Sarah Jaffe On The protests against a dirty oil pipeline by The Standing Rock Nation.

The first sign that not everything is normal as you drive down Highway 1806 toward the Standing Rock reservation in North Dakota is a checkpoint manned by camouflage-clad National Guard troops. The inspection on Sept. 13 was perfunctory; they simply asked if we knew “what was going on down the road” and then waved us through, even though the car we rode in had “#NoDAPL” chalked on its rear windshield.

“What is going on down the road” is a massive camp-in led by the Standing Rock nation, aimed at blocking the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (the DAPL in question), which would carry oil from the Bakken shale in North Dakota across several states and under the Missouri River. What began with a small beachhead last April on the banks of the Cannonball River on land belonging to LaDonna Brave Bull Allard has expanded to both banks of the river and up the road, to multiple camps that have housed as many as 7,000 people from all over the world. Because of them, first the Obama administration and then a federal court stepped in to temporarily halt construction of the pipeline near the campsite. Still, the people of Standing Rock and their thousands of supporters aren’t declaring victory and folding their tents just yet.

We’re already winterizing in all aspects of the camp.
— LAY HA

The legal struggles for a permanent shutdown of the pipeline construction continue:
Read More Here from Moyers & Company and Sarah Jaffe.

Veterans North Coast Stand Down This Weekend In Ferndale

The annual North Coast Stand Down is taking place this weekend in Ferndale California at the Humboldt County Fair Grounds. The event goes Friday, Saturday and Sunday. No services offered Sunday though.

Veterans can call 834-0029 for Shuttle information
Or 1-877-547-2066 for general information.

https://www.facebook.com/northcoaststanddown/

Services offered today and tomorrow include:
Food
Clothing
MediCal Care
Hair Cuts
Veterans Benefits
Dental Care
Employment services
Medical/Medicare
Transitional Housing
Mental Health Services
Pet Services
Transportation and more.

Local Move To Amend Showing "Legalize Democracy" This Sunday

A showing of the movie "Legalize Democracy" will take place this Sunday, October 2nd at 4:00 pm  in Eureka at 840 E Street, Eureka CA, 95501-1856

Word is, the local chapter of Move to Amend is reforming and this is their kick off event so show up if you are interested. Below is their facebook page liink for more. 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1624350314529897/

Bigly Bragadocious!

Tonight during the US Presidential Debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump two new words were used. Donald Trump and I'm paraphrasing here but he used both words before I could write down the first one, he said he would do things "bigly" but he wouldn't be "bragadocious about it.

He just gave me his new nick name. Bigly Bragadocious. I couldn't have come up with a better one on my own before he loses this election. 

Sawmill Fire Near Cloverdale Ca. Causing Evacuations

A fire burning in the hills near Cloverdale has grown from 150 acres to more than 500 acres in just about two hours.

UPDATE From Cal Fire

sonomasheriff ‏@sonomasheriff  5m5 minutes ago

The Sheriff's Office has concluded evacuations in the Geysers area for now. All #SawmillFire information can be found at @CAL_FIRE.

From the twitter page of Cal Fire

CAL FIRE ‏@CAL_FIRE  10m10 minutes ago

Sawmill Fire #SawmillFire [update] 10 miles east of Cloverdale (Sonoma Co) is now 500 acres. Evacuations in progress for Geysers residents.

 Photo from Congressman Mike McGuire above, Cal Fire took the picture below earlier today.

A friend of mine in Guerneville says she can smell and see smoke from her house. You can follow Cal Fire on Twitter here for more. 

4.5 Quake Off California Oregon Coasts Produces No Tsunami Threat

A 4.5 magnitude earthquake struck off shore of the Northern California and Southern Oregon Saturday night at about 9:50 pm. The original magnitude was 5.0 but was downgraded.

The USGS said that no tsunami threat was issued for the west coast. The quake was centered off shore about 125 miles north west of Eureka Ca. 

No Sign Of Fire Tonight On Pewetole Island

Tonight just after sunset I took this picture and didn't see any smoke columns or embers present. There was a pretty damp and heavy fog all night that seemed to help and no flames were visible this morning at around 8 am but according to Kym Kemp blog the fire flared up again today.
Kym has a lot of more great photos of the island and today's flare up at the link above.

Pewetole Island sits just off shore in the Pacific Ocean,  north of Trinidad State Beach and south of College Cove California. 

Pewetole Island Has Been On Fire For Days

Last Thursday smoke was seen from a small mostly rock island off the coast of Trinidad State Beach and College Cove.

A helicopter used a bucket and water from a near by quarry but word is that they had problems with the bucket. So far the plan is just to let it burn it's self out.

There is a stand of what has been reported as Sitka Spruce on the island and I think one of the trees was going up when I took the above picture around 6: 30 this evening.

Smoke from the fire was pouring into the tiny town this afternoon chocking residents but an off shore system should blow most of the smoke out to sea in the next couple of days.

UPDATE: As of early Tuesday morning there are still fires all over the island. 

Over 200 Legal, Economic Scholars say TPP & ISDS Threatens Rule Of Law

"Frontal Attack" on Law and Democracy

"Today's letter from top legal experts makes clear: ISDS undermines the American judicial system and tilts the playing field further in favor of big multinational corporations"

Deirdre Fulton, staff writer at CommonDreams.org

More than 200 legal and economic scholars—including President Barack Obama's Harvard Law School mentor Laurence Tribe—have penned a letter to Congress warning that the pro-corporate Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) regime enshrined in the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) "threatens the rule of law and undermines our nation's democratic institutions."

NYCourts.gov

As ISDS "threatens to dilute constitutional protections, weaken the judicial branch, and outsource our domestic legal system to a system of private arbitration that is isolated from essential checks and balances," the academics urge (pdf) lawmakers to reject the TPP, despite the Obama administration's full-court press to pass the trade agreement during the upcoming lame-duck session of Congress.

The signatories—who also include Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, former California Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso, and Columbia University Professor and UN Senior Adviser Jeffrey Sachs—note that concerns they outlined in a March 2015 letter opposing the inclusion of ISDS provisions in the TPP and other multinational trade deals were ignored. 

In fact, they write, "the final TPP text simply replicates nearly word for word many of the problematic provisions from past agreements, and indeed would vastly expand the U.S. government's potential liability under the ISDS system."

The letter continues:

Read a lot more at www.commondreams.org

Trinidad Art Nights! Tonight!

Tonight is another Trinidad Art Nights! Going from about 6 to 9 pm in Trinidad.

Below is the skinny:
Trinidad Art Nights Schedule for September 2nd 6-9pm

With Shuttle Service Provided by Cher-Ae Heights Casino, from Sunset Restaurant down to Seascape Restaurant and points between.

Throughout Trinidad: Look for the magical wonders of A’OK Clown!

New to Schedule: SambAmore will be performing for the Boffer Zone behind the Trinidad School!

BEACHCOMBER CAFE 363 Trinity St. Art show featuring a collaboration with Rebecca Crow and son Kagan. Instrumental tropical music by Sand Fleas. Free art supplies provided by Westhaven Center for the Arts.

BERGERON WINERY 359 Main St. Limited copies of Etchings by Charles Klabunde, BnW and Color Pencil.


THE LIGHTHOUSE GRILL 355 Main St. Susan Mayclin Stephenson, Acrylic on Canvas and Jill's Whims, One of a Kind Eco-dyed Upcycled Clothing

MOONSTONE CROSSING 529 Trinity St. Photography by Dana Utman. Jazz Standards by Tony Roach

NED SIMMONS GALLERY 380 Janis Court. 5-8pm. Plein Air exhibit presented by the Trinidad Coastal Land Trust. The exhibition features 17 local artists, each having painted at least one of the TCLT's holdings.


SAUNDER'S PARK (start of Patricks Point Drive) Skate Ramps provided by Trinidad Skate Park Alliance. (Firedancing by Circus of the Elements cancelled - Final performance will occur during October art night)

SAUNDER'S PLAZA (Lot next to Murphy’s) Bayou Swamis, Cajun/Zydeco Dance Band

SEASCAPE RESTAURANT 1 Bay St. “Seascapes,” Jim Welsh, oil on canvas.

STRAWBERRY ROCK GALLERY 343 Main St. Featuring diverse local talent in Humboldt County and surrounding areas, including Paintings, Photography, Jewelry, Sculptures, Pottery and more.
Shows change monthly.

SUNSET RESTAURANT 27 Scenic Dr. Photography by Ranjith Jim Box. Music by Michael Dayvid

TRINIDAD ART GALLERY 490 Trinity St. Featured artists: Oceana Madrone, quilter and beader and Diane Sonderegger, ceramic artist. Music starts with JD Jeffries and Devin Paine followed by Penny Gunn and Son .

TRINIDAD EATERY 607 Parker Road. "Beautiful Flowers and Birds", Augustus Clark, Acrylic mixed media collage paintings.

TRINIDAD MUSEUM 400 Janis Court at Patricks Point Drive.
NEW exhibit, "Touring Scenic Drive: Then and Now,” images of the 1921-22 construction of the old Redwood Highway.

TRINIDAD SCHOOL 300 Trinity St.
“Boffer Ring,” Kids and Adults Alike, Styrofoam Swords and Battle Axes. In field behind school. Soundtrack to boffer battle provided by SambAmore!!

Jets Gave Us An Amazing Sunset