ROBERT lets LAWYER SUE walk

A last minute decision was made to forgo the current action and refile the case against LAWYER SUE in the Federal Court. The Santa Ana Court had given ROBERT 10 days leave to amend his First Amended Complaint (FAC), which he did not comply with. Upon a motion by LAWYER SUE or ROBERT, the court will certainly grant a dismissal of the action.

As mentioned previously, ROBERT will file an action against the Superior Court of California specifically naming 5 judges to account for bias and prejudice. The action will invoke elements of 42 USC Section 1983 (Civil Action for Deprivation of Rights) including the 14th Amendment (Equal Protection of the Law). Furthermore, he will seek the US Court to provide a tri-panel of judges to preside over this action.

As a precursor, ROBERT, in association with FELIX TORRES will be deposing members of the CA BAR ASSOCIATION on the 10th of April 2009 at a location that could only be described as unconventional. This is part of the discoveries being conducted for the case entitled Torres v. CA Bar Association already filed in the US Court. Because of limited resources, the deposition for the Torres case will be held outdoors. It was mentioned that FELIX requested for the Defendants to bring a pair of sunglasses and sun tan lotion because the location is expected to be hot and sunny.

ROBERT is participating in the deposition as part of his informal discoveries. The new action that he is preparing will include the CA Bar Association as Defendants together with Shea Properties and Gary Gough, Esq. (THE DEVILS) .

Stay tuned.

IRS Agent Busted

An IRS Agent was caught cheating on his taxes and before the case was even assigned to the judge he copped a plea for a lesser punishment. Jim H. Liu, 43 of Diamond Bar CA, filed a plea bargain in Santa Ana, CA in hopes of averting up to three years in a federal prison. The agreement included admission of filing falsified tax returns that caused the government to lose $14,642.88. Unfortunately, he does not have the final word on this matter. The presiding judge may decline this plea. Per the agreement, Mr. Liu agrees to pay for the amount lost and agrees to forfeit all his federal benefits. He is also subject to other collateral effects such as deportation and revocation of any professional license.

At the very least he should spend a few days in jail. All the other IRS Employees need to know that if they do something that violates the "Tax Codes", they will spend some time in jail. If they knew there was a chance that they may end up being the sex slave to some drug king-pin already in prison because of tax evasion, they’ll think twice. As it is, jail time wasn't enough of a deterrent.

VIEW IRS PRESS RELEASE 

VIEW PLEA AGREEMENT 

READ OC REGISTER BLOG 

Roy gets the Runaround

Our friend Roy was given another runaround this week after asking the “Board of Directors” of his community the “Certificate of Memberships” to prove their capacity to vote on certain issues that pertain to his community. This request was prompted by Roy’s belief that the “Board” has been violating the By-laws of the Community as well as the Corporation Laws of the State of California. Furthermore, he has reason to believe that certain board members are double voting. In their response letter to Roy, the Laguna Woods Village Association wrote:

"You have requested a list of the “certificate of membership’ of the United Board of Directors. Please be advised that the documents and records contained in your request dated March 16, 2009 are not included in the list of records provided for in Civil Code Section 1365.2 (Please see Civil Code 1365.2 (a)(1) and (2)."

This is not the first time that Roy has been given the runaround. On another inquiry that he sent to “True Ballot”, the company responsible for elections conducted by the association, Kenneth Mostern, VP of True Ballot wrote:

“We appreciate your attention to the conduct of this election, and request that, if you have any specific information concerning possible fraudulent conduct on this election, that you provide it.”

In his letter, Roy quoted a number of Corporation Codes, Government Codes and Civil Codes. Despite that, True Ballot would not initiate a formal inquiry into possible voting violations.

Is this yet another example of indifference towards an elderly, or is it more serious than it appears? Are they hiding something? Stay tuned. We'll find out soon enough.

READ ROY'S LETTER TO LWA 

READ LWA's RESPONSE 

CORRESPONDENCE -TRUE BALLOT & ROY 

Lewd Pastor will go to jail

Pastor Willie Holmes of the Willie Holmes Ministries and Majesty Christian Fellowship in Fullerton, CA will surrender to authorities to begin his 360-day sentence after he violated his probation for lewd conduct. Holmes’ criminal record was published February 13, 2009 after he filed a complaint against gang members who allegedly attacked him and his sons while driving. The attackers were reported to have followed him to church and using rocks broke his car’s windshield as well as windows and doors of his church.
 
Let this be a warning to those who wish to accuse thy neighbors of transgressions. Thy neighbor may return the favor and help expose thy accuser’s sins.
 
VIEW OC REGISTER ARTICLE 

April Fool's Joke - A Foreclosure?

It is no joke. The property that has been the subject of the Lacambra vs Glass et al action is finally being sold by “Trustee Sale” on April 1, 2009. My Mom gave me the documents early this week after she got back from an out of town business trip. A follow-up conversation yesterday revealed a last minute deal that was apparently struck by the Listing Agent moving the “Trustee Sale” to a future date. This has yet to be confirmed.

For the benefit of our readers, I have uploaded the actual documents that were given to my mother – the Notice of Trustee Sale and the Published Notice. I’ve also included the listing information published by the Realtor.

Against better judgment, my brother and his wife chose “First Team Realty” as their listing agent. This is the same company that I have labeled the “Unprofessionals” and are now subjects of an upcoming action in the US Courts. There is one word for this – psychosis. There is someone who is a little neurotic in the opposition’s camp, to be sure. 

Well, all I have to say is that the house had better not be sold because their descendants will talk about me for generations to come. They will ask themselves, “All this hardship, because of a three bedroom house? Our ancestors weren’t really that smart were they?”

No, they weren’t.

VIEW NOTICE OF TRUSTEE SALE 

VIEW PUBLISHED NOTICE 

VIEW LISTING INFO 

But, Officer ...

Because of challenging economic times, more and more people are looking for “no money fun” activities these days. Last year’s “Annual Train Mooning” event attracted a large crowd – 10,000 people - that the police decided to curtail this year’s event. Laguna Niguel Chief of Police Services Linda Solorza sought the passage of ordinance restricting parking on Camino Capistrano for that day only. Apparently, one of the reasons for this is because there were 911 reports of public nudity and other sexual activity.
 
But, but, but, didn’t anyone tell anybody at the department that mooning is technically a form of nudity (indecent exposure)? Now, we’re saying we will only let those who get there early enough to get a parking spot flash their rear ends? But, Officer …
 
READ OC REGISTER ARTICLE 

RJ Salutes the Oakland Four

The Oakland Police Department lost four of its officers in the line of duty this last Saturday. Several news outlets said that Lovelle Mixon, 26, who was wanted for parole violations, killed a total of four officers after a traffic stop. Two were Motorcyle Officers and were killed at the location of the stop. The others were SWAT Officers and were killed by a hail of AK-47 bullets as they entered the suspect’s residence. The suspect was later killed during the second round of gun battle.
 
The OC Register quoted OC Sheriff's Department Spokesperson Jim Amormino as saying “The incident underscores the problems facing the release of prisoners back into society”. He further said, "Not only does the banking system in America need fixing, so does the parole system."
 
The names of the fallen officers are as follows:

1. Officer Erv Romans, 43
   
2. Officer Mark Dunakin, 40
   
3. SWAT Officer Dan Sakai, 35
   
4. SWAT Officer John Hege, 41

We at Robert’s Justice salute the fallen officers and offer their families our deepest condolences. 

READ THE SV MERCURY NEWS ARTICLE 

Mo Tales, Mo's Tail

"Have you ever wondered why Mo never sits down?" Mo's mom asked me. I never thought about it, but as I look back, I’ve never really seen Mo sitting on any of the occasions that I’ve seen him. “No, I haven’t”, I replied. "Well, this is a long kept family secret that I’ve never told anyone. But because I have come to trust you, I will tell you. The reason Mo does not sit down on his behind is because he has a tail that he has coiled inside his pants. If he sits on it, it hurts him like a dog when its tail is stepped on. If he has to, he sits on his side. All through school he had to use one of those kneeling chairs that was prescribed by his doctor."
 
"One more thing, he had an operation when he was still a toddler. It came about when we discovered that every time he would suck on his thumb while sleeping, a small horn would pop out of his head. It’s a really troubling situation for a mother. It’s a good thing it only happens when he is sleeping and while sucking on his thumb – only his thumb. Can you imagine if that happens while I was breast-feeding him? That could have impaled me. Can you imagine the headlines the next day? “Infant kills his own mother”. I had to do something about it. If you shave off all his hair, you’ll see a deep crater just above his forehead because he had a single horn like a Unicorn. I used to tie his hands to his side just to make sure that his thumb would not reach his mouth."
 
"You won’t believe how much money it cost me for all the surgeries. The insurance company said that although it was out of the ordinary, it wasn’t life threatening. So every thing had to come out of my pocket. Those were some of the most troubling of times. Not only was it a financial nightmare but also that stretch of about two years was when I began having nightmares. One particular nightmare that kept visiting me in my sleep featured Mo sleeping on his back and then his tongue would roll out of his mouth ending up in his belly button almost sucking on his navel. That’s pretty yuuuukkky, if you ask me."
 
She took out her IPhone and started looking for something. “I even have a film of his tail popping out accidentally – at the wrong time. It’s embarrassing. Here, I’ll show it to you so you know what I mean.” She then turned the phone to me and showed me the footage.

VIEW MO'S TAIL POPPING OUT 

Residue of War

Most every Saturdays I usually go to see my Mom at her home. And while there I also take the opportunity to wash my car and clothes. It’s not a comfortable event for me as the very house my mother lives in is also the very house that I was evicted from by my brother and his wife. Every now and again, I've been able to sleep there when my chores had me working until the evening - a permissive indulgence by my Mother. But there is always an indescribable feeling that comes over me - very raw feelings based on knowing that my brother can always call the Sheriff’s Department and have me removed or even worse. The agitation usually remains with me long after I left the community.
 
While there today, I saw something interesting and worthy of a picture. Over the last few days I’ve accumulated empty bottles of my favorite go-go juice – Tejava Tea - that I was planning to bring to the recycling center for a redemption of $0.10 each. Before washing my car, I unloaded all of it and placed it in columns. The imagery reminded me of spent cartridges amassed by an artillery battery right after a salvo of steel rain on enemy positions. The image was striking to me as it showed me how much caffeine I consume - about 2 bottles a day. It also made me take pause as I realized that a new phase of my war has begun, committing a salvo of legal projectiles. Some of which will be sent my brother's way.
 
VIEW IMAGE OF TEJAVA COLUMN 

LAWYER SUE pissed off at ROBERT

Today’s hearing on the matter of Defendant Susan Angell’s (LAWYER SUE) demurrer was presided by Judge Pro Tem Susan Olsen. As a matter of civil procedure, the court requires parties to stipulate on having a temporary judge hear the matter. I was so anxious to hear what the ruling was that I signed the stipulation.
 
Judge Olsen heard another matter before our number was called. “Number 7, Lacambra vs Glass”, she announced. After our introductions, Judge Olsen read the ruling, which in effect gave me 10 days leave to amend my complaint. The verbal sparring between LAWYER SUE and I started soon thereafter. LAWYER SUE was upset at the ruling and I was upset that I couldn’t get the document that I wanted that the court reporter had to interrupt our boisterous exchange – “One at a time, please”, he commanded. She called me Dude in front of the judge and I called her Dudette to express our uniform displeasure at each other. She even claimed that I had already gotten the District Attorney’s Office involved. I know that isn’t true because I am still drafting that letter. I’ve been hesitant about sending it off because people can go to jail for that.
 
After the hearing, our colorful exchange continued outside the courtroom. That was where things got a little personal. “No wonder your kids don’t want to see you”, she bellowed. Of all the things she can say that were any dirtier and hurtful, she had to drag my kids into the conversation. “I’m going to have you disbarred”, I retorted. That was when she gave me the middle finger salute. It was a moment worthy of my enjoyment as I had gotten in her head and accomplished a small part of my battle plan.
 
Thinking the encounter was over, I proceeded to the bus stop to pick up the #83 bus. As I was walking, I delighted in seeing LAWYER SUE once again, in all the veneer of a respectable attorney, driving in her 5 Series BMW looking at me with a smile and giving me another middle finger salute through her open sunroof as she was driving by. I’ve arrived, I thought to myself. She was absolutely pissed off, validating the fact that I am fast becoming an attorney’s worst nightmare.
 
What emerged from the hearing was another to do list that includes the following:

• Draft and file the Second Amended Complaint in 10 days
  
• Draft and send the Criminal Complaint to the District Attorney of CA

Say good-bye to your BAR License LAWYER SUE. You are a disgrace to the legal profession.

Judge Banks: Show up at court

In an interesting twist, Judge Banks of the OC Superior Court (Central Justice Center) did not post a tentative ruling on the matter of Lacambra vs Glass scheduled for March 20, 2009 at 1:30PM. Defendant Susan Angell (LAWYER SUE), the moving party, demurred on ROBERT’S First Amended Complaint and was opposed accordingly. Tentative rulings are usually posted on the OC Court website the day before the “Law and Motion” hearing. The website merely said “NO TENTATIVE WILL BE POSTED”. This may indicate an unresolved issue that the court and the parties will have to settle by “oral argument”. 

So, for now, LAWYER SUE lives for yet another day. Fighting for her professional life, she may have to see the first steps of her banishment from the legal profession performed at “Halls of Justice” tomorrow when the judge  rules in ROBERT'S favor allowing the case to proceed. That would be altogether appropriate. Otherwise, she will have to face another battle in the US Courts where the fight will continue. Asked to comment on the court posting, ROBERT said, "Ideally, I’d like to see her demurrer overruled and then transfer the case from the Superior Court to the Federal Court instead of starting from scratch."

VIEW TENTATIVE RULINGS POSTING 

Man who claims cat beat up his son jailed

A man who assaulted his 4-month-old son is now behind bars after being given a 21-year to life sentence by a Santa Ana Court. After telling doctors that the family cat was responsible for some of the child’s injuries that included scratches, 30 bite marks, broken bones, a ripped lip and countless bruises, the court found Andrew David Fusco guilty of 4 felony counts of child abuse, 2 felony counts of sexual abuse and 2 felony counts of aggravated assault.
 
Clearly, the injuries sustained by the child were not consistent with injuries that could be received from a run in with a house cat. Fortunately, attending doctors are now trained to discern injuries caused by child abuse and may have asked these questions to implicate the suspect:

1. What kind of bully cat was it that beat up your child?
   
2. Which wild animal zoo is it that you reside in?

READ THE CHILD ABUSE ARTICLE 

Politicians don't know business

Take it from Jack Welch, Ex-CEO of General Electric. He said on Kudlow & Company that the US Government should act like Stakeholders and Board Directors of AIG instead of publicly casting aspersions at the CEO who agreed to get paid $1.00 per year for his services. He was referring to Senators and politicians who were publicly lambasting the company for the recent expose that included $165M in bonuses to be paid to AIG employees after receiving bailout money from the public.

Although Welch made the assessment saying, “they (politicians) are not acting like owners”, he also offered them advice. “They ought to be working as Board of Directors with their CEO on what the compensations ought to be". He further said that “(they) should encourage the CEO to get to the right answers so we get a return on our money, I don’t want this $180B to just go up in smoke because we’re fighting with each other."

Based on the politician’s actions, it isn’t clear whether or not they are actually aware that the US Government are now owners of AIG, fueling the argument that the government is actually not suited for this job and should stay out of owning businesses. More of these amateurish antics and we are likely to hear this - POOF - the sound of billions gone.

SEE JACK WELCH’S INTERVIEW 

The Brokest Generation

First there was the Greatest Generation; who gave birth to the Boomer Generation; who gave birth to the X Generation; who gave birth to the Y Generation. Now, there is a question about what to call this generation. As of yesterday the National Public Debt of the USA stood at about $10.9 Trillion - $10,994.926.674,703.70 to be exact. The USA has an estimated population of 305,821,900 meaning that each citizen now has a bill of $35,952.06 representing their portion of the national debt. According to Mark Steyn of the OC Register, this new generation being saddled with this debt should really be called the “Brokest Generation”.
 
In the article, Steyn asks irreverent and yet poignant questions like:

• Isn’t it terrific to stick it to the young?
  
• Why the hell did you old coots do this to us?
  
• Do you think you could advance me a couple of trillion to tide me over?
  

READ MARK STEYN'S ARTICLE 

Rich & Nina (14th March 2009)

We were at the usual hangout – the Bean Cafe. We had just gotten our cup of java when he began to tell me about his latest and greatest project. “I am trying to practice my sales pitch”, he said. “Why? Do you have a new job? What are you selling?, I asked. “I am selling the most amazing product that my beautiful Nina will ever need in her life. I call it the N.I.R. – the New and Improved Rich”, he said with a big infectious smile.

“I’ve been studying the “Masters of Selling” the last month and have distilled a number of concepts that I will use to make Nina finally mine. For instance, I learned that when asking a woman out, it is best to use what the Masters call the “subordinate question”. This is when you give her two options to pick from and both were actually what you had already chosen. You don’t want to ask – do you want to go to the movies with me? It’s a weak question because she can say no. You don’t want to be that guy at a high school dance who got turned down by a girl, the one being laughed at by the other boys as you are walking back. The best approach is to ask something like, Hey, I just bought a brand new DVD player, which would you enjoy watching better, Notebook or Titanic? That’s the simplified question. Off course I have to make it sound smoother. I call it the Rich Approach and it goes like this, Hey gorgeous, I know exactly what you should be watching with those beautiful eyes of yours. I just bought a really nice DVD player imported from Japan. Which of the two movies would you like to watch, the Notebook or Titanic. And then you follow up with – Oh by the way, because this is the longer director’s cut version, do you have butter on your popcorn or is caramel better? See what I mean? She has to decide between the Notebook and Titanic; Butter or Caramel. I didn’t give her a chance to say no.”

“Wow!, “That explains a lot of things – all those rejections when I was in college. But do continue”, I said. “Oh, and another useful technique that the Masters of Selling use is called the “Inducement”. It goes something like this. I’m actually flying to Europe in a week and won’t be back for at least a couple, I have to tie up some deals with financiers and bankers in London. Before I go, I just want to spend time with the most beautiful woman in the world. Not only do you compliment her but you also give her a sense of urgency. And then, like a salesman, you ask for the order. When you say this, you don’t want to give her the impression that you are asking for her permission but rather you are telling her that it’s a done deal. You say, “I will have my chauffer pick you up at 7PM”.

“How does that translate to your situation? I know you’re not flying to Europe and most of all you don’t have a chauffer because I know you don’t even have a reliable car?”, I asked. “That’s a good question”, he replied. “Visualization is a big part of selling. You have to envision the sales event before you can actually create it. I don’t plan to stay in this condition forever. One day I will be filthy rich. So, in my present scenario, how do I ask Nina to be my girl? Well, after the movies and the popcorn she’ll probably be in a good mood. So, I’ll take her by the hand and tell her this, “Nina, baby, you know I love you. I just want one day of your life for myself. If I do a great job, then I ask that you extend it to the next. Every day I do a good job loving you, we extend it another day, so on and so forth. There are no contracts here”. What she doesn’t know is if she gives me one day, I’ll really work my ass off everyday. You know she’s never going to give me up, right? That way, I can spend the rest of my life with my Nina, he proclaimed with another big smile. “That sounds great but what do the Masters call this pitch?” Oh, it’s called the “money back guarantee approach”. You give her a scenario where she never loses anything. You let her know that her satisfaction is guaranteed”, he replied.

Women have been the greatest source of strength for great men. Just to impress them great men of history have done incredible things for humanity. He may not sound like it when he speaks. Sometimes, it’s easy not to take him seriously. But I have a very deep feeling that Nina is that one person that can change everything for him and I think he knows it, feels it and believes it. That explains the passion in his eyes when he speaks of his Nina. In a way it’s like watching a Grandmaster of Love at work. There isn’t an ounce of doubt at all in my mind that he will change the world some way, some how - in his own very unique and special way. And whatever form it may turn out to be, I wish nothing more than for it to be Rich’s Way.

Hobo Dream House

Victor Hugo once said, “Necessity is the mother of invention”. The recent spate of unemployment and homelessness may have been the inspiration for Justin Gargasz’ multi-use parka. Cleverly designed, the jacket unfolds into a tent ready for use anywhere. When not in use, the parka and tent combo easily returns to its original form - a thoughtfully designed and stylish jacket.
 
Protection from the elements is one of the biggest challenges faced by a hobo. The colder the locale the thicker the clothing must be, creating a difficult compromise between having warmth for the price of bulky weight. Because they generally have no place to store things like blankets and beddings, hiding things becomes problematic. This is how the name “bag lady” came about which describes a lady who needs to carry everything she owns with her - usually in bags. For now, the problem of clothing and temporary shelter may have been solved. Judging from the way the jacket looks, any hobo who wears one may actually pass for anything else except a hobo.
 
VIEW THE HOBO TENT JACKET COMBO 

291,000 homes in foreclosure

RealtyTrac, an online marketer of homes, reported that approximately 291,000 homes were subjects to foreclosure action in the US last month - up by 30% from last year. Legally, the foreclosure process can begin the first moment a loan payment is missed but it is very unlikely and rarely happens. Current market conditions make it sensible for banks and note holders to try to work out the loan with the homeowner including modifying the terms and even reducing the principal of the loan.
 
Barbara Desoer, President of Bank of America Mortgage admits that the modifications are generally more attractive and said that based on their model, Bank of America “… is better off as an investor by doing modification that makes the payment affordable than taking the house to foreclosure”.
 
A property that a bank or an investor takes back must be placed on the market and must compete with other properties that are already either for sale or up for rent. As of today, the Realtor.com website shows a total of 4,079,282 homes available for sale or for lease.
 
READ YAHOO NEWS ARTICLE 
VIEW CNBC INTERVIEW OF DESOER 

Robert & Lawyer Sue Skirmish

After several attempts, we were finally able to serve Susan Angell Esq. the Complaint/Summons and ADR Packet for the case entitled Lacambra vs Glass et al. As expected she responded with a Demurrer to try to prolong the pleading process. This afternoon, I filed an opposition and served her a copy by first class mail. This is actually the first time that we've published copies of the moving and responding papers that represent both sides of any particular issue. The legal briefs speak for itself and is now available for viewing.

We will try to publish all filed legal documents on all previous cases in the future. At this time, we are inundated with other matters relating to the new cases that we are preparing for filing and could not allocate enough time to upload all the legal documents. However, it is definitely on our to do list and we will do our best to have it available on this blog soon. In the meantime, we offer you a small taste of "Robert's Battles" as we feature a skirmish between ROBERT (Plaintiff) vs LAWYER SUE (Defendant).

VIEW LAWYER SUE'S DEMURRER 
VIEW ROBERT'S OPPOSITION TO THE DEMURRER 

Financial Elder Abuse

A caregiver was recently taken into custody by authorities in Huntington Beach CA for allegedly committing what is now being called “financial elder abuse”. Cindi Dee Powell, 54, allegedly took out loans and opened bank accounts under the name of Constance Wakefield, 85, and pocketed approximately $122,000. Investigations are ongoing but early estimates bring the total amount that was swindled to as much as $200,000 and may possibly cause the retiree to lose her home.
 
As more and more of the baby boomer generation go into retirement, ways to protect them from “financial elder abuse” must be developed. Robert’s Justice will do a study on this emerging problem and will report on it in future posts.

READ OC REGISTER ARTICLE 

Pastor shot dead in church

A pastor in Maryville, Ill. was shot by a parishioner in the heart while delivering a service in church. The pastor, Rev. Fred Winters, reportedly deflected the first shot with a bible fired by the assailant. Witnesses said that the gunman, Terry J. Sedlacek, shot a total of 4 shots with a .45 pistol until the weapon jammed.
 
Sedlacek reportedly once suffered from Lyme disease, a bacterial disease commonly transmitted to humans by tick bites. His attorney told the Belleville News-Democrat that he acquired Lyme disease several years ago and suffered mental and physical conditions as a consequence. But MSNBC quoted Dr. Eugene Shapiro, an expert on the disease from Yale University as saying “Lyme disease doesn’t cause people to shoot people.”
 
READ THE MSNBC ARTICLE 

A Silicon Valley Rags to Riches Story?

One of the most interesting individuals that I’ve ever met was an Italian immigrant who owns a high-end auto body shop for vintage cars. It was at least seven years ago when I was at his place of business. The shop was essentially a repair garage complete with the all the details one finds in a place that fixes broken things – the tools, the grease, the smudges on the walls, the lifts and the auto parts everywhere. There were at least three vintage cars that were parked in varying degrees of body repair and were a few stages from regaining its gloried past. Any of which, when finished, would easily appraise for a small fortune. There were things that I thought was peculiar to him. I noticed that when he welded things with his acetylene torch he did not use the dark lenses that welders use to protect their eyes from the intense light. He was either already partially blind that he developed some immunity to the glare or that he was born with some super eyesight that allowed him to do this. 
 
In those days I made a living out of arranging loans for entrepreneurs and small business owners. They had a special energy that I always found invigorating. I still remember him because of what he said that really defined a group of people that I have come to admire – the entrepreneurs. Nobody has been able to define it for me any more precisely. I was trying to get his story so I can paint a particular picture of him that was not only impressive to investors but was also conducive to securing the needed funds. He looked me in the eyes, took a piece of unused paper napkin that he crumpled into a ball, threw it on the table and said, “I take things like this – nothing – and make something out of it”. I sat back smiling and in awe. No dictionary or encyclopedia has been able to give me a better definition before or since.
 
I recently left the employ of the pizza restaurant I was working at precisely because of that. I am an entrepreneur at heart and was miserable working for someone else. Once you’ve worked for yourself and have managed every detail of a business, anything else is a step down. When it all comes down to it, I am searching for my ball of paper napkin that I will fashion into something – hopefully into something extraordinary. I think my journey will require that I move to Silicon Valley because that is where ideas like mine are embraced, nurtured and doused with entrepreneurial nourishment. In thirty days, I’ll either be in Silicon Valley or I won’t – simple as that. It won’t be easy because my finances are not likely to change before then, if at all. It will be a story of an OC Bum moving to become a Silicon Valley Bum. But if the stars line up for me, and I hope very much it does, it will be a rags to riches story unlike anything that I have ever read. 

A post from Silicon Valley

This month’s installment of “Yestradamus” will be delayed by a few days. As I write this, I am actually sitting at a Starbucks in Silicon Valley, CA. I was offered by a friend to help him pick up some tents at a number of REI Stores in Northern CA for resale on Ebay. I jumped on the opportunity as I saw it as a chance for me to do two things. First, I wanted to see how viable it is for me to establish an Ebay Store with my kids. Second, I wanted to start scouting the area for a potential place to work, live and play. 

My goal of reforming the legal system hinges on the development of very high quality and uncomplicated Internet technologies. At the very spot I am sitting, Santa Clara County, commonly called Silicon Valley, is America’s technological backbone and the center for just about every major technical breakthrough in the area of computer sciences. It is the home to many technology companies like Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Ebay, Google, Intel, AMD, Cisco, Novell, Sun Computers just to mention a few. A few miles from here are the incubators for some of the next generation technologies in the form of high caliber universities like Stanford University and UC Berkeley. My dream of changing how the legal system does business is akin to pushing the earth off its axis – there are powerful forces working against me. The only way I could achieve this difficult goal is to assemble a group of world-class thinkers and doers. I figured that for it to happen, I must come to them.
 
I will post some pictures in the next day or so and report on what I’ve discovered.

Live in a Shipping Container?

Anything is a move up from living on the streets. If you are one of those unlucky few who by amazing circumstances are living by a dumpster somewhere, even a doghouse is probably preferable. Given the tough economic environment, that may have been resigned fate until recently. Enter a new and modernist architectural movement. Utilizing modernist design ethics and a flair for push button convenience, a group of architects have created a line of homes using shipping containers as a shell for functional homes.

Read FastCompany article about Container Homes  
View slideshow of Container Living Spaces