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Author: Alan C. Miller

  • Welcome to Al’s Corner – “Pouring Gasoline on the Dumpster Fire of Davis Politics” – April 2023

    image from www.sparkysonestop.com

    Welcome to April, fools.

    Al's Corner is about free speech.  Especially speech you don't like.  If you delete posts because you don't like them, you're an asshole. 

    If the shoe fits, wear it.  On your asshole.  An asshole shoe.  Do they come in pairs?

    Bon Ami says, "Hasn't Scratched Yet".  At Al's Corner we say, "Haven't Moderated Yet".  Though some day we will, but it will be on principals, not politics.  Someone blatantly violates the rules.  But unlike 'Disappearing Donny', we'll let you know what you did wrong, not simply disappear your comment into a progressive void.  (Full Disclosure:  I once had to moderate one of my own comments – and yes, I did inform myself of it.)

    The 'topic' for this month is "Stomping Davis, Crushing Locales".

    Based on a March 30th comment in the Davis Vanguard by Dave Hart:  "I’m tired of the emotional and knee jerk negative reaction of those, particularly on the fringe of town next to proposed new development. I would love to see these locales get crushed and I’m starting to feel that way about Davis. I can’t believe I’m saying it, but yeah, we need to be stomped on for being so intransigent and narrow."

    Crush & Stomp your fellow citizens, those usual suspects, so intransigent and narrow.  Oh Davis YIMBYs!

    Carry on . . .

  • Welcome to Al’s Corner – “Pouring Gasoline on the Dumpster Fire of Davis Politics” – March 2023

    image from www.sparkysonestop.com

    March, like February, starts early at Al's Corner.  We'll start off trashing the Davis Vanguard, as common a theme on Al's Corner as housing articles on the Davis Vanguard.  Recently posted:

    Walter Shwe February 26, 2023 at 6:00 pm

    Has anyone at Davis Vanguard lately tried to comment on an article or replied to a prior comment on an iPhone? The experience is atrocious. Articles always load slowly except late at night. Ads interfere with the top page buttons, particularly the Login button. Most importantly to you the Donate button is inaccessible. Earlier today I had to login by first tapping the Register button. Will anyone at Davis Vanguard ever fix these frustrating issues? I realize that ads help pay for site costs, but this is simply ridiculous.

    Moderator February 26, 2023 at 6:26 pm

    We’ll forward this comment to the webmaster and then remove it in a few hours. Thanks for your feedback.

    Funny, myself and I believe RO and KO all pointed out that since the Vanguard added Newsy and other advertising that it has become an annoying, almost unusable piece of sh*t, and most especially on a phone, where you might as well drop your phone in the toilet and flush.  But no, we were ignored.  Maybe because we also, in not so many words, or maybe in so many words, also called the content of the DV sh*t also.   But hey, you should listen to your critics, because we know what is best for you.  But no, y'all wait until a fan-of-the- blog points out the very same thing.  Good going.

    And one bit of housekeeping to our thousands or hundreds or tens or single-digits or negative-number of fans:  In February we ran over the previously-unknown-to-me 100 comment limit.  This caused a "Page 2" to be created that many did not find, and missed brilliant commentary.  To find Page 2, either dig up the corpse of Paul Harvey, or scroll to the bottom of Page 1 and click on the "Newer >>>" button.   Yeehaw

    Happy Early March Everyone!  Happy Easter!  Happy Passover!  Happy Good Friday, if that is a happy holy day otherwise maybe a solemn one!  And then there are other holidays for all the people of the world and I am now going to list them all and celebrate all of them . . . or not!

  • ChatGPT is Woke

    Two articles today in the Davis Vanguard about ChatGPT. 

    But ChatGPT is woke:

    ChatGPT goes woke!

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11646463/Conservatives-test-AI-ChatGPT-uses-responses-prove-going-woke.html

    One quote:

    "Developing anything, software or not, requires compromise and making choices, political choices, about who a system will work for and whose values it will represent."

    I certainly don't agree with some of the political views used as examples in the article, but clearly a political bias is shown when the machine calls out writing about subjects as being 'inappropriate'.  If you can't see how this could so easily be manipulated by whomever is in power, you aren't being real about the concerns.

  • Welcome to Al’s Corner – “Pouring Gasoline on the Dumpster Fire of Davis Politics” – February 2023

    image from www.sparkysonestop.com

    February starts early at Al's Corner !  To kick off the month, here are some ground rules:  at Al's Corner, you are welcome to make (judged by some others to be) glib comments that you think are humorous in regard to articles pertaining to tragic situations !   See below:

    (more…)

  • Gavvy’s Delusions

    Regarding Mass Shootings:

    Gavvy Newsom: <i> "What the hell is wrong with us? Society becomes how we behave. We’ve allowed this to happen. It doesn’t have to be this way. It wasn’t always this way. Decades ago it wasn’t this way. We’ve allowed this to happen.” </i>

    Us who? We who?

    (more…)

  • Welcome to Al’s Corner – “Pouring Gasoline on the Dumpster Fire of Davis Politics” – January 2023

    image from www.sparkysonestop.com

    I woke up this New Year's morning and the Davis Vanguard wouldn't load.  I thought God had smiled down upon me and Davis and our civic nightmare was over — The Davis Vanguard was GONE!!! 

    But a couple of hours later it loaded again.  Shit.

    God fails again.

    So I would wish you all a Happy New Year, but why?

    But is there hope?  I dunno, I got some letter from an anonymous sender referencing articles in the "California Globe" from October 2021 and April 2022.  Seriously, I don't know who sent it to me, but they knew my mailing address.  The article they referenced seems to refer to:

    New IRS Complaint Against Non-Profit Davis Vanguard News Service

    By Katy Grimes, October 22, 2021 3:35 pm

    New IRS Complaint Against Non-Profit Davis Vanguard News Service

    AND . . .

    Attorney Says Non-Profit Davis Vanguard News Service ‘Continues to Violate’ Despite IRS Complaint

    By Katy Grimes, April 22, 2022 10:33 am

    Attorney Says Non-Profit Davis Vanguard News Service ‘Continues to Violate’ Despite IRS Complaint

    Each is subtitled:  "It is unfair and illegal for the Vanguard to receive tax-free status and revenue to develop a website and then use that website to campaign for/against certain candidate".  The cover letter for the anonymous letter has just one sentence in a sea of white:  "Why Isn't Anyone Reporting on This?"

    So what the hell is this? Doesn't the attorney so-named know that unless someone actually sues and wins, or the IRS takes action, there is no determination of legality?  And doesn't the sender realize that someone named Katy Grimes is, indeed, reporting on this — so the assertion that no one is reporting on this is refuted on the next page.  But maybe they mean — in Davis?

    And then it occurred to me, the letter wasn't anonymously sent:  maybe there was no sender.  No human sender.  The letter may have been 'immaculately sent', if you will.  Yes, God Almighty Its-Self has chosen me to post this information on Al's Corner!!!  God has chosen ME to Save Davis!!!

    God, I'm honored.  I will obey.

    Maybe it will be a half-decent 2023 after all 😐

       [See "Pages" –> "Al's Corner – What It Is" for Rulez.]

  • End of Year Gag Gifts

    Screen Shot 2022-12-30 at 1.31.30 PM

     

     

     

     

     

     

    I tried to give the Davis Vanguard 1¢, like a tip for bad service — in this case bad writing, bad logic and bad ideas.  But the minimum donation was $1.  Hell if I'm giving the Vanguard a whole dollar.  They will use it for something I don't believe in.

    Also on the way to the Vanguard office, a box of gifts including a nose-hair trimmer, a bathroom scale, a 3-pack of cheap white underwear, a bright-red MAGA-hat, a small bottle of Pine-Sol, and a hand-crank jack-in-the-box kids toy that plays "Pop Goes the Weasel".

    Happy New Year to all the people of Davis who think the Davis Vanguard is a piece of crap!

    –Al's Corner

  • Welcome to Al’s Corner – “Pouring Gasoline on the Dumpster Fire of Davis Politics” – Volume #16 [Vaguely Mixed PC Holiday Edition]

    image from www.sparkysonestop.com

    Marginally enjoyable holidays from Al's Corner 😐     . . .       'Tis the season to be an a-hole. 

    Express your inner a-hole at Al's Corner!

       [See "Pages" –> "Al's Corner – What It Is" for Rulez.]

  • Welcome to Al’s Corner – “Pouring Gasoline on the Dumpster Fire of Davis Politics” – Volume #15 [Thanksgiving Edition]

    image from www.sparkysonestop.com

    Let's all gather around the Al's Corner Thanksgiving table and give thanks that Al's Corner provides a place to moan & complain about what is stupid in Davis.

    Let the complaining begin!

       [See "Pages" –> "Al's Corner – What It Is" for Rulez.]

  • Pancakes & Politics Discussion – Saturday 10/29 @9:15 a.m. – The 7 Propositions – Wake Up!

    Wake up!

    Al's Corner Presents

    A Pancakes & Politics Production

    November 2022 Election – The Seven Propositions

    A Discussion Pop-Up Event

    Saturday, October 29th (yeah in a few hours!  Wake up!)

    Delta of Venus (front patio)

    (B Street between 1st & 2nd Streets)

    9:15 a.m. (gather) – 9:30 a.m. (start) – 10:17 a.m. (punches thrown) – 11:00 a.m. (leave)

    As with any P&P, please don't come with the idea of converting people to your point of view.  The idea is to take 10-15 minutes per proposition, look up the arguments on both sides on our smart phones, discuss, and maybe take a straw poll.

    With district elections, discussing council candidates seems futile and there's plenty been said in local media.  Higher office candidates?  Well, #yawn#.  But at the end we can talk a few minutes about any candidates that anyone wants to bring up — if you insist 😕

    Do at least buy a fancy coffee drink and maybe a full breakfast from Delta of Venus to support our wonderful local alternative coffee shop and pay the 'rent'.  We'll sit outside because, Covid-19, even though I got Covid-19 outside and Biden declared the pandemic over so what does it matter?

    If you wish to stand on the sidewalk with a "Al's Corner Sucks [insert large mammal] Balls" sign, please feel welcome.  If we are near the sidewalk you can even join in the discussion.  But please — No barricade hurling and no pepper spraying.   And no blaming extremists on the 'other side'.

    Pardon the late notice; I suck at getting in front of things.  So I might be eating breakfast just me and my voter guide.  But come ye zero or one or come ye 50, all welcome to join in the cerebral festivities.

    C-Ya,

    Al of Al's Corner