If you read the San Clemente Times “Letter to the Editor”(Mar.15-21, Vol. 2, issue 11) entitled “unplayable lies” by Jim Smith and you’re not a golfer, you didn’t get his attempt at being clever. Once again, just as with the flyers he and his clan littered your doorways and windshield wipers with, the half-truths and misleading statements came spewing forth like the projectile spittle of an onion-nosed, overzealous timeshare salesman. Mr. Smith stated that Pacific Golf has been open every day since July, 1988, and that one of the previous owners never filed for bankruptcy. Relevance please? Michael Rosenfeld didn’t file for bankruptcy either. But he did promise to keep the course open for the members, like Jim Smith who is a member, while he prepared a plan to make the club financially solvent. Mr. Smith stated that Golf Investment LLC does not own or operate any other golf courses. Golf Investment LLC is a limited liability company created specifically for Pacific Golf Club. The majority of the management team at Pacific has worked the better part of the last two decades for major “Golf Course Operators” and private golf clubs, mostly in California. Mr. Smith also has an LLC in which he operates just one business (which incidentally is not a golf course). Mr. Smith cited several clubs as examples of successful clubs he termed, “non-18 hole” business models. Of the courses he listed, all but two have hotels, homes, golf villas or condominium real estate attached. Only one has 27 holes, home of the Masters Tournament, Augusta National. If you visit his website, savesclopenspace.com, and read through the FAQ’s it becomes quite apparent that saving open space is not his objective. Hopefully, experienced golfers and all the citizens of San Clemente will recognize this ruse for what it is, a plain old lie.
Blog
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AN OPINION ON FAITH
Basra’s murderous militias tell Christian women to cover up or face death
The headline above is from a TimesOnline(UK) news article from Dec. 8th. I was outraged and saddened when I read the story. Obviously the violence and the actions of this Shia Militia are astounding to western thinkers, but the part that is most upsetting is the misuse of faith. I consider faith and religion two separate entities in that faith exists without religion. Faith was first. Religion is manufactured by man. Unfortunately, like many man-made things, religion is flawed.
How many times has the Christian bible been re-written? It is well known that Kings from centuries ago employed their own selfish influence over the scribes who copied each letter-character by hand. How many translations, revisions, additions and interpretations exist? You have the power to dictate your beliefs, even when there is no supporting evidence. You can train yourself to adhere to a set of moral standards based on a belief. Your beliefs can blind you with eyes wide open, but your faith can enable you to see without eyes.
Faith has the power to heal. Faith has the power to change the world. Many throughout history have used that knowledge to their selfish advantage and many continue to do so today. Your belief is a commodity that funds a corporation called a church. But your faith is the driving force behind life.
I believe there is one raw and basic necessity worthy to dictate your morality and standard of living; survival. I’m not referring to self-survival which could lead you to step on the face of child to exit a burning building. I believe there is an impulse in all of us to survive as a group. The same impulse that demands you save the child first, even at the risk of personal injury or death. Your survival, ultimately depends on a cooperative effort by all of humankind. Not the exclusion of one or another based on belief, but the basic organic necessity we all share. I believe that once we embrace that idea, true respect can be attained, and our individual and personal faiths will blend to create a sensitive, intelligent, sustainable, enriched and blessed existence.
peace
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A Message From Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand, one of the greatest minds of the 20th century, has a message for the Presidential Candidates of 2008.
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Houston, there’s a Problem
Fat and Happy. We’re so spoiled we think if we ignore the corruption and crime around us, maybe it will go away. We peer out of our windows at sirens and screams and assume someone else will handle it. We turn our heads at the obvious and blatant misdeeds of our leaders and figure we can’t do anything about it. We’re so happy and protective of our lifestyle that we’re terrified of anything messing it up. We’re our own worst enemy.
Man, I don’t mean everybody, there are a few of you who will actually stand up, and you need to keep doing it, but most of us don’t. Take a look at what is seriously happening around you. You have the power to change things. CHANGE THINGS.
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Thanksgiving is upon us. (whole heart) You need to reach out to those who have made a difference in your life. Tell them how you feel. Tell them what they mean to you. You may not have that opportunity tomorrow.
“Tomorrow Never Knows” – George Harrison
[BREAK]
Now
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PARTY LOYALTY
When votes are party driven rather than motivated by principal or belief, we run the risk of losing our most valuable trait as a country.
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11/13/2007
Sitting in a garage chair, listening to Internet Radio and street activity.
High on cheap vodka and remembering the Wizard of Oz.
Trying to solve IE7 CSS div positioning problems, and thinking I’ve passed the point of objectivity, or coherency,
thinking about Tacos.
Did you hear that?
Sorry, just a moth.
Pragmatical economist in me demands I finish the bottle.
Humanist is too weak to respond.
The cells are rapidly deteriorating, not much I can do about that.
Do I accelerate the process, or combat it?
I’m going to die anyway.
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CAREER POLITICIANS
Do you remember in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory when Veruca Salt at the end of her “I Want it Now!!” rant, jumped up on the Egg-dicator. She was identified as a bad egg and was dropped down the chute to the incinerator. Don’t you wish politicians were required to jump up on the Egg-dicator before they ran for office? If you are a “Career Politician”, what is your number one priority? Is it your constituents or your career? If your main source of income relies on staying in office, how objective can you be?
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Madness in San Clemente
There are no bounds to the insidious acts of the politically motivated. I respect those who are true to their convictions. I respect an honest and passionate viewpoint and an intelligent argument. But I object when a group misleads and manipulates to accomplish their own selfish objective. When has the protection of a Private Golf Course ever been an environmental issue? How is it that a group of residents, who are not members of the club, have become embroiled in saving a small parcel of land that they can’t use and can’t see?
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Mr. Kettle? My name is Pot
Jim Smith’s recent letter (SC Times, Vol. 2, issue 40) alleges that Pacific Golf Club’s owner has begun a smear campaign and that “Personal attacks are bread ‘n’ butter favorites”. And if that were true, he would know. He and his group started their smear campaign and personal attacks months ago. He also alleges that general manager Shahin Vosough “tries to discredit an open space supporter”, as he himself attempts to discredit Mr. Vosough. He asserts that Mr. Vosough is trying to fool readers about the size of the boondoggle, while he tries to fool readers about the scope of the project. Confused? You should be. There is a boondoggle afoot, but it rests solidly on the shoulders the faux-environmentalist group “Save San Clemente Open Space”. If their name reflected their true motivation, it would read “Save Muirfield, My Favorite Nine Holes”, because that is the only open space issue they have ever addressed. Mr. Smith refers to the survey that was distributed to the membership as “highly flawed”, citing that the members were never told the land was zoned open space. So when Mr. Smith signed the questionnaire (in favor of the project, by the way) that stated, “I acknowledge that the property owner will be developing a portion of the property and agree to have my name added to a petition requesting the City of San Clemente to approve the rezoning of this land to allow for development”, what did he think? This whole debacle is yet one more instance of a small special interest group with enough money to make a big enough noise using the tried and true tactic of emphasizing imminent doom and pushing your emotional buttons. Don’t be fooled by a few selfish disgruntled golf members.
David Kelsen