December 18, 2009 – Daily Brief

• Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Santa Clarita) joins 173 House GOPers in sending a letter to Speaker Pelosi & House Dems “to express our strong opposition to reports that the Democrat majority is considering attaching unrelated and extremely controversial proposals, such as an increase in the public debt limit, to the fiscal year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill.”  HOUSE.GOV

• It’s black, has a keyboard, opens like a notebook: Cops are looking for a missing laptop, stolen from a Saugus Starbucks.  THIS IS NEWS?
• Cougar in Sand Canyon! NOT TOUCHING THIS ONE
• ThinkSCV for your white collar scamming ideas, Part II: Steal seniors’ identities, sign them up for insurance, collect a commission! (Tell the judge to ThinkPitchess for your sentence) SIGNAL
• Hart veteran Robert Gapper named District Assistant Superintendent. You have to forgive my ignorance… what exactly does an Assistant Superintendent do? Perhaps some teachers can enlighten us. KHTS
• But not one for “Class Availability”: COC received three awards from the Small Business Development Center. SIGNAL
• The “Mobile Film Classroom,” courtesy of three local organizations, will visit three SCV elementary schools over the next six weeks to provide hands-on learning for all aspects of digital film production.  “See Mr. Cameron, even a third grader can do it!” KHTS
• Speaking of mad, perfectionist creative geniuses, Avatar opened at 12:01am today in 3D at the Town Center. Depending on who you believe, it’s either “Dances with Smurfs” or the modern-day Jazz Singer.  One thing’s for sure: as long as the home video market is off, Hollywood will continue to create content that guarantees people in big screen seats.  That means big action thrillers or familiar formulae.  BOO
• The Six Flags bankruptcy saga continues: judge rules against debtholders in reorg.  Best quote: “Chapter 11 cases don’t get better with age.”  I see you smiling, Mr. Myers.  REUTERS
• Interesting piece on the impact of Facebook on “online friendships” and the shifting attitidues towards privacy.  As a kid raised on a steady diet of Prodigy and AOL, that’s bittersweet. WSJ
• Someone say privacy? SCVRAW has a list of the top 25 Webcams, courtesy of the Earthcam project.
• MIS Sciences of Burbank made a $1,500 donation to the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station holiday toy drive. The monies will be used specifically to purchase “age appropriate gifts” as apparently teenagers don’t exactly take much interest in LeapFrog and Fisher Price. KHTS
• If you’re looking for a signature drink at your holiday party this week, there’s a delicious slide show on CNBC. HOT BUTTERED RUM, ANYONE?
• Lights, Lights, Lights – KHTS has a guide. The Signal has a guide. SCVGuide also has extensive kitsch coverage (though their map is from last year but is generally reliable).   Saddle up the kids and delight in the schadenfreude of the Jones’s electric bill, storage headaches, and ER visits.
• Arguably the best rolling light display evar, the Metrolink Holiday Toy Express will pay its second visit to SCV this Sunday. KHTS

That’s a wrap for the DB.  I’ve enjoyed being your guest blogger – thanks for the words of encouragement!