Scattershots – 25mar15 (updated 26mar15)

George Rebane

Gov Jerry Brown demonstrated to many of us that he has entered his dotage. The man called Sen Ted Cruz “unfit for office” for no other reason than the senator’s rejecting the politicized consensus of manmade global warming to which Moonbeam added that the same scientists now blame current weather events on a roundly rejected long-term prediction that clearly contradicts what we observe daily.

Sgt Bergdahl has been found culpable of desertion in an investigation headed by a two-star general conducted over the last year.  A three-star next in line has reviewed the findings and has found them to be sufficient to indict a man who spent five years with the Taliban, and then was retrieved through the release of five raghead combat commanders.  We expect him to be court-martialed and sent to Leavenworth for the rest of his life.  However, there will be no reprieve for those who gave their lives searching for Bergdahl, and those yet to sacrifice theirs when these commanders are repatriated by the Taliban.  The shame of the whole affair lies with our leadership who should have left Bergdahl with his new Muslim comrades to demonstrate his allegiance by either joining their fight or making good his escape.

Well, we have finally led the Saudis from behind to take the initiative and assemble a coalition of ten nations (excluding the US) to strike the Houthi rebels in Yemen.  The Houthi have driven out the legitimate Yemeni government backed by both the Saudis and touted by Obama as proof positive that his anti-terror policies were working.  But when his latest of big lies was exposed by the rapid and unexpected rebel attacks, our Community Organizer in Chief ordered the Marines guarding our embassy in San’a to lay down their weapons in exchange for safe passage high-tailing it out of the country with our diplomatic staff.  In days gone by the Marines would have fought to hold the embassy until one of our nearby assault task force units got there to explain the matter to the Houthis.  But those days are gone at least until January 2017.

[26mar15 update] Growing hundreds of dollars of almonds for thousands of dollars of water.  That is another quiet result of government’s misallocation of water subsidies.   That data is presented in Mother Jones (more here).  It turns out that in more open and competitive markets resources are automatically allocated so that the cost of the finished products is minimized.  But even small subsidies tend to cause major misallocations of such input resources – water in California is an example of that in spades.  H/T to reader for this.

The wonders of smartphones.  Fred and Margie Buhler make up part of our ‘road warriors’ party.  They are known to Nevada County residents for their long years of supporting community causes.  Fewer know that they are also expert photogs, and take marvelous pictures on their many travels.  Last night Fred emailed me the nearby photo he took a few hours before on a walk here in the Arizona desert.  He took it with his new iPhone6, and I was blown away by the result.  The actual picture is even better than what you see here since I decimated the resolution for this post, but you get the idea what can be done with the smartphone in your pocket, especially if you know ‘how to paint with light’.

Comments

[Bill Tozer]

Ted Crruz unfit for office? Who says?

https://www.facebook.com/PatriotPost/photos/pb.51560645913.-2207520000.1427358142./10152889580400914/?type=3&theater

Like him or not, he sticks to his principles. We already have a sitting President who puts ideology ahead of principles. Hey, isn't Cruz a Canook? We already have proof positive when and where he was born. That is a good start.

[Bill Tozer]

How will be the next to lead the quasi Free World? Oh, the race is getting exciting.

https://www.facebook.com/PatriotPost/photos/pb.51560645913.-2207520000.1427358142./10152891501630914/?type=3&theater

I don't think Cruz is unfit judging by his predecessor.

http://patriotpost.us/posts/34147

[Michael R. Kesti]

Governor Brown is entitled to his opinion but his notion of who is and is not fit for office is of no concern to me.

[George Rebane]

MichaelK 909am - Indeed he is entitled to his opinion, but so are we entitled to the assessments of our leaders' ability to reason and make policy decisions that the holding of such opinions reveal.

[Gregory]

Brown is doubling down on Climate Change; many on the alarmist side of the aisle are getting more shrill as the cause falters. He's getting his climate science from Bill McKibben, enough said.

A one party state, Californians are screwed until either the Democratic Party regains sanity, or there is a sea change one November when voters here realize The Party is flying the plane straight into Mt.Whitney.

I can find plenty of reasons to not vote for the likes of Cruz, the first being that a first term Senator with no actual history of leadership in the Senate may not have the skills needed to actually get things done. Then there's the fact that if he had those skills he'd not be going in the direction I'd want.

[Todd Juvinall]

Brown will spend 100 billion on a train to nowhere and meanwhile there will be no water storage for the people he wants to ride the train.

Today the Legislature will approve and Brown will sign "flood control" money from Prop 1and not one drop of water for the state will be generated. I mean these people are totally in outer space. We pay a dollar per gallon more than the rest of the country because CARB has slipped it to the dopey Californians that voted for these idiots. When the poor schlub commuting to his 15$ job in Pasadena fills his tank he will have no money for rent or food. What a hoot!

[Paul Emery]

George, you refer to days when " In days gone by the Marines would have fought to hold the embassy........" Can you refresh me as to a couple of examples where we did that? Also there is a pretty comprehensive piece in Politico this morning about the situation in Yemen. It's worth checking out.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/03/yemen-intervention-116396.html?hp=m1#.VRQ2qcbFknU

[Walt]

Well Gregory, I don't believe Ted voted "present" even once. ( unlike someone else we know)
I'm no big fan of Wiki,, but take a gander. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Cruz
Ted has plenty of good qualities and experience.
Hell! Even his birth cert. is available for all to see. Imagine that!

The people of this nation will be pulling splinters out of our collectives asses for years to come, thanks to the LIBS. Trying to undo the damage done by this administration is going to be PLENTY painful for all.

[Jon]

Gregory,
Mr. McKibben has been spot on with almost all of his predictions and observations over the last 20+ years. Jerry Brown and McKibben have been true leaders, visionaries and heroes in getting out the Climate Change science and warnings to the public and the world. Nearly the entirety of the world's major institutions, governments and insurance actuaries are making plans to deal with the reality of Climate Change. A few delusional deniers making pathetic stabs are relevancy are frankly sad to watch.

[Jon]

Todd, most people understand that this oppressive drought, Climate Change, and the incredibly inefficient method of water allocations in CA (ie, almond farming, big coastal populations, and the pockets of water greed) are the real factors in the high price of water in CA. If a reservoir makes sense in a remote area and passes environmental muster, it could be considered in the north state. One is being looked at now in the North Valley. Bigger picture is that there is no water to be put into storage.

[Gregory]

It does appear "Jon" drank the koolaid.

McKibben, with a BA in an unknown subject, pulled 350ppm out a hat as the largest safe amount of CO2 in our atmosphere... if you see him, ask why we didn't fry 250 million years ago as the atmospheric CO2 when mammals first scampered about in the Triassic Park was about 2000ppm.

My own tipping point was reading 2003's "Celestial driver of phanerozoic climate?" 2003 by astrophysicist Nir Shaviv and geochemist Jan Veizer. Shaviv at the time was a low level professor of physics in Israel, but his stock has risen as of late. Currently spending a sabbatical year at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study as an IBM Einstein Fellow (please note IBM isn't in the fossil fuel business), not a bad way to spend a year. He has fresh research for McKibben, Brown and "Jon" to ignore, here's a taste:
"The results have two particularly interesting implications. First, they bring yet another link between the galactic environment and the terrestrial climate. Although there is no direct evidence that cosmic rays are the actual link on the 32-million-year time scale, as far as we know, they are the only link that can explain these observations. This in turn strengthens the idea that cosmic ray variations through solar activity affect the climate. In this picture, solar activity increase is responsible for about half of the twentieth-century global warming through a reduction of the cosmic ray flux, leaving less to be explained by anthropogenic activity. Also, in this picture, climate sensitivity is on the low side (perhaps 1 to 1.5°C increase per CO2 doubling, compared with the 1.5 to 4.5°C range advocated by the IPCC), implying that the future is not as dire as often prophesied."

https://www.ias.edu/ias-letter/2015/shaviv-milky-way

"Jon", please do double down and continue to follow Brown & McKibben. The best way to bring the current one party state down is for the Emperor to be standing with his new clothes for all to see.

Even Mother Jones understands the drought isn't being caused by CO2 driven "climate change"; what's your problem?

[Todd Juvinall]

"jon" there is no water being stored because the people in charge sent it to the ocean. You need to read more. All the attempts to build storage in the north has been defeated by your ilk, the eco nuts. Also, to say storage should only be built in the remote areas is foolish. You stated the populations are in the coastal areas. Why not have storage close to them?

The water is under the control of both the state and feds and both are at odds with priorities. Now we see the state is going to takeover our wells and rob us of our property , fair and square of course.

There is usually plenty of water falling on California to take care of the needs of all but because eco nuts are in charge of it now, we see how bad people can make the mess.

[Paul Emery]

Todd

what we are possibly looking at is a long term drought. One needs to look at Australia to see how they survived 12 years of drought. This is the best overlook I could find a quick glance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000s_Australian_drought

[Todd Juvinall]

We could strike a deal with Oregon and Washington states to see about a pipeline from the Columbia. I was up there late last year and the river is full. Spend the money on something like that rather than a train to nowhere.

[George Boardman]

Ted Cruz, a man of principle? That would explain why he's signing his family up for Obamacare, a program he vows to kill, instead of going out in the free market he loves so much and buying a private health care plan.

Do his supporters realize that his wife works for Goldman Sachs, Wall Street evil personified? Let's see here: Millionaire. Harvard-trained lawyer. Goldman Sachs. This pair may be Agenda 21 double agents out to co-opt the looney fringe of the Republican Party.

[Gregory]

GB, where does one go nowadays to get insurance that isn't compliant with the wretchedly misnamed Affordable Care Act?

[Paul Emery]

Todd

Not very likely we'll get a water deal with Oregon and Washington who commonly refer to us as Californacators. Of course the Feds could step in but Todd you don't believe in that. Next idea?

[Paul Emery]

Actually Oregon and wshington have their water problems as well.

"(Reuters) - Oregon Governor Kate Brown declared a drought emergency on Tuesday in two rural Oregon counties, with more expected in the coming weeks, as the state suffers abnormally low snow pack levels.

The declarations in Oregon come as much of the U.S. West grapples with severe drought conditions.

Last week Washington state Governor Jay Inslee declared a drought emergency across three regions of that state. And California is in its fourth year of a drought that has forced sharp cutbacks in irrigation supplies to farmers and conservation measures across the state."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/17/us-usa-drought-oregon-idUSKBN0MD2H620150317

[Gregory]

Portland could be under 20 feet of Columbia river and they still wouldn't have any to spare to send to California. Their water, their choice.

It won't happen.

[Walt]

That's why I buy beer from Hawaii. Kona Brewing uses great water.

Besides. the ECO gang would have a hissy fit for the pipeline alone.

That reminds me. Not one ECO kook has yet to answer how they can eat or drink "pretty".
That's the boilerplate excuse for "no dams". And not long ago the same idiots were pushing to tear down dams.( that would be water storage) At least they have piped down about Englbright.(for the time being)

Ca. may care to revisit their ethanol mandate. All that corn takes PLENTY of water, and we can't even eat that corn. All that water just to go in the gas tank.
Rice farmers are getting more for selling their water than the rice they would have grown. Again.. Less food to feed "the hungry children".
So what will be the next move by Calif. government idiots? ( I shudder at the thought)

[Gregory]

Just to spread the bet to the other afflicted thread...

10 Quatloos say "Jon" is Ben Emery, who is regretting his promise not to bother with politics that isn't local... I'd guess Jeffie the Hutt but the grammar is just too primitive for this time of the day.

[Don Bessee]

Nice to see Fred is having fun! Good pic.

[Todd Juvinall]

Actually Paul the Feds would have to be involved since it is interstate. Money talks and BS walks. California may have the money those two states want. Never say never. The TVA happened.

[Paul Emery]

It did happen (TVA) and it was a Democrat Roosevelt who put it together as part of the New Deal. Actually Obama proposed privatizing the TVA but the idea was shot down by the Republicans. To quote Todd"what a hoot".

"Even while being assailed by his opponents as the most radical president ever, Barack Obama has taken a leaf from the conservatives’ playbook by proposing to privatize the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

In a budget plan he unveiled last month, Obama floated the idea as a deficit-reduction measure. TVA, created as part of Democrat Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal in 1933, operates the country’s largest electric utility business...............Based on their rhetoric about fiscal responsibility and self-reliance, Republicans should have applauded when Obama came out for privatizing TVA. Instead, Republican Congressman John J. Duncan, Jr., who represents Knoxille, where TVA is headquartered, called Obama’s divestment plan “a very bad idea.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/investor/2013/05/03/republicans-reverse-history-with-tva-defense/

[Todd Juvinall]

You are a hyper partisan Paul Emery. You always endorse the left never the right though so we know. wink wink!

[Paul Emery]

Todd

That has nothing to do with the TVA you lauded as an example of a potential federal intervention to insure Pacific Northwest water supplies for California.

[Todd Juvinall]

Paul Emery, you brought up FDR on the TVA. Did you forget?

[Don Bessee]

Paul, 'a potential federal intervention to insure....' they hold the spigot now to ensure whatever is the flavor of the year for the administration. Sorry did not mean to channel he who's name we will not say. ;-)

[Bill Tozer]

Dr. Rebane, an excellent pic of waterwise shrubs and of course the succulent.. Bravo. They are ready for global frying and are native. Local gardeners should take note.

[Paul Emery]

So Todd are you in favor of an TVA type federal intervention to insure Northwest water for California?

[Walt]

Speaking of "Global frying" "O" and Co. and a big thanks to the great negotiator Kerry,
Iran gets it's nukes.. OH JOY.....
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/u-s-caves-to-key-iranian-demands-as-nuke-deal-comes-together/
I bet Israel is SO pleased. "O" really is no friend.

[Jon]

Todd, there was plenty of water being stored as recently as late 2012. Reservoirs really were at or near their max after the previous winter and spring, and I saw it firsthand while camping at one of the largest. Since then it really hasn't rained or snowed a whole lot. This other thing called evaporation took over. Pretty simple equation really.

[Jon]

Tozer, you are on to something, I have to admit. Am rapidly replacing common water-suckers with succulents and desert bloomers in this new normal climate we have. As you seem to know, some of these former desert dwellers have really superior flowering colors in the Spring compared to most foothills natives.

[Bill Tozer]

Jon, yes. I have been nursing a Yucca from the mountains of Mexico for a year now. Thought it was dead but showing new green sprouts. Slow growing to develop roots and a very very long bloom time once established. They like little water, maybe once it the summer and low fertility soil. Plants from Texas like the Red Yucca (which is neither red or a yucca) grow well here and bloom for months when everything else is dying in the mid summer heat. Have a whole section of clay tolerate plants that do not like water or fertilizer or rich loam (once established).. Even my wildflower patch contains blooming flowers from the West that can go long periods without water that will bloom for months. Forget saving water or having a water wise xeriscape. It saves time and energy and a ton of money buying admendments and worm castings and other crappola.. Year One I was ready to throw in the towel, but year 2 I am reaping the rewards. Have not watered since last summer.

Better start preparing. They are coming after us and their hands are out. :). Can't say Walt did not warn us. More money will fix everything.

http://www.breitbart.com/video/2015/03/25/kerry-warns-climate-refugees-coming-in-the-not-too-distant-future/

[Don Bessee]

Well at last a change we have all been hoping for. Harry Reid will not run for reelection.

[Walt]

LOL "There "was" plenty of water being stored." Yup and all the lakes had to be held at less than 2/3ds capacity(flood control) Experts say we are down to less than ONE year of supply. We could sure use that Auburn dam today. Thanks to those that like to look at "pretty", and shoved "wild and scenic" down our throats, the Yuba can't be tapped.

Even "off river storage" got scrapped. The Spencville wildlife refuge was set aside just for that.

Now don't forget that we need to send drinking water to the sea The Delta Smelt is more important that drinking water of food production

[Jon]

Auburn Dam and Yuba River would make no real difference in today's conditions. Walt, your simplistic rants don't pass muster with water experts. The Yuba and American Rivers and the many associated parks and rec areas are well established draws for tens of thousands of annual visitors which bring in millions to our economy. Ask your local Republican County Supervisor if he would prefer to see the Yuba damned up :)..

[Don Bessee]

Oh, 'jon'- Gerald fador is back in another one of his names.

[Paul Emery]

So George, or anyone else, will LaMalfa still get his taxpayer subsidies if there is no water for rice growing? Rice is an extremely water intensive crop.

[George Rebane]

PaulE 213pm - In case you missed it, the new 'Farm Bill' omitted all such direct payment subsidies to farmers like Doug LaMalfa. I believe we covered it here; see my 29jan14 post.

[Walt]

jon?? The "busted one"?? That explains a LOT!
Paul has no room to bitch about "subsidies".

[Walt]

Yet not a peep on how to eat or drink "pretty".
Millions to OUR economy? Serve up the variable facts on that.

[joe smith]

Is this the same LaMalfa who sold his subsidized $180.00 acre feet of water to south of the delta buyers for upwards of $700.00?? Such a true Northern California patriot.

[Walt]

If he was a LIB, you wouldn't say a word.

[fish]

Kinda quiet this weekend.......! Maybe another Ben Emery brand Public Service Announcement will liven things up?

Ben Emery says:

March 27, 2015 at 11:50 am

As they have written in those pages, Rebane and fab five couldn’t agree more with the all the lead up criticisms of the American public/ voter. They can’t quite figure out that our news is corporate in interest based(meaning skewed for corporate friendliness and profits). Our two major political parties are corporate interest based. Therefore all the information the average voter/ American receives is totally slanted to support the status quo by having an easy solution of its the other party’s fault.

Meanwhile back on Main St people continue to struggle, civil liberties are continued to be violated, and abroad we continue our illegal war on Islamic nations to perpetuate the continuation of the global economic/ monetary system while securing up that very system legally through Free Trade Agreements/ WTO/ World Bank/ IMF/ and the biggest one yet, Trans Pacific Partnership that the Obama administration is dealing with major transnational corporations in secret to get ironed out to force onto the global population/ governments.

This concludes your "PeoplePower™" thought for the day.

[George Boardman]

To Joe Smith 27 March at 8:54 p.m.: What's the source of your claim that LaMalfa is selling his subsidized water for a profit?

Walt would never mention it because LaMalfa is a conservative.

[fish]

....local man achieves first non-pharmaceutical aided erection in years!

The Bee launches improved commenting online

I imagine the the comment threads in the Bee will now be even worse than before......not sure that's possible......like dividing by zero!

[Walt]

Is he breaking any laws? And look at all the big city LIBS he's making happy with the transfer of water. It better than closing the valve and sending it to the sea.

When they come to install water meters on private wells, Put them on LIB owned properties
first.

[Bill Tozer]

Water is the real gold in the West. Heck, I remember when you could go up in Nevada and buy acres of barren land for a few hundred an acre and turn around and sell the water rights for more than what you paid for the land. Free place to park your trailer for weekend getaways or park some bucket of bolts project car.

http://peakoil.com/enviroment/californias-water-crisis-get-out-while-you-can

[fish]

The Union’s “Father knows best” retiree columnist wags finger at millennials

I think a better title is: "Dicky Mobe - the story of a White Whale on an Endless Quest to best his Ahab"

George Boardman of course, will feature prominently as Ahab.