Disqus - Latest Comments for jraq

Re: Lose The Spare Tire With Just Two Exercises

jraq — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 21:04:10 -0000

I am a 33 year old retired photojournalist for the Air Force with a fair amount of physical training experience. After deciding that I didn't want my beer gut to get any bigger; I joined a gym, and started running long distances three times a week, all of which eventually led to me playing soccer on an indoor soccer league, (even ran a few amateur races.) Sad thing was it had almost no effect on my stomach. I wasn't interested in developing some tedious regiment or focusing too much time or energy on just one problem area. After three years of little progress. I eventually quit the gym stopped running and kind of gave up. In that time I found skateboarding again (not longboarding or some other soft form of the sport) and started seeing almost immediate results. After dropping over 20 pounds of fat with almost no kind of committed effort to weight loss, I then bought a door jam chin up bar as I was also losing muscle from burning so many calories. I'm now back up to 185 lbs with a 32 inch waist (down 4 pant sizes) which at 6 feet tall is just about where I want to be. Moral of the story is you don't need an elaborate or difficult program to change you're body in a drastic way; forget about any routine you have to force yourself to keep up, just to find yourself a healthful activity you truly love and keep at it.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | Goat found hog-tied in trunk of Nissan Sentra

jraq — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:10:09 -0000

Yeah there names would denote that they are the descendants of Western Europeans most likely from the region of Spain or Portugal.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | Allegedly drunk man arrested on suspicion of vandalism

jraq — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:18:08 -0000

At least he wasn't high on Marijuana.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | Live Oak assistant principal to be arraigned on domestic violence charge

jraq — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:54:48 -0000

Why? Seriously, why did you think Morgan Hill was better than this? I've lived in and around Morgan Hill almost 30 years and it's ALWAYS been a bigoted, frightened, ignorant, violent, isolationist community. The community leaders take great efforts to paint a different picture to tourists and incoming residents, but I don't see much significant change. Nothing has gotten worse that's for sure, this has always been a relatively small frustrated country town, with few accessible resources. In fact the only thing that has changed is a small, select populations ability to hide from what has always been present. Well, hopefully there are still some small towns out there that would meet the stringent criteria of moral and ethnic superiority of our frustrated citizens somewhere far, far, away; most likely in Arizona.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | Live Oak assistant principal to be arraigned on domestic violence charge

jraq — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 22:52:33 -0000

Yeah, well said. You are totally right, it was way better when the conservatives were in power and you didn't need to mess with facts or evidence or even a trial to convict and destroy somebody or inversely to set them free. It brings up an interesting point, I mean Oliver North ran for Senate. Nobody cares what the facts or the story are. Way to see through the bull. Oh, and I just wanted to say if your writing skills are an indicator of the efforts of the Morgan Hill school systems I can see why you're so pissed.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | Councilwoman Lee announces run for mayor

jraq — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 10:42:00 -0000

In my limited interactions with the city council it was clear that Marby Lee was the least willing to listen to the views of those people she didn't agree with. In regards to managing the recreation services; she seemed to almost take delight in limiting access to the Morgan Hill Skatepark, which was paid for by all of the residents of the community, (not just the elderly) when the behavior of a few individuals rubbed her the wrong way. I agree that the city council has a number of internal issues to work through; however it was clear just from the grimacing facial reactions of the other council members to her often confused perspectives that Ms. Lee does not posses the tools to manage those issues.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | 31st Mushroom Mardi Gras attracts record crowds

jraq — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 19:18:26 -0000

How can the police report there were no criminal incidents if somebody got shot just hours after the festival, a block away? Yeah and it wasn't the earthquake that leveled San Francisco in 1906; it was a fire...right. As a long time resident, I often wonder if it's the town that's changing or people's willingness to ignore the obvious. Well, if ignorance is bliss than this must be heaven.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | MH man arrested for annoying girl

jraq — Tue, 25 May 2010 21:19:41 -0000

You can thank Ronald Reagan for that one. During his presidency he bowed to special interest groups along with economic pressures of the time to be part of an overall effort to realign the political economy to be more profitable for business.
Cuts in funding for mental health services continued throughout the 1980s, with the emphasis being on the provision of services via the private sector. Overall, the number of beds available to the mentally ill in public and private hospitals dropped over forty percent between 1970 and 1984 (Reamer, 1989). Most of this decline was due to cuts in public hospitals. During the 1980s, the number of beds provided by general hospitals in psychiatric wards and in private hospitals for the mentally ill increased. In 1970, there were 150 private psychiatric centers; in 1980, there were 184; by 1988, there were 450 in the United States. General hospitals offering psychiatric services increased from 1,259 in 1984 to over two thousand in 1988 (Reamer, 1989, 25; LaFond and Durham, 1992, 115-16). With such growth in the private sector, there were substantial profits to be made in mental illness, assuming that the patient had adequate health insurance. Those without medical insurance frequently did not receive adequate care.
So in short; a clearly ill man will be shuffled through our penal system with the burden falling on the state government. Hey, but this way at least the Sheriffs and the private prisons get there cut. Sound's good for America.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | Life's lessons learned the hard way

jraq — Sun, 16 May 2010 11:28:10 -0000

Lets never forget; Nazi was short for Nationalist party. The tea party act and sound like loyalists, but play at being revolutionaries on t.v. I guess you can't blame em' though; I would be angry and confused If I was to find out my president was a Muslim terrorist, soon after realizing George W. Bush wasn't Jesus. What terror must live in your heart to get normal looking white teenage boys to dress up in granpa's patriotic bermuda shorts. Forget the Mexican population, I would be worried about the gay population at live oak staging a violent fashion intervention. Seriously if your gonna make a statement on television, remember; your on television. Hey at least the 70 and up republican set think you look good, (and hey, what young guy isn't looking for a lady with a little experience, right...right?). Heroic. Heroic. Oh and boys if any republican senators or congressman try to invite you back to the compound to show there appreciation for your uh, patriotism. There is a thriving market for assistants and young pages out in Washington. It could be the beginning of a whole new life for you, filled with balls and banquets and pagentery and flags, and flags and more flags till your heart bursts with love.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | 10 MH employees receive pink slips

jraq — Sat, 15 May 2010 13:01:14 -0000

Thing can't be that bad, right? Well at least the city still has the loose cash money to staff an empty BMX park (when its not locked up), paying $12 an hour, which translates to about $20 to the city when all is said and done. I mean do we really need police officers? And for that matter who needs a recreation director when you have multi-million dollar facilities like the aquatic center or the community center; if the services are priced just out of the means of your community, leaving them vacant, they pretty much run themselves.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | Editorial: Graffiti costs the community money, devalues property

jraq — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:32:31 -0000

...actually "Do the Right Thing"; a film about when people who think that they are in control, find out what time it is. For an example you might find easier to relate to check out the Matt Dillon film "Over The Edge", it's based on a true story about a small Northern California community whose teenagers turn on the adults and each other after their needs and interests are ignored. Its actually a pretty scary film wherein a bunch of white suburban kids feel so alienated and ignored that after an over-handed attempt by local authorities to shut the rowdy kids up, the same kids start taking up arms, attacking adults; ultimately resulting in the burning down of the local community center along with cop cars and private property. Hey, and if that doesn't frighten you check out the growing number of incidents in suburban white Great Britain where 14 and 15 year old kids are hanging out in front of McDonalds, or Ye Olde Fish and Chips, or whatever, stalking and attacking anyone vulnerable looking over thirty just for the rush. Hopefully you find some of these new examples useful to you in your investigation of life on earth. Oh and to answer your question more succinctly not every one who lives in the country was born in the country; and you don't have to go to jail to understand the streets or in this case; the bored, rowdy and unsophisticated youth of this community.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | Editorial: Graffiti costs the community money, devalues property

jraq — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:30:18 -0000

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | Editorial: Graffiti costs the community money, devalues property

jraq — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:34:17 -0000

Those that talk don't know; those that know don't talk.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | With raises intact, city ponders layoffs

jraq — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:41:13 -0000

Well, times can't be too tough for the city if they still have the funds to staff an empty skate park while purchasing huge plots of land for Pumpkin Farming? Who knows, maybe if you add up all the additional revenue generated by the new court house and the gavilan extension powering our downtown businesses; plus our new incoming euro plaza the city should be rolling in it. This is gonna be awesome. Who needs city planning when you've got faith and foresight like that.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | Highest quality of films since inception of festival in 2004

jraq — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:28:46 -0000

So, wait there is no organized theme or purpose for the film festival; just hoping, that people show up huh? I think the way this is supposed to work is that you host a festival to present what the organizers believe to be a great or at least focused selection of films to bring attention to films as they move towards being distributed, or to focus a light on subject matter or technique that is otherwise beyond the scope of Hollywood or mainstream media. I don't know, I guess I just don't see how showing a bunch of unknown films to people who don't really care that much about film in the first place, will help to bring any of the lasting excitement or revenue to or our stifled town that is predicted, (oh and if you feel that comment was undeserved just look to the marquee at our local movie theater to see what type of cinematic fare the people of Morgan Hill are actually interested, in supporting.) Why won't this community look to the needs and want's of it's citizens rather than the hopes and distant dreams of our detached retiree's, the city council and there accountant's.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | Parisian streetscape envisioned

jraq — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:14:53 -0000

Wow, I guess none of the designers have ever been to Paris before? Maybe Paris, Texas? No matter, with a little wax and a lot of determination the town looks to have a new, free skatepark! The best part is that the city is right on schedule to have all the intrusive cops and drunks out of the way by midnight, which leaves plenty of time for late night drinking and skating. Finally the city gets something right.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | Where have all our heroes gone

jraq — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:19:10 -0000

You know there has been a long standing well accepted Hollywood rumor that the duke was also a cross dressing homosexual. The guy was an actor; an actor who played a slew of rugged, tough heroic characters, but characters nonetheless. It would do this country well to stay away from the golden images Hollywood has created, as they are commercial fantasies. I'm pretty sure the last thing this country needs are more confused men doing their best impressions of a hero; what we really need is to collectively start thinking about what it means to be a hero, and how we can put ourselves in the picture.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | Council to mull skate park user fee, staffing

jraq — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:30:55 -0000

Yeah, well at least I don't have to lie to have to something to say.
Just face it, it's not your problem. Just for your sake, I would like you to know I don't honestly feel any animosity towards you, but after reading your ideas, I couldn't help it, I simply felt like this person just has no idea what they are talking about, they have no business offering such ill conceived advice regarding something that affects so many people, people that you don't want to understand and ultimately; I was just betting you would eventually expose yourself as a crackpot. I do apologize, I just felt it needed to be done for the sake of the forum.
See you at the skatepark!
Oh and don't worry about your boys, We got em!!

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | Council to mull skate park user fee, staffing

jraq — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:29:07 -0000

And your solution is to take an unsupervised, fenced in park and spend EVEN MORE tax payers money to turn it into a...well what would you call it. You want to have what would by necessity constitute a number of staff to control the anywhere from 10 to 50 kids running around and issue demerits for language violations. That doesn't sound like daycare, that sounds like some kind of fundamentalist prison/day camp.
Also, I'd like to point out that at the same time you want to blame the parent's of kids you don't know for neglecting to raise their children, (with the basis of your damnation seemingly built upon your single foray into the world of these same neglected skateboarders), and then judge them and their kids as loathsome for simply not living up to your standard of socially acceptable behavior.
So where should all the kids go to act like kids? This world is made up many cultures, and many different people - most of which won't think like you or talk like you and my best advice to you and your family is to try to see this as an opportunity to think about and discuss tolerance and understanding with your two boys. In turn I will concede to you that we should make no further effort to turn the facility into a daycare, let's just let it be a skatepark.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | Council to mull skate park user fee, staffing

jraq — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:40:22 -0000

You are a liar.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | Red Phone: City grapples with skater safety

jraq — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:11:27 -0000

"California's more complicated Health and Safety Code Section 115800 currently provides immunity to public entities if they adopt an ordinance requiring the wearing of helmets and pads, and if they post a sign announcing the ordinance and declaring that skateboarding and in-line skating are hazardous activities. But this is qualified to apply only to claims by or for people 14 years of age or older, and it only applies to a park that is not regularly supervised."
So basically, if the city charges a fee and takes a position of being responsible for everybody inside the park, they then become legally accountable.
I believe if the concerned adults involved were simply a little more patient they would find that as soon as summer ends you will inevitably find that the numbers of regular skate park users will drop off drastically, as the excitement and novelty of having something to do in Morgan Hill wears off.
As a final prediction I forsee the city will undoubtedly react to the nervous wranglings of a few detached citizens and will actually go ahead and do what everyone has been accusing them of so far; which is spending money the city doesn't have on things it doesn't need without first developing a logistically, financially feasible long term plan.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | City grapples with skater safety

jraq — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:09:13 -0000

"California's more complicated Health and Safety Code Section 115800 currently provides immunity to public entities if they adopt an ordinance requiring the wearing of helmets and pads, and if they post a sign announcing the ordinance and declaring that skateboarding and in-line skating are hazardous activities. But this is qualified to apply only to claims by or for people 14 years of age or older, and it only applies to a park that is not regularly supervised."
Sooooo... If the city collects money or enforces supervision, you actually take legal accountability in california.
If every one involved just waits patiently you will all undoubtedly see what happens at every new skate park. When summer ends, it won't be new and exciting any more and you'll see the numbers drop drastically. By then however the city will probably feel pressure to do something and by the time the program is actually implemented the city will once again have done exactly what every one is accusing them of doing now; which is spending money the city doesn't have while neglecting to develop a logistically feasible, long term plan.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | Council to mull skate park user fee, staffing

jraq — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:45:00 -0000

Trust me lady, if you're THAT offended by the "F" word; you probably didn't or couldn't possibly have raised a skateboarder anyway. Or, more succinctly, in the long run it's not your problem; because, and correct me if I'm wrong, but your kid and his street razor were probably just creating a dangerous hazard to begin with, (and even money that's what might have even been PROVOKING, the loud, guttural yet undeniably expressive and direct language from the crowd.)
My advice; keep yourself and your impressionable children as far as you possibly can from anything that might hurt your feelings, which in this case sadly might include this relatively small slab of cement. I might also recommend avoiding the handball courts at the friendly inn as well as any local youth football or soccer matches were parents are present as these are also hotbeds of publicly supported hurt feelings and poor language.

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | Council to mull skate park user fee, staffing

jraq — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:57:18 -0000

I think what's happened is that a community project which was at first intended as something of an out reach to members of the community that tend to get neglected because their interests don't run along traditional activities, sports or games; has now degenerated into an effort to control the uncontrollable. The root of this problem or conflict is clearly represented by how so many members of the community want to try to enforce group punishments, or the effort wasted trying to label all the children and adults who use the facility under one ungrateful, disrespectful, black flag. The simple truth is, most skateboarders love what they do because of it's limitless opportunities for SELF expression and individuality; an expression both athletic, as well as artistic. There is no such thing as a true to form skateboard team, mob, or gang, and there never will be; it's always just between that person and their board
Look, at the end of it all no one has to worry though; the city is spending a lot of money to rebuild the downtown, and when you add that to the new stair set in front of the court house and all the other awesome new spots; with just a bit of wax, the skateboarding youth can turn all this new pavement, marble, and metal into a 24 hour skate park free from any kind of supervision. Then everyone will see how silly this argument over kids skating in an area which when signage is posted properly, is free from liability in California, (if you don't believe me drive to every other skatepark in the bay area and ask, "where are the helmets?")
"California's more complicated Health and Safety Code Section 115800 currently provides immunity to public entities if they adopt an ordinance requiring the wearing of helmets and pads, and if they post a sign announcing the ordinance and declaring that skateboarding and in-line skating are hazardous activities. But this is qualified to apply only to claims by or for people 14 years of age or older, and it only applies to a park that is not regularly supervised."
Its sad none of the adults that were supposed to be involved did any of their homework. What an absolutely awful example to impart. They should all be well ashamed of themselves!

Re: MorganHillTimes.com | Helmetless at the skate park

jraq — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:11:51 -0000

Look, no one has to worry; the city is spending a lot of money to rebuild the downtown, and when you add that to the new stair set in front of the court house and all the other awesome new spots; with just a bit of wax, the skateboarding youth can turn all this new pavement, marble, and metal into a 24 hour skate park free from supervision. Then everyone will see how silly this argument over kids skating in an area which when signage is posted properly, is free from liability in California, (if you don't believe me drive to every other skatepark in the bay area and ask, "where are the helmets?")
California's more complicated Health and Safety Code Section 115800 currently provides immunity to public entities if they adopt an ordinance requiring the wearing of helmets and pads, and if they post a sign announcing the ordinance and declaring that skateboarding and in-line skating are hazardous activities. But this is qualified to apply only to claims by or for people 14 years of age or older, and it only applies to a park that is not regularly supervised.
Its sad none of the adults that were supposed to be involved did any of their homework. What an absolutely awful example to impart. They should all be well ashamed of themselves!