Notations From The Grid (Weekly Edition): On @POTUS Watch

It has been quite a week!!

Our team was on the prowl in the aftermath of #MLKDay 2018 with this: 

US Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona took to the US Senate Floor to denounce the President as there were a number of interesting headlines that were featured on the New York Times last week on the plight of the Democratic process, on Climate Change, the future and of course in the midst of it--companies still trying to survive: 

As we reflected upon the headlines from last week, what we noted below  from yesterday's New York Times was even more challenging to assess in light of the challenges with North Korea (although we are pleased to report that North and South Korea will field a joint team: 

Top News Military Quietly Prepares for a Last Resort: War With North Korea By HELENE COOPER, ERIC SCHMITT, THOMAS GIBBONS-NEFF and JOHN ISMAY It’s normal for American commanders to draw up combat plans. But recent exercises signal that the military wants to be ready for options on the Korean Peninsula. Hopes Dim for DACA Deal as Lawmakers Battle Over Trump’s Immigration Remarks By THOMAS KAPLAN, NOAH WEILAND and MICHAEL D. SHEAR Senator David Perdue, who attended the White House meeting, said Senator Richard J. Durbin’s account of President Trump’s language was a “gross misrepresentation.” In Montecito, Enclave of Wealth and Fame, Unimagined Tragedy By TIM ARANGO Mudslides left the coastal community of Montecito, Calif., in ruins, and rescuers were racing against time on Sunday to find four people still missing. For more top news, go to NYTimes.com »

Top News

Military Quietly Prepares for a Last Resort: War With North Korea By HELENE COOPER, ERIC SCHMITT, THOMAS GIBBONS-NEFF and JOHN ISMAY It’s normal for American commanders to draw up combat plans. But recent exercises signal that the military wants to be ready for options on the Korean Peninsula.

Hopes Dim for DACA Deal as Lawmakers Battle Over Trump’s Immigration Remarks By THOMAS KAPLAN, NOAH WEILAND and MICHAEL D. SHEAR Senator David Perdue, who attended the White House meeting, said Senator Richard J. Durbin’s account of President Trump’s language was a “gross misrepresentation.”

In Montecito, Enclave of Wealth and Fame, Unimagined Tragedy By TIM ARANGO Mudslides left the coastal community of Montecito, Calif., in ruins, and rescuers were racing against time on Sunday to find four people still missing.

For more top news, go to NYTimes.com »

Top News

Military Quietly Prepares for a Last Resort: War With North Korea By HELENE COOPER, ERIC SCHMITT, THOMAS GIBBONS-NEFF and JOHN ISMAY It’s normal for American commanders to draw up combat plans. But recent exercises signal that the military wants to be ready for options on the Korean Peninsula.

Military Quietly Prepares for a Last Resort: War With North Korea

By HELENE COOPER, ERIC SCHMITT, THOMAS GIBBONS-NEFF and JOHN ISMAY

It’s normal for American commanders to draw up combat plans. But recent exercises signal that the military wants to be ready for options on the Korean Peninsula.

Hopes Dim for DACA Deal as Lawmakers Battle Over Trump’s Immigration Remarks By THOMAS KAPLAN, NOAH WEILAND and MICHAEL D. SHEAR Senator David Perdue, who attended the White House meeting, said Senator Richard J. Durbin’s account of President Trump’s language was a “gross misrepresentation.”

Hopes Dim for DACA Deal as Lawmakers Battle Over Trump’s Immigration Remarks

By THOMAS KAPLAN, NOAH WEILAND and MICHAEL D. SHEAR

Senator David Perdue, who attended the White House meeting, said Senator Richard J. Durbin’s account of President Trump’s language was a “gross misrepresentation.”

In Montecito, Enclave of Wealth and Fame, Unimagined Tragedy By TIM ARANGO Mudslides left the coastal community of Montecito, Calif., in ruins, and rescuers were racing against time on Sunday to find four people still missing.

In Montecito, Enclave of Wealth and Fame, Unimagined Tragedy

By TIM ARANGO

Mudslides left the coastal community of Montecito, Calif., in ruins, and rescuers were racing against time on Sunday to find four people still missing.

President Trump denied that he called Africa and Haiti "s...holes" as he professed that he was the least racist person he knows.  Eric Trump went on Fox & Friends to say that the President only saw one color: Green.     What was noted below was a sampling of the reaction to the President's Statement: 

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” This country’s greatness and true genius lies in its diversity.

— James Comey (@Comey) January 12, 2018 

I’ve traveled and worked in Haiti, and across Africa and Central America. The countries the president described with his epithet do not exist. Some thoughts as we remember those lost in Haiti eight years ago today: https://t.co/iXJwEAo2f6

— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) January 12, 2018

There is of course Iran--and what the President announced on it: 

Trump's policy & today’s announcement amount to desperate attempts to undermine a solid multilateral agreement, maliciously violating its paras 26, 28 & 29. JCPOA is not renegotiable: rather than repeating tired rhetoric, US must bring itself into full compliance -just like Iran.

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 12, 2018

As our team assessed 2018 so far, what was reported by Government Executive was telling: 

Just One in Six Feds Say They're Excited to Implement Trump's Agenda // Eric Katz

Federal employees overwhelmingly believe President Trump does not respect them, according to a new survey, and a plurality think he has negatively affected their agencies' missions.

To read the entire story, click here.

This is as there is a partial US Government shutdown looming as we will continue to assess it all.  President Trump is slated to attend the World Economic Forum and our team at the Visions Property here in the Daily Outsider will be assessing it as we will be releasing a "Notation" shortly courtesy of the team at Bloomberg. 

Challenging times.....

Notations On Our World ( Special Community Edition): Out & About In Our Community of South Orange County & California

Governor Brown of California is entering his final year in Office.   He has just released his budget.  We received this at our Virtual Studios on a Snapshot of the budget which we hereby present courtesy of the team at Association of California Cities: 

2018-2019 January Budget Release Summary  The 2018-2019 budget continues to invest in Governor Brown's strategic priorities for the State of California including: education, healthcare, infrastructure and a progressive environmental protection agenda. Since the budget difficulties of 2011, the state grew out of a $26 billion deficit and has amassed a Rainy-Day Fund, which was approved by voters in 2014 under Proposition 2.  After meeting the constitutional obligations of contributing to the Rainy Day Fund, the State of California is experiencing a budget surplus going into the budget negotiation season for the 2018 fiscal year. This years 6.1 billion dollar surplus presents many opportunities for the legislature and for Orange County Cities. Notable data: By the end of 2017-18, the state's Rainy-Day Fund will have a total balance of $8.4 billion (65 percent of the constitutional target). The 2018-2019 budget proposal fills this gap to 100% or $13.5 billion. Total budget spending $131.6 billion with total resource dollars available $135.1 billion. Budget spending increases from 2017-2018 levels of $126.5 billion. The new budget anticipates a coming recession within the next few budget cycles, with the goal of aligning revenue growth to future spending. Infrastructure: With passage of SB 1, California will spend $55 billion over 10 years on its basic transportation infrastructure maintenance. The 2018-2019 budget sets in motion this allocation with $4.5 billion in funding and total spending (including selected bond funds) of $14 billion on transportation priorities. Infrastructure Repair: $2.8 billion Trade channel assets: $556 million Local projects match: $200 million Rail services: $721 million Public Safety: Public safety initiatives are addressed both at the state and local level.    Rehabilitations and corrections general fund spending accounts for $11.8 billion of the budget Community Corrections Performance Incentive Grant $106.4 million Post-Release Community Supervision $29 million Natural Resource Protection: The 2018-2019 budget strongly protect the state's natural resources. The Natural Resources Agency receives $9.8 billion ($3.0 billion from the general fund) for all activities. If approved by voters in June 2018, SB 5 would authorize $4 billion in general obligation bonds for California's parks, water and flood control infrastructure, ocean and coastal protection, safe drinking water, groundwater management and climate preparedness and resiliency. The 2018-2019 budget allocates $1.02 billion of first year spending if the initiative is approved by voters in June 2018[TR1] ..  Municipalities are slated to receive $464 million for local park programs within the measure, which would be allocated on a population based formula. Redevelopment Agencies: The Governor's priority is the final dissolution of the former redevelopment agencies' outstanding debts and other legal obligations and thus returns final funds to the cities, counties and special districts. Cities will receive an $926 million in general purpose revenues in 2017-2018 and 2018-19 combined. Counties will receive $990 million, and special districts an additional $282 million in that same time period. K-14 school districts will receive $1 4 billion in 2017-18 and $1.6 billion in 2018-19 from Proposition 98 General Fund savings resulting from the dissolution of redevelopment agencies. Housing: To implement the 2017 housing package, the budget allocates $3 million from the General Fund to the Department of Housing and Community Development. Additional resources from an estimated $258 million real estate transaction fee revenue, which will be a ballot measure in the November 2018 election.  The housing packing also places a $4 billion bond on the November 2018 ballot for voter approval. Includes $3 billion in general obligation bonds for various housing programs and $1 billion for veterans housing. Voting Systems Replacement for Counties: A one-time augmentation of $134.3 million from the General Fund will be made to replace outdated voting systems with the necessary hardware, software, and initial licensing to install new voting systems in all 58 counties. This funding represents a 50 percent state share of total voting system replacement costs; counties will be responsible for the other 50 percent. Medical and Adult Use Cannabis: The Administration is deferring all cannabis-related budget proposals until the May Revision. 2020 Census Commits $40.3 million for statewide outreach and other activities related to the 2020 Census. Association of California Cities- Orange County 500 S. Main Street #410 Orange, CA 92868 and as we went to press, a welcome development on an agreement Capistrano Unified School District and the Teachers Union struck on a collective Bargaining Agreement which is welcome news for all the 52,000 students the District serves in the Seven South Orange County Cities: January 12, 2017 Capistrano Unified School District: An Unwavering Commitment to Student Success  CUSD and CUEA Reach a Tentative Agreement Sent on behalf of CUSD and CUEA We are pleased to announce that CUSD and CUEA have reached a Tentative Agreement that will provide the stability of a three year contract and allow our District to continue to operate efficiently while remaining focused on the education of young people. Details of the Tentative Agreement will be released onWednesday, January 17, 2018.

On this #MLKDay 2018 ,,,

Omar Khayyam 

On this #MLKDay Week-End It is an honor for us to showcase this translation of the Rubaiyat done by the eminent scholar of the Middle East, Professor Juan Cole of the University Of Michigan:

Rubaiyat

Attributed to Omar Khayyam

translated by Juan Cole

At dawn a shout

awoke us in

that watering hole:

‘You crazed

carousing

drunk!

Get up and grab that bottle;

let’s finish what we started

before fate starts to finish us.’

Tonight, who brought you, drunk,

here to me?

From behind the curtain,

who brought you here?–

to someone who was on fire

because you were gone–

someone who, like the wind,

sought you everywhere!

Who brought you here?

This world

that was our home

for a brief spell

never brought us anything

but pain and grief;

its a shame that not one of our problems

was ever solved.

We depart

with a thousand regrets

in our hearts.

Get up and come here

for the sake of my heart,

and lend your beauty

to solving my problem.

Bring an earthenware mug

full of wine

for us to drink,

–quick before we’re clay

in the ground

that they quarry

to make mugs.

When I die,

prepare my body in wine

And in place of a eulogy,

lift a glass!

On Resurrection Day

you’ll find my dust

stirring beneath

the threshold

of the bar

Lovers are, all their lives,

frantic and intoxicated —

crazy, distracted, and disgraced.

When we’re sober, everything annoys us.

But when we’re drunk,

whatever will be,

will be

Although we partiers

may have good color

and smell pleasant,

with cheeks like rubies;

and though we’re tall as a cypress–

it’s just not clear,

in this earthly cabaret,

why I was prettied up.

Where’s the smoke

from my fire around here?

where’s the profit

on my investment around here?

As for the guy

who called me a bar fly,

now really, where’s the bar

around here?

The idol asked the pagan,

“Do you know why

you started bowing down to me?”

–“It was because the One

who looks out through your eyes

shone his light on me!”

If you are looking for love,

try to attract every heart.

In the path

of the Presence,

try to entice every seeker.

A hundred holy temples made

of water and clay

are not worth a single soul.

Why make pilgrimage

to a shrine

when you can win a heart?

From the house of unbelief

to true religion

is a single breath;

From the world of doubt

to certainty

is a single breath;

Enjoy this precious single breath,

for the harvest of our whole lives

is that same one breath.

That priceless ruby

is from another mine,

and that unique pearl

is from a different shop.

Thinking about this and that

is just your imagination, and mine;

the story of passionate love is

from a different tongue.

Night and day

preceded you and me

The vault of the sky

revolved upon some work.

Be careful to tread lightly

on the earth–

you’re walking on people

who used to be someone’s

sweetheart.

Pagan temples and mosques

are all houses of worship.

Ringing church bells

are hymns of worship.

The sacred thread of the Parsee,

the synagogue, the rosary

and the crucifix–

in reality, all

are tokens of

servitude to God

On the tablet of fate

was written

the sign of all things.

It is all the same to the

pen whether it writes

the good or the bad.

In destiny, all that must be,

was ordained.

How absurd, to grieve or

struggle against it!

I can’t reveal the mystery

to either saint or sinner;

I can’t say at length

what I’ve said curtly;

I achieve an altered state

that I can’t explain;

I have a secret

that I cannot share.

Persian originals in. E. H. Whinfield, The Quatrains of Omar Khayyam (London: Trubner & Co., 1883)