norcal_agate_er

Watts Up With That: Peter Gleick Debate Invitation email thread

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:55:22 +0000

This email from Heartland communications director Jim Lakely is published unedited except for some email address and some telephone number redactions to prevent unwanted spam and calls –Anthony ============================================================ From: Jim Lakely Date: Thursday, February 23, 2012 10:41 AM To: … Continue reading →

POST SCRIPTS: Iraq Violence Continues Without Us to Blame

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:43:04 +0000

by Jack

They claimed the violence was because of our presence as an occupying force. Now the military is gone and the violence is worse than ever...only they are killing each other, not US soldiers.

Iraq is being hit by a blitz of car bomb attacks all over Baghdad, over 60 dead reported dead and scores more wounded in the last attack. The government is claiming its Al Qaeda working with another local terrorist group which probably translates to... Iranian agents. The Shia connection to Iran's militants and Shiite's in Iraq looking to seize power from Sunni's has been a long standing source of trouble, long before we were ever involved. Ultimately it will become a showdown between the Sunni's and the Shiite's. I can't see this as working out with diplomacy. You would think they would be getting sick and tired of the violence and just want to live in peace.

Our army may have left Iraq, but thousands of civilian security forces remain along with a huge embassy staff...

POST SCRIPTS: Judge Rules Against Pharmacy Mandate on Birth Control

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:49:07 +0000

Posted by Tina

Resistance to federal government healthcare mandates continues to grow as a judge in the state of Washington piles on:

Reuters

A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that Washington state cannot require pharmacists to dispense emergency contraceptives if to do so violates their religious beliefs.
U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton declared the state regulation unconstitutional because it trampled on pharmacists' right to "conscientious objection."

The ruling only applies to Washington state but is sure to reverberate nationally, as it comes in the midst of a roiling political debate about a new federal regulation mandating that all health insurance plans - even those sponsored by religious employers - provide free birth control.

Don't know that it will stand, I'm sure there will be legal objections, but every win for freedom is still worth noting.

Watts Up With That: An example of a different ethos when you have access to private documents

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:43:52 +0000

While many websites are deriding me for my mentions in the Fakegate emails distributed by Dr. Peter Gleick, and many now (including Dr. Gavin Schmidt) are coming down on Dr. Gleick for his lack of ethics, I thought it might … Continue reading →

Gate: Dear Leftist Elitists

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

This is a comment that I feel deserves more exposure than it has gotten by being lost in a list of many comments. It was posted, by a gentleman named Joe Doakes, on a site that was carrying on a discussion about Obama's many czars and their unconstitutionally unlimited power.

[Nothing in this post is meant to relay any intention, or even remotely possible notion of violence, I'm a lover not a fighter:) - Just venting, I've got lot's of venting to do . . . . ]

Dear Leftist Elitists,

I've about had it with your ilk who claim to know how best to run the affairs of The United States of America. Recently, you complained how I am apart of a group of "know nothings." For one thing, during the "Obama Induced Depression" I'm managing to pay my mortgage, my health insurance, car payment, and my food bills without one dime of welfare - so if I'm a "know nothing" you are a moron.

Let's evaluate my claim of you being a complete moron. Exhibit A. You chose a running mate of such low character that he would eventually cheat on his cancer stricken wife. Now, I'll spot any man one screw up; but to claim that he bumped into a videographer 50 times, with such force, and precision, as to impregnate her, well, we call that textbook fornicating, and when one is married, we call that adultery. Exhibit B. Mr. Kerry you believe in global warming, climate change, or anthropomorphic global cooling or warming; none of this can be true, none of it. Prior to man's arrival and invention of the internal combustion engine, or discovery of anything remotely related to the burning of fossil fuels; the Earth cooled, and warmed, for millions of years. Millions. Thus, you and Obama, are trying to order me, and my fellow citizens to live our lives according to a lie.

Buzz Blog: In Hindsight: Lord(ette) of the ring, Nov. 18, 2010

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Why yes, that is my sister's dress.

Lord(ette) of the ring
By JAMMIE SALAGUBANG - Buzz Editor

The leaves are changing color, the air a little nippier. People are starting to bundle up. 'Tis the season -- for money leaving your pockets in vast quantities.

Recently, I went to a fundraiser for the Feather River Hospital emergency department, held at the Paradise Elks Lodge. A gala event, the Elks Lodge had been transformed with black draperies and mood lighting. Nary an Elk head was to be seen (well, maybe one). A jazz band (with a jazz flutist!) turned up the ambiance.

This year marks the hospital's diamond anniversary, so the tabletops were scattered with jewels so pretty and shiny that I was tempted to put some in my mouth and chew on them. The presence of the older, dignified people and my man's boss at the table dissuaded me, however.

To fit the occasion, I wore something fabulous, and per our agreement, every time someone complimented me on it I had to tell them it was my sister's dress.

The event also featured a silent auction. An engagement and wedding ring set caught my eye. I already have an engagement ring, but one cannot have too many shoes, bags, dresses, sweaters, hair (on the head), socks, underwear, emergency snacks, barrettes, toilet paper, pens and, of course, diamands (or so I've been told). Also, I've been looking for a wedding ring, and the starting bid for the pair was just $60.

But I didn't know if they would fit. I didn't think it would be proper to take them down as they were prominently displayed on the table (under a spotlight, no less). But enough people (OK, two) reassured me I could try them on.

I tried on the wedding ring. It actually went over the first half of my finger fairly smoothly. I was a bit concerned when I felt some squeezing as it went over my knuckle. It was a centimeter from the base when I decided I couldn't live with it that tight on my finger. It got stuck at the knuckle as I tried to pull it off. Relax, I told myself. But all my exertions started turning my finger red and puffy.

Of course, this is when people started to browse at my end of the table. I started to panic. Someone suggested I go to the bathroom and use soap to take it off, but I didn't want to look like I was walking away with it. I could just see the headline, "Fiancee of event organizer steals ring from fundraiser."

But now it felt like my circulation was being cut off. I stuck my hands in my pockets (did I not say this was a fabulous dress?) and decided to risk it. I made it to the bathroom. It was full of women, naturally. But I was in such a lather of anxiety I didn't care who saw.

First application of soap -- nothing. I needed more. Finally after some tense moments and fat-finger paranoia, it slid off.

The ring was returned triumphantly and safely back to its box, even daresay, a bit shinier.

But I decided not to bid on it. I was happy to return to my seat with just some wisdom, a little embarrassment and extremely clean hands.

Jammie Karlman is the entertainment editor for the Chico Enterprise-Record. Contact her at buzz@chicoer.com. Follow her on Twitter @JammieKarlman

POST SCRIPTS: Arizona Presidential Debate

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:04:18 +0000

by Jack Lee

On my personal, totally non-scientific, one to ten scale, Romney scores a 9.5 in what is probably the last presidential debate. His performance was followed closely by Newt Gingrich at 9.2 who needed to do well. Then I give it to Ron Paul, I scored him 8.8. He did well. Unfortunately for Paul supporters, his national polling is just too low to be to be a real contender at this juncture, but he still did very well and I enjoyed his comments, he pulls no punches. And then there was Rick Santorum...it was a make a break moment to keep up his momentum and it didn't happen. I scored him dead last at 7.5 and that's a shame because he's a pretty decent guy, but this just about ends his presidential hopes.

Santorum didn't answer the question on the GM bailout very well and he didn't seem to recognize that a "structured bankruptcy" would have saved both the company and the jobs with minimal government bailout and freeing them up from the UAW. The two smartest men in the room, Gingrich and Romney, got it right and they gave strong answers that in a general sense made both of them look very presidential.

Paul laid into Santorum on earmarks. He said Santorum voted for things he didn't like in order to pass other hangers-on and the worst part was Santorum's defense of No Child Left Behind and Arlen Spector's re-election by saying that sometimes you have to go along with the party even when you disagree. Paul doesn't and this is why he characterized his own campaign with one word...consistent!

Ron Paul won't get the nomination, but he still did a darn good job and his presence spiced up the debate. Paul's comments on Iran and Israel drew more than a few boos. Paul's weak spot is his foreign policy - it scares people the wrong people, the good guys. That said, Paul made a strong case for negotiating with Iran, citing how we negotiated with the Soviets and they had killed over a million of their own people, why not open discussions with Iran? He cited Cuba as an example how our sanctions don't work..he would have a dialog with Iran, and he would not use military force to stop their nuclear weapons development.

Gingrich went into this debate with poor polling numbers. He needed to be the comeback kid, and he did not disappoint. This was also his best performance of all the debates. Tonight's showing may not save his campaign, but it sure didn't hurt and only time will tell how it plays out with wooing over supporters. Newt looked cheerful, cool and he used that razor sharp wit to maximum advantage tonight. Gingrich kept his message generally positive and it was obvious he was trying hard to avoid criticizing his fellow Republicans. "Newt's answer on handling Iran, Syria, and the Middle East as a whole was easily the best of the bunch, giving him the opportunity to get the word out on his new energy plan to keep gas at below $2.50 a gallon." CNN News.

Romney made Santorum look weak by comparison. At different times Romney joined with Paul in characterizing Santorum as a big government, big earmark Republican. Santorum tried to recover by attacking "RomneyCare," but he was booed for his effort. I think people have heard enough of this attack on RomneyCare. We know what it is, we've heard this a million times now and it's getting old. Conservatives are more than tired of seeing Republican candidates engaging in the politics of destruction. Gingrich figured it and this may have re-energized his campaign just when it was needed most.

In my humble opinion, it's now between Gingrich and Romney to see who will emerge as #1. Here's the good news, if either Gingrich or Romney can keep it up like they did tonight, there's a real good chance either man could defeat Obama. Obama is in deep trouble over gasoline prices and this is only going to get worse. It's already affecting his base. High pump prices could be a deciding factor in a close race. We know it will put a drag on the economy and its working like a heavy tax on the middle class and below. That's not good for Obama.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles: Destinations - Asheville: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.'s eastern home to-be

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:43:56 +0000

Chicoans may find this post in my main blog ("Planes, Trains, and Running") interesting.

Click here to see the post.

Sow There!: Local wild and scenic film at the Pageant March 4

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:43:53 +0000

Chico Premiere of Aldo Leopold Documentary is March 4th at the Pageant Theatre

The Chico premiere of Green Fire, the new documentary film about legendary conservationist Aldo Leopold and his legacy, will be held at the Pageant Theatre on Sunday, March 4 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10, available at the door.

This special screening is a benefit for Up the Road, a new nonprofit environmental education and public interest media project in Northern California. Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time was recently shown at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Nevada City.

Best known as the author of the classic book A Sand County Almanac, Leopold was a U.S. Forest Service pioneer, a hands-on restoration ecologist, and author of the first textbook on wildlife ecology. Leopold also co-founded The Wilderness Society, and is widely considered the father of environmental ethics. Green Fire explains his continuing influence today and details his many contributions to the conservation and modern environmental movements, including his land ethic.

Leopold regarded a land ethic as a product of social evolution. "Nothing so important as an ethic is ever 'written,'" Leopold believed. Instead it evolves "in the minds of a thinking community."

Green Fire documents Leopold's influence on community thinking by exploring projects that connect people and land. Viewers will meet urban children in Chicago growing fresh local food and helping with ecological restoration. They'll learn about ranchers in Arizona and New Mexico who maintain healthy landscapes by working on their own properties and with their neighbors, in cooperative community conservation efforts. They'll encounter wildlife biologists bringing back threatened and endangered species, from cranes to Mexican wolves, to the landscapes where they once thrived. Green Fire shows how Leopold's vision of a community that cares about both people and nature--his call for a land ethic--ties all of these modern conservation stories together and offers inspiration for the future.

For a preview, watch the13-minute Green Fire trailer online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQED4YEMx9A. Learn more about the Aldo Leopold Foundation and the Green Fire movie at www.aldoleopold.org. The Aldo Leopold Foundation, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Center for Humans and Nature jointly produced Green Fire.

For more information about Up the Road, see www.uptheroad.org.

POST SCRIPTS: Class Credit for Occupiers?

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:50:13 +0000

Students in ninth through the 12th grade attending summer programs at a community college outside Washington, D.C., will get a taste of the Occupy operation in a new course that aims to get them interested in "the movement for justice."

"Occupy MoCo!," one of the newest courses at Montgomery College in Montgomery County, Md., is part of the Summer Youth program offered for 2012.

"We are at an exciting time in the history of the world. People all over the planet are taking democracy into their own hands and working together to create solutions for a better world," reads the course description for YOU392.

"Take advantage of this interactive opportunity to learn critical thinking skills that will help you in college and gain insight into becoming a global leader of the 21st century. Learn about the Occupy Wall Street movement and explore real-life human rights implications. Review social justice concepts and explore human rights issues related to current events. Young people hold the power to change their community, their schools, their future -- are you ready to join the movement for justice?"

Elizabeth Homan, the school's director of communications, said the class "does not take a stance on the Occupy movement. Rather, the movement provides a creative opportunity for students to discuss protests throughout history, as well as current events, definitions, and various processes that can be used to voice opinions in the community."

Ad Hoc: There's nobody driving the train

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:43:06 +0000

I don't know how many of you watch Chico City Council meetings on tv or over the internet, but last night's meeting brought us to a new low. Ann Schwab, Andy Holcombe and their liberal friends are completely out of touch in regards to our financial situation. These folks, particularly Schwab and Holcombe, seem determined to SPEND their way out of fiscal insolvency.

http://chicotaxpayers.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/theres-nobody-driving-the-train/

POST SCRIPTS: Is It Time to Attack Israel?

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:43:27 +0000

by Amir Taheri (New York Post)

Has the time come for Iran to destroy Israel?

With "Supreme Guide" Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad promising to wipe Israel off the map, the question is being debated in Khomeinist political and theological circles.

POST SCRIPTS: Iran Still Blocking Inspectors

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:38:05 +0000

At first the Iranian government said they would grant access to the IAEA for inspections then the Iranian government blocked any attempts to investigate its alleged atomic weapons work, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency said Wednesday.

POST SCRIPTS: Want War? Then Ignore Iran

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:33:14 +0000

by Brad MacDonald

Over the last four days, Iran has helped orchestrate terrorist attacks in three separate countries, dispatched hundreds of soldiers to Syria to school Assad's forces in butchering dissenters, cut off oil supplies to France and the Netherlands (and given an ultimatum to four other European states), and inaugurated to much fanfare three developments in its nuclear weapons program.

Once again, it's proving to be another productive week of provoking, antagonizing and destroying for Iran.

What's most remarkable about all this, though, is the reaction of the West. The results of a cnn poll released yesterday show that 60 percent of Americans believe using diplomacy against Iran is the right course of action. Shockingly, more than 20 percent believe no action is necessary. The consensus among Western elites is that Iran is ready to sit down and negotiate.

Travels with Pat: Santiago, Chile January 2012

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:30:27 +0000

Whenever Kathy and I go South of the Border and the drinking water may be a problem, we use bottled water. In Santiago our hotel was charging $7.00 US per bottle; however, a scouting trip around our hotel on the cobblestone sidewalks revealed a grocery store where the water was only 7 pesos (480 pesos = $1.00).
We were fortunate to see the changing of the guard for the carabineros (policemen) in front of the Presidential Palace - complete with horses and a band concert on our city tour.

Gate: Incredible Underwater Photos of Dogs Retrieving Balls (w/video)

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

(Now includes a video of one of the dogs retrieving a ball underwater shot by Seth Casteel)

You might think you know what a dog would look like as it dives below the surface of water to retrieve a ball, but check out these photos and think again. When you see photos of dogs diving for a ball that is sinking into a pool, you will be amazed how surreal the near weightless conditions of the water makes the dog look. These shots are priceless in the way they capture a dog's lips going flying as if the wind is blowing at them while making their ears and fur flatten back against their body. Watching a dog's jowls expand as their mouth opens in an almost vicious looking way to grab the toy that has become their only focus, produces an almost perfect image of a dog lost in his own world of joy. After all, one of the biggest reasons we are so fascinated with our dogs is their intense determination to enjoy life, while doing what comes natural for them regardless of the obstacles in their way.

Ad Hoc: Five years later, the city of Chico is still driving our financial car off a cliff

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:26:48 +0000

Five years ago, retired Chico State journalism professor took on the city of Chico over what I will call "The Pension Bomb." He wrote a series of articles detailing the financial downhill the city was taking, and their lack of response due to pressure from the public employee union, Service Employees International Union - SEIU for short.

I find it interesting that everything Doc Ek predicts in the following article has come true. Ann Schwab's council has run our town into the dirt, and continues to do so. And now Tom Lando and "friends" are trying to foist a sales tax on us to pay for their malfeasance.

That's what the "economic forum" that was held this weekend was all about - finding ways to get us to pay for all the stuff THEY want.

Here's a link to Doc Ek's article, "Breaking the Bank," from the News and Review, 2007.

http://www.newsreview.com/chico/breaking-the-bank/content?oid=302991

Observation Deck: Divisible Union

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:13:39 +0000

Speaking of the health of newspapers. You'll notice that there is more and more content shared amongst the papers in Northern California because all of them are losing reporters.

If it ever gets to the point where all of the small local papers are completely dependent on content (news) that comes from big out-of-state corporate news giants like Associated Press, it won't be long until Associated Press put the gun to their head and says either sell yourself to me or you get no more content for tomorrow's paper.

People like to read about local stuff, they like to see stories and pictures of things they are familiar with and directly affect their life. Stories from faraway places may be interesting, they may be sensational, they may even be thought-provoking, but a story about something that happened just across town is relevant.

Relevant sells ads. Ads fund papers, or as the newspapers will find out soon, ads fund bloggers.

One of the differences between all of the electronic blogging and tweeting and a "real" newspaper is the fact that the newspaper gets printed. In the newspaper business they call this the "paper" product.

I predict in the next six months to a year you will start to see people who are so successful with their blogs that they are able to get the advertising money to start publishing a real paper at least once a week. Then you will see an on line newspaper turn into a real newspaper and devour their competition, and put them out of business.

Newspapers have been adopting blogging to keep up with the bloggers and all of the electronic people. Just like circulation numbers, website people can keep track of how many people click on their page. As all of these various formats for getting the news out begin to merge there will be increased competition, and some papers are going to die. At the same time new ones will emerge from the internet.

For those of you interested in a Newspaper case study go here to Jeff Pelline's Foothills Report.

He competes with the Nevada Union newspaper. Indeed he used to work at the Union newspaper and left and started blogging. He now has nearly as many "hits" as the other paper. If he gets the ad revenue together in the coming year he will be a paper by publishing and distributing. It will be interesting to watch as competition continues to change how we get news and participate in our democratic republic.

Observation Deck: First amendment

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:13:33 +0000

As a big fan of freedom, I am a big fan of the First Amendment.

Unlike a lot of conservatives who complain about the media and its bias I rejoice in the fact that we can have a media that can be biased one way or the other.

If one side were ever able to stomp out the other side, you end up with a situation in which there is no free speech. One of the reasons why I dislike campaign finance reform measures that limit people's ability to speak out against the government is because having the ability to speak out is one of our most cherished freedoms.

Ad Hoc: What kind of funny business is going on at Chico Airport?

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:55:32 +0000

I posted an entry yesterday about a lawsuit involving the Chico Airport.

http://chicotaxpayers.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/hostile-city-of-chico-mismanages-the-airport/

In the course of that conversation it was found that our assistant city attorney, Alicia Rock, is the daughter of one of the parties named as a defendant, along with the city of Chico.

I'm not stupid enough to expect any answers out of the puppet heads Downtown, but I'm going to keep poking until I get the newspaper to pay attention to it.

Hellooooooo?

POST SCRIPTS: World War III?

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:14:00 +0000

by Jack Lee

We keep hearing this year's presidential election will be a defining point in our nation's history, but an even greater event is in the making.... Humankind may soon be at a dangerous crossroads. I'm talking about the nuclear development in Iran and a potential military intervention by Israel.

Once again, the Jews are staring genocide in the face.

It's easy for us to sit back in relative safety while we debate the scholarly points over Iran's right to have nuclear weapons like many of its neighbors. But, its another thing to be living on ground zero, knowing that your world may end within months if something isn't done to stop them. This is life in Israel and Iran has done nothing to alleviate their anxiety and everything to make them believe they mean it.

Backing up a bit, I would hope no one would be so naive as to believe they (Iran) are going through all this effort, cost and sacrifice to merely build nuclear power plant? No, of course not.... What nation would endure the sanctions of the United Nations, the attacks on its nuclear scientists, the costly sabotage of its nuclear facilities and all the international scorn just to have an excess of cheap energy... when it already has it.

Iran is behaving like a nation obsessed, a rogue country that has defied every form of diplomacy and threat in a mad rush to build the ultimate weapon of destruction.

There are still many holocaust survivors alive, living in Israel and the visions of what extermination looks like is still quite clear in their minds eye. Its terrifying to think that history might repeat itself in a single strike by a fanatical power like Iran. One bomb, one missile, could kill millions in a blinding flash of heat and light. To every Israeli this is a very real possibility and they are determined that mass extermination will never be allowed to happen again without a fight.

War preparations to attack Iran are in an advanced state of readiness as we speak. Hi tech weapons systems including bunker busting bombs are at the ready. Israeli pilots are prepared to make a one way trip if it means their nation will be spared nuclear annihilation. Whatever it will take to stop Iran must be done, because they know it's over if Iran has a nuke.

Motive, ability and opportunity are the key ingredients for every crime and Iran has been escalating its ability despite every attempt to get them to stand down. On the other side the United States tells Israel to give it more time, just a little more time! Let the sanctions do the work. Wait a little longer, they are told, "Just think... we have China sending signals they may join the UN sanctions, so just wait a little bit longer."

But, what happens if Israel waits one minute too long, what then?

Time does not favor Israel. Iran knows that if it doesn't succeed in developing nuclear weapons this month or this year, it will some day. Some how, some way...eventually they will have what they desperately want and by then they will also have the means of delivering that weapon. As feverishly as Iran as been to develop enriched weapons grade uranium they have also been working to develop an ICBM and it appears they have succeeded.

POST SCRIPTS: Ladies...The Freedom Hearing was NOT ABOUT YOU!

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:36:07 +0000

Posted by Tina

A gaggle of feminists had a hissy fit last week when House Republicans held a hearing entitled: "Lines Crossed: Separation of Church and State. Has the Obama Administration Trampled on Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Conscience?"

Testimony at the hearing was given by members of the clergy and composed mostly of men. This caused Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to storm out of the building in a huff, remonstrating colleagues with a sharp tongued retort to reporters:

"Imagine, they're having a panel on women's health, and they don't have any women on the panel -- duh!"

Ahem! Is she out of her mind?

Soon tweets were flying back and forth across the twittosphere. How dare they speak about women's issues without consulting women!

Emily's List swiftly launched an anti-republican ad as Emily's List President, Stephanie Schriock, warned women everywhere of the dangers of the "radical, right-wing anti-women conservatives in Washington using their power to set women back decades".

Set women back decades? Who is she trying to fool? Are these women not in positions of authority? And is this emotional outburst the best these women can do? Are they capable of addressing the issue in question? Even if we were to consider their obvious irrational fears, have they not heard of Planned Parenthood? Are they saying they are unaware of the many ways that women have access to contraception through various assistance programs? Are these willing to compromise the first ammendment for the sake of free contraception for women?

Ms Schriok, Ms Pelosi you really need to get over yourselves!

This hearing was not about "women's health", as Nancy Pelosi wrongly stated. The hearing was about whether or not our government can stomp all over the first amendment with impunity. Ms Pelosi would call it a "separation of church and state" issue. Certainly she is familiar with the concept since her side has used it often enough to silence religious expression in the public square and in our schools.

My advice to feminist women everywhere: Learn to discuss political issues like mature adults or forever be seen as the conniving, manipulative dames you said you never wanted to be.

POST SCRIPTS: Thoughts on the Chico Gun Show

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:15:22 +0000

by Jack

My son and I spent quite a few hours at the Gun Show and also at the Antique Show next door, but the bargains were very few and far between. Gun shows are traditionally where you go to find deals, but I sure didn't see any. Everything was priced at retail, if not more. That part was really disappointing, but seeing the weapons and all the unusual military items was still worth the price of admission.

Now before you go explaining to me how bartering works, please know this is not my first gun show. I know the drill and trust me, it was no place for bargains with or without the bartering. I think TV shows like American Pickers, Pawn Stars and Storage Wars have had an impact on how we price our used stuff, everyone thinks they have a rare treasure thanks to these shows.

Reloaded ammo which is always a pretty good deal at shows was no deal this year. I do better at the flea market on Sat-Sun in the same building, what I buy for $4 then was $8 now. One booth had clear plastic bags of .223 brass priced at $15 for a 100. Heck, I can pick up that once fired brass at most shooting ranges for free, $6-8 would have been about right.

Another booth was selling 30 round magazines (kits), for $25 and $35. You can buy these on the net for $15-20 ea., even with shipping you are still ahead. There were a lot of WWII bolt action Russian Mosin Nagant long guns offered at $250. These things usually sell anywhere from $100 to $150. For example, I picked up 2 Mosin's on sale last year at Big 5 for less than the cost of one at this show. I talked with a lot of folks that came to do some serious shopping and just about everybody was disappointed at the prices. I found a WWI German helmet (stalhelm) priced at $750, after checking it over in detail the same type is often sold on eBay for about half that price. My son is an expert on WWI collectables and he agreed...way over priced.

The Reno gun shows is where you can really pick up some deals, the smaller shows... not so much.

The North Valley Kids Connection: Tylenol Back on the Shelves for Kids, Oops, Not Anymore...

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:05:45 +0000

If you have a young child, you've probably noticed that Tylenol was off the shelves for quite a while do to some production problems. Other brands have stepped in to fill that void in the past few months including Triaminic and Pediacare.

You've also likely noticed that the form it comes in for the infants and toddlers has changed. The "infant" drops with the 0.4 and 0.8 ml droppers are going buy the wayside. There were a number of instances where parents thought they could dose the drops as though they were the "children's" for their older kids. The problem is that the infant drops are three times as concentrated as the children's liquid.

All manufacturers have voluntarily stopped making the infant form to prevent this. A 0-36 month version has come out in its place. This is the same concentration as the "children's" form, but comes in a smaller bottle with a syringe and special cap to insert the syringe in to draw it up. The equivalent dose to the old 0.4 and 0.8 ml is 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) and 5 ml (1 tsp).

Tylenol brand came out with a version of this. The problem was that there were some reports of a small plastic part on the syringe designed to limit flow was falling off into the bottle making the syringe unusable.

Because of this, Tylenol (which is made by US manufacturer McNeil) withdrew about 574,000 bottles last Friday. Stop using these if you have them.

Since 2009, J&J has recalled millions of bottles of Tylenol, Benadryl, Motrin and Zyrtec as a result of such problems as metal shavings found in medicines, incorrect levels of an active ingredient and bad odors. The recalls prompted J&J to shut down a factory and have cost it more than $1 billion in lost sales.

The North Valley Kids Connection: Long Absence

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:05:16 +0000

Dear Readers,

Sorry about my long absence from writing this blog. I had health issues that slowed me down During January as well as a hospitalization in my family. I plan to make a real effort to get you caught up on what has been going on in pediatrics of late. So, keep coming back and there should be new stuff to read on a regular basis now.

Dr. Corp

My Life on the Spectrum: The Russians have invaded....

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:30:12 +0000

Every year at Christmas we indulge our inner child. We purchase way too many toys for our kids. This past Christmas we tried to be a little more sensible, get things we knew they would really like, actually play with and would last longer than a week. I guess where I am going with all of this, is trying to justify why we allowed two Russians into our home. Small and furry and not at all like you would expect, but Russians none the less.

We bought two miniature Russian Hamsters. My daughter named hers, (what else) Vladamir, and Ben chose Nibbler. The name fits the hamster well, but it is from one of Ben's favorite television shows, so points off for no creativity. We knew how our daughter the animal lover would feel about sharing her room with a new little life, but we weren't so sure how Ben would take to this responsibility. The cages we purchased, which by the way cost way more than the actual inhabitant, reflected our worry. Daughter got a heavy duty hamster cage for her new little friend and Ben received a light easy to transport cage. This was, just in case he did not want the rodent in his room. Seriously with his horrible allergies we also worried this might not be the best place for said Russian to stay. We designated Sunday for cage cleaning day and I have to say I am pleased with my children and their commitment to their new little friends. I worried that Ben would grow tired of the hamster or even be a little too rough with such a fragile life form....possibly because the last hamster we owned was subjected to a few things that caused a certain daughter to be bit....apparently hamsters do NOT like hair clips....

The first thing Ben does when he gets home is run to his room to check on Nibbler. I hear him say things like, "It's okay I am home now!" He is kind and compassionate and loving to his new friend. More than I could have hoped for. My daughter seems to be very happy with Vladamir as well.

Because they were gifts we could not bring them home right away. We bought them on a Tuesday and Christmas wasn't until Sunday so my dear mother in law offered to keep them with her. She was a perfect grandma and fussed and worried over them for the few days before Christmas. I knew that Vladamir had a more outgoing personality and that Nibbler tended to be a little shy. She and I both worried that maybe Nibbler would be aggressive or just hide all the time. On Christmas morning when the new little friends were unveiled the kids gathered around the cages and watched both of them commenting on their activities. Ben asked why his hamster was hiding while his sister's seemed to be very active. I said to him that he was just a little shy, and once he got to know us he would come out more. Ben slapped his forehead and said, "OH great! My hamster is autistic!"

Turns out he is not. He is just a social now as his counterpart Vladamir. Thank goodness. Ben is very happy with his new friend. I don't recommend this pet to everyone, and I certainly don't think very small children should be allowed to be alone with hamsters and hair clips....but now, this time it seems to be working out just fine.

POST SCRIPTS: Ex VP of Proctor and Gamble Writes to Obama

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:34:20 +0000

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

Dear President Obama:

You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike Any of the others, you truly scare me. You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you. You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive
Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support.

You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth Growing up in America and culturally you are not an American. You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll. You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus Don't understand it at its core.

You scare me because you lack humility and 'class', always blaming others. You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned Yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to Publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail..

You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the 'blame America ' Crowd and deliver this message abroad. You scare me because you want to change America to a European style Country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector..

Buzz Blog: Dollar Makes You Holler! Sangria

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:53:13 +0000

Yes, soda is evil and full of sugar and makes children and adults obese. But, soda can also calm a roiling stomach and fight nausea. Unfortunately, this sangria does not (you need to drink clear soda, and to only sip it to get those benefits). But, it tastes AWESOME.

With that winning argument, let me tell you about the aforementioned sangria. It's non-alcoholic, but with the label and the atypical shape of the bottle, underage drinkers can still make adults gasp in horror and shock at first glance, if teens are into that sort of thing.

It's not overly sweet, more tart; it's somewhere between the dry bubbles of Pellegrino and Squirt. And the best part: it's only 79 cents at the 99 cent store -- less than a dollar making you holler! Woot!

Jammie Karlman is the entertainment editor for the Chico Enterprise-Record. Contact her at buzz@chicoer.com. Follow her on Twitter @JammieKarlman

Ad Hoc: "Hostile" City of Chico mismanages airport

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:01:36 +0000

For a few years now (since 2008) an item has popped up so regularly on the city council "closed session" agendas that I have come to recognize it without knowing anything about it.

2.1. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL -- EXISTING LITIGATION: The City Attorney will review
the following: Danford A. Jay and Sandra R. Jay v. City of Chico, et al., Butte County Superior Court
Cases 145202 and 145203, pursuant to Government Code §54956.9(a).

It started to pique my curiosity, but I didn't know how to find out about it. I figured, since it's on the closed session item, they wouldn't be exactly eager to discuss it with me, and you know, I get tired of being led a merry chase down at the City of Chico.

So, I finally stumbled onto the info, you know, casual conversation with some parent at a playground, that's how I find out stuff around town. I mean, it's just amazing the people you find yourself chatting with, about what.

It seems this all relates to Chico's abysmal reputation for being "hostile" toward business.

More at http://chicotaxpayers.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/hostile-city-of-chico-mismanages-the-airport/

Those Amazing Birds: POISONED BIRDS

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:05:06 +0000

In 1959 Tom Lehrer recorded his notorious "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" song. I hope no one does that intentionally but many birds do die each year from ingesting toxins.

A recent study indicates that two-thirds of California Condor fatalities result from ingesting lead shot from the ground or as part of the carrion they ate. In the condors' range in California, lead shot is banned but around the Grand Canyon, lead shot is the leading cause of their death. Although lead shot poisoning of waterfowl was discovered in 1880, it wasn't until 1991 that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service banned it for hunting waterfowl. But lead shot is still around and 2700 Trumpeter Swans died from eating it in northern Washington State and British Columbia over the past decade.

According to the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, at least seven million birds a year are killed by pesticides. The USFWS states that "birds exposed to lawn chemicals may exhibit symptoms including shivering, excessive salivating, grand mal seizures, wild flapping and even screeching." When I was working people brought me sick birds exhibiting these systems, especially in the spring when pesticides are most often applied. It is easy to blame ranchers and farmers, but homeowners are more responsible than they might imagine. The average homeowner applies ten times as much pesticide as is necessary to control household and lawn pests. Is it really necessary to spray for spiders and ants or earwigs? (I used to have a neighbor who sprayed every individual weed in his yard with a large tank of herbicide strapped to his back. He just didn't want to bend over to pluck the green offenders.)

Poisons are used both legally and illegally to kill rodents and predators such as coyotes. Unsuspecting birds either eat the bait or the carcass of the dead predator; 756 Bald Eagles died this way last year, accounting for 36 percent of all eagle deaths (in second place with 22 percent of fatalities was shooting.)

The most famous real bird poisoning and a fictional story were morphed into a movie by Alfred Hitchcock in 1963. The Birds was based on a 1952 short story by Daphne du Maurier. Supposedly, Ms. du Maurier got the idea of birds attacking in a frenzy after she observed a farmer plowing his field with gulls harassing him. In her story, lots of birds of different species went on a rampage. As Hitchcock was planning the film he read in the Santa Cruz Sentinel about Sooty Shearwaters acting crazy. The birds flew all over town, regurgitated fish, ran into buildings and lamp posts and died in the streets. There have been many more incidents like this although not nearly as famous. Recent evidence reveals the cause: diatoms, a kind of algae with a silicon shell, produce a toxin called domoic acid, which can cause confusion, disorientation, seizures and death. As it moves up the food chain it concentrates in fish which are then eaten by birds.

POST SCRIPTS: Rep Col Allen West in Honor of Black History Month

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Posted by Tina

Gate: Jesus Knows You're Here (A Humorous tale)

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 01:25:00 +0000

There once was a burglar who
broke into a house one night.
As he shined his flashlight around, looking
for valuables, he heard a voice in the dark say,

"Jesus knows you're here."

Nearly jumping out of his skin,
he quickly clicked his flashlight off, and froze.

After a few moments when he heard nothing more,
he shook his head and continued looking for valuables to steal.

Just as he began pulling the stereo out to disconnect the wires,
he heard the voice again.

"Jesus is watching you."

Freaked out, he shined his light around frantically
looking for the source of the voice.

POST SCRIPTS: What You Should Know About Vitamin D

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 23:14:39 +0000

Posted by Tina

You won't need a prescription to benefit from vitamin D but you should consult with your doctor anyway to determine the proper dosage for you. This vitamin will save both your health and your wallet. Widespread use of this one supplement could reduce the cost of healthcare significantly.

Consider this projection:

Once the requisite low-cost vitamin D therapies are fully adopted, Americans could save $50 billion annually in direct and indirect costs of disease. This, in turn, would have a real impact on our total health care spending.

Whoa! If you think that's a bunch of hooey you need to read the full article to see what the scientific community is now beginning to understand about this important vitamin...which isn't a vitamin at all but a "prohormone" that "acts to regulate multiple important biological functions."

Chico, Sustainable: Woodsman, Spare that Tree! (or not?)

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 21:15:31 +0000

A college student was in Cafe Mondo last week, complaining vocally about a large tree at 3rd and Ivy that he wants to cut down, because it was dropping nasty, staining berries on his car. Mostly his goal was to get a rise out of the tree-friendly folks in the establishment, but I engaged just the same, suggesting that he consider the pro's and con's of the value of the tree vs. the aggravation of needing to wash his car more frequently, or park it in a different location. I mentioned that he should consider its aesthetic value, whether it draws pleasant birds to neighborhood, and how well it shades the street or nearby apartments resulting in lower summer cooling bills. He was pleased he got a reaction from me, though I got the feeling he was unimpressed with the points that I raised.

Not that he was seriously considering cutting down a 2.5 foot diameter tree without the landlord's permission, but still, most of the folks in the shop felt he came across somewhere between being amusing and being an idiot. I told him I would take a look at the tree, to see if, in my opinion, it was truly worthy of his ire, though I found this possibility hard to believe.

Turns out the tree in question is a rather large Japanese privet, Ligustrum japonicum, one of the most invasive and problematic plant species in Butte County, right up there with star thistle.

Quandary is the term that comes to mind.

Ad Hoc: Busted!

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 16:03:37 +0000

POST SCRIPTS: Best Events This Week: Chico Antique and Gun Show

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 05:13:26 +0000

Chico's Gun and antiques show at the Silver Dollar Fair Grounds. Open SAT-SUN 9 am till 3 PM. $6 for adults.

Ad Hoc: Blowing money out their patoot, Part II

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 18:39:23 +0000

I am a woman of many moods. People who've known me a long time say they've watched me turn from a liberal to a conservative. I hate labels - those feelings have been mixed up inside of me for years, and I've followed one party or another because I thought they were expressing the same feelings. Over the years, I've realized, you can't trust any big political party, and the bigger politics get, the less effect the common person will have.

So when Planning Commissioner and long-time gadfly Jon Luvass brought forward a "discussion" of "corporate personhood," I was conflicted. Yes, I think "corporate personhood," as explained to me by Ralph Nader about 1993, is bad.

"Corporate personhood" came from a legislative decision made decades ago - about 100 years ago? - that gave corporations "human rights." Boiled down, this means, they can scream "harrassment" if you go after them for say, coloring the stream that runs through your town with toxic waste, or turning the air over your city into soot soup. It gives them all kinds of protections they don't deserve, and it's caused us a lot of problems in holding them to the laws that you and I must obey.

If you want a better explanation about this, go to www.nader.org/ - Ralph has been hashing issues like this for years, that's why I have voted for him in every presidential election ever since 1992.

Meanwhile, Jon Luvass has supported MoveOn.org and the Democratic Party. Hmmmm.

What Luvass, prodded forward by Ann Schwab and Linda Furr and who knows who else, brought to the Internal Affairs Committee last week was not a discussion about "corporate personhood" but their own hypocritical diatribe on campaign spending.

http://chicotaxpayers.wordpress.com/2012/02/18/blowing-money-out-their-patoot-part-ii/

POST SCRIPTS: CHICO AIR MUSEUM - VISIT THIS WEEKEND!

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:48:32 +0000

Chico's Air Museum is now open Friday's thru Sunday. 10 am till 4 pm Admission is free. There's actually three sections to see - the main indoor section (loaded with historical artifacts) and outdoor display showing a P2 Orion, an F-15, a Soviet L-29 jet trainer, a Reno air racer, a modern glider, Russian transport, etc. And that's not all, then there's the airport's sidewalk enhancement project. This is a very cool historical review of local aircraft, but it's technically not part of the museum. Also there's the City fantastic sculpture in polished stainless steel that is a tribute to flight on the S/E corner of the terminal parking lot. Plan on spending at least an hour or two to see it all.

Bring the kids - support your local air museum with your attendance, classrooms welcome!

POST SCRIPTS: Seeing Is Not Believing

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:17:43 +0000

If you see spirals you would be wrong...these are just circles. Trace the space between each circle and you will see they line up perfectly, no overlaps.

POST SCRIPTS: WE BEEN HOAXED BIG TIME

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:12:17 +0000

Remember that recent video by the Dad that was so upset with his daughter's post on Face Book? It was basically concocted. Apparently the man has been trying to get a video to go viral before and this time he hit on the right formula and got his wish.