Patrick Higgins For 5th Distric Supervisor

Fifth District Harbor Commissioner Patrick Higgins has announced his run for County Supervisor for the same district. I live in this district and support his efforts on the Harbor Commission. We disagree on the overall potential of the railroad but both support some sort of passenger service if it were feasible.


Overall, I am supportive of his candidacy and will most likely support it with an official endorsement.

I have never officially endorsed any candidate for any office in Humboldt County but this could be my first.
(photo from Humboldt Herald)

Specter looks to revive 9/11 suits against Saudis

By Chris Mondics

Inquirer Staff Writer

In a sign that the bitter litigation between victims of the 9/11 attacks and the government of Saudi Arabia is far from over, Sen. Arlen Specter yesterday introduced legislation that would overturn court rulings barring lawsuits that contend the desert kingdom helped cause the terrorism.

Specter (D., Pa.) said the legislation would clarify that lawsuits by U.S. citizens could go forward without a sign-off from the State Department.
More

Fishing Industry Or Big Agra Business?

In 1930 water was diverted from the Klamath River and sent south to irrigate desert land. Homesteaders were given a chance to make a go of it at Tulelake north east of Bakersfield. At one time the lake was so vast, there was a paddle wheel boat that ferried people across the shallow but large lake. The homesteaders experimented with many different crops, this link to the Tulelake Homesteaders
(Based on the book The Years of Harvest - A History of the Tule Lake Basin, by Stan Turner (with contributions from the 1981 historical research project of South Eugene High School); the Ave. Press, Eugene, Ore.; c1988) tells of one farmer that was able to use some of the poor high alkaline soil to grow horseradish.
"Otto Schaffner had been one of the last Tule Lake Basin homesteaders, in 1948-49, taking a northeastern plot of the basin that was high in alkali. After working gypsum into the ground for several years, he began to grow horseradish in 1954. In the late 1950's, Schaffner went into the horseradish processing business with the help of a University of California food technologist who developed a formula for a marketable sauce. The Tulelake Horseradish Co. was founded. Tulelake remains the major horseradish producing area in the United States".

There are areas north east of Bakersfield that today appear to have snow on the ground during 100 degree temperatures. It is actually salt that has built up in the soil. This is a perfect place for solar farms, but I digress.

There is another interesting article from AlterNet published earlier this year. It is about the water that is diverted to the west side of the San Joaquin Valley for crops and the harm done to the countries largest commercial fishing industry. That's right, California, according to the latest numbers available is by far the number one commercial fishing state in the union.

I bring all of this up because on Christmas, there was a shortage of horseradish available at stores in So Cal where I spent Christmas. We eventually found some for the prime rib so all was well. But on my way home I saw these signs posted along Interstate 5 north of the Grapevine. Mostly they were in dead fields across the freeway from healthy green ones. Sometimes they were next to hundreds of bee hives.

This one in particular stood out. With the bright green crop directly behind it. Just a few feet behind the sign were dark green fields with water down the rows. It didn't look like a congress created dust bowl to me.

Orbs In The Trees

Here is some more grainy video from Fullerton, where Christmas lights are as common as grow houses in other parts of the state.  This is a drive down a street 2 blocks from Fullerton Community College.



One of the home owners has a large lift and that's how it all started.  He put some of these orb things in the trees in front of his house and neighbors asked if he would do it for them and he now has one huge job every year.  You buy the orbs, lights, extension cords and supply the power  he puts them up and takes them down.  Just put in your Pink Floyd C.D. and drive down the street.

Merry Christmas

Just around the corner from my mom's house in Fullerton Ca. a house with almost as many lights as Chevy Chase also has music broadcast on a tiny FM transmitter on 104.7.   I already had that programmed into my radio.  I took this video while listening to their small station in my car.



Click here if you don't see video.
One block over is a street that for about 5 blocks has lighted balls hung from the trees.  I'll try to remember to video that tomorrow or before I get back to Eureka.  It is also something to see.
Merry Christmas!

MSNBC's Keith Olberman Special Comment On Senate Health Care Bill

Part One:


Part Two:

I couldn't say it better than Keith Olberman.  Joe Lieberman, a hand full of  Democrats and all of the Republicans in the Senate have destroyed this health care bill and turned it into a windfall for insurance companies.  This bill should be junked and a new one taken up next year.  Thanks Mr. Lieberman for being the proverbial turd in the punch bowl.  You stink.

Anaheim lofts sell to bidders at huge discount

My brother had this over at his blog today.  Seems property values are down all over the state. 
Here's an excerpt from the O.C. Register

A live-work unit sold for $332,000 – some $169,900 off the original asking price.


Harbor Lofts is the latest project to slash prices to unload unsold units during a depressed real-estate market. In March, developers of Stadium Lofts, adjacent to Angel Stadium, offered 60 unoccupied units at up to 40 percent off original prices.

The archecture looks a lot like something coming to the Eureka water front. Instead of a major league stadium being next door though, there will be a nice Home Depot on the bay. Yep, instead of being within walking distance of Dave and Busters, The Duck Pond, Anaheim Stadium, the Center Street Promenade and even Disneyland, our development will be next to a hardware store. I'm sure they'll be able to sell them to someone.

I mean, the living quarters will be above the toxic waste cap.

Ventura’s ‘Conspiracy Theory’ show probes 9/11 mysteries

Watch the episode commercial free at RawStory.

Oh Christmas Branch, Oh Christmas Branch...

My dad who lives next door, always has a Christmas tree.  Sometimes fake, sometimes real.  This year he and Joey who also lives next door, decided that they would have a truly green Christmas tree.  They cut a couple of branches off one of our pine trees and stuck them on an old milk can for a base.  They decorated it and put some lights on it and it looks great.  It also has that fresh pine smell and we didn't have to kill a tree or buy a fake one from China.  This is a good idea for someone that doesn't have the room for whole tree as it sits in a corner so no one sees the back side, except for the cats.

It's not perfect but it does instill that holiday feel.

Tax The Rich

A Bloomberg National Poll conducted Dec. 3-7 shows two- thirds of Americans favor taxing the rich to reduce the deficit.  The story.

Where Else Would They Go?

.  People without houses protested the closure of the Tarp Camp at Eureka City Hall tonight.

A group of just under 20 held signs and waited for dinner that was to come any time. Kimberly (Verbena) Starr was arrested Sunday night by Eureka P.D. and is still being held . Times-Standard said she was arrested for trespassing, resisting a peace officer and a probation violation.

Last Sunday, the E.P.D. in a show of force closed the Tarp Campground in the parking lot of the City Hall that had been going for a month.

On the bright side, temperatures should only dip into the 30's tonight.

In one of the richest counties in the U.S.A.  things are not much better.
An estimated 20,000 people in Orange County are homeless.

A Peacefull Protest

The temerature was about 30 degrees. Driving home last night past the Eureka City Hall, I saw about a dozen people on the sidewalk on 5th street in front of City Hall with signs in protest of the closing tarp city.

I got this from Jack Nounnan:
A report of this ongoing People Project effort


Continuing Encampment At City Hall For People Without Homes.

We will continue with our encampment before City Hall for those who need shelter from this bitter cold front... as temperatures dip to the low 20's. We know that without some cover and even with blankets, many are being driven to keep walking entire nights, their only hope to just survive!

We begin setting up at 5:30 to 6:00 each day and welcome all to come support our encampment for the right to be left in peace to continue fulfilling dire daily human needs.

To all receiving this message: Tell others and come visit with us
We need your presence and your calls to this Çity Çouncil - to do their job!
Eureka City Council members: One message for all 707- 441-4172

My Letter To The Mayor Of Eureka and the City Council

The Honorable Mayor and Council members, I am writing to inform you of my deep disappointment in closing the Tarp City at the City Hall parking lot on Sunday night. It was 25 degrees at my house that night. How could you choose to kick these people out of the City Hall parking lot on such a cold night? Your decision to allow the EPD to solve our homeless problem is a travesty. What if someone dies of exposure? What about the parking lot that you had said would be looked into for the homeless? You didn't do your job and so the homeless came to you. They camped on your doorstep and you turned them away in sub freezing temperatures and made the police out to be the bad guys. What is your solution? Lock everyone up? What will that cost?


Kicking the preverbal can down the street to the Eureka Police Department shows your lack of compassion and lack of ideas. If all of the homeless are breaking the law by sleeping in their cars or on sidewalks, are you willing to arrest all of them and provide shelter and food in the jail? Is this the solution? I pray not. It is neither cost effective nor is it  humanitarian thing to do.

I suggest you come up with a plan and come up with one soon, before someone dies of exposure.

I don't live in Eureka so I haven't been very critical or the way you run your city, but I do work there. I assure you that you now have my full attention and I look to see some progress soon on this issue or I will do my best to call all of you out for your lack of compassion, sense of duty and ineptitude.

Tom Sebourn, speaking for myself and those that have no one else to turn to.

40 Homeless Juveniles In Eureka Need Help

Capdiamont's web blog had this story on Saturday. 
Local homeless advocate Betty Chin located the kids and is asking for help.  Items needed are phone cards, blankets, cots, sleeping bags, dark colored tarps, tents, foam pads, canned food, camping stoves, personal hygiene items etc.
I checked out the drop off location this morning and left some supplies.   The location to drop off donations is North Coast Surgical Specialists, 2321 Harrison Avenue, near St. Johseph hospital.  Their hours are 8 am to 5 pm week days.
I hope to get Betty Chin on the air to talk more about this.  Capdiamont says some of the kids are wards of the County.

Also here is an up date to the closing by EPD of the Tarp Shelter Homeless Camp at Eureka City Hall.
Jack Nounnan sent me this.
Eureka police crackdown and close self managing shelter providing food and safe sleeping for those without homes


Police last night surrounded, made arrests then tore down the month old tent shelter complex set up at the Eureka City Hall, Humboldt Co., Calif., under siege by the Eureka Council, warning this weekend they would not tolerate this safe haven much longer.This encampment has fulfilled the immediate needs of people without homes, who daily face harsher weather conditions of night cold and/or rains. They're a people neither permitted on private or public lands. Where are they to go?

Among us are older folks, including numbers of vets, some handicapped with broken bodies, folks terribly stressed by their lives, those who've lost jobs, mothers and fathers, and many young, with all kinds of professional, academic and hard working backgrounds, all appreciative of a safe haven and still intent upon not just survival, but making a life.

We ask everyone who hears this message to help by reaching the Eureka City Council and other City officials in demanding real answers be offered to meet these immediate needs.
Eureka City Council members: One message for all 707- 441-4172

In talking with one city official Sunday, it was made clear we would be raided soon, and they 'asked our cooperation' in finding another place. We know of none, as surely as they do... precisely why we have been there. The threat of arrest and worse already drove most back to the streets for the night.

Warning signs of arrest and barricades were posted Friday around the City Hall parking lots where the encampment has set up each evening, providing home cooked food, and fresh bedding..and in the morning dismantled and gone before business begins. Police have been more obvious, cruising by often, one stopping to ticket or arrest some of the homeless on the sidewalk adjacent to the camping site for J walking or miscellaneous charges.

Police had originally and publicly stated if the encampment did not interfere with business, it was not their problem. The encampment has been open to all, turning no one away who needed a meal, but making clear to all that to stay and use the shelter, meant no drinking or drugs while there and monitored throughout the night.
City officials have asked what we want and been told:

1) People without homes need to have a safe space to sleep and cover themselves against

the weather, called "camping" by the city and criminalized.

2) People be given the right to manage such a space, without city oversight or police

involvement.

3) City ordinances, which criminalize rest or sleep be eliminated, which are in direct

violation of the 8th Amendment to our Constitution... and thus resolving police enforcement.

of harassing, ticketing, confiscation of personal property and worse.

4) Lastly that it be recognized that the cities present position of planning and developing procedures for the future will obviously meet only a mere fraction of the critical need, regardless of when they finally take effect, while none of such city planning meets the immediate needs of the great many people without homes.

These same officials asked if we were prepared to manage a space provided for those without homes and were told; "Of course", just as we've done for the past month at the doors of City Hall.

The ambivalence of city authorities and the community is an ongoing dilemma. On one hand great enthusiasm and benevolence by certain people, churches, the city and even official police endorsement for providing food and clothing during the day, but with nightfall, the city and police turning against their presence, sending the wrong message to the community at large, of city sponsored prejudice through enforcement of their illegal ordinances.

This direct action confronts a massive crisis situation faced by numerous cities, towns and counties throughout the U.S., being added to daily by economics and lost jobs.The times are so similar to what people faced in the Great Depression, the Hooverville's and Grapes of Wrath, our own folk lore, our history as a people for everyone's acknowledgement and understanding, but not if being ignored. Your neighbors and /or someone's neighbors are losing their home every day...some having to find their way in the streets. Why this departure from our common sense and good will toward anyone's financial crisis leading to even greater deprivations and mental stress? 

Update: Local activist, Kimberly (Verbena) Starr was arrested last night at the encampment and as of 2:30 this afternoon was still in jail.

Get Ready For Snow On The North Coast

Hard freeze warning is in effect from 2 am to 9 am Sunday.  Rain is on its way and it isn't going to warm up much.  Tomorrows high for Big Lagoon and Trinidad should be around 36 degrees.  That means a good chance for snow at sea level.
See Special Weather Statement from the National Weather Service.

Oshun Yoga Boutique & Juice Bar, Now Open In Trinidad!

They opened about two weeks ago next to the Post Office. I had wanted to get a smoothie so I thought I would give it a try this morning. I had a Berry Local-Strawberry, Blueberry, Banana & Apple Juice. It was great! Not sure if I'm going to take any yoga classes but I have considered it.


More info about classes, hours and kids activities at http://www.oshunyoga.com/

Bring your own glass or jug and save .25 cents.  Or get your smoothie to go in a corn based eco freindly cup.

What Ever Happened To Old Glory Radio?

All the links are down.  Tom Fredrickson has not posted for a couple of months now.  Old Glory used to be the conservative voice of the airwaves in Myrtle town and on the internet representing Humboldt County.
Recently, another local blogger,  Carson Park Ranger was seen on a milk carton.
I started to get a bit worried when Highboltage blog stopped blogging.  He is down for a bit but is alive and around.  I will update on Highboltage when he says it is ok to do so.
Still, what has become of Old Glory Radio?

Twenty-Seventh Night of PEOPLE PROJECT Safe Sleeping Space on City Hall

December 1, 2009


Contact: Verbena (707) 442-7465

PEOPLE PROJECT, a grass roots organization of local houseless people and their allies have been providing shelter and food on the steps of Eureka's city hall for twenty seven nights and plans to continue to do so until the city stops criminalizing houseless people and gives land where houseless people can be without harassment. PEOPLE PROJECT began the safe sleeping space on city hall which immediately meets immediate concrete needs for many people such as Mary. Mary is sixty five years old. She was a military combat nurse in Vietnam, where she was shot in the back, and was one of the last of the troops evacuated out of Da Nang. Mary has been living on the streets since she lost her home six months ago. She cannot stay at the Eureka Rescue Mission mission because of her companion dog, a yellow lab called Goldie. Mary needs Goldie for protection and warmth. At night he is the only heat source she has and because many people shun and harrass her, she needs Goldie for protection and companionship as well. A month and a half ago, Mary underwent open heart surgery to have two heart valves replaced, and she has been rushed to St. Joe's emergency room several times since the operation- only to be released back to the streets. If it weren't for PEOPLE PROJECT's tent at city hall, Mary would be sleeping in the mud where she is subject to attack from an array of people ranging from punk kids looking for a thrill to those who claim their duty it is "to serve and protect" but instead terrorize, to the poverty pimps who tear up her camp after first politely leaving a note with useless referrals that do not apply to Mary and her homeless situation.

When Mary is hungry, she can choose between St. Vincent de Paul's “free meal” (where as of November first she and all the other meal attendees can only have one tray of food and then must promptly leave) or she can eat out of a dumpster.

Even that single tray of food once a day is now endangered. WinCo Foods, which is a major contributor to the free meal, has threatened to withdraw from the program. The store management claims that houseless people are being wasteful with WinCo's refuse. This is based on the allegation that houseless people feed the birds their scraps (hard bread), and as a result, a seagull was run over by a vehicle while feeding on crumbs. This death of a seagull has raised more outrage from WinCo than the murder of Martin Cotton II, a homeless resident of Eureka, who was brutally beaten by Eureka Police officers Laird, Whitmer, Winkle, Watson, Siipola, Franco, and Baird in front of the Mission and then in the jail where he died in custody.

Mary and Martin's experiences are not unique. Due to our current oppressive economic, political and social systems, commonly held perceptions and state policies criminalize houseless folks as being a nuisance, lazy, and undeserving of respect. These perceptions sanction police to treat houseless community members as criminals even though they have a dignified (not luxurious) right to sleep and live. In Eureka, houseless residents are brutalized, humiliated, and denied their god given rights as well as their Constitutional rights every day. Like Mary, many other houseless people are veterans, some from the current wars in the middle east. As a result of the new policy requiring women to participate in large numbers in combat zones, we are seeing a huge increase in the number of women vets. Many of these vets are young mothers with children. Families like these try to fly below the radar because they know if they turn to conventional sources of help like the Department of Social Services, they will have their children stolen from them. Instead, they try to "pass": by day, working minimum wage part time jobs while by night, they are hunted, hounded from place to place as they desperately try to find some refuge where they can lay their heads. PEOPLE PROJECT plans to continue to help provide that refuge. We need the support of the community. Where is the moral outrage? Where are the churches?

Breathe Deep The Gathering Gloom...

Not a cloud in the sky today.  The fog bank is still off shore and won't come in until late this afternoon.
What looks like clouds are actually contrails or chemtrails.  These are caused by jet traffic over Humboldt County.  Take a deep breath and enjoy!

Almost all the camping grounds within 100 miles of Los Angeles are now filled with people living in them

The United Nations special rapporteur, Raquel Rolnik, was in Los Angeles listening to people on the streets.

Rolnik had waited more than a year to tour cities across the US to prepare a report for the UN’s human rights council on America’s deepening housing crisis following the subprime mortgage debacle.
The Bush Administration had refused her entry to the U.S.

See story from the Guardian UK

Dungeness Crab Season Opens Today!

You've got your boat, check.  Your crab pots, check. Bait, check.  A price set at $1.75 per pound, check. You've got 6 to 8 foot wind waves and 11 to 13 foot northwest swell, what?

Crab pots line the parking lot near the pier in Trinidad this morning as most crab fishermen are not in a big hurry to navigate the blender that the Pacific Ocean has become.  Winds were also a problem with 45 mile per hour gusts overnight.

Winds are dying down a bit, and some boats were being readied for the season that opened today at 8:00 am.

Wow! Art Bell Back On The Air Live Coast To Coast Tonight.

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/

He only does about 5 show a year these days.  The voice overnight that isn't afraid to talk about the internal workings of our government, ufo's, time travel, ghosts, and other stuff not talked about on normal talk radio.
Art Bell is heard on hundreds of talk stations including 1480 am here in Eureka Ca.
He will be on live until 2 am Pacific Time.

Alice's Restaurant On The Peter B. Collins Show

A Thanksgiving tradition lives on in a podcast.
Peter B. Collins used to be on 1480 AM in Eureka and other radio stations before he went to podcast this summer.  He would always play this Arlo Guthrie song about the justisce system, war and Thanksgiving on the holiday.  Now it is available on demand.

"If you want to end war and stuff, you have to sing loud".

Meat Based Life Forms Eat The Strangest Things!

We're getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. We got a 23 pound Diestel Ranch turkey from Wildberries in Arcata. Everything is as it should be with pies already made and friends coming over. We'll have a fire in the stove and pop a few corks on some wine and enjoy.

We have a vegetarian coming over so we said we would make a Tofurky. It comes in a box like a kit. We read the instructions and decided we should do a cold smoke on it for about 20 minutes before roasting it. Never having cooked one of these I hope it turns out. It looks a little complicated but we are up to the task.

Still, if anyone out there has any suggestions, please tell.

The Sun Brings Out The Artists

After about a half an inch of rain last night, the sun came out today and I got outside to take a picture of the coast from Trinidad looking south toward Westhaven.

I wasn't the only one taking in the view.  I saw local painter Steve Porter painting the same scene I had just photographed.

Below is one of his paintings.

This watercolor is of trinidad head looking south at low tide . 10.5" x 14" on 300 lb rough wc paper. It is still available. to inquire about this or more info, email me at steveporter@suddenlink.net

Steve just put up a blog and said he would email the link to me.  When I get it, I will add it to this post.

Another place to find Steve Porter is here.
Here is Steves blog.  http://steveporterart.blogspot.com/

Healthcare bill passes first Senate test

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A sweeping healthcare overhaul narrowly cleared its first hurdle in the Senate on Saturday, with Democrats casting 60 party-line votes to open debate on the biggest healthcare changes in decades.

In the first Senate test for President Barack Obama's top domestic priority, Democrats unanimously backed a procedural motion to open debate over the opposition of 39 Republicans. Republican George Voinovich did not vote.
Democrats needed 60 votes to approve the motion in the 100-member Senate and had no margin for error -- they control exactly 60 votes.
See entire story.
Now is when things will start to heat up.  Who knows whether anyone will even want the final proposal.  This is still an historic vote tonight in the U.S. Senate.
Pnoto from http://www.inebriateddiscourse.com/

US lawmakers: New tax should pay for Afghan war

They are all Democratic allies of Barack Obama and they say that those that fought in Afganistan would be exempt.
"Share The Sacrifice Act of 2010."

If the war is not paid for, its costs "will devour money that could be used to rebuild our economy by fixing our broken health care system, expanding educational opportunities and job training possibilities, attacking our long term energy problems and building stronger communities," they said.

Manifest Positivity

Dave Berman over at Manifest Positivity had some more positive news on the homeless front today.


If you don't see the video go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hEiRA0Q-4s

Patti's Wagons  is the name of her one person campaign to help get food, clothes and other things to the local homeless population.   She is trying to build a kitchen and has much of the equipment already.  She especially reaches out to veterans in need.
You can help and donate to her cause by going to  /http://pattiswagons.org/

Just another person with positive solutions for some of  the most vulnerable people in Humboldt County.

People Project – Eureka Safe Sleep Zone

See story at Highboltage blog

Also at Tree Sit Blog

Organic Myths and Realities

This is a no nonsense look at the pros and cons of organic agriculture on the planet.

This is from a blog that also make a good argument for electric rail transport.  Check it out!

UN investigator accuses US of shameful neglect of homeless

A homeless man in California. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

This from the Guardian UK

A United Nations special investigator who was blocked from visiting the US by the Bush administration has accused the American government of pouring billions of dollars into rescuing banks and big business while treating as "invisible" a deepening homeless crisis.

Raquel Rolnik, the UN special rapporteur for the right to adequate housing, who has just completed a seven-city tour of America, said it was shameful that a country as wealthy as the US was not spending more money on lifting its citizens out of homelessness and substandard, overcrowded housing.

"The housing crisis is invisible for many in the US," she said. "I learned through this visit that real affordable housing and poverty is something that hasn't been dealt with as an issue. Even if we talk about the financial crisis and government stepping in in order to promote economic recovery, there is no such help for the homeless."

She added: "I think those who are suffering the most in this whole situation are the very poor, the low-income population. The burden is disproportionately on them and it's of course disproportionately on African-Americans, on Latinos and immigrant communities, and on Native Americans."
See the rest of the story.
 
There are many in this county that think we do too much for those without homes.  I think the country as a whole, has done little to address this issue.  Since Ronald Regan closed all the mental hospitals and kicked the people there to the streets, it seems we just accept the situation as normal.  Our country can do better, our county can do better and yes, even Arcata can do better. 
Arcata is home to a blogger that just takes pictures of homeless people and people living in the cars and vehicles.  He mocks them and offers no real solutions to the problem.  There are many that believe that if we don't feed them and allow them to sleep that the problem will just go away. 
Contrast that with the work being done in this county by John Shelter, Paul and Betty Chinn, St Vincent De Paul, the City of Eureka considering parking lots for people to be allowed to sleep in their cars, and other positive steps to improve peoples lives and I think that Humboldt County is in the lead when it comes to real solutions to the problem.

The War Prayer By Mark Twain

In case you missed it on the Mike Malloy Show tonight.  Here it is.
Happy Veterans Day!

One Spawning Ground Left: Rare Green Sturgeon to Get Needed Recovery Plan

SAN FRANCISCO - November 11 - The National Marine Fisheries Service announced that it will develop a recovery plan for threatened green sturgeon. The notice will appear in Thursday's Federal Register. A recovery plan is a legally mandated roadmap to how an endangered animal or plant species can be brought back from the brink and eventually be secure enough from the risk of extinction to be removed from the endangered species list.


Loss of suitable spawning habitat is a major threat to green sturgeon; the southern green sturgeon population only spawns in the Sacramento River system below Shasta Dam, making it especially susceptible to habitat destruction. In October, as the result of a settlement that arose from a Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit, the Service protected 8.6 million acres of critical habitat for the southern population of green sturgeon in California, Oregon, and Washington. Including river habitat, estuary, and coastal habitat, that includes the Sacramento River, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and coastal areas from Monterey Bay to Cape Flattery, Washington.

"Recovery planning and habitat protection are the keys to bringing this rare and majestic fish back from the brink of extinction," said Miyoko Sakashita, oceans director at the Center. "Recent surveys have shown some of the lowest recorded numbers of spawning green sturgeon in the Sacramento River. With so few sturgeon left, recovery planning is essential to help green sturgeon regain some lost ground."

Read more here at Commondreams.org

Study: Antarctic ice melt actually slowing climate change

By Agence France-Presse

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 -- 6:25 pm

Global warming has been blamed for the alarming loss of ice shelves in Antarctica, but a new study says newly-exposed areas of sea are now soaking up some of the carbon gas that causes the problem.
Scientists led by Lloyd Peck of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) said that atmospheric and ocean carbon is being gobbled up by microscopic marine plants called phytoplankton, which float near the surface.
After absorbing the carbon through the natural process of photosynthesis, the phytoplankton are eaten, or otherwise die and sink to the ocean floor.
The phenomenon, known as a carbon sink, has been spotted in areas of open water exposed by the recent, rapid melting of several ice shelves -- vast floating plaques of ice attached to the shore of the Antarctic peninsula.
Over the last 50 years, around 24,000 square kilometres (9,200 square miles) of new open water have been created this way, and swathes of it are now colonised by phytoplankton, Peck's team reports in a specialist journal, Global Change Biology.
See rest of story.

As I am watching the movie "The Day After Tomorrow" I stumble on this. The movie is based on ice melt changing the Atlantic Ocean currents due to the increase of fresh water added to ocean. An ice age comes because the warmer currents that flow up the eastern side of the Atlantic suddenly stop. This causes the area to freeze.
We end up freezing to death in the U.S. or moving to Mexico.

It was just a movie but is the new carbon sink good news or just a bait and switch from mother earth?

High Water And Surf At Moonstone Beach Today

If you don't see video, click here.

The storm has brought high tides and storm surge as well as some big surf.  Moonstone Beach is under water and the waves come right up to the parking lot.

Update:
The levee along the railroad tracks between Elk River, on the south end of Eureka, and the PG&E power plant was eroded by large waves from the same storm surge. The levee lies directly in front of the opening to the bay, so large waves came directly at it on Saturday. They spilled green salt water onto the cow fields there and swept away large boulders. Work crews were busy dumping sand and more boulders along the washed out sections today. No cows were harmed by the salty intrusion.

Should Corporations Be Allowed The Same Rights As Real People?

Thom Hartmann debates Michael Medved highlights before a live audience.
It took place on March 23rd. of this year.
The first video isn't specifically about corporate personhood but it shows Thom doing what he does best.
Not much Medved in this one though.


Here's the link to the You-Tube video with Thom and Dan Gainor about Corporate Personhood.
Thom Hartman can be heard on Am 1480 in Eureka, on satellite radio and on Free Speech TV.
Is show airs live locally from 9 am to Noon.

US attorney For The Northern District Of California Says Federal Pot Raids To Continue

From RawStory.com  By Daniel Tencer

'Not a change' in policy 'at all,' US attorney says


Operators of medical marijuana dispensaries in California are quickly learning that, contrary to recent news headlines, federal raids of medical marijuana clubs aren't going to stop -- an assertion the US attorney for northern California is unequivocally making.
Read More

Wage Peace Film Festival Tonight In Arcata

Marriage Protection Act Might Be On Next Years Ballot

A ballot initiative to make divorce illegal in California.



See Part II here

I wonder how married people will feel about single folks voting on this?  I am single so it doesn't effect me.

It might not get enough signatures to get on the ballot in 2010, but if it does, I'm sure the Catholics and Mormons will want to get their few million dollars in.   After all, divorce has been illegal for 99 percent of mans existence. 

A Pumpkin Without A Country

I asked him for his I.D., he had the gourd to say that he wasn't from here.  Said his name was Jack and he was just looking for some of his old Ewok friends from around here.

Cheap Halloween Costume

Times as they are demand cost savings. Here are a couple of ideas for a cheap and fun Halloween.

I saw this moss growing from the trees in my yard. I could make a ZZ Top beard or if I were bald, I could put it on the top of my head and go as Donald Trump. The accessories with Trump can get expensive though. With enough of this all over you, you could be the swamp monster.

There is however, an obvious costume this Halloween. I call it the H1N1 respirator.

Happy Halloween!

Gateway to Trinidad Taking Shape.

Several Gateways are in the planning stages for the California Coastal National Monument




CCNM Manager Rick Hanks noted that the BLM is moving into the third year of implementing the Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the California Coastal National Monument. The plan established a preservation framework to protect the geologic formations and the habitat they provide for biota.
The monument corridor is 14,600 square nautical miles containing more than 20,000 rocks and small islands totaling about 1,000 acres of land area. Partnerships are the keys to management, with local gateways providing for local community involvement in management.
Three broad implementation priorities are protecting the resources, inventorying the resources and building partnerships, including gateways.
There are 12 identified gateways along the coast. These are areas where the public can learn more about the monument and specific parts of the coast and their communities. BLM is focusing now on building the Palos Verdes, Piedras Blancas, Trinidad, Pigeon Point, and Point Arena gateways.


Trinidad was first and is the most actively functioning gateway group.

The Chevron station in Trinidad removed their tall freeway sign today.  This evening, the new, much shorter sign in the picture above is in it's place.  The prices came down but stayed the same.  Well at least they were lower.  The less imposing sign is part of the Gateway project.

Eureka City Council to Certify Marina Center EIR Tonight

The Final Environmental Impact Report on the proposed partial cleanup and development of the Balloon Tract known as the Marina Center is the only thing on the agenda at tonights meeting.  The Eureka City Council is expected to certify the report on a 3 to 2 vote, with Larry Glass and Linda Atkins expected to vote no.
The meeting is at the Eureka City Hall at 531 K Street, 6 pm. and will be broadcast live on Access Humboldt Cable Channel 12.
Live Now On Access Humboldt!

The Makings of a Police State-Part III, By Sibel Edmonds

From her blog at http://123realchange.blogspot.com/

"From the 143,074 NSLs requested, there was only 1 confirmed terrorism-related conviction."

Here are a few highlights on National Security Letters (NSL):

A National Security Letter (NSL) is a letter request for information from a third party that is issued by the FBI or by other government agencies with authority to conduct national security investigations. Government agency issues the request for information without prior judicial approval. Obtaining NSL requires no probable cause or judicial oversight. They also contain a gag order preventing the recipient of the letter from disclosing that the letter was ever issued. The non-disclosure rules have helped prevent the full extent of the NSL program from becoming known, as the FBI has systematically underreported to Congress the number of letters sent. Unlike other subpoenas and warrants, no approval from the Judicial Branch is required to issue an NSL. An NSL may be issued by "the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or his designee in a position not lower than Deputy Assistant Director at Bureau headquarters or a Special Agent in Charge in a Bureau field office designated by the Director” with no checks and balances in place until after the NSL has been delivered.

An internal FBI audit found that the bureau violated the rules more than 1000 times in an audit of 10% of its national investigations between 2002 and 2007. According to the September 9, 2007 New York Times report on the FBI's use of NSLs to obtain broader information for data mining purposes, "In many cases, the target of a national security letter whose records are being sought is not necessarily the actual subject of a terrorism investigation and may not be suspected at all. Under the USA PATRIOT Act, the F.B.I. must assert only that the records gathered through the letter are considered relevant to a terrorism investigation." (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/washington/09fbi.html?_r=1 )

In April, 2008, the American Civil Liberties Union alleged that the military was using the FBI to skirt legal restrictions on domestic surveillance to obtain private records of Americans' Internet service providers, financial institutions and telephone companies. The ACLU based its allegation on a review of more than 1,000 documents turned over to it by the Defense Department in response to a suit the rights group filed in 2007 for documents related to national security letters.

Photo from http://www.bradblog.com/

Power Outage South of Trinidad Tonight

From Mccanahas Creek just south of Trinidad to Crannel Road.  Power went out around 5:40 pm. 
All of Westhaven is dark.  Trinidad has power.
The blinkers on the power line are flashing just above Mccanahas creek on Westhaven Dr. North.
I don't have a reason yet.  Posting this in the dark.

Update: PG&E aware of outage.  Will have power back by 9:15 pm. or update message again at that time.

CA Medical Board Revokes the license of Dr. Hany Assad (effective November 23, 2009)

Bill Holmes brought this to my attention.  This is from Compassionate Coalition.
Involves Local doctor from Arcata and Ukiah.

As of November 23, 2009, at 5 p.m., Dr. Assad will no longer be a licensed physician.


You can search for the PDF decision on the California Medical Board's website via the "Enforcement Public Documents Search"
I've posted the PDF at medpotcrisis.com, and you can read the PDF on the page:

CA Medical Board Revokes the license of Dr. Hany Assad - medpotcrisis.com/hanyassad.html

or download the PDF directly from:

http://medpotcrisis.com/2009.10.23-HanyAssad-DecisionRevoked.pdf

of particular note, the Medical Board said:

"Respondent reached the conclusion that marijuana would be an effective mediation for SW [patient] without following the well-settled standards for licensed physicians. The overall impression is of a cursory office visit. Accordingly, there is no reasonable basis upon which to base a belief that he will conform to the standard of practice in the future. Patient safety is at risk by his continued practice and the public interest requires that his certificate be revoked." - California Medical Board"

If you have any questions of what the Medical Board means by the well-settled standards, please see:

What is an appropriate standard of care for Physicians who recommend Medical Marijuana for their patients - medpotcrisis.com/docs/practicestandards.html

for a one-stop summary of the appropriate standard of care for physicians that recommend Medical Marijuana - this page links to all of the documents that make up this standard, including the Medical Board's basic guidelines, the CMA (California Medical Association)'s Guidelines, the Mikuriya Case (which the Medical Board adopted as precedent at their June 2007 meeting), and some other relevant information - the Conant Decision, information about the illegal practice of medicine, and more.

If you are a current patient of Dr. Assad, be aware that your physician's statement recommending medical marijuana will be invalid as of November 23, 2009. It would be advisable to secure a new physician (and this time, perhaps you might want to consider a legitimate doctor?!?) as soon as possible.

Congressman Mike Thompson Introduces Thermal Energy Storage Legislation

Congressman Mike Thompson (D-Ca) introduced legislation that provides a 30% tax credit for the purchase of thermal energy storage systems for homes and businesses.  Energy storage technology allows consumers to purchase electricity during off-peak hours and save it use during peak hours.  This will reduce consumers' electricity bills and greatly enhance the reliability of alternative energy sources such as solar and wind.

Thompson said, "Investing in new technology such as thermal energy storage will help create new jobs and save people money on their electricity bills.  Distributedenergy storage technologies are also a great way for our country to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and our dependence on fossil fuels.  Jast as important, the jobs created by the manufacture and installation of these new technologies would come at a critical time for the U.S. economy."

The current electricity infrastructure is highly inefficient.  The ability to store energy will allow consumers to use more renewable energy by, for example, collecting solar energy during the day and storing it for use at night.  Allowing consumers to reduce their electricity demand with thermal energy storage is also a way to reduce unnecessary electricity generation and waste.

Congressman Thompson added "As is the case with many new energy technologies, numerous barriers exist that impede the adoption of these beneficial and cost-effective new technologies.  These Federal tax incentives will enable us to take steps toward achieving energy security and slowing global warming, while advancing the creation of a smart grid energy infrastructure."

The bill will be assigned to the House Ways & Means Committee.

Should We Ship Our Extra Water South?

This week's North Coast Journal has a great article about the problems facing the Humboldt County Municipal Water District now that two pulp mills have closed.
Heid Walters does a great job talking about some of the options available to us in this article available for free on news racks Wednesday morning. Correction: The paper comes out on Thursday morning, I got an early copy tonight.

One of the ides put forth is by Terry Spragg is to put that water in large bags. Tow several together like a water train and sell the water to somewhere in the San Francisco Bay area. Due to the closing of the last pulp mill, the county has up to 60-thousand extra gallons of excess water a day. The pulp mills paid for roughly half the cost to run the water district. Finding a way to capitalize on the excess water and retain the rights to the excess water are key in the reasoning behind the plan.


Another idea floated by fisheries consultant, Bill Kier, is to use the extra water to provide more salmon habitat. Read the article and learn more about this.

Some have said that in the future, wars will be fought for water instead of oil. If that is true, we have a commodity here on the north coast worth shipping. If water was worth as much as oil, it might be something to ship via railroad to dry, dusty, inland areas of California.

Photo of work on Mad River Ca. during Caltrans bridge replacement earlier this summer.
The bag is filled with water to divert the fish in the river away from pile driver sounds.
They literally put a fenced in corridor down the center of the river for about a month.

Eureka City Council Considers Overnight Transient Parking Lots

At the Eureka City Council meeting tonight, John Shelter spoke to the chamber about establishing overnight parking lots for transients that sleep in their vehicles.  He talked about a controlled environment where people would be required to check in and they would have to leave in the morning.

 If the police were to find someone camping in their vehicle on the city streets, they would direct them to the parking lot.  They would also give them an orange sticker that would allow them to register in the morning if they were sent there late at night. This way they wouldn't have to wake people up.  Also the person or persons in charge would know that they were sent there and should be allowed to sleep until the next morning.  At that time they would register with the site manager.

Councilmen Mike Jones and Jeff Leonard spoke in favor if the proposal. 
The Council l voted to consider the idea.  It was a brave and progressive step for the City of Eureka.

Apple Season On The North Coast

It's foggy and cool, the leaves are turning and the apples love it.
We're expecting showers overnight and rain for Monday.

Grannies For Peace At Eureka Peace Rally

There are many grannies for peace but only one Humboldt County Chapter.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xl4_9-UUfI

Alexander Cockburn At Eureka Peace Rally

Rain dampened the crowd at the Peace Rally in Eureka Ca. today.  It didn't dampen the spirits though.
Here is local resident Alexander Cockburn addressing the crowd. To put the video on you-tube, I had to break it up into 4 parts.

Part 1


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVUYwA4Eu1g

Part 2


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRvo5jKm6n4

Part 3


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O_hXI2Wfqs

Part 4


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tulO4z2QG70

Contrail Season

It's that time of year again.  Actually, any time of the year is good for contrails.  The story is that the cold, condensed, moist air in the upper atmosphere is disturbed by the object or jet moving through it.  This creates ice particles that form contrails that turn into long clouds.   What is not in the story is the question, why are there so many jets over Humboldt County?  We must be a popular fly over route both north and south over the mountains and in all directions elsewhere.  Only over the mountains is there a clear traffic pattern.  My favorite of these photos are the two jets crossing paths in almost the opposite direction.

Note the pockets of warm or dry air where the contrails stop and start again.
Looking up can be fun!
Click images to enlarge.

Anti War Rally On Saturday

Sohum Parlance II
Rally starts at 1 pm. at the court house in Eureka.

Jumping Through Windows And Cheap CD Players

If your computer is doing strange things, you might not have gotten the Windows updates that need to be installed. For you Macintosh people, those aren't real computers so things should be working just fine.

There are about 20 recent Windows updates that need to be installed ASAP. It took me a half hour of South Park, My Secret Girlfriend, The Daily Show and The Colbert Repor (t) to get everything updated.

We had to update computers at the station and while we were waiting we fixed 3 Numark CDN15 CD players. My engineer and I, (he did the soldering and most of the work) replaced the lights in the back lit window of all 3 units that had failed. The CD players still worked but you couldn't read the track or time in the window. The lights were incandescent and we put LED's in. They will now work until the laser reader dies or something else.
The display window and circuit board seem to have envisioned LED lights but were probably substituted for cheaper bulbs at the Chinese factory where they are made. Numark has a newer model called the MP102, and it has LED lights in the display but the logic circuit freezes up on these models and they spend a lot of time shipping back and forth from the repair shop while under warranty.

We use single tray CD players and used to buy Sony or Yamaha units, but they stopped making them. Pete Meyer has 3 vintage Sony's in his studio. They last about 10 years. The new ones, about 3 months to 2 years. If anyone knows of a company making single tray, stackable or rack mountable CD players for less than $300-dollars, please comment and enlighten me.

P.S., Don't forget to go to Windows Update and expect to spend a little time.

Everyone Deserves A Roof

Shelter from the storm and mobile too.  I think this is a great idea because it allows people to move around and keep their living space with them.  This is important in places like Arcata where there is an entire blog devoted to photographing the homeless and complaining that they don't move along. 
I have to thank pls8395 for posting this under my last blog. 
They cost about $500.00 and are way more usefull than a shopping cart.

This is from the website:
During the day, the EDAR unit is used to pursue the necessities of life. Personal belongings are secured by the use of locks. The front and back of the cart have storage baskets with removable canvas pouches. The unit is waterproof and provides protection for what it contains. EDAR's wheels are better than a supermarket cart's, being slightly larger and easier to steer in a consistent fashion. There are two brake and locking mechanisms which ensure the unit will not move on its own.


At night, the EDAR unit easily hinges out and down to Night Mode in less than 30 seconds, becoming a sleeping unit. Unfolding the unit allows it to lock in place as the flat metal base extends. The metal and wood base has a mattress and military-grade canvas cover, providing a robust tent-like shelter. The unit is flame-retardant, waterproof, windproof and helps protect from the elements. There are translucent windows that provides light and a view of the surrounding area. By re-folding the unit, the EDAR quickly returns to Day Mode,

Addendum:
I'd put up 10 percent or 50 bucks for one EDAR to any local Humboldt organization that wants to give it a try. If there were enough of these to really do some good, the idea could be expanded.

A trailer with laundry and showers that had access to city sewer, water and power would also go a long way. This would require a real commitment from cities or organizations to fund something like that but it would make such a difference in peoples lives.


At the same time, we could make the environment better by allowing space for the wash trailer and a some of these EDAR's to park overnight. Solar hot water on the trailer will help with costs. Only people with EDAR cards could use the facilities. The location could have a mail box and pay phone with answering machines for those with an EDAR card to have access. This gives a sense of belonging and responsibility to those in the program.
Better than unaffordable housing and paying to lock people up just because they don't have anywhere to sleep.


These little shelters would be an alternative to building tarp shelters in the forest and marshes that have to be cleaned up after they are abandoned or in some cases, while they are still being lived in.
Those involved could have to agree to bring only what can fit into the EDAR and be required leave after showers except for those that are there for their laundry day.


There are answers to making things better for the houseless, and people without so much as even a car, people that have nothing more than a few simple belongings and themselves.
Crazy ideas for crazy times.
It's time to do something about providing shelter from the storm.
 
I wonder how Tad would feel about this?

Big Winter Storm is Forcast for Humboldt County!

Link to Special Weather Statement.  Updated at 8:53 pm 10-12-09

Let us remember the men, the women and the children, our brothers and sisters, our mothers and fathers, our sons and daughters who are huddled under a bush shivering in the rain.


Please join me in contacting Eureka Mayor Virginia Bass and requesting that she use the emergency powers vested in her to open an emergency shelter in a city facility for our homeless during this rainy period, and during the rainy periods to come this winter.

Mayor Bass Office: (707) 441-4200
Mayor Bass Email: virginia@ci.eureka.ca.gov

It is the responsibility of our government to care for the vulnerable among us.

I would like to thank Highboltage for reminding me of those that don't have a roof to worry about blowing off.  This storm looks like it will drop more rain south of Eureka than north.  Clean out the drains and get ready.  One thing we can almost count on is that there will be pleanty of room in the Eel River to hold the rain from this first big storm of the season.

Surf 4 Peace

Just ahead of a large Pacific storm on Saturday, a surf party of sorts. Right on the beach in Trinidad were a sand castle competition, food, beer, vendors, raffles and even a D.J. Funds raised went to the Humboldt Surfrider Foundation.

I shot a you-tube video of the surfers but it was too long to load at just over 8 minutes. Here are some still shots of the cool event.