On Compassion

Drops of Rain. Clarence H. White.
1903

Yesterday, the rain splashed against my bedroom window - and the splatter created a drizzled pattern. It looked like crystal pearls formed on my window - as morning dew forms on fallen leaves. This is supposed to be the last great storm coming through Los Angeles this year.

I generally don't like the rain, but it was Saturday yesterday, and because it drove out the crowds - I was grateful for it. When I visited all the busy supermarkets, nobody was there. People are like cats. Cats hate water. They hate water too.

Speaking of cats, I found a new hobby with my cat. He likes to be with me when I read in the living room.

Some time ago, I realized that I wasn't getting through enough reading. Even though my friends, peers, and colleagues think I read a lot, I would say it's not sufficient - for sure. My three topics currently are (1) health and nutrition, (2) criminal psychology (3) misfits and tribes, and (4) compassion and justice. Some of the reading is laborious, and some of it is bedtime reading.

I was getting frustrated with myself, because I wasn't getting through enough. For sure. But how could I read more? For some reason, I realized if I treated some of the books like actual labor or work, I could get through more. Like work, I admitted to myself it's not necessarily all that fun, and I needed a workspace for my most difficult reading. I clocked in like it was job. When I treated the most difficult texts like this and not pleasure, I was able to acquire information faster.

So at night, I choose to read the lighter works, because I'm already mentally exhausted from everything else that's happened in my day. That's improved my reading a lot.

Funny enough, I was reading a book at night, and I fell asleep while the lights were on and a candle was burning. I woke up at 2A, realized what happened, and it reminded me of days in college - where I would read and fall asleep with my textbooks in the living room. My roommate was very nice, and he'd see me and take my blanket from the room and put it over me. I never knew who was doing it, until one day I woke up and caught him.

Going back to my blue Siamese cat, he's learned to be with me. I mean he's really present, not texting someone else, not thinking about something else, no; he's with me when I read in the living room. And by presence, I mean, even though he's not talking (which he can do quite well), he knows how to keep me company.

I do my medium-difficulty reading in the living room. I play some classical music, and Jeh Pan (my cat) lays on the blue rug by the huge aquarium. (I like Bad Bunny too, but it's not the right music for the reading.) It's during these times, I feel like I'm in a French or German saloon. Think about that. My little inner city living room gets transformed into a magical artist gathering place for the time being. I imagine that people around me would be playing the violin, viola, and cello, and other artists would paint, and other writers would write poetry and books - while I read. And of course, Jeh Pan would be there to keep us all company and inspire us.

The blue cat watches the silver fish, while lying on his blue rug. He looks like a little sphinx, and he closes his eyes in pleasure once in awhile. I can't tell if it's from the fish tank or the music, but he's enjoying himself. Perhaps, like a sphinx, his presence is guarding my mind and my space from intrusive thoughts and evil spirits.

The aquarium is beautiful. The water is so clear it looks like the fish are flying in air and not water. Some of them remind me of missiles being launched. The fish look like dwarf tunas - whose bodies are designed specifically to propel with rocket speed across fluid. There are two tetras like this, and they swim together. Once in awhile, when they circle each other they look like they're dancing a waltz with each other.

I have other fish that tend to be more playful and careful and don't dart through the entire tank. Jeh Pan enjoys watching them in fascination - while I read my book. I've been interested in the biomechanics of fish for awhile. Did you know, the streamlined fish, like tuna, can swim ultra fast, but can't swim backwards? Likewise, more nimble fish, can swim backwards, but can't swim so fast.

So, what have I been reading? I've been reading a lot on compassion lately. I think it's changing my life. Now that I'm in the middle of the book, the author's thesis is becoming clearer. He argues that the core problem with poverty is that the poor believe themselves to be worthless. This is the essence of shame. He argues that the problem only gets better when we invite the poor to be are equals - which he calls kinship. I'm moved by his stories of rehabilitating gang members. I'm processing them. I'm thinking about these stories. I wonder if the cat knows I'm reading something important.

I tell Jeh Pan reading time is over. I turn off the lights. I tell him it's time to go to bed. He walks to the garage. I let him in. He finds his bed and sleeps on it.

Some times, I tell my mother what I read on - like why Kenyans are so fast. I tell her about how a three star French Michelin rose to fame, even though he came from an abusive household. She listens.

After our chat, I make a list of what I need to do tomorrow. There's more to learn.

Misfits and Tribes

By Tom Saubert

Sorry for not updating everyone for awhile. Lately, I've been reading a lot and training a lot in boxing and running a lot. I probably should be writing to you about my only case on the docket - a California Supreme Court filing against the Mayor and Council Members that was reported on by the LA Times and San Gabriel Valley Tribune and Washington Post. And it's important case, but really two books I've been reading and several conversations I've been having have made me question whether I'm spending my time well and what I should be doing with it. It's definitely making me wonder if suing people in power is the best way to reform a society.

I'm reading a book on misfits, probably because even though I don't look like one on the surface, I have to admit I am just that: a misfit. How many people do you know go on 15-month sabbaticals, spend time reading on fermenting food, or run 10 miles a day back to back on Friday and Saturday? But because I know what it's like to not feel like on the "in" is probably the reason I work so hard on changing environments and places. It's so other people don't have to feel outcasted or vulnerable or unsafe. These are the people I believe in that need to have a fighting chance too.

I can't agree with everything the book says, because the author rejects the notion of suffering and grace. I get what she's saying though, that the religious trite sayings used to comfort you through suffering are fake, painful, and hypocritical.

But I find it ironic that the author's own suffering was transformed into beauty with her art. That's a kind of grace, no? And that's the irony of her rejecting the correlation of grace and suffering.

Anyways, the most important thing (so far) I've read in the book is this message: People need our love and acceptance. And for the misfit, we can all do our part to make him or her feel safe. I liked those ideas so much; I noted to myself to practice it more.

The second book I'm reading is on tribes. I just started it. But I was intrigued by the first chapter, which points out that during the 1600's to the 1700's, a number of American colonists chose to defect to live with Native Indian tribes. There's been no documented cases where the Indians wanted to live with the Americans. The author argues that the Native Indians were a lot better at community than the English were, and hence, they met the intrinsic needs of a lot of the early English-American settlers. The author goes on to talk about how the most wealthy countries in the world have the highest rates of depression, suicide, and mental illness; while, the poorest countries in the world generally don't have such problems.

Then he talks about how we've become screwed up in society, because we have kleptocracy (that's CEOs and politicians) committing unprecedented levels of theft. Essentially, modern Western societies have valued materialism above all else. As I've figured out and reported on this blog, CEOs and politicians are defrauding taxpayers or stockholders of alarming amounts.

Essentially they're claiming a disproportionate amount of resources through entitlement, when their worth doesn't justify it. In a tribe, we would execute or banish people like this. But in modern society, people like Baldwin Park's Council Members and Mayors can do whatever they want undetected. Are we better off for living in this kind of society?

Perhaps, not. But I have a lot more to read before I reach further conclusions.

Today, someone drove me around in his new car. It was worth over $100,000, and it even knew how to parallel park itself. The machine was a testament to the incredible technological achievement of our society.

But the whole experience made me reflect on my little beater car. I asked myself: "What is wealth really?" Is it the property you possess? Is it what you know? Is it having time for others? (All these new ideas are making me wonder what's the best way to spend my time.)

Ending 2018, Forecasting 2019

The Pig by Pablo Picasso (1906)

It's been a year full of play and wonder and homecoming.  I spent eight and a half months abroad and three and a half months here at home in California. I hope that during the year, I brought you great stories, lessons, and insights from faraway lands and at home.

The year started off rough. I was almost killed in Colombia, when a a motorboat propeller slashed through my head and shoulder. Not fun.

But after recovering, I made my way to Argentina, where my hosts were amazing and hospitable. But I almost got stuck there, because customs wouldn't let me board the airplane to South Africa.

The highlights in South Africa included my days in Cape Town, seeing the Wiseman, and going to the Blyde River Canyon with my Swiss-French friends. Also, the Kruger National Park was awesome.

I made my way to the Island of Mauritius, where I got a lot of writing done. On this trip, I was able to publish three opinions in various newspapers, two in South Africa and one in Washington DC. My most recognized piece came out on Business Day in South Africa. I also talked a lot about North Korean trade in the MorningConsult.

From South Africa, I made my way to Ibiza, where I had a great time partying it up, though I was too poor to get into any clubs. Then, I enjoyed my time in the French Alps - where I reflected and meditated. Getting out was a horrendous journey, and I had to hitchhike for hours upon hours to get into Geneva, Switzerland.

I made a few friends there, and afterwards, I finished my trip in Sweden - where I got to meet old and new friends. I also think I had a better understanding of Picasso, when I visited the Modern Art Museum there.

Also, a number of my investigative corruption pieces did well. In the beginning of the year, I reported on how Baldwin Park's Council Woman Monica Garcia was receiving campaign donations from a predatory loan company. I also talked about the dirty money that former Baldwin Park Police Chief received to run for public office. Later in the year, I also talk about how the dirty Police Chief tried to sneak an extra million dollar contract for his requirement. (Thank goodness it wasn't approved.) One of my most popular articles this year was also on how to make $1.8 million a year, be Gus Romo, our former community development director. The open issue for our city is about the $50 million loan it's borrowing. The question is where is all this money going to go?

On the legal front, I argued in the Court of Appeal for Tuttle's case. I lost. That case has now been filed in California's Supreme Court. (I'll write more on this later; as it deserves it's own article.)

On the immigration front, I'm still working on getting Rafael back. The US government deported Rafael, even though he's married to an American and has two American children. It turns out that the government prosecutors that deported him were corrupt. Both ICE Prosecutors, Jonathan Love and Raphael Sanchez, were convicted of fraud by stealing the identity of those they were deporting and are now serving time. I've been thinking very hard and researching remedies on bringing him and his children home.

Financially, it's been difficult, because although I was supposed to get paid in the Tuttle case, the Court of Appeal said, "No," even though the law says, "Yes." Anyways, hopefully, the California Supreme Court takes up the case. Historically though, they only take up 5% of all cases. So the odds aren't good. But, as I've been told: "Fight, until your last breath."

Anyways, in general, it's been a great year. I've learned to be content with what I have. I'm happy to celebrate my new debt-free status. I enjoy spending time with the people, pets, and problems I actually care about. I can't stress how much I love actually doing it.

And while writing this, I realize how much I've done, how much I've experienced, how much I've learned, and all the people I met. It's been a fulfilling year. It's been time well spent. But I push on.

Regarding the future, 2019 is the Year of the Earth Pig. Traditionally, in Korean culture, pigs are a sign of luck and prosperity - probably because they can get so fat. No wonder, they say "high as a hog." Perhaps, my fortune will change, but even if it doesn't, the point of life is making the best with the handle you're dealt.

Anyways, I've been doing a lot of thinking, and because I'm back and because my profession is in the business of justice, it looks like I'll be doing some litigation for the year of 2019.

Hopefully, the commandment in Isaiah 1:17 governs the year for me: "[A]nd learn to do right. See that justice is done—help those who are oppressed, give orphans their rights, and defend widows.”

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Noel Syers, They Followed the Star

Sorry that I haven't been updating in awhile. Currently I'm writing an important brief. Also, I'm training in boxing. Between those two things, I feel like all my time has been exhausted. I'm also spending quality time with my family, friends, teachers, mentors, and my loving pets.

I'll try to update soon. Until then - Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Thankful Poor by Henry Ossawa Tanner
(First African American painter to reach acclaim) 1894

Sorry for not updating in awhile. Besides reading, configuring my diet, cleaning the house, running, boxing, and spending time with family and friends, I haven't really had too much downtime to write. I don't have internet access either at home. My cell phone was stolen on the plane ride between South Africa and Spain. Also, I don't have internet at home to save money.

The negative is because I'm not "connected", it's harder for me to write. Nonetheless, on weighing everything up, the truth is that one of the best blessings in disguise was having my cell phone stolen. Yes, it can burden people who need to contact me for meetings, but I incidentally found that I spend my time a lot better without having internet access.

As a result, I spend more time with my family and friends and my cat Jeh Pan, who has finally forgiven me for taking such a long absence. I've also read more; the kind of thing people did when TV wasn't around. So, being without a cell phone has certainly re-tooled my time in a way I didn't expect; that's left me a lot more fulfilled, knowledgeable, and more interesting.

I can prove it. In the last two months, I learned that depression destroys neurons. An injection of young blood can regrow nerves. If senior citizens live with their grandchildren, they tend to live longer. Celebrity chefs that stay slim all approve of dark chocolate, don't eat their own food often (haha), and most of them eat-in with much simpler foods than they cook for clients. When I analyzed Bobby Flay's book on bbq, I also realized there are only generally only five ways to cook meat. See; so if you don't want to be boring, you have to read and research more.

(My commentary: I think all this social media junk is destroying the social skills of mine and the next generation. I should've taken a picture of this. When I was in Stockholm, Sweden, I saw so many younger people sitting around the table on their phones, all of them, but they were so desperate to talk to each other. They just didn't know how. If community makes you live longer, unfortunately, these people (at least according to my research) will be more prone to depression, disease, and Alzheimer. No good.)

In any event, we're going back to Thanksgiving. I'm grateful for all the lessons I've learned. I stopped by my relatives, who all said I look very healthy and attractive. I haven't seen them in two years. So that's a good sign for me.

They couldn't make sense of how I traveled the world for 15 months. They criticized me for not making lots of money. All of them! They said I need a house, a new car, and lots more money.

I gave them one answer that made them laugh and stopped their arguments in their tracks: "You only have one life." I added: "So, it's good to enjoy."

Most seniors I meet seem regretful they didn't see as much of the world as they should have. In their youth, they said they would but never got around to it. I showed my family lots of pictures of Peru and the mountains - which they seemed fascinated with. I talked a lot about the wonderful foods I ate around the world, especially in Peru and Ibiza and France.

In any event, I suppose the lesson of this Thanksgiving is to really value the relationships you have. I was reading a Chinese parable, where the king couldn't figure out the significance of life. After passing a trial - a wise old man in the mountains gives him - the wise man tells the king - "The most important time is now. The most important people in your life are those who are present before you now. And the most important things to do with your time is to spend it meaningfully with the people you're present with now."

No wonder why Jesus says that the angels rejoice when relationships are restored. In fact, he says that a restored relationship is worth more than even finding silver treasure. (Luke 15:8-10). So, for me, lots to be grateful for this year.

Did Mayor Lozano and Council Member Pacheco authorize illegal marijuana farm?

On November 3, 2018, Greg S. Tuttle, local businessman and activist, went to the industrial district at 13111 Spring Street in Baldwin Park, where he was looking to find his old supplier. But instead, he discovered a warehouse with a chain linked fence, growing tens of thousands of dollars of marijuana. He checked whether the address had a permit to do so, and discovered that the grower did not.

So, he decided to file a police report. The funny thing is that nobody at the police station wanted to take the report. After persistently escalating the matter, the police eventually allowed him to file his report. Unfortunately, it appears that the Baldwin Park Police Department knew about this illegal operation for some time now. Apparently, there was an order to "stand down" regarding the property on 13111 Spring Street.

Sources allege that Mayor Lozano and Council Member Pacheco may have collected private money in exchange for waiving licensing fees for the grower. Although the anonymous sources do not want to be named, this allegation is consistent with the Mayor's decision to defer the collection of permit fees by all the businesses awarded a marijuana license. The Mayor's decision is controversial, given the fact that next year the city's deficit could be as high as $14.5 million.

In Baldwin Park, it appears that marijuana money has become one of the main forms of political campaign contributions. Back in December of 2017, the Legal Lens exposed how Baldwin Park's Police Chief took at least $10,000 in drug money to fund his campaign for public office, and then won.

Well, for Lozano, his public debut began with being busted for trucking marijuana, and it appears he may be hauled out of public office for getting a cut of the cash crop - drug lord style.

City of Baldwin Park authorizes estimated $10,000 in attorney's fees to collect $6.56

Ricardo Pacheco, Monica Garcia, Manuel Lozano
(From left to right)

Mayor Manuel Lozano and Council Members Monica Garcia and Ricardo Pacheco authorized an estimated $10,000 in attorney's fees to collect $6.56. After Cook filed an unsuccessful appeal, the City, through the firm of Albright, Yee, and Schmit attempted to collect $357.16. On October 30, 2018, the trial court awarded the City $6.56, which the city disputed as unfair. The judge hammered the city, stating that their wasting attorney's fees in collecting such a small amount.

The underlying case regarded two unsuccessful appeals. The City was ordered to release records under court order called a writ. The City was shown to have lied about not releasing records, but the court excused them from releasing more. Also, attorney's fees should have been awarded, but were not. The appellate court, unfortunately, did not call on the City to release more information.

Robert Tafoya, looking shameful,
for drafting the Chief of Police's questionable contract.

As a result, Lozano and the city attorney have reflected a retaliatory attitude. In an email dated on August 16, 2018 - the City Attorney wrote - "I beat you down, you appealed, and lost again, and now I am collecting fees and costs against you for Baldwin Park. I understand why you are so bitter." Well, congratulations to the City for spending wasteful thousands of dollars to get a judgment for $6.56.

Unfortunately, the problem with the vindictive and retaliatory attitude of the Mayor and the City Attorney is that they're spending other people's money and not their own. At some point - that's bound to run out. In short, it's a lot of money to spend to try to get even, especially when the City is running a potential deficit of $14.5 million this year.

Clifton Albright

Baldwin Park's poor judgment, however, reflects a bigger problem with government, attorneys, and the sordid relationship between the two. The Tafoya firm was accused of billing fraud of $127,000. Since being city attorney, Tafoya has charged about $400,000 every year since he's been city attorney of Baldwin Park. Hiring someone to be an in-house city attorney should only cost $120,000 a year, especially for a small city.

We should all be asking: How much of this money is going back to the Mayor and council members?

The City has yet to disclose how much it's spent on the Albright firm's billing. Yet, we do know that their billing specialist is an ex-convict, who has scammed victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The City of South Gate also sued the firm to recover $1.8 million from it. Albright claims that the double billing was often an "accident". Perhaps, Albright is willing to engage in this behavior, because he's over-leveraged all his properties and owes quite a bit of money on all his real estate throughout the United States.

In any event, the City's bitter defeat is a win for the people - especially because it exposes their wastefulness and nastiness. The real problem in our democracy is that we can no longer hold these people accountable and get rid of them from office.

I'd like to end with the words of Aleksander Solzhenitsyn again: “You can resolve to live your life with integrity. Let your credo be this: Let the lie come into the world, let it even triumph. But not through me.”