Insight from Sequoia National Park

General Sherman
Largest Tree in the World

We drove four hours to Sequoia National Park, and did a day trip. I've been to Sequoia National Park before, but I wanted to go again and study the sequoia trees.

Some of them are alleged to be over 3,000 years old. Imagine being older than Moses, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad. That's rather old.

What I found personally fascinating about the trees is that they transform after they reach 1,000 years old. Can you believe that? Insects undergo such changes with a few days to a few months. And humans do it when they're in their teens. But these trees transform, after living a 1,000 years. Wow!

After a 100 years old, they start looking like a redwood tree, and it's difficult to tell them apart. But after 1,000 years, the top reaches the canopies, their leaves grow upward towards the sun, and the bark becomes thicker and red. No wonder they call them monarchs. Because, they really do look regal and majestic.

Red tail hawk

So that made me realize I need to be more patient with change, for myself or the environment. As the old saying goes: Rome wasn't built in one day.

Anyways, it was fun to be there. It started off cloudy, became sunny, and then the clouds started rolling in, and it felt like we were in a ghost forest. It was a really short trip but well worth it.

Yesterday, I went for a run in the hills. And I found a red tail hawk. She was injured but still gorgeous. She was friendly and let me feed her some water. That made her happy.

I wrapped her up in a towel, and took her home. She looked better in the morning. I thought to myself my life is really getting stranger and stranger.

Maybe, it'll become like a Korean or Grim's fairy tale. And one day the hawk will return and speak to me. She'll remember that I took care of her, and she'll lead me to some secret passage, where there will be all types of treasure. Haha. (I dream a lot.)

I called animal control, and he took it. I hope she comes back to those hills and visits me again.

Anyways, Sunday's rolled around. I better get my weekend chores done. And then, back to the grind tomorrow.

On Reading - Discovering French Recipes on Pickles

I took a bit of a break from litigation, and delved into reading, and reading a lot. Mark Twain once said, “The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.” In other words, if you're not reading, you're the same as someone who is illiterate.

In a week, I read 8 books on bathing and the history of bathing. I only had two insights from it all. One, the Turks have a goat hair mitt they use for scrubbing the skin. I want one. Two, the 16th Century Castille Soap, made out of olive oil, was once the world's prized soap. I want to learn how to make that.

I got about 10 more books on nutrition. I hit the jackpot with one of them, because the author took the time to translate old French pickle recipes. I was very impressed by the secret knowledge of cooking that otherwise would've been lost. (I'll write more on the subject).

All of this has inspired me to study Scandinavian cooking once again. Not exactly sure why. I just have a hunch that another lightbulb will turn on upstairs.

Finally, I've been running a lot. I finally burned off 9 pounds (or 4 kilos) or 6% (at least for me) of body fat. I have to tell you; it wasn't easy, pleasant, or that fun.

One researcher says a pound is the equivalent to walking 35 miles without food. I don't agree it's that much, but you can see how much work it was. (But, even then, I can' really complain: All the running was like being in one meditative Zen state; I wonder if it's done anything for my mind.)

My Christmas holiday in Europe maybe was a little too indulgent, and because of it, I put on 4 pounds. I also put on 4 pounds on my trip before that to Mexico. 8 pounds of fat, extra. No good.

I'm so happy (I really am!) to be back to my regular body fat, of what's estimated to be 12%. Gaining fat is a real psychological downer.

My European indulging stressed one more important lesson I hope never to forget: Sugar makes you fat. Don't underestimate the harm from sugar and simple starches. I'm telling you. I really am.

Well, I'm really trying this time around to get into the single digits of body fat. So, I'll let everyone know how it goes. (Every time I try, it doesn't seem to work. Somehow the body resists and I get back to 12%.) But we'll see this time.

Also, my friend "FX" has come from New Zealand to visit me. So, we'll have to see where we're going to go and what we're going to see.

Update more on my life later. Hope all is well with everyone.

Baldwin Park Fires Newest Chief of Police, David Salcedo

Fired Baldwin Park Chief of Police,
David Salcedo

After working approximately a month for the City of Baldwin Park, Council Members Ricardo Pacheco, Susan Rubio, and Cruz Baca voted to fire the former Inglewood Captain, David Salcedo. In response, Mayor Manuel Lozano and Monica Garcia ranted about what a great chief he was at the council meeting and then left the meeting.

Members of the community were concerned with Salcedo's lack of experience and his corrupt reputation. (Apparently, he bungled the investigation of a young girl who died at the Los Angeles Coliseum.) In his first month of office, Salcedo was seen meeting and greeting people at church and rarely seen in his office.

Salcedo's appointment has been a controversial one. Manuel Lozano stated that he should get paid the same as "the White Boy," referring to the former Chief: Michael Taylor.

In less than a five year period, Baldwin Park has fired (or forced into resignation) three chiefs of police, one city attorney, one finance director, one community works director, and one public works director. In fact, the only person in the executive team that's stayed is Parks and Recreation Director: Manuel Carrillo Jr also known as Manuel Carrillo.

I'll write more later. I've had a lot of work on lately, including a petition for review to the Supreme Court.

Court of Appeals Rules Against Casas - Holding that City Doesn't Need to Tell us the Truth

Moses and Aaron meet Pharaoh and Aaron turns his rod into a snake.
by Robert Leinweber. January 01, 1850

Last week, the Court of Appeal of the Second District ruled against Julian Casas, holding that the trial court was correct in ruling that the City complied with court order to release records, even when the City made misrepresentations to the court and us, that they didn't have any records (when in fact, Casas proved that they were lying about it all). In other words, Casas was trying to get the rest of the records from the City, but the courts have said that the City doesn't need to release the outstanding records, which would show who took millions of dollars from the towing scandal Mayor Lozano and his men were running.

The main reason the court said that Casas didn't have a case against the City was because Casas didn't present evidence that the City had evidence (but he did). That was the whole point of the case: After a court order issues, does the requester of records have to prove that the City has records, or does the City have to assist the requestor about whether records exist?

Here, the court said, once again, that the requester has to prove that such records exist. (Think about this, if we could prove all the records the City had, why would we need to sue them for records in the first place?)

In any event, of course I was disappointed in the court's decision. But it doesn't mean the conversation between us and the courts are over yet; so, don't lose hope.

According to the Book of Exodus in the Torah, ages ago, a slave and a shepherd (the lowest of the low in Egyptian society) dialogued with the King, known as Pharaoh, and asked him to release God's people from slavery. The back-and-forth conversation included cruelty, miracles, magic, and a contest between holy and evil powers.

Like Casas's case, the whole conflict started with something small. In Julian's case, we just asked the City to extend the boxing club hours, and they said no. In Exodus, Moses asked Pharaoh if the people could have a party, celebrating their God for just three days. (So for those of you who think religion is all about being dull and not having fun, think about the fact that God commanded his people to throw a Burning-Man kind of party in the desert for three days.)

The dialogue ends with Pharaoh releasing the Hebrew people and giving them the Kingdom's wealth for their departure. Pharaoh, a king and a god in his sight, also had to finally ask the slave and the shepherd to bless him and his people.

What's the point of the allegory? To point out, I have no idea what's going to happen next. I only hope it's exciting, because I certainly don't want to be bored.

I also hope that those in power will return to the ancient ways of their ancestors, have faith, and live a life reflected in nobility and honor.

Reading Recommendations and Being Back Home

Well, I'm back home from Jamaica now. While away, I was able to get some reading done; hence, I have book recommendations for everyone.

Also, I brought just the right amount of stuff on my travels. A skilled traveler brings only enough, and not more. On this trip, I only brought a few more pieces of clothing than I needed and two extra books. That's pretty good, I thought, as I analyzed my suitcase's content after coming home.

While I came home, my kitty Jeh Pan laid down on the wall, looking like an Egyptian Sphinx watching the house, as a sentry watches a wall. I called to him, and he came down.

My mom commented I blackened so much that I'm not recognizable as Paul. She scolded me for not wearing sunblock. I just scratched the back of my head and smiled, embarrassed.

She continued, "You're so black, people won't think you came back from a holiday. They'll think you were born that way."

Coincidentally, at home, I brewed myself a cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. I felt tired from not sleeping enough. I didn't feel rested enough and thought, I should go away again soon.

Here's my book recommendations and main insight, in any event.

Lincoln and His Generals by T. Harry Williams. Every strategists need to read this book. Williams gets into the head of Lincoln and his main generals and shows you the war from their perspective by analyzing the letters written and battles fought. Although at times, the book gets too technical and dull, it really proves the brilliance of Lincoln and Grant and the creation of modern military communication. Highly recommended.

Art of War by Sun Tzu. Again, every strategists needs to know the simple Chinese treatise on war. Some of the principles are so basic, but basic also means fundamental. In reviewing the Art of War, I realize that I strayed from some basic principles too. It's probably a text that needs to be constantly reviewed, because some of the principles become clearer only after a defeat or a mistake made. For instance, one principle says that when five types of spies are in play, a General is invincible. Now that, I don't remember from reading it the first time. So, this one comes recommended too.

Kids for Cash by William Ecenbarger. This American expose reveals how judges were sending children to detention camps and prison for the slightest offenses, such as swearing, because those same judges were receiving big kickbacks. It's a great reminder to not trust government, who in this case was tied to the mafia. This book proves there's no limit to the evils of government, when profit is involved.

The Obesity Code by Jason Fong. Fong argues that fat is not about "calories in" versus "calories out"; rather, gaining fat is a much more complex phenomenon that is due mainly to the consumption of sugar and simple carbohydrates. He also provides a simple and effective solution to maintaining weight loss. The book is also clearly written. By no means am I obese, but every fighter needs these types of books to remind them of the importance of their own nutrition, which affects the health of their mind and body.

Main Insight Learned in Jamaica: “Mammon is still the god of the world's largest and most powerful religion.” - Marty Rubin.