09.30.08
Posted in Politics
at 9:02 pm
I originally posted the following letter on the Facebook only, but since I received so many compliments, I’ve decided to post it here for you:
Good evening Jane, this is Mike Roberto of Hermosa Beach again.
I am quite disappointed that you voted in favor of this morning’s bailout bill. I am, however, pleased that a majority of your peers were wiser than you, saw through this Unconstitutional bill of criminal support, and voted it down.
It has become clear to me that you do not understand basic macroeconomics, and since this is our most pressing issue, I cannot vote for you or support you in any way.
I highly recommend that you find time to sit down with Congressman Ron Paul and have him explain to you the disaster that your policies have caused. You are supporting an unjust system which has devalued our currency by 95% since 1913, and you are supporting bills which will cause even more damage to your constituents.
It is not too late for you to understand responsible fiscal policy and to bring US Government spending back under control. Please re-consider your policies.
Sincerely,
Mike
One comment was from my good friend, Lon, who said:
This nut also happens to be responsible for HR 1955 (Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007). Vote BERTO for CA district 36 in 2010!
I cannot believe that I never put two and two together. MY representative is the person who created HR 1955 (Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007), which is essentially a vague and intrusive “thought crime bill” that criminalizes protesting and dissenting from the government’s ideas if you have an “extremist belief system”, which of course is undefined.
It is unconstitutional and violates our right to free speech, and it was written right here on my home turf — in a place where no majority of constituents would even support it!
Lon also had a good write-up of this bill that you can read here.
This now brings up the scary part - there are no third-party candidates running in this district! It’s just Jane and THIS guy. I can understand not having a Libertarian or Constitutional candidate, but no Green Party candidate here either? What a sad state of affairs.
Mike Roberto for CA 36th District 2010, indeed?!
Permalink
09.11.08
Posted in Life, The Universe, and Everything, Rants, Sports
at 10:16 pm
Two years ago, I wrote the first-ever post on mikeroberto.com: Fellow Buckeyes - So You Wanna Visit Austin?. This posting was passed around many discussion forums and groups of people, and has yielded 6,370 hits over the course of time. The average person stays for 6 minutes, and 20% of visitors go on to read something else on my blog.
I loved Austin and wanted to share my joy (and contempt) for the city. I received a lot of good and bad press due to my comments. I learned that when writing, you are putting yourself out there — you need to be thick-skinned and stick to your guns.
Since then, I moved to Hermosa Beach in the South Bay area of Los Angeles to start a new life chapter. I can honestly say that with the possible exception of the 2002 football season or the entire 2004 school year at Ohio State, I’ve never been a happier person. I love life, I love where I live, and I love what I do on a daily basis.
The thing is, I no longer have anything to prove to you. I don’t care if you have a good or bad time in LA. I don’t care if you go to Hollywood when you really should be checking out the South Bay and parts of Orange County.
So many people in the Midwest have never visited LA (or CA for that matter), but still had to share their opinions that I shouldn’t come here. They think it’s a horrible place because “they’ve heard”. They heard there were too many mean people. Rude drivers. High crime, gays, drug abusers, etc.
Rather than listen to the uninformed, sheltered Midwestern masses, I came and experienced. It took me three weekends, but I found the spot in this big city where I could get along. Sure there are bad elements - it is a big city after all - but that’s why you shop around.
So I am not going to write a guide on what to do here. There are plenty of places to find that out, such as yelp.com or the OSU and USC message boards.
Instead, I’m going to tell you a bit about the South Bay, the area where I live in LA.
That first year in LA is rough — if you don’t approach it right, it will eat you alive. If you don’t get active in some sort of productive scene, you will perish. If you are a slug and don’t latch onto the energy, you will get kicked to the curb and turn into a nobody.
For me, the scene that brought me into this fold of energy and activity was beach volleyball. It is definitely the best way to meet normal people out here. It has given LA such a small-town feel for me. You can’t just go out to bars here and expect to meet quality people.
I don’t know why, but when I moved here, I didn’t expect there to be so much partying. Instead, I learned that down here, nobody grows up. There are 35 year olds partying harder than I did as a 25 year old. Nobody gets married. Everyone is dating 4 other people. There is always something going on. Everyone is beautiful and in good shape. It is an adult playground. IT IS COMPETITIVE.
This competition is scary, but don’t let it scare you off. You must step up your game here, in all aspects of the word. You must adapt to the energy. For me, it brought my fight and drive back. It has brought my social skills to new levels.
Californians are a different breed. I still don’t understand them, but let me tell you, they love to talk. At first, I thought they were trying to get something out of me, but then I learned to relax — all they want is a nice Midwestern ear to fill. When everyone talks and is hopped up on 8 cups of coffee, they will fall in love with a listener.
Despite the ridiculous amounts of stimulant-enriched energetic people here, they’re still super laid back. I love it, it’s the best of both worlds.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, PEOPLE ARE NICE.
In my Austin post, I talked about how dumb some Texans were. While true, let me tell you, I had no clue what I was in for in LA. What’s ridiculous is the diversity here - you might be walking down the street with one guy next to you who has got to be the biggest idiot on the planet, and on your other side is literally a brilliant rocket scientist. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. There is no range like this anywhere else.
Everyone in LA is a goddamned real estate expert.
The way I see it, there are only two reasons to move to LA:
1. To be by the ocean
2. To get into “the industry”
I personally see no point to living in the Inland Empire, especially if renting. I also see no reason how people live by the beach/ocean but never use them.
The traffic is awful. I stay off the highways and schedule my life around it. I don’t see how people sit in traffic every day like lemmings. Is this really what we want to be doing with our lives?
Rude drivers? I don’t know, I haven’t really seen it. I’ve never had a time when people would not let me into a lane. I’m rarely cut off by a madman on the loose. Sure, if you sit at the intersection playing on your stupid phone, you will get honked at quicker than in Texas. But there’s a lot of cars out here and we need you moving your ass on green. I have no problem honking when people deserve it, but it doesn’t happen as much as I would have thought.
The highways. It’s not Route 405, or 405. It’s THE 405. Almost like it’s THE Ohio State University, except you say “thuh” and not “thee”. The best explanation I’ve heard for having “The” in front of all of the highways is that each highway has its own very unique personality and thus becomes a proper noun. I personally love it.
I’m not into most LA clothing style. I hate the black print shirts, I hate straight brimmed hats, I hate plaid shorts, I hate high black socks, I hate sagging, and I hate that stupid ass piece of facial hair under your lower lip.
Most of the styles mentioned above are what all the “bros” wear. Unless you are one of my best friends out here, I am NOT your “bro”. I am a dude, or a man.
The heavy metal shows out here are weak as balls.
I have caught myself saying “gnarly”. I plan on keeping this one, just like I occasionally bust out a “y’all” still.
Californians like to say “no worries”. I rarely catch myself saying it, I’m just a “no problem” kind of guy.
I don’t know a damned thing about Hollywood. Don’t ask me about it, and don’t expect me to take you there when you visit, because I don’t go there unless I have a concert to attend. It’s out of my “bubble”, or my small LA geographical area of interest. It’s a pain to get there and it’s not my scene. I’m sure a Buckeye in Hollywood could write an equally interesting rant with a completely different theme… but I prefer to stay by the beach and play with dolphins.
I am falling in love with the Pacific Ocean. Sometimes she lets me ride on her shoulder, other times she beats the piss out of me. It will be tough to leave her — and I’m not sure if I ever will — I don’t make plans like that anymore. No plans.
Californians seem to drink more soda than pop. Unlike other Buckeyes, I don’t fight for “pop”. I just order a Diet Coke — why bother with vagaries?
Girls who’ve lived out here all their life hate the “transplants”, especially other girls. Those are the girls who give LA a bad name. They come out here and try to become something they’re not. They begin to FLAKE.
… and “flaking” is a big problem out here. You can make plans with some people, and have no clue who will really show up. I tend to quickly remove flakes from my life, so it doesn’t bother me too much anymore. Two or three flakes and you’re a goner. I have too many other girls chasing me to care.
Yes, the girls do chase out here. Maybe my game is just that much better, but I don’t think that’s all. If you are a girl and you don’t chase, your mating prospects will be harder. But don’t chase too hard, because that’s a turn-off too. The tables have certainly turned.
Everyone loves the environment. I now recycle like a fiend and love it. I swim in that ocean, put your garbage somewhere else.
If you’re tight on time, don’t get a Californian hybrid owner talking about their hybrid. You might still be there through sunrise.
Despite the enormous Aerospace industry out here, don’t bother talking politics if you’re a neocon. You won’t like what you find. Liberals and third-parties can get along just fine.
Gas is expensive. But not as expensive as Europe, so quit bitching. GM is really regretting killing the EV1 though. Don’t mention that to the guys in Torrance who developed the drive train for it though.
Tattoos run rampant. Especially the full-arm sleeve ones. Kind of scary, but kind of cool too. Don’t expect to see me with one anytime soon though.
If I can’t wear flip flops and a T-shirt (preferably my new Iron Maiden one), I’m not coming.
Sand is EVERYWHERE. I can’t get it out of my bed. I flew home to Cleveland and it ended up in my bed there too - I think I transported it with my ears and belly button. After enough volleyball, you eventually just give up and get used to rolling around in sand.
Sushi is on every corner. Everyone has their own favorite hole-in-the-wall Sushi spot that they love and everyone else hates. Those are fun.
Unlike Texas, good pizza CAN be found out here. It’s still difficult though.
Nobody seems to care about Arnold anymore.
Lastly,
Ohio State - 21
USC - 20
Ohio State goes undefeated, and loses the BCS National Championship to Georgia.
Have fun!
Permalink
Last year I said European Death Metal was dead? Think again.
Chuck Billy recovers from freaking cancer, Alex Skolnick re-joins the band for the first time since 1992, and the gods of Thrash put out some of the best weightlifting music you’ll hear anytime soon.
It is now quite clear to me that Steven Wilson is the greatest all-around musician on this earth. Here’s a guy who goes to a church in Mexico, sits down at the piano, and writes possibly the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard… out of thin air.
You can consider this “Nevermore Lite”. Warrel Dane’s first solo album doesn’t stray too far from his other music, but it’s a formula that works and 10 times better than anything Nevermore’s done lately. The cover of Lucretia My Reflection is phenomenal.
Finally a great prog metal album! Good hooks, solid vocals, and a perfect speed. They even cover Michael Sembello’s She’s a Maniac - LOL!
Soft, unique music with female vocals. There’s no way to describe it, it’s a bit weird but completely original and catchy. Check out a few clips.
Billy said,
01.01.09 at 6:49 pm
Berto,
I have only heard of 2 or 3 of these bands. If it is not on Guitar Zero I don’t listen to it.
Good seeing you over Christmas.
Go Bucks, who are you rooting for?