MesaZona > Table of Contents : Here's The Menu. Enjoy

Friday, June 21, 2019

Kitchen Confidential: Savoring The Pleasures of Company As A Private Chef

Let's keep this Lo-Fi in the overlap of the table of contents and a career in 'the gig economy' going back some 30 years working on-and-off for several years cooking in domestic service in the east end of Long Island for week-ends and other extended times elsewhere. Sidney Rittenburg and his wife Wang Yu Lin were frequent guests. Enjoyable guests.
The kitchen was open for preparations before breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as open to casual conversations. Like so many others that were invited, I never really knew - or wanted to know - their places in the world or if they had places at all. Life is filled with surprises . . .

Trailer for "The Revolutionary
Link > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH9w34onSC8

Published on Oct 26, 2011

"During China's Cultural Revolution, Sidney Rittenberg, an American citizen, became the most important foreigner in China since Marco Polo. Arriving as a GI interpreter at the end of World War II, he was the only American citizen to become a member of the Chinese Communist Party, and was an active participant in the Chinese communist revolution and its aftermath. An intimate of the Party's leadership, including Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, he gained prominence at the Broadcast Administration, one of the most important agencies of government. But in the convulsions of a giant country constantly reinventing itself, he twice ran afoul of the leadership, and served a total of 16 years in solitary confinement. He returned to the United States in 1980.
Rittenberg's story would be just a footnote of history, except for his exceptional intellect, uncompromising honesty, and engaging personality. Over a five-year period, award-winning former-CBS journalist and China specialist, Irv Drasnin, interviewed Rittenberg to produce a compelling, complex and unique understanding of the 20th century's biggest revolution. From Sid first meeting Mao in the caves of Yan'an, to his becoming famous and powerful during the Cultural Revolution, to his battling insanity in solitary, his journey and his profound insight illuminate a much greater history. Mao's rule over China included both extraordinary progress and complete chaos. As China rises in the world, it is important to understand this past. It's a history few Chinese are aware of, let alone many Americans, told by an American who was there."
Find out more at: http://revolutionarymovie.com
This trailer can also be seen at: http://vimeo.com/30921878

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MORE:
Use Your Head and Follow Your Heart:
Sidney Rittenberg at TEDxBend
Link > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3pYsM-JL5Q

Published on Jun 16, 2012

Sidney Rittenberg has known every Chinese leader: Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, the notorious "Gang of Four," Deng Xiaoping, and the present president and premier. The Army trained Sidney in Chinese Studies during World War II, and sent him to China. He later joined the UN Relief Program, met and formed a friendship with Zhou Enlai, and in 1946 accepted the invitation to help train Chinese journalists working in English. He became a leading translator for the Works of Mao Zedong, and was the only American citizen accepted into the Chinese Communist Party, until he withdrew from the party during the Cultural Revolution. In China, Sidney found Yulin, his dream girl and lifetime partner; she has been for 56 years the source of his happiness and the strength behind his achievements. 16 of Sidney's 35 years in China were spent as a prisoner in solitary confinement on charges of being an American spy. He was freed in 1977 and eulogized by the post-Cultural Revolution Chinese government as a true friend of China.

His family became a myth and a legend, giving them easy entrée to China's leaders — a great advantage for their consulting work. As consultants, Sidney and Yulin have helped clients like Intel, InFocus, Nextel, Levi Strauss, Hughes Aircraft, ARCO, Microsoft, and Teledesic, as well as CBS' Dan Rather and Sidney's close friends, Mike Wallace and the Reverend Billy Graham. Sidney has appeared on virtually every major TV and Radio interview program, he has been interviewed or reviewed by every major newspaper, and frequently gives seminars on the China business. He has been Distinguished Professor of Chinese History at the University of North Carolina, where an endowed chair has been announced in his honor, and is currently Visiting Professor of China Studies at Pacific Lutheran University. Sidney's 35 years in China are chronicled in "The Man Who Stayed Behind," co-authored with (then) senior Wall Street Journal writer, Amanda Bennett.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Trading Places: How Did Mesa Manage To Stay Out-of-The-Spotlight For Office-Involved Excessive Use-of-Force??

Another incidence of SWAT Team training tactics for our misguided "Civilian Warriors". This time in Phoenix and three years later. What's the difference? Outrage from the public from civilian oversight recorded in real-time by "bystanders" who caught the cops on livestreaming cam days ago. What happened in Phoenix now didn't stay in Phoenix. Here's David Muir on a national news network. . . and it looks like the Phoenix Chief and new mayor Kate Gallego are taking a lot of heat and boo-ing from a capacity crowd last night packed into "a community meeting", to be followed by a meeting of the Phoenix City Council. . . .

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Here in Mesa the story of the police culture "Command-and-Culture" paramilitary tactics won't go away - even more than 3 years after the brutal killing of Daniel Shaver. It took two years to release an edited video at trial. Claims against the City of Mesa in excess of $125M are still pending ... meanwhile incidents go on.

Thorium - The Future of Energy?

Still radioactive - the stakes are high and the philosophy is conservative

SkyBridge - Mesa's New International E-Commerce Hub - Attains "Lift-Off" Stage In New York Times

Photo Credit
Conor E. Ralph for The New York Times

Doesn't quite yet look like that in this opening story image, but it's more than obvious in one thing reported yesterday by Christine Negroni in this sub-headline:. Real estate developers are now looking at these former military bases for large projects like warehouse and logistics centers, which are needed to sustain the growth in e-commerce. . . "
Negroni goes on to say that officials involved in redeveloping decommissioned military bases have also discovered that the properties could still provide economic opportunities in their next life.

SQUARE FEET

Former Military Bases Find New Purpose Through E-Commerce
Real estate developers are looking at abandoned bases for large projects like warehouse and logistics centers, which are needed to sustain the growth in e-commerce.
by Christine Negroni June 18, 2019

Just two of those local "officials" are written-up: former Mesa City Manager Mike Hutchinson who saw an opportunity in 1993 and Marco Lopez, who saw much more later when SkyBridge was not an obvious project at first.

> “When this became available,” Mr. Hutchinson said of the aviation infrastructure at Williams Air Force Base, “with three runways and surrounding facilities, we said, ‘This is an opportunity. . . He and others formed the East Valley Partnership to decide what to do with the real estate, infrastructure and transportation access they had inherited. Williams and other bases affected by the closure program turned out to be valuable assets. . . "

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> The idea [of SkyBridge] was the brainchild of Marco Lopez, who had worked for Customs and Border Protection and was familiar with government operations in the United States and Mexico. He said he saw a disparity in the e-commerce delivery times in the two countries that seemed ripe for a solution, and the former military base had the space and the infrastructure to provide one. . .
We can’t have a system where you can get something delivered the next day in America and in Mexico it takes seven days,” he said. “Mexico is a key trade partner, and the customs services from the U.S. and Mexico have been looking for years for new technology to expedite trade and commerce. . .

. . . If the SkyBridge project allows retail and business products to be delivered directly to their international destinations, it could prompt new routes from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, Mr. Lopez said.

Airfreight is the fastest growing method of transporting goods across the United States border at Arizona, according to the office of the governor, Doug Ducey. The annual value of goods shipped through the state is estimated to be $390 million and is expected to exceed $600 million in the next five years.

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"Jeff Randolph, the managing director of Bluecup Ventures, a commercial real estate developer, is enthusiastic about the opportunities at former military bases.

“There’s significant value there that is only partially being realized,” he said. “They have the best infrastructure, roads, labor, power. It’s all there.”

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< QUICK LOOK AT THE NUMBERS FOR PMGA

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Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Fireside Chat with Gov. Ducey at the Annual Awards Luncheon

Opportunities for everyone
Two mayors of two cities get mentioned. A state that's wide-open. Ducey from Ohio . . . Praise for AZ House Speaker Rusty Bowers

Published on Jun 18, 2019

Views: 1 at time of upload to this blog

The Arizona Chamber held its Annual Awards Luncheon to honor and celebrate state leaders and their achievements in policy, business and volunteerism yesterday. The Chamber presented seven awards to Arizona elected officials and business leaders, including Governor Doug Ducey, who helped the state become more business-friendly over the past year.
At the luncheon, Gov. Ducey sat down on stage with Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry, for a fireside chat about the state's latest accomplishments.

Visit chamberbusinessnews.com for more updates on the business news that matters to Arizona.

Read more: https://chamberbusinessnews.com

Ducey versus Giles: Not Seeing Eye-To-Eye On Citizen Question 2020 Census

An Opinion Piece yesterday over the "break in ranks" that pits the mayor of Mesa with the governor of Arizona:

Gov. Doug Ducey picks Trump over Arizona again - this time on census citizenship question

Laurie Roberts, Arizona Republic Published 11:59 a.m. MT June 17, 2019 Updated 1:26 p.m. MT June 17, 2019

In Arizona, the resulting undercount would be just under 5 percent of the state's population, the highest in the nation, according to an analysis the Washington Post, which worked with Shorenstein to predict how states would be affected. . .

". . . If Trump is allowed to play politics with the census, not only will we lose out on congressional clout we've earned as one of the nation's fastest growing states. we'll also lose out on hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for transportation, education and the other programs.

And our governor is apparently OK with that.

BLOGGER NOTE: Sure looks like John Giles has made the Citizenship Question on the 2020 Census a part of his election campaign NextMesa . . . Please reminder that Latinos and other minorities who live here in Mesa do not have any loyalty to, nor do they as political bloc support or endorse Giles and were not part of the 73% who elected him to office in 2016 when Giles ran unopposed. .

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“The governor's comments stand,” spokesman Patrick Ptak told me on Monday. “Everyone that should legally be counted in the census, should be counted.”

Except, of course, that Ducey knows they won’t be counted.

Just as he knew that Trump’s threats to close the border would be a disaster for Arizona's economy yet supported it anyway.

Just as he knew that Trump's threat to impose tariffs on Mexico would be a disaster for Arizona's economy yet supported it anyway.

Now we stand to lose a congressional seat we've earned and potentially $322 million in federal funding, assuming the Shorenstein analysis holds.

It’s a strange position for an Arizona governor to take.

But an entirely understandable one for an ambitious second-termer looking to move up."

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Hmmmm... does John Giles crave that possible Congressional seat if the count goes the way he wants?

Giles caught-in-middle: looks like he wants to join the other two Congressmen from Arizona, incumbent conservative Republican Andy Biggs and freshman Progressive Democrat Greg Stanton.

In The OZone: Affordability Housing Crisis: Just Another Report

In a post published here last week using reliable data from a sample of over 45,000 respondents, the City of Mesa had the biggest increase in rents of any city in the country

In another report today from Steven Hsieh in Phoenix New Times

Minimum Earners in Arizona Must Work 71 Hours to Afford a Two-Bedroom Apartment

Steven Hsieh | June 18, 2019 | 6:39am

What is the mayor of Mesa doing about the crisis here?
Does John Giles have track-record after four years in elected office as a strong advocate for inclusive innovative and affordable housing?
Where's the local leadership on this critical issue?

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" Arizonans making the state minimum wage must work two full-time jobs, effectively, to afford a market-value two-bedroom apartment, according to a national report released Tuesday.

> The National Low Income Housing Coalition's (NLIHC) latest annual study on the gap between rental housing costs and income for working-class Americans. . . found that
In Arizona, a worker making the state minimum wage of $11 per hour would need to put in 71 hours a week to afford a fair market value two-bedroom apartment with a $1,105 monthly rent, the study shows.
The affordability problem is slightly worse in the metropolitan statistical area known as Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale. . . NLIHC's report comes as Arizona, and Maricopa County specifically, confronts a growing housing affordability crisis. . .
> Meanwhile another report released by the NLIHC this year found that Arizona has the third biggest shortage of housing for extremely low-income individuals, defined by the federal government as below the poverty line or 30 percent of the area medium income.
State and local officials have done little to counter the growing costs that come with a booming population and laws preventing cities from requiring developers to build affordable housing. . . "

The issue is drawing more attention in Phoenix, too. Mayor Kate Gallego made housing affordability a plank of her election campaign.

In her inaugural state of the city address on June 13, Gallego announced that she is hiring a new "housing czar" to find solutions to the crisis. . .
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QUESTION: Here in Mesa and the rest of the nation

Story image for affordable housing crisis 2019 from CityLab

Will Housing Swing the 2020 Election?

CityLab-2 hours ago

There isn't even a clear partisan divide on the affordability crisis. ... in on local land-use regulations as an answer to the affordable housing crisis. .... of registered voters in April 2019 that showed strong support for the group's ...

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