Uncategorized – Page 21 – A Jaunty Little Blog

February 10, 2009June 13, 2018

Precipitation Sequestering – Day Three

Friends,

The weather swells on TV mentioned a little something about how something might’ve happened in my little burg over the last couple days. One of them even mentioned there was quite a bit of snow. Amazing.

There was even something about the greatest amount of snowfall in decades up here. I’ve been able to measure 22 inches, which is higher than I’ve ever seen. Granted, I haven’t lived here long, but the consensus in town is that this season has been extraordinary. Oh, there have been road closures too. Here are a couple posts from a paper of record:

A slide occurred today near Mountain Center, leaving rocks on Route 74, the California Highway Patrol reported.
The slide was reported at 7:55 a.m. [February 9th] in the area of Route 74 near Strawberry Creek Bridge, according to the CHP.

But this is really fun for everybody as well…

All of Highway 74 between Hemet and Palm Desert is closed due to icy roads and heavy snow falling on the Palms to Pines Highway to Pinyon and Idyllwild.
Highway 74 was closed at 1 p.m. until further notice, except to residents, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Several vehicles and big rigs have gotten stuck in snow banks and chain restrictions are in affect.
Highway 243 is also closed near Poppett Flats from Banning to Idyllwild for all northbound traffic due to heavy snowfall and snow removal.

For the uninitiated, that’s all roads in (and out, let’s not forget that. -ed) to this one-horse town. By the way, a horse would be handy right about now.

I threw a set of chains on the Jeep Grand Livingroom and headed into town yesterday and while stopped to tension those chains, I ran into a neighbor I’d never met before. She was walking her dog out in the slop and ice and we started chatting about the snowplow issue. “My street hasn’t been plowed,” she started. “The funny thing is I just gave my Isuzu Rodeo to my son and bought a Mini Cooper. It’s now covered in snow in my driveway. Do you think I should have the guys from AAA come up and put the chains on? It’s pretty expensive…” Clearly desperate measures must be taken, so I asked, “Do you like soup?”

I think she’s gonna be stuck up here for a while, but what a place to be stuck in.

– bob

February 8, 2009June 13, 2018

Precipitation Sequestering – Day Two

Friends,

Well, well, well. I told people that the temperatures should surely rise today. Certainly the weather sites must be correct (why’s that? what has changed? -ed). But no.

We received another four or five inches of snow overnight and throughout the day today. It’s pretty, and also pretty chilly. Do we need this? Absolutely!

At least we’ll have water all Summer.

– bob

P.S. Fog has plopped down in the twenty minutes since these pictures were shot. The local snow plow has also been by, trying to build an icy wall at the end of my driveway. I and the Jeepster disagree with this idea. To relax, I chant “4-low, 4-low, 4-low, 4-low…”.

February 8, 2009June 13, 2018

Precipitation Sequestering

Friends,

A minor storm (which would cripple england, btw. – ed) came through over the last couple days. Beautiful day up here. Not too cold though, so there’s plenty of slush on the ground.

I’m calling it a 30-Day Storm. I hope it’ll catch on.

Stay warm. More pictures later…

– bob

ALSO: You can now follow this train wreck from your favorite social networking time hole. Sign in and pledge your misguided allegiance to be included in the gadget on the right hand bar. Gee, it’s getting crowded over there, isn’t it?

February 6, 2009June 13, 2018

Urgent Warning – Horse Jam

Friends,

The CHP reports a horse jam this morning. Press-Enterprise ace reporter John Asbury knows all…

Multiple traffic collisions are clogging the freeways, rain is making a slick commute, and in Corona, well, there’s a horse jam.

Five horses are talking down Temescal Canyon Road at Concordia Ranch Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.

No traffic delays were reported, but a CHP officer was dispatched to corral the horses.

Talking horses are no big deal, really, but where will the CHP find a horse trailer?

– bob

February 5, 2009June 13, 2018

This Amazing Year! – Three State Solution

Friends,

With news that Los Angeles County is exploring the options of withholding tax revenues from Sacramento if the state suspends payments back to counties, I had a thought. What if the other counties did the same? Would state government collapse?

Maybe that’s a good thing.

It’s a big state and there are fairly sharp ideological schisms between North and South in particular. I’ve long advocated splitting the state in two, but that seems unworkable for a number of reasons—mostly in where to make the split. The yammering classes have suggested a Three State Solution for Iraq. Wrong country, but maybe the right idea for California. Northern, Central and Southern California, anyone? Divided roughly into thirds, each section would have roughly the same economic power of the others. Roughly the same problems. Roughly the same group of dysfunctional built-in politicians.

The plus side for Southern California, which I’m concerned about, is that the seat of government would necessarily be much closer. The voices of the people here proportionally much larger in the ears of state government. Yes, we lose our big national electoral stick, but that helps to keep hacks like Nancy Pelosi from gaining more stature than they actually deserve. I think you can agree that’s a good idea too. Oh yeah, more stars on the flag.

I thought a week ago that merely disbanding the California Air Resources Board would be enough. Before that, redistricting. Now my only hope for the state is to kill the damn thing and start over. It looks like the counties are doing the job for us.

– bob

UPDATE: Added link to Pelosi’s gaffe about 500 million Americans losing their jobs every month. The now famous “Dumber Than Soap” video.

February 2, 2009June 13, 2018

Birthday Holiday Season – Meh, Edition – Updated!

Friends,

This whole Birthday Holiday Season thing has gotten off to a rocky start. I received a couple cards a few days ago, and those were greatly appreciated, but having a birthday on a Monday does have some disadvantages. For instance, well, um, nothing. It’s hard to get too excited about it, actually, which may be the problem. This particular Birthday Holiday Season hasn’t been promoted as heavily (by me) as they have in the past. The only halfway interesting thing planned for the day is a doctor’s visit. Even that’s hard to get worked up about.

I’m looking forward to having a proper birthday next year, on a day that’s not Monday. That’s right. Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 will be much better.

– bob

UPDATE: Well, what a surprise! The minders of the little children here at The Festival of Dirt baked a cake (chocolate, with chocolate frosting, some chocolate added in, and some chocolate with some caramel on the top) and the kiddies made me a birthday banner. Delightful! My more Southerly sister is planning a party in a couple weeks, so that effectively extends my Birthday Holiday Season well past a fortnight. Ahhh. Much better.

January 31, 2009June 13, 2018

This Amazing Year! – Time For Change

Friends,

A wave of events, like a red tide washing trash and medical waste onto the beach, has come to pass that has, in my humble opinion, presented the opportunity to kill a loathsome beast. That monster, one that has not a single name but two, not one head but eleven, has taken the task of destroying the great state of California to its scaly bosom. That we will prosper and succeed as a state is antithetical to its unrepentant joy over its own lust for power over and control of the citizenry. When the sun shines and this scabrous vermin scurries behind the baseboards, who calls its name? What demonic appelation does this bilious stain answer to in the halls of Sacramento?

The California Air Resources Board.

This state is broke. That’s well known. Certainly cuts can be made to save the jobs of your average and pleasant DMV worker. In lieu of issuing IOUs to tax refund recipients, wasteful programs can be eliminated. I suggest killing CARB. Not only that, but I have suggested this path to the California EPA. Yes, infanticide. I’ve started my campaign with a friendly letter:

As a fourth generation Californian, I am angered greatly by the actions taken by the California Air Resources Board. In their latest turn to punish electric car conversion companies in the state then reverse that decision, I feel that this board is ill-suited to take on the air quality issues that affect us all. Rather, they have truly become a self important fiefdom, legislating the destruction of the California economy with a deft hand along with a tin ear. They do not represent us, they are not accountable to us and they must be dissolved.

Particularly callous has been their regulations against wood-burning heat during this particularly cold winter. A great many people, myself and my neighbors included, rely on wood as an economical alternative to electricity and propane to stay warm. The Air Resources Board has become the enemy of average citizens of this state, of anybody working towards a green economy in the future, and energy independence in general.

I am asking your advice during these trying economic times on how we, the citizens of this once and surely future great state, can disband the California Air Resources Board. Will this require a ballot initiative? What legislation enables this board? Is there separate enabling legislation that must also be overturned?

Thank you for your assistance in this urgent matter.

The best part is that the CARB Ombudsman responded—kinda.

In 1967, California’s Legislature passed the Mulford-Carrell Act, which combined two Department of Health bureaus–the Bureau of Air Sanitation and the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board–to establish the Air Resources Board (ARB). On February 8, 1968, the first meeting of the ARB was held in Sacramento. Legislation must be initiated to eliminate the ARB. Please contact your local state representative to discuss this matter. If you have any questions or need additional information regarding air quality issues please contact me. Thank you for contacting the Office of the Ombudsman.

Philip A. Loder
Deputy Ombudsman
Air Resources Board
Office of the Ombudsman
(916) 322-2467

All we need to do is put an initiative on the next ballot! How hard could that be? All I need to do is collect enough signatures, based on the turnout from the last general election…

Oh, right.

– bob

January 28, 2009June 13, 2018

This Amazing Year! – Chicks Dig It

(Girl)Friends,

You’ve had it rough for a long time. Between paying too much for health insurance and making less money at work, it would be understandable if you were a little cranky. These disparities (up to 39% more for an individual health plan? outrageous.) are being addressed this week in separate actions designed to stop those practices going forward. What took so long?

You could say that this year has been reasonably great so far, but you’d be wrong. It’s been amazing!

– bob

January 23, 2009June 13, 2018

This Amazing Year! – Iceland Melts Down (updated)

Friends,

The global economic crisis has struck Iceland particularly hard and her population has noticed and taken to the streets. The rioting over governmental and business malfeasance in racking up huge debt has even involved hurling yogurt at the prime minister. Yogurt, people.

We might’ve anticipated the riots in Greece since their unemployment rate is staggering and their government isn’t exactly ready or able to do anything about it. Iceland though, is a special case. They’re leveraged to the hilt with among other nutso financial instruments—deep breath now—mortgage-backed securities! Hooray!

Icelandic banks are collapsing left and right with no real chance of insurance for depositors. Calls for early elections are getting serious traction at the moment (why not? some of those people have yogurt.), markets have stopped trading their currency and the IMF is propping that currency up with emergency cash. Doesn’t this only happen to third world countries? Not anymore.

Sigh.

– bob

UPDATE: Ain’t this a fine kettle of herring? It appears that the Icelandic government has finally collapsed. Prime Minister Geir Haarde got smacked around by the Social Democratic Alliance Party and was forced to disband government. “I really regret that we could not continue with this coalition, I believe that that would have been the best result,” Haarde told reporters that I presume included the Associated Press (where I borrowed that quote from in its entirety). Clearly it would’ve been the best to keep the old people in power to fix the problem, much like it’s a great idea to keep the current management of GM in charge of their bankrupt behemoth. Of course you want to dance with the one that brung you, that’s only polite. But if your dance partner is bringing you to the edge of total destruction, maybe it’s time to tear up your dance card. Just saying.

January 20, 2009June 13, 2018

Hail To The Chief – New Series!

Wow, that was fast. Godspeed, Mister President.

– bob

January 20, 2009June 13, 2018

Urgent Warning – Puppy Alert

This just in from the Press-Enterprise breaking news blog:

TRAFFIC UPDATE: Puppy Alert along NB I-215 near UC Riverside
6:49 AM Tue, Jan 20, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted by: PE News

Watch out for the puppy: It’s poised to join commuters along I-215 near UC Riverside.

The critter was reported standing in the center divider at 6:15 a.m. along the freeway’s northbound lanes just north of University Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol website.

—Richard Brooks
rbrooks@PE.com

Executive takeaway: Watch out for the puppy. Got that?

– bob

January 19, 2009June 13, 2018

Football Side Note

Friends,

After watching the crushing hit on Willis McGehee during the AFC playoff game this evening (“oh, he’s surely dead.”) and when his body was taped down to the cart to trundle off the field, I was stuck by all of the continued pounding and slapping. The man has perhaps had his neck broken, his head held still by a trainer, and teammates still felt the need to slap his shoulder pads. A hearty handshake. A not-so-high five.

Sure, he could eventually “move his limbs” as Doctor Jim Nantz pronounced from the announcer booth, but a broken neck, people. He was complaining of “neck pain.” Broken neck. Hello? Good gravy. Idiots.

– bob

January 18, 2009June 13, 2018

This Amazing Year! – No Pressure

Friends,

A nutter at NASA who’s not an alarmist at all is warning Mr. Obama that he only has four years to save the Earth from global warming. The Guardian apparently interviewed him via binoculars, reading his statement from the sandwich board he was sporting while stomping down the street. He was also heard to say, “The end is nigh! That means really near!”

So once again we’re all doomed, but in a wonderful turn of events in this amazing year, our new president will fix it by asking us all to look into our hearts and reduce our gasses (which will be trouble for operators of taco trucks throughout this great land, but hey, si se puede!). Hooray for us!

Your pal,

bob

UPDATE: I’ve been listening to KCRW all afternoon, which is typical for a Sunday afternoon. They’ve been simulcasting the Inaugural Concert which just ended, but as soon as I get done posting the brain dead diatribe above, they launch into Michael Franti’s Obama Song. The chorus? “Si se puede, si se puede, si se puede…” I’m now officially creeped out. Thank you.

January 16, 2009June 13, 2018

This Amazing Year! – Buy A Jeep!

Friends,

Um, oh Chrysler. They’re not doing so well despite Bob “Orange Apron” Nardelli’s protestations (scroll down) at the Detroit Auto Show otherwise. They’ve got too much inventory built up, plants are idled until, well, cars are sold to bring the inventory count down a touch, and dealers are freaking out about all the excess inventory.

For instance, we taxpayers have given Chrysler a few billion bucks so it seems nice that they’d offer some discounts. Some? How about quite a lot of discounts? Here’s your last chance to buy a Wrangler before Jeep is bought by Renault again. You remember what happened last time…

Your pal,

bob

January 14, 2009June 13, 2018

This Amazing Year! – Making With The Social

Pals,

On a dare, I went ahead and joined Facebook. Is this a good idea? Surely not, but there’s the outside chance that it could be fun. The site is blocked at the Festival of Dirt, so posting at work is straight out. Isn’t that when most people are on the thing?

More dispatches from 2004 to come…

– bob

NOTE: By the way, I’ve put a dopey Facebook badge down at the bottom of the right-hand bar. If you click on it, something happens! Hooray for clicking!