Why Does David Markland Hate the Girl Scouts?

Girl Scout Cookie sales are down this year and blogger David Markland, also known as CEMETERY WHITE GUY (CWG),  isn't helping.  Markland, on his Twitter page, is directing folks to a website with recipes for making your own versions of the classic snacks, saying "Who needs the Girl Scouts?"

David Markland, why do you hate the Girl Scouts?

ABC7 reports some 40,000 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies remain unsold in Los Angeles.

 

Gift of Caring

Photo by Valley Doll

Girl Scouts have been selling cookies as a fundraiser for nearly 90 years.  Profits earned from the sales of cookies fund an amazing number of programs that really develop the young girls into leaders.  Its the very best of volunteerism and civic involvement.  An interesting fact, is that though Girl Scout Cookie sales is a nationwide tradition, all of the profits earned locally stay locally with the regional council and the local troop.  The national Girl Scout organization earns it revenues from a license fee paid by the bakers contracted to manufacture the cookies.  Also, the cookies are trans-fat free. The Girl Scouts' website has a comprehensive FAQ about cookie sales.

If you want to help the Girl Scouts reach their goals and buy some more cookies, visit Valley of the Doll or Valley Doll's Twitter page for updates later. Or you can go to the Girl Scout Cookie Booth Locator by clicking here.

Here are a few selected booths operating the rest of the weekend (there are many, many more)

• Ralphs at Ventura and Vineland in Studio City/North Hollywood until 6:00 p.m. tonight
• Western Bagel at 19500 Plummer in Northridge until 5:00 p.m. tonight 
• Trader Joe's at 9290 Culver in Culver City until 4:00 p.m. tonight
  
• Bristol Farms at 606 Fair Oaks in South Pasadena from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. tonight
• Studio City Farmers' Market at Ventura and Laurel Canyon from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Sunday
  

Perhaps Markland has an opportunity to redeem himself however, he has already offered to purchase some Samoas this weekend.  Maybe a few cases David?

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday

If there is a tipping point for the City's controversial practice of offering special event fee waivers - that is covering the costs of traffic control, police, trash, etc. for events held in the City, history may show that it was Tuesday when the Council approved over $3K in waivers for something called :"Dyke Day." Many gays and lesbians were offended at the approval of an event that many feel includes a derogatory term; many other Angelenos were offended that Tuesday the Council approved another $75K in the waivers at a time when Los Angeles may be facing bankruptycy. The word of "Dyke Day" kicked up quite the meme in the blogs-LA-phere with coverage at LAist and RonKayeLA.

The Beckford Elementary School Parents Blog gives a good blow by blow of the scene from Tuesday's LA Unified Board of Education meeting where teachers' union members and other activtists were on hand to protest planned teacher layoffs. The District will send layoff notices to about 9,000 employees as a precautionary measure should the LAUSD actually have to reduce staff later this year.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is leading the pack in the number of people who are following his micro-blogging "tweets" on the Twitter service. Newsom has over 43,000 followers while potential opponent Mayor Villaraigosa has just 798. Your favorite old, dead Republican Mayor has 48 followers and I'm not even running for office.

We send our best wishes to Downtown Central City East Blogger Don Garza. As you may know Don has been living and blogging from Skid Row for several years and has experienced health problems due to his living situation. Don now has an opportunity to create a blog design firm and had his first presentation Tuesday. Good luck to Don who not only wants to earn a living but use the resources his business will provide him to help the homeless. That's not only admirable, it's the way things should be.

Franklin Avenue reports on a new local digital channel for New York City created by NBC, "New York Non-Stop." Of course comes the usual whine "Why don't we have this in LA?" But, as even the Franklins note, LA does have an NBC digital station, the excellent KNBC News Raw. The station is able to use the expanded time it has to cover imporant issues in-depth and has recently produced well-done reporting on the nonsense at City Hall and outshone all the local media in covering the recent elections. On the other hand, New York Non-Stop is the usual namby-pamby crap seen on shows like "2 on the Town" or "Eye on LA" that covers what yuppies had for dinner or some artist that is building the Mona Lisa out of trash. Nice stuff, but we already have that programming.

And finally, Valley Doll says she's heard a rumor that a member of the City Council we all know and love may have knocked up their "partner." Congrats on the coming bundle of joy!

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

Perhaps like Walter Moore's rumored move to France some of his supporters may be considering doing the same. Valley Doll finds a Walter Moore supporter in Porter Ranch who may perhaps be planning to sell their home as well. This on the heels of an LA Times report that the Chatsworth-Northridge based Council District 12 was the only one citywide to cast more votes for Moore than Villaraigosa.

Back last July when the Mayor was off on another one of his junkets the LA Times brought to light how the City had done nothing to combat illegal trash dumping in South Los Angeles. Seven months later, the dumping continues. South LA resident Jose Vargas told The Times "People know they can get away with it."

The Mayor didn't deny reports that he plans to run for governor when appearing on a news show Sunday on CNN. Villaraigosa boasted to host John King "We won overwhelmingly." We'll try to figure out how he only got 55% of the vote in an election without, as the LA Times says, "any serious challengers."

Zuma Dogg claims that he caught on video recently re-elected School Board President Monica Garcia parking her LAUSD provided vehicle in a red zone while picking up dry cleaning and that then Garcia drove off while talking on her cell phone. Also at Valley of the Dolls. Beckford Parents Blog

UPDATE: Zuma Dogg has posted the video

Speaking of how utterly screwed up LAUSD is, Steve Lopez in the LA Times writes about how parents at his child's public school are regularly hit to volunteer and provide hundreds if not thousands of dollars to make up for funding shortfalls. At the same time the School District passes additional bonds and new taxes and it can't make the thing work. Perhaps these parents' groups that raise funds should follow the example of Valley Doll as well as Sunland Tujunga's Lydia Grant and their efforts to encourage parents to become politically active and hold their elected leaders accountable.

A Metroblogging writer and some readers point out the folly of the DWP's free CFL light bulb program - they haven't got their light bulbs yet. You may remember the DWP is spending millions to hire people to walk door to door and pass out the lightbulbs. We still don't know why DWP General Manager David "E WASTEWATER PLURIBUS" Nahai didn't figure out it would be cheaper and more efficient to put a coupon for the bulbs in ratepayers' bills that they could take to local retail stores.

15,000 citizens in Fullerton turned out Saturday for a "Tea Party" protest against tax increases sought by both the state and federal government. At the same time writer Tom Blumber of Newsbusters.org says that media coverage of similar protests nationwide - which appear to be growing - has been near nil.

California is now one hour ahead of Tijuana following the shift to Daylight Saving Time Sunday morning. Last year, the US and Canada decided to extend DST by one month however Mexico chose to remain on the traditional schedule and will "spring forward" on the first Sunday in April. So for the next few weeks those traveling between Tijuana and San Diego will need to adjust their watches accordingly.

Goodnight Sister City

Well residents of MayorSam's Sister City ... it looks like it's just about that time; time for the Doll to be movin' on. This is officially my last post for the blog.

I have to thank Michael Higby for letting this crazy liberal PTA Mom write at MS for a few months. It was very brave of you to let me anywhere near your blog. Thank you for the opportunity. I also have to thank Zuma Dogg and Joseph Mailander for being wonderful mentors; your help has been invaluable.

As MayorSam's has increasingly become more of a hard-right conservative talking-point blog, well, my Uppity Librul Ways were becoming problematic as MayorSam's shot up to become the Number One Influential Liberal Blog in California during the first week of September. How on Earth could MayorSam ever crack the Top 20 Conservative Blogs (MS is still workin' on it) if it's simultaneously THE NUMBER ONE LIBERAL BLOG IN CALIFORNIA? That particular math was making things too unbearable for the Bear League Brigade here. Which reminds me ... Why does the GOP hate bears? First Sarah Palin wants to kill every bear in 'Mericuh and is equally disdainful of polar bears and their damn global warming. And then that pesky McCain disses a federal study of bear DNA in Montana during the first debate. Why, oh why, the GOP ursus hate? Is there not a bear on the flag of our great state? Why does Juan McCain hate California?

Don't cry you big babies! I'm just moving down the street ... so don't worry -- I haven't completely abandoned you, my whacked-out friends. I'll be around...

So until then, from the Valley -- Goodnight and Goodbye MayorSam's Sister City.... it's been fun.

Love ya....

xoxo

Tres Haikus @ 5:07am PST

John McCain's VP
His winning pick of Sarah
Obama blew it.

She's Alaska Gov.
Mitt Romney won't be the guy.
Take it from me, pals.

Obama ran zip.
Not even a law firm, FOOL!
My name's Haikula!

**********************************************
Suddenly, that Obama coronation seems like yesterday's news. Well, it really IS yesterday's news.

With Sarah Palin (rhymes with Van Halen) has energy quals, and international relations with her across-the-water Russian counterparts, I picked her how many weeks ago? I also picked Biden on 8/17, 5 days before the Obama announcement on 8/22, right here on MayorSam. And do we need to mention that she is a very attractive mother of five? And, men, did you know that in a previous incarnation, she used to be a television sports reporter and can handle a gun! Talk about resonating with Hillary's 18 million supporters, suburbanites, conservatives, and the 45 million single, divorced or widowed women in the United States!

Look for Mayor Scuzzaraigosa to switch allegiances again! To the good looking female nominee!

Meanwhile, McCain aired this classy congratulations to Obama yesterday.

Could I be wrong? Will it be Meg Whitman of eBay? I no thinkie, but you tell me!

This blog is taking too much of my positive crystalline energy! Higby, Valley Doll, Joe B. and Red Spot! Take the steering wheel! I will be back later to annoy the dum dums!

The Top Ten Mother Figures

Before we close the books on Mothers' Day 2008, I want to take up a suggestion by Valley Doll that I list the city's top 10 hottest moms or mom like figures. There's a term that is often used for attractive women of advanced childbearing years that I won't use here, but the following is LA's top ten:

10 - Kelly Lange - The former KNBC anchorwoman is no longer on the air but should be. She now keeps busy by writing novels

9 - Janice Hahn - If she's not rescuing alligators, paying gangbangers, parking in the wrong spot or banning roosters, many fellas still think she's kind of cute.

8 - Colleen Williams - A fixture on local news programs since the 80s; about 15 years ago she finally started dying that famous prematurely gray streak in her hair. She's only 53 so she'll be on the air for some time to come.

7 - Wally Wharton AKA Rita of Sunland - The actress and writer turned local activist, blogger and talkradio gadfly technically isn't a mom but an aunt. Still, boys line up for her eccentric blend of screwball comedy and oozing sensuality.

6 - Terry Davis - One time at a Mid Town North Hollywood Neighborhood Council Meeting I saw a hard nosed activist speaking out against planned development at Universal Studios. The well informed, articulate speaker was the President of the Greater Toluca Lake Neighborhood Council

5 - Abby Diamond - A tough as nails fighter who always does it with extreme grace and professionalism is a Sunland-Tujunga based activist who voraciously reads planning laws, specific plans and zoning rules. The self taught Diamond has become so much an expert on planning that other cities have hired her for her expertise. If the fight against Home Depot in Sunland-Tujunga relies on the brawn of Joe Barrett; it's brain for sure is Abby.

4 - Valley Doll - The Mayor Sam blogger and self described riot grrrl is an uber-educated philosopher and super mom. The Doll proves that a mom can still be girly and kick anyone's ass at the same time. Watch out!

3 - Kim Thompson - The "Erin Brockovich" of the Valley was one of the leading forces putting the breaks on the controversial Las Lomas development. The blonde bombshell who was a candidate for San Fernando Valley City Council during the secession movement was in her younger days an auto worker and punk rocker.

2 - Valerie Bertinelli - Okay she has nothing to do with local politics but have you seen her lately? Not bad for a 48 year old! More importantly, she's the mom of Van Halen bass player Wolfgang Van Halen who is a homegrown second generation rocker who tours with his dad, uncle and David Lee Roth.

and finally...

1 - Corina Raigosa - The former first lady of Los Angeles was scorned by the Mayor for a television temptress but showed dignity and grace throughout. She remains hot, has a long record of community activism and really should be the one to be our Mayor.

Photoshop Express REALLY WORKS!

Featured above is Mayor Sam Contributor Valley Doll with just a little airbrushing.

I'm sure we can all agree the effect is fantastic!

And, yeah, I know I'm in major trouble now....

#46?

I guess it shouldn't matter to me what a blog I've never heard of thinks of our blog or any others and though I SHOULD be honored I had to laugh when I saw LA Snark's list of the "top 50" blogs in LA.

First off we're at #46. Now back in the day that would be awesome. But when you regularly rank in BlogNetNews' Top 20 Political Blogs, you're getting thousands of visitors a month, you've been on CNN, you've been an LA Magazine Website of the Month, its kind of different. The bigger crime is marking Don Garza's Central City East Blog lower than us; Don is one of the most relevant bloggers in LA; whether I agree with him or not.

I don't even understand their ranking system. Of course, every one loves to kiss butt to the Westside White Guy and put him near the top. (But I am sure old Kev is fuming that LAist is ahead of him) where. But to put some of the self obsessed "what did I wear today or did he ask me out yet" blogs ahead of significant, entrenched go to blogs like Franklin Avenue or Curbed LA is unbelievable.

And where is Boi from Troy? Mainbrace? Flap? Zuma Dogg? Walter Moore? Or even Here in Van Nuys? Not on the list!

The most incredible thing is that they put LA Voice at #6. Number six?!?! Since Mack Reed left months ago that blog has been dead; the only thing keeping it alive for the most part is press releases posted by my pal Edward Headington.

You can't always trust lists.

Now I leave it to you to post how this is because of 1) Zuma Dogg 2) My weight 3) Red Spot's spelling 4) Valley Doll's cookie post or 5) all of the above.

Number six? Ha ha ha ha!