Flood Watch In Effect

The weather service has a flood watch out until Saturday. They're saying there might be lots of rain in this next storm, or series of them. I hope they're wrong and they're just hyping it to be on the safe side.

I need about 4 hours between now and Saturday to finish my work. Hard to believe I can't get 4 hours in 3 days but, from the forecast, maybe not? We'll see.

I Wanna Be A Gopher Guy

The Santa Rosa Press- Democrat had a fun read yesterday about this Gopher Guy. He stumbled on to a niche business where he charges $200.00 to control gophers with traps, but he also gives classes on how to do it for free. I've thought for some time about trying that.

Years ago, back when Food Mart was in Henderson Center, there used to be a community bulletin board at the front of the store. I saw a fellow advertising back then as a gopher trapper. He charged something like $5.00 per gopher caught. I thought at the time that might be a fun and easy way to make a few bucks.

Problem is, I've not much experience with gophers and have only had to deal with one in my life, although I seemed to have succeeded with that one.

I was horrified when I noticed a gopher mound in the first ever garden I started at the place I lived in out in Cutten back in the early 80s. Surprised, as well, as I'd never seen any other gopher mounds surrounding the property. All of the sudden here's a gopher mound right at the edge of my garden. What was I to do???

I don't remember where I bought it, but I found some Gopher Gasser bombs. They looked like large firecrackers. When you lit them they emitted tons of sulfur smoke and would kill gophers in their tunnels.

I dug through the mound until I found the tunnel, lit the fuse and, after getting a snoutful of the smoke myself, dropped the bomb into the tunnel. I quickly covered the tunnel up and that was the end of the gopher. At least I never saw any more mounds.

I'll have to give the steel traps a try. Every now and then I'll bump into gophers in a yard I'm working in. I'll try the traps and, if I can get good at it, maybe I can become a gopher guy? About the only problem is, being California, you actually need a license to do that now. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Either that, or do it bootleg.

Here's some more tips on getting rid of gophers from the Garden Web site. I'd forgotten about the Juicy Fruit gum method.

Another Plastic Bag Web Site

Here's another web site opposed to plastic shopping bag bans. All kinds of info if you follow the links including current and past proposed legislation.

2012 Presidential Compatability Quiz

Here's one of those tests that tells you which of the current presidential candidates you most identify with politically. I actually scored 84% Gary Johnson and 76% Ron Paul. My third place candidate was some guy I'd never heard of so it looks like they have more than just mainstream candidates in the mix.

Hat tip to the Gary Johnson 2012 Facebook group for the link.

Science and Libertarianism

I thought this USA Today commentary on science and libertarianism a fun read even though I'm not sure I follow the thinking very well. If nothing else, I guess I like it because I've never seen the two subjects related like that. Maybe also because he mentions my 2012 presidential choice, Gary Johnson.

New Plastic Bag Recycling Web Site

Stumbled on to this new web site this morning that promotes recycling of plastic bags.

I've found a few surprises already, one being that the plastic wrap that toilet paper and paper towels come in are supposedly recyclable. Same with those plastic zip lock bags that nearly everyone uses. I had no idea.

Here's the page with an illustrated list of recyclable plastic bags. I'm a confused by their list of plastic bags not to add to recyclables which includes "NO other bags or films". What other kinds are left?

They have a page for retailers to add their names to the list of businesses that accept plastic bags. I'm sending an e-mail to them to let them know in California all grocery stores are required by law to have containers for people to drop of their plastic bags for recycling.

What I'm still curious about is whether all the other types of plastic are acceptable for drop off at those stores? I know plastic shopping bags are, but what about the paper towel wrappers?

And, for those in Eureka that are unaware, plastic bags should not be placed in your blue recycling containers until further notice.

Citizens United: A Good Thing

That Citizens United ruling that supposedly gave businesses the same rights as people never bothered me. In fact, it makes a lot of sense, and those opposed to it seem to be the same ones that always want to give unions and other left wing groups an advantage over businesses. Notice how they always complain "Corporations aren't people"? Never a word about unions.

Reason magazine takes a light hearted look at the good the Citizens United ruling has done.

Hat tip to Radley Balko for the link.

The Freddy Gets Letter of the Day!

That anti- fluoridation piece I wrote about on Thursday got me fired up so I decided to write a letter- to- the- editor of the Santa Rosa Press- Democrat in support. As is always the case, I wasn't sure they'd print it.

Checking the SRPD letters this morning I see they used my letter as their Letter of the Day. Not bad, and a first for me.

Addendum: I've been watching for comments to my letter on the SRPD web site expecting some nasty remarks from the pro- fluoride folks. The only comments so far have been positive, but it's still early. I really would like to see how someone could argue against personal choice on this issue.

Food Prices Climbing

Scary article from the San Bernadino Sun on rising food prices. I've certainly noticed it myself. One example is oatmeal. The 42oz containers I regularly buy used to cost around $1.80. Now they're something like $2.40 to $2.60, if memory serves me.

There's one guy in that article that predicts additional increases in prices up to 25%. Yikes!

California will likely be worse than the nation as a whole in a few years. When Prop 2- that cage free eggs initiative- takes full effect, egg prices should go up considerably. Since eggs are a fundamental part of many foods, other food prices will likely rise.

And don't look to imported eggs to save the day. Jared Huffman- the same sleazebag we have running for congress- sponsored a bill that was signed into law that shuts off the import of eggs into the state unless they're also grown cage free- something I don't think North Korea even does.

Things don't look good.

Nice Anti- Fluoridation Piece

Sonoma County is considering fluoridating their drinking water. The arguments rage on although it sounds like their Board of Supervisors generally supports the idea. This guest opinion to the Santa Rosa Press- Democrat opposing water fluoridation is probably the best I've read.

The Full 2nd District Ticket

The Santa Rosa Press- Democrat announces today the full slate of candidates running for the newly formed 2nd congressional district. Until now, we've just heard of eight democrats and one republican seeking the seat.

Turns out there's actually twelve, with one more republican and two decline- to- state candidates added to the mix. With twelve candidates in the race there's no telling who might end up being the top two to advance to the general election. I also suspect upcoming candidate forums featuring all twelve candidates might be a real headache.

All I'll say about that race at this point is....Anybody but Huffman in 2012!!!

Santa Rosa Argues District (Ward) Elections

Just as we've seen some in Eureka advocating stricter ward elections, it looks like some Santa Rosans want to switch to district elections. In Eureka, city council candidates must live in a certain ward and run for that ward's seat, but they're elected by the city at large.

I get the impression there's no residency requirement in Santa Rosa and candidates are elected at- large from anywhere in the city by the whole city. A bit different, but the arguments remain the same. Here's one guy arguing the YES side of city elections, and another guy voting against.

Bogus Cell Phone Study

As one would expect, the editorial staff of the Santa Rosa Press- Democrat is buying into the claim that laws against cell phone use while driving are working. Supposedly less people are using them while driving resulting in fewer cell phone related traffic accidents. I don't buy it.

First of all, traffic accidents have been going down across the nation, even in states without laws against cell phoning while driving.

Second, I don't know that I've noticed any significant reduction in cell phone use by people driving, and I do pay attention to such things. I'll admit my observations aren't scientific, but there's still times I'll see up to what might be a third of the drivers on the road talking on cell phones.

Besides, the Press- Democrats' editorial states citations for driving while cell phone talking have been going up, not down. Sure, that could be in part because of increased enforcement, but you would think the trend would be towards fewer citations if fewer people were cell chatting while driving.

I suspect this is just another study made with the facts interpreted to reach some nanny staters' desired conclusion.

The Monkeemobile

Anybody remember the Monkeemobile?

The Times- Standard ran this Associated Press story on The Monkees in their entertainment section today- the Monkees' lead singer, Davy Jones, having died just the other day. I've been a life- long Monkees fan but had all but forgotten about the old Monkeemobile. I remembered it as being white, not red. So much for the accuracy of my memory.

More on the Monkeemobile here.

American Conservative Does Gary Johnson

The American Conservative magazine has a nice piece up on Libertarian Party presidential hopeful, Gary Johnson.