entire story and not the clickbait headline. Headlines are written to draw your attention to read the story – not tell you the entire story. Lord knows I wrote a ton of headlines in my day that were there just to grab your attention, whether they were puns, plays on words, or big fancy graphic displays.

Why do I bring this up?

People got themselves in a panic because someone on TikTok read a clickbait headline that said Knott’s Berry Farm was going to close permanently after Halloween Haunt this year.

Now, let’s ponder how ridiculous that statement is without wading into the details.

First off, Knott’s is the most important park in the newly minted Cedar Fair/Six Flags merger (now under the name Six Flags). It’s one of the only parks in the group that is open year-round, has the most history (and fans that are dedicated to that history), and comes with its own brand name food empire.

Second, the company just invested in renovating its hotel. It just opened a newly renovated Camp Snoopy (another IP that is helping them rake in money). Another renovated area just reopened last year, and one of their flagship roller coasters in once-again (after some delays) being updated.

Lastly (and maybe should’ve been a big clue), they just started selling season passes for 2025 last week.

The click-baiting headline in question (it won’t get a link here), said that Knott’s would close permanently. Once you got about five paragraphs (and two or three ads) down, you found out that, no the park is not closing. But, in fact, one of the mazes that they offer during Halloween Haunt would be closing after this year. Which. Happens. All. The. Time. They change up mazes and reimagine their Haunt offerings every year. It was just time for this particular maze (Wax Works) to be retired.

But the fact that this happened on the heels of what’s happening in our country felt relevant beyond just an amusement park blog.

You see, there’s this guy running for president (again, sigh) who says whatever he wants whenever he wants, no matter how absolutely wrong he is. And he does it over and over and over and over and over and… you get the picture. He spews each and every one of these falsehoods with such conviction or repetition that some people just believe it.

It’s not just him, either - it’s the people he’s surrounded himself with. His running mate, his staff, his sycophants. The all just say what they want no matter if it’s true or not. Even when confronted with provable facts, they just shrug and say it was an exaggeration or partial truth and keep going forward.

When his former opponent did that, he called him old and feeble – not fit for office. How does that work when the shoe is on the other foot?

It’s why we’re seeing more and more Republican centrists coming forward against him (they’re all RINO’s to him, I would guess). They’re tired of being lied to all the time. They’re tired of the anger and name-calling. And, I bet, they’re tired of losing for him, and only him. The number one priority (spoken or not) is to keep him from being even more convicted and out of jail. All that other stuff is there to make the sycophants happy.

In the end, it’s all part of the sales pitch – that’s what he is, after all, a salesman. Yes “real estate mogul,” but boil it down, and it’s just another sales job. Keep people on the hook as long as you can until you tire them out and they buy something – anything – from you. Because if you tell people that this thing is the “greatest” ever and “you can’t live without it,” there will eventually be enough people believing it that more people will buy it and so on and so on.

Of course, that’s just my sales pitch. Only mine comes with no price tag – it’s free! Make your life better through the power of reading comprehension and critical thinking. Or don’t – that’s also free. But don’t get upset when others around you correct your mistakes and question your sources. After all, they were free to make their own choice as well.

Monday's Random Thoughts: Let's Party Like it's 1864

 

I’ve had a few things rattling around in my brain that I felt like I needed to write out and express. And with a few friends saying they missed my weekly blogs, I figured there was no time like the present to get some of those thoughts out.

Wanna know what the biggest one is? It boils down to one word – one number really: 1864.

This is the year we want to go back and get our legal precedence from? When the Civil War was still active? Before Marty took the DeLorean back to the Old West to save Doc Brown? OK, so the last one’s fiction, but when you think about that era in America, isn’t that one of your frames of reference? Want a more historically accurate example? Sure – 1864 is before the events that were depicted in “Tombstone” happened.

Seriously Arizona?

Look, I understand there are people that are dug in on ending all forms of abortion, and hey, you be you. But this the straw you’re grasping at?

If we’re going that far back, let’s go all the way back. Let’s outlaw the cars you drive to get around. Give up your phone. Say goodbye to your indoor plumbing and electricity while you’re at it. (Honestly, there might be some people who’d be OK with all of that because it would mean no one would be bothering them about their guns – of course, there wouldn’t be semi-automatics, so maybe not.)

That’s the thing about the whole abortion battle that baffles me – the complete disregard of science and technology. We have the ability to know exactly what is going on with a pregnancy for almost every step of the way. Doctors can now know if the fetus isn’t viable. They can diagnose conditions that will put the mother in danger for her long-term health (and ability to have more children down the road) with a level of certainty that if it was cancer, we’d have no problem believing or supporting it.

But for abortion? No. Can’t have that.

Look, again, believe what you want to believe. I’m not here to say that abortion is the answer in every case, but we need to start realizing that not every law or rule needs to be this or that. There has to be spaces in-between – and not just some randomly chosen cut-off date.

How about we start thinking about it this way: Maybe if a doctor (or two doctors if you wish) give their expert opinion, maybe we don’t fight against it. There should always be exceptions for those who are victims of rape and incest. Who knows, maybe if you got off your high horse, maybe you could convince some people that there can be a cutoff date for women to decide to have an elective abortion – but if something changes after that date and there is a medical emergency, then they should still be allowed while under a doctor’s care.

Of course, none of that will happen because it makes sense. And there are too many people who are stuck in the “my-way-or-the-highway” mode of thinking to listen to reason. We see it in the House of Representatives whenever someone suggests that the two sides *gasp* work together to get something done. The extreme members would rather burn the whole thing down than do something that the majority of Americans want done if it goes against their personal beliefs – including abortion, gun control, health care, infrastructure, etc., etc., etc.

But maybe, just maybe, the invoking of 1864 will be a tipping point toward some sanity in this country. We sure could use it.

PRETTY GOOD, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT: So Gwen Stefani (my alma mater’s most famous alum) and her fellow Orange County ska brats played together on stage for the first time in nine years, and all seemed right in the world.

For those who missed it, No Doubt stepped back into the spotlight at Coachella this past Saturday, and sounded pretty good despite the time apart. I watched along on the livestream on YouTube, mostly because I’m not hip enough to spend a weekend in the desert (or, more accurately, my hips wouldn’t survive a weekend at a festival), and was hopeful that it would be a grand return.

I did get a little worried at the start, as they opened with “Hella Good,” which had some Hella Bad sound quality – something I chalked up to them starting on a stage extension that was separate from the main stage. Once they got back to the stage, however, it was all old school Orange County.

Gwen was a foul-mouthed OC Gen X brat, and the rest of the boys rocked out as a group that had been going strong for years, bopping and bouncing around the stage like they did 30 years ago (yes, it’s been that long). Olivia Rodrigo was a pleasant surprise on stage, and she looked excited to be there, and fit right in with the SoCal vibe.

I only had one major quibble: When she introduced “Just A Girl,” Gwen mentioned that the song seems more relevant that it ever has … and then she just left it there. I get not wanting to alienate any fans, but it wouldn’t hurt to use the platform to encourage all the women in her audience to be informed and – if they agree to the sentiment of the song - get out the vote. If not, it seems like there are some that would like her words “Oh, I'm just a girl, living in captivity; Your rule of thumb makes me worrisome” become the law of the land.

QUICK HITS: Wrestlemania 40 was amazing, top-to-bottom. Yes, I watch WWE. And the product has become one worth watching. The stories make sense, they follow logic, and the performers are putting on great shows, worthy of returning the phrase “pro wrestling” to the lexicon instead of “sports entertainment.”

* The Arizona Coyotes are apparently headed to Salt Lake City for next season. Yeah, it’s time for the NHL to get the team out of the 4,600-seat college arena, and into something more appropriate. Not that Salt Lake City’s Delta Center is a perfect location (it was built for basketball – hockey games there aren’t well lit in the corners), but it at least is a professional facility that will be able to better handle the demands that professional hockey places on its arenas.

* The former president’s trial starts today. If you thought your jury summons was inconvenient, can you imagine what the people reporting in New York are dealing with as they show up to the courthouse for their public service? I wish them well.

Maybe, just maybe, they're not all out to get you

 

The thing about today’s instant satisfaction world of 24/7 news and social media websites is that everyone thinks that there has to be a conclusion right now.

Or right now.

Or now.

Dangnabit, why not now?

What is taking so long?

OK, so I drove the point into the ground. But that seems to be the general feeling out there. We have to make declarative statements about what has happened before we really know what has happened.

The latest case in point is the cargo ship crash that took down the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland. Even before 24 hours had passed, there were people shouting from the rooftops that this had to have been some sort of terrorist attack. Or it had to be because the company was too woke because of its diversity. Or … insert whatever other conspiracy theory you want to throw in here.

 I got a novel idea: How about we let the investigators investigate and then tell us what actually happened? Can we do that?

Yeah, I know that will take time, and the result won’t be as sexy as some conspiracy theory that you absolutely know was true no matter what those deep state cops find. But maybe let’s let them do a little bit of the job before we start jumping to conclusions.

Anyway, if this was some terrorist inside job, let’s just say I haven’t heard of many terrorists sending out Mayday calls to warn the victims of their attack that the attack is imminent to try and save lives. Just sayin’.

Or, maybe, people just don’t want to know the truth – and that’s even more frustrating. The truth gets in the way of their worldview, and having someone screaming at you online that it was an inside job is much easier to deal with than having to find out that maybe there isn’t a deep state controlling things or that one side is out to get the other (no matter what side you’re on).

Look, I’m not above having conspiratorial thoughts about things in the news (and there was an event pretty recently that my conspiracy flag was ready to fly). I just generally keep them to myself because I really don’t know the truth. Is what I’m thinking plausible? Sure. But is it likely? Well, let’s let it play out a little bit before we start crowing about it.

But let’s look beyond what happened in Maryland to the long-term picture. The Key Bridge is relatively new in the grand scheme of things, having opened in my lifetime. But when it was built, I’m betting that the cargo ships that used that waterway were not the size they are today. The margin of error in steering under the bridge has probably become much smaller. And if you were paying attention to the news, this is the THIRD time a ship has hit a bridge this year across the world. Also, don’t forget we’ll be hearing about supply chain issues again sooner than later, since that is a big hub for the east coast. Get your toilet paper now.

So do all your friends on social media a favor and take off your tin-foil hats. Be engaged with trusted news sites and turn off the Youtube or TikTok “expert” who is shouting that it HAS to be true because if they really knew it was true, you’d be seeing the “expert” being interviewed by someone besides themselves shouting into their selfie camera.

 

An Open Letter to Starbucks

Dear Sirs,

 

Why is there caffeine in your frozen lemonades?

 

Did I miss it all these years where caffeine was a natural part of lemonade? Sugar, sure. But caffeine? I was pretty sure that wasn’t a part of the equation. Even the add ins for your pineapple passion fruit version of the drink – dried pineapples and strawberry puree – don’t sound like they should add in the 50 milligrams of caffeine for a grande (medium) that your online nutrition facts say that the drink has.

 

Fifty milligrams, by the way, is more than a 12 ounce can of Diet Pepsi (35 mg). I guess I should be glad, it’s still less than a Red Bull (111 mg) or Monster (86 mg).

 

Why do I bring this up? Well, first off, it’s personal. I, along with many (many) other Americans, have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. And one of the big things that cardiologists tell you to do when you have AFib is to cut back on (or, preferably, cut out) caffeine. I started dialing back my intake of caffeine until I had my stroke, and then I just stopped drinking diet colas in general.

 

But secondly, have you noticed an uptick of otherwise seemingly healthy people having more issues than they have in the past? Senator John Fetterman had his stroke not long after I did. I’ve had other friends who have had brushes with similar issues. And Bronny James and his cardiac event? Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if he has had his share of your drinks (along with other energy drinks) in his lifetime.

 

Look, I get it – it’s not your job to police what we put in our bodies. But let’s face it, you have families lining up to get drinks from your establishment. I’ve seen kids as young as 8 (probably younger) walking out with the calorie bomb Frappuccinos you sell, most of which are loaded down with enough caffeine to replace an energy drink.

 

But selling a frozen lemonade doesn’t need to be one of those drinks, does it? I mean, lemonade is lemon juice, water, and sugar (or other sweetener), right? On a hot day, a frozen treat like that should be refreshing – not something that gets us a caffeine fix.

 

Anyway, thanks.

Box Scores? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Box Scores!

My first newspaper job was as a sports agate clerk. 

(Agate, for those of you at home, refers in printing as a roughly 5½-point font size. Roughly 1/16th of an inch. Your normal writing program defaults at 11 or 12 point, so it would be something printed at half the size of what you see when writing a formal paper or letter.) 

It was my job at the daily Anaheim Bulletin to compile all the day’s box scores, standings, and other sports statistics into the space designated for that day (usually a half of a page). I did my best every day to make sure we had every game in there, and always found room for at least some of the daily transactions. One of my favorite things to do was to make sure the most obscure things would get in there whenever I could. World Team Tennis, sure. Indoor soccer, definitely. Hockey, always (remember, this is 1990, we’re talking about). 

The agate page was always one of the pages I looked at daily as a youngster when I’d grab the newspaper at home. I read the paper daily. Sure, it was the sports section and comics, but I was at least looking at the paper. As a young sports fan, the agate section was where you went to check on your favorite teams and players, and how they were doing on a daily basis. And if the paper had room to run daily updates on how the roster was stacking up statistically, even better. 

So, yeah, count me among the disappointed to see the Los Angeles Times drop its agate completely. Ditto, the New York Times cutting its sports department and ceding control of it to The Athletic. (Side bonus, I realized that I have access to The Athletic through my NYT subscription.) 

Disappointed, yes. Surprised, no. 

Think about it. Where are you reading my opinion column about this? A blog post online, either from your laptop, desktop, or handheld computer (or smart phone, whatever). With that device, you can look up any box score of any game on any myriad of sites on the internet. And they’ll probably have highlights and advanced statistics and a full write-up for you, too. All in the palm of your hand. And all of it without getting ink stains on your fingers. 

Of course, that’s the point. Holding and reading the paper is a tactile experience that can’t be replicated by looking at a box online. For example, I really wanted to read the book Ready Player One (and Two), but I really didn’t feel like I had the time to do it. Instead, I got them both as audio books, so that I could listen to them while I worked out. Only problem was that I never was able to get into the flow of the book that way. So I went ahead and bought the two books, and had them read in the span of two weeks. 

What this boils down to is that the population of people who are actually reading a physical paper is dwindling. Generation X is probably the last that grew up with the newspaper, and knowing the importance it carried in our day-to-day life. But as the years have gone on, the importance of the newspaper has declined at a steady pace, to the point we reached this weekend, with the elimination of sports agate, and a sports staff. 

And it’s not going to get better – ever. 

Just wait – the daily print edition of most newspapers is going to be next. And probably sooner than any of us are willing to admit.