What We Learned, Jan. 28-Feb. 3

It's the week that wuz and what we learned from it all . . .

JAN. 28: Under a bright blue sky and appreciating warm temperatures despite occasional gusty winds, more than 1,000 line Bolsa Avenue in Little Saigon for the Tet Parade celebrating the Lunar New Year. Based on the number of South Vietnamese flags waving, it's as if the long dead Asian nation has been resurrected, if only for a day. What we learned: Absolutely the wrong place to break out our new Ho Chi Minh tee.
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JAN. 29: Kyung Namgood, 53, of Buena Park, is killed early today after
the Toyota sedan she rode in on the 91 freeway in Anaheim was
plowed into head on by a Honda sedan driven by Ruben Gurrola. Alleging the Pomona 23-year-old knew the dangers of drinking and driving, boozed all night in Newport Beach before climbing behind the wheel and drove the wrong way on the 241 toll road and 91 freeway before the collision that also injured three (including himself), authorities later charge Gurrola with murder. What we learned: There's still no traffic on the 241.

JAN. 30: Judge William Monroe denies former public administrator John Williams' request for a temporary restraining order aimed at getting him back into his county office. Locks were changed on the office after the incompetent Williams attempted to “un-retire.” What we learned: That a bumbling political hack can figure his way back to his office.

JAN. 31: Unit 3 is shut down at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station after a small water leak is detected in a steam generator tube. Federal regulators later assure the public no health threats resulted and evacuations were not necessary–while in the next breath saying a small amount of radiation could have been emitted into the atmosphere and many more similar leaks were unusual wear was found on tubes at Unit 2. That had officials scratching their eggheads because the tubes in both units are fairly new. What we learned: [In my best Robert Plant wail:] “California sunlight, sweet Armageddon rain, mushroom-cloud starbright, the SONGS remains the same . . .”

FEB. 1: Jose Raul Pineda admits he liked touching his young nieces but that only he could know if he had sexual thoughts while doing so and, since he never shared his thoughts with anyone, he could not possibly have been found guilty of the 20 criminal offenses that landed him in prison. Never mind that Pineda couldn't
keep his fingers and tongue out of the girls' vaginas or off their
breasts and buttocks, and that he demanded they watch porn so they could learn how to blow him. The appellate court in Santa Ana files a decision today that essentially says, “Pound sand, Jose Raul Pineda.” What we learned: His next chance to break free will be at his parole hearing–in  2141, when he will be 173 years old. We'll be waiting.

FEB. 2: The state Supreme Court reverses the death sentence for career criminal, heroin addict and pimp Gary Galen Brents, who beat and choked out a 26-year-old prostitute, shoved her into the trunk of a blue Cadillac, drove her to a remote location, opened the
trunk, poured gas on her, shut the trunk door, poured gas around the
vehicle and struck the fatal match. Improper jury instructions resulted in Brents' trip to Death Row, rule the Supremes, who do not deny the 50-year-old slayed the mother of three young children and belongs behind bars the rest of his life. What we learned: To wish Gary Galen Brents and Jose Raul Pineda were cellmates.

FEB. 3: The head of the multi-agency task force investigating the fatal stabbings of four homeless men blamed on Itzcoatl “Izzy” Ocampo confirms the former Marine is positively linked to the stabbing murders of 53-year-old Raquel Estrada and her 34-year-old
son Juan Herrera in their Yorba Linda home Oct. 25. The son/brother of the victims, Eder Giovanni Herrera, is currently behind bars amid charges he murdered the pair. Evidence shows he and Ocampo were involved, according to Anaheim Police Lt. Julian Harvey, who did not disclose what that evidence is. What we learned: Make room for two more, Gary and Jose.