Obama Gives Bush "Absolute Immunity" For Everything | Common Dreams

Days before Bradley - now Chelsea - Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison for helping expose U.S. war crimes in Iraq, the Obama Department of Justice filed a petition in federal court arguing that the perpetrators of those crimes - Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld et al - enjoy “absolute immunity” against criminal charges or civil liability. The filing came in a suit brought by Sundus Shaker Saleh, an Iraqi single mother and refugee now living in Jordan, who alleges that the planning and waging of the Iraq war under false pretenses constituted a "crime of aggression" under a law used in the Nuremberg trials. With neither Congress nor Obama willing to hold Bush & Co. accountable for the Iraq catastrophe, more at link below from Abby Zimet.

Obama Gives Bush "Absolute Immunity" For Everything | Common Dreams

Note: Don't ignore the links at the end of the short story attached to the link. There is much more that is hidden there. 

Bergeron Winery Coming To Trinidad

The Washery (laundromat) that used to be in Trinidad went out of business more than a couple of years ago now but was replaced by Oshun Yoga. For some reason the Yoga thing didn't work out and now that store front sits empty awaiting some eager entrepreneur to try an make a go at another business.

Just a couple of doors down from the now defunct yoga shop near the Trinidad Post Office, where a hair stylist used to be, a public notice to sell alcoholic beverages sign occupies the front door of the vacant store shop. Like yoga and dirty laundry, Trinidad didn't seem to have a need for a hair stylist either. My aunt believes otherwise but none the less, it has created the opportunity for yet another small business to occupy the limited real estate available in Trinidad Ca.

While the three businesses before had no local competition, the new winery will. Moonstone Crossing already offers wine tasting in Trinidad. Perhaps it will be like multiple car dealerships or restaurants and attract even more people than having just a single outlet. The theory for that is hey, more to choose from.

Bergeron Winery is a family owned winery in Adolphustown Ontario Canada. I don't know what possessed them to open a wine tasting outlet in our little town but I wish them success.

Trinidad Library Grand Opening Tomorrow

Tomorrow at 1 pm. Trinidad Mayor Julie Fulkerson and 5th.

Front Door to Trinidad Library

 District Humboldt County Supervisor Ryan Sundberg will join The Friends of Trinidad Library and others that helped make the dream of a real library in Trinidad a reality. 

The public is invited to the Grand Opening Party which includes live music from The Pilot Rock Ramblers. 

Trinidad Museum next door to new library

The McKinleyville Press has all the info. I just have some pictures if the library next door to the new Museum.

Informational kiosk sign

 And then there are the grounds which contain a small pond, gazebo, boccie ball court, two informational kiosks, a place to tie up your horse and a.whale sculpture.

Another informational kiosk sign at library museum complex

Two artist and their easels overlooking Trinidad Harbor today

Mad River Summerfest Cancelled Tonight

I was thinking of going to this and even camping out but things are all screwed up tonight. See this from The Lost Coast Outpost. Evidently there was a problem with insurance or a permit or something.

The word Bummerfest has been thrown around already. As of this, tomorrow is still up in the air.

 Update! Here's the latest from their facebook:

Mad River Summerfest

4 minutes ago via mobile

We paid and signed for event insurance before this weekend. Lack of communitcation with our insurance company is what lead to the cancellation of our event.

We are in the works of putting together another free event as compensation for those of you who came out, we appologize but we can not give you a refund.

Our vendors will be refunded their money!

We are all members of this community and are extremely disappointed as well. We love you guys! Hopefully we can make it up to you! Thank you for your support and understanding, stay posted!

The Scene On Humboldt Bay Yesterday

Below is video of the boats on Humboldt Bay yesterday evening during the final Eureka Summer Concert of the year.


Music in the background is the band "Twice As Good".

Final Eureka Summer Concert Of The Season Tonight On The Boardwalk

Tonight is the final concert of the series on the Eureka Boardwalk. Twice As Good will play blues and rock to finish off a great summer concert season. Music starts at 6 and goes till 8 pm tonight and it's free to the public. Just take C Street west to the water and follow the crowd.

Power 96.3 DJ Pete Meyer Throws Shirts To Audience

The Eureka Summer Concerts are produced by Bicoastal Media and sponsored by:
The City of Eureka, Clarion Hotel, Coast Central Credit Union, Redwood Health Care, Eureka Main Street and tonight's concert sponsors are Boyd Sewing Center & Vacuum, Gosselin Tire and Coldwell Banker Cutten Realty.

Come tonight or wait until next year!

California Prison Hunger Strike Day 38

This is from PARC or Peoples' Action For Rights And Community

Day 38 Countdown for Humane Conditions

Posted on August 14, 2013 by prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity

Today marks the 38th day that Governor Brown and the California Department of Corrections have sat and watched as hundreds of Californians continue to starve under inhumane conditions in our prisons in an effort to make the state recognize their humanity. This has been a very long and drawn out battle involving decades of litigation, multiple hunger strikes, and many promises by the CDCR that it is finally “doing the right thing” all while vehemently denying that there are serious problems within the state prison system.

California’s prison system is undisputedly in a disastrous state of crisis. That Governor Brown has fought tooth and nail against correcting the crisis – even asking the United States Supreme Court to approve his non-compliance with the Court’s order to fix the prison system so that it no longer violates the US Constitution - is telling. California’s prison system has become a rogue beast devouring billions of dollars in state resources, destroying the lives of the people it has been entrusted to rehabilitate and their families, and continuing to operate in a way that endangers the safety and well-being of both prisoners and the public. It’s time for California to really engage in an honest effort to do the right thing.

What would this look like? First, the state must admit that there is a serious problem. California has not done this. In fact, in January Governor Brown audaciously declared that California’s prison crisis is over. In the case of the hunger strike and the issue of solitary confinement, Governor Brown has remained silent while the CDCR’s strategy has been todeny that solitary confinement exists and to demonize the people in solitary confinement as brutal murderers, the “worst or the worst”, deserving of treatment that constitutes torture. The CDCR is deceiving the public by saying that the people who are in solitary confinement are there because of the crimes they committed. The decision to put someone in solitary confinement in the SHU has nothing to do with why that person is in prison. Rather it is adecision that is made completely by prison guards with very little due process and very little transparency. In fact, many people who are isolated in the SHU are in prison for non-violent, non-serious, non-sexual offenses. Many SHU prisoners have relatively short sentences andreturn home – approximately 50 people return to our communities directly from the SHU every month. California’s use of solitary confinement has been condemned internationally as cruel and unusual punishment and a disgraceful breach of international standards on humane treatment of prisoners. The whole world is watching this crisis unfurl like a train wreck in slow motion while the state continues to drive forward full steam ahead, as if oblivious to the damage that will result from its deliberate indifference.

Next, the state must begin to work collaboratively with attorneys, advocates and prisoners’ families to correct these issues. Instead of fighting meaningful reform in every way imaginable, the state should work with others to explore options that ensure the safety and well-being of prisoners and the public. CDCR administration has demonstrated that they are either unwilling or incapable of making meaningful changes themselves. Even the new regulations they issued last year, which they called a “big culture change” and a huge shift in policy, are in reality, more of the same. Prisoners will still be held indefinitely in the SHU without having actually engaged in any gang related behavior. The new policy also expands the scope of who can be validated as a gang affiliate and isolated based on that affiliation. The gang validation policies in California have never been effective. If they are meant to curb the proliferation of prison gangs – the policies have not worked to achieve that. There has not been a decrease in the size or reach of prison gangs since these policies have been in effect. If the policies are meant to reduce violence – the policies have failed to achieve these results as well. California prisons are not safer because of the gang validation policies. More forward thinking states likeMississippi have drastically reduced violence in their prisons by working collaboratively with lawyers and advocates and reducing the number of people they keep in solitary confinement. In addition to decreasing violence, the state is also saving six million dollars a year. Perhaps California should take note. It’s time to invest our resources into finding solutions that actually work.

Right now, in the midst of the chaos and lawlessness of this prison regime, California has an exceptional opportunity to do the right thing. There is no doubt that future generations will reflect on California’s current prison crisis as a dreadfully embarrassing stain on California’s history. However, Governor Brown still has the opportunity to preserve his honor and legacy by changing his position and correcting the problem. He has nothing to lose by accepting responsibility and taking corrective action immediately. However, if he continues to sit on the sidelines and watch passively as the human rights violations continue and more prisoners die, the damage will be irreparable.

We urge Governor Brown to take these issues seriously and do the right thing by engaging in meaningful negotiations with the hunger strikers and their mediation team to resolve this strike before anyone else dies.

On behalf of the Mediation Team,
Azadeh Zohrabi, Legal Services for Prisoners With Children

Hunger Strike Mediation Team

Dr. Ronald Ahnen, California Prison Focus and St. Mary’s College of California

Barbara Becnel, Occupy4Prisoners.org

Dolores Canales, California Families to Abolish Solitary Confinement

Irene Huerta, California Families to Abolish Solitary Confinement (CFASC)

Laura Magnani, American Friends Service Committee

Marilyn McMahon, California Prison Focus

Carol Strickman, Legal Services for Prisoners With Children

Angela Davis, Op-Ed "Indefinite solitary confinement violates human rights"
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/08/12/5642307/indefinite-solitary-confinement.html 

Rights Groups to Government: Allow U.N. Torture Expert to Examine U.S. Use of Solitary Confinement  
http://www.aclu.org/blog/prisoners-rights-human-rights-national-security/rights-groups-government-allow-un-torture

Rolling Stone Aug.13, 2013
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/searching-for-the-truth-about-californias-prison-hunger-strike-20130813

Hunger Strikers, Supporters Refute CDCR Gang Propaganda
http://wp.me/p1BB1k-Ul

Contra Costa Juvenile Hall locks Youth with disabilities in solitary confinement up to 23 hrs a day
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_23824485/lawsuit-contra-costa-juvenile-hall-locks-youth-disabilities

Sista Soul KHSU, Day 35 with Barbara Bectel & Dolores Canales 
(not complete show, began recording late, WORTH LISTENING!)
 https://app.box.com/s/wpa41lpu9ghuj19xyijt

Humboldt County Fair Starts Today In Ferndale!

The 117th Annual Humboldt County Fair is on now!  There is live horse racing action, animals, food, rides from Johnston's Amusements and even a zip line I am told. The fair runs through August 25th.

Click Here for admission prices, racing admission prices, parking and senior days.

 A tribute to 100 years of agriculture in Humboldt County, 1913-2013.


Farm Bureau, 4-H and University of California Agricultural Extension exhibits celebrate their Centennials with an overview of ag history in Humboldt County, stories of families who have been here for 100 years, current day agriculture in Humboldt County and more!

Free entry days are:
Thursday August 15th.
Monday August 19th.
Tuesday August 20th.
Thursday August 22nd.

This year's entertainment includes Cartoon Poodles and The Incredible Acrobats of China. 
See Humboldt County Fair for more times and events.

Help Save Red's Crescent Drive-In In Crescent City

You may have noticed that I list local movie listings on my blog. I don't take any gratuity for the listing as this blog is not monetized. I do this as a public service.  I also recently added the only drive-in on the North Coast, Red's Crescent Drive-in.

Red's Crescent Drive-In Crescent City Ca.

I also take no gratuity for the drive-in listing. I only want the place to stay in business and mostly for nostalgic reasons. That's why I am asking people to vote for Red's Crescent Drive-In to get a new projector.

You see, a format change to for movies will require drive-in's to upgrade to an expensive $80-thousand dollar projector to view movies next year.  Most drive-in's in the US won't be able to afford the upgrade and so Honda is giving away 5 of these projectors to the drive-in's that get the most votes.

Just go to the link below and vote for your favorite drive-in. I suggest Red's Crescent Drive-In in Crescent City.
http://projectdrivein.com/?s_cid=PDI_FB

Water Thieves In Humboldt County? The Water Wars Are Here.

According to the only local TV news station in Humboldt County,

photo from denison.edu

KIEM News Channel 3 is reporting that the Southern Humboldt community of Weott has had 20-thousand gallons of drinking water stolen.

 Now they have declared a state of emergency. See the details at KIEM News Channel 3.

UPDATE:
Yesterday on Tuesday the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors joined Weott in declaring "a state of emergency".  According to today's Times-Standard newspaper, the County declaration means that new the county can apply for state emergency support and funding to aid with permanent repairs to the Weott water system. 

The Fabulous Blue Jayz At Trinidad Artisans Market

Carrie Wallace of The Fabulous Blue Jayz sings and plays guitar on her song "Highway 299". They were the entertainment at last weeks Trinidad Artisans Market in Trinidad. The Market runs through

Summer and is every Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm and is next to Murphy's Market across the street from Trinidad Museum and the new Trinidad Library which also opened last Sunday. 

The Event That Changed Everything - 9/11 12th Anniversary Next Month.

With yet another anniversary of the attacks of 9/11/2001 just a month away,  I would like to share some of my thoughts before it gets too close to the event for me to say what I have to say in good taste.

I know that most Americans will focus on the loss of life for US Citizens on 9/11 but I can't help but see the bigger picture. The loss of so many of our civil liberties. Yes it is appropriate to honor those that may have fought terrorists hijackers on a plane that crashed into a Pennsylvania country side. What I object to is the fact that there is some how this official story based on questionable evidence and outright cover ups.

WTC7 Built In 1982 Falls Like It Was Hollowed Out.

Instead of a crime scene being established around the World Trade Centers, rubble was removed as fast as it could be and shipped to China for recycling. The steel that the buildings were made of, that same steel that melted and turned to liquid as one could see in some of the video pouring from the building, was all gone. There was no more steel to do tests on to see why a kerosene or jet fuel fire, mixed with office furniture would melt steel to the point that one would see it dripping off the building just before it's collapse?

An official investigation into what happened that day did not even begin until over a year after the event. That investigation ignored evidence of a 42 story building (WTC7) built in the 1980's that fell later that afternoon like it had been hollowed out in an instant. Why ignore this type of evidence? What did the official investigation have to hide? The Securities and Exchange Commission was housed in this building. They were working on a case about Enron at the time. There were many other government agencies housed in this building. A family member of mine by marriage was a metallurgist and made parts for US helicopter blade mounts and such. He told me that buildings don't just fall down without resistance. This guy was the president of the plant and knew his stuff and said that steel doesn't melt from kerosene or jet fuel and office furniture fires.

I don't pretend to know what really did happened on 9/11, I only know what I saw and what evidence was preserved by the investigation and others like Dr. Stephen Jones. Jones who was able to obtain some samples of the steel and dust from the World Trade Centers says there is Thermite and Thermate mixed with the dust of the fallen buildings. To explain the collapse of two of the three WTC buildings that fell that day, our government refers to a NIST study that uses a model that is classified. Their explanation is therefore classified. US Senator Joe Lieberman was the head of the investigation and can be seen denying that the 42 story building WTC 7 ever fell saying "That never happened" in a short video at the bottom of this blog.

I am saddened by the loss of life that the attacks of 9/11 brought to our shores. I am ashamed that our government couldn't even scramble jets or do a proper investigation, stuff we had always been able to do before. I am not hopeful that people will ever get the truth about 9/11.

Most people seem quite convinced that steel will melt from kerosene or that if you hit a building at the top with a jet and burn it a bit that it will fall like it was rigged with explosives. This has changed the way architects and engineers have to teach their subject. The laws of science that formed their formulas are no longer valid and have been replaced by a study from the National Institute of Statistics and Standards that is top secret and therefore can't be taught. This is where we are. Spied upon, treated like cattle, the military can be used to police us, and all of our communications are being recorded and listened to. We are broke beyond our means and this is exactly what Osama Bin Laden wanted us to become.

I have nothing to gain by saying this. I will be ridiculed and made fun of by those with small minds but I don't care. If they want to believe that it is magic that keeps their Weber BBQ from turning into a puddle of molten steel every time they grill, that's the kind of neighbor I have to live near. There are those that refuse to see that things don't add up but no one wants to stake their reputations on it. No one that is except for thousands of Architects and Engineers.

Rob Arkley's Lawyers Threaten North Coast Journal With Restraining Order

I have heard him described as a philanthropist, shrewd business man and a rich bully. He is Robin Arkley Junior and he is all of those things to me. I have never met the man but have known of his accomplishments and short comings for about 14 years or so.

He is responsible for the nice boardwalk along Old Town Eureka's waterfront. It was one his pet projects. Most people like the boardwalk. He also is responsible for completely refurbishing the old Sweasy Theater in Down Town Eureka. It had become a department store for years and was all hacked and chopped up. That didn't stop Arkley from pouring his money into the boarded up building and turning it back into a high class theater for the performing arts. It closed a couple of months ago and no one knows why.

He is also responsible for, or lets call it disdain for Bill Pierson which owns many properties in Humboldt, has a contracting business and what is arguably the largest hardware store in the county. Arkley has said that he wanted to bring Home Depot into Eureka to put a damper on Bill's businesses. Arkley has acquired the land for his Home Depot project and it's right on the Eureka water front. It's a property called the Balloon Tract that used to serve the old railroad that is no longer in service. The project has sat for years with no ground breaking due mostly to the poor economy and Home Depot's scaling back their expansion plans for new stores. Piersons Building Center and Bill's other enterprises are still going strong.

Then there was the event where Arkley supposedly shoved Eureka Councilman Larry Glass in 2007.
(from the Times-Standard)
Sept. 7 -- Glass files report in Arkley incident -- Eureka Councilman Larry Glass called in a report to the Eureka Police Department alleging businessman Rob Arkley verbally threatened him and shoved him at a Coastal Commission reception. A senior vice president for Arkley's Security National said he understood there was no physical contact, but rather a verbal exchange concerning Arkley's daughters.
=
A few months back, Arkley appeared on the local Rush Limbaugh radio staion KINS to talk with Brian Papstien while he was in town visiting and said that he was going to get the Chinese to help him fund a railroad from Eureka to somewhere south of Redding Ca. He said his holdings of materials in the area were enough freight to justify building a brand new railroad. Last week the old Northwestern Pacific Railroad which has been dead for years in Eureka and is now just a shell called The North Coast Railroad Authority hinted that they were considering bankruptcy any day now. 

Robin Arkley, who used to be a local business man decided that California's taxes were too much to bear so he moved to Louisiana where his main business is located. They went bankrupt. So it is no surprise to me that he is upset with people or reporters trying to contact him and ask about the now defunct theater and balloon tract property that still sits empty with a big sign on it saying what a nice place it will be someday. 

While he has done some great things that he will be remembered for long after he dies, many will simply remember Robin Arkley Jr. as a bully that wasn't  happy unless he has his way. Now he is trying to have his way with the local weekly newspaper the North Coast Journal and they aren't having any of it.

Read what Ryan Burns and the North Coast Journal have to say about Arkley's latest threat here. 

Trinidad Art Nights This Friday

This Friday is Art Nights in Trinidad. This is seasonal but ongoing and the first Friday of the month through October. Below is a list of events and venues for this Friday's celebration which goes from 6 to 9 pm.

1. Trinidad Trading Company 460 Main St. -  Original Songs by Tim Breed. Art TBA.
2. WindanSea 410 Main St. - Featured art by local artists and gifts.
3. Trinidad Museum  400 Janis Court at Patricks Point Dr. -   "A contribution to Prayer,"
  Photographs of Native Americans of Northwest,  Visual art by Lee Taylor Walashek,
  and J. Goldsborough. Guitar vocal music by Richard “Ziggy” Eisner.
4. Ocean Grove 480 Patricks Point Dr - Afterparty! Original Country Rock by
  Rooster Mclintock. Doors open at  9pm. Admission $5.
5. CL Leathers 490 Trinity St. - Custom Leather and Design.  Original folk music by
  Joe Garceau in the Mobile Stage. .
6 Trinidad Art Gallery 490 Trinity Street - Featured artist reception for Kris Patzlaff oresenting
 her metalwork in the form of art jewelry and found object art. Music TBA.
7. Saunder’s Park (start of Patricks Point Dr.) - "Spin Jam" at 6:30 pm.  Fire Dancing by
  Circus of the Elements at 8:45pm. Trinidad Skatepark Alliance will provide ramps! Bocce Ball
  court. Balls available at the Museum and Salty’s.
8. The Lighthouse Grill 355 Main St. - Paintings by Susan Mayclin Stephenson.
  Jewelry by Pachamama Jewels. Appetizers, Music by North.
9. Salty's 322 Main st. - Art TBA. Music by “Double Up.”
10. The Eatery 607 Parker St. - TBA.
11. Trinidad Town Hall 409 Trinity St. - TBA.
12. Beachcomber Cafe 363 Trinity St.- TBA.
13. Ocean Wave Healing Arts Studio  behind Beachcomber- Free sessions of Jin Shin
  Jyutsu and ortho-bionomy. Furniture and instruments by Mark "Tree” Allen.
14. Seascape Restaurant and Pier 1 Bay St. - TBA.
15. Trinidad B&B 560 Edwards St. - Trinidad Landscapes by Sam Lundeen. Music TBA.
16. Moonstone Crossing 529 Trinity St. -  Wine Tasting. Paintings by David Steinhardt.
  Mosaics by Amber VanDunk and Jill Garinger.