Murder Mountain

You may or may not have seen the Netflix Murder Mountain series. If you haven't, it details the efforts to find a missing man on Humboldt's notorious "Murder Mountain," which is a pot grower's haven. The police are shown as ineffectual or uncaring, and then it is up to a few men to take justice in their own hands when they learn of the missing man's fate. It is Humboldt at its finest, as usual.

When I traveled to Fresno for a convention, that was all people asked me about. "Humboldt? Really? I saw this Murder Mountain show. Is it really like that?" It is, and I would say so, but was also quick to point out it was an edited show, and that it is going for viewers. The reality of it is, though, is that Humboldt is pretty proud of its pot and the pot growing community ... no matter how ugly it gets ... and it has gotten ugly these past few years as foreigners have come into the county and have brought some pretty scary strong arm tactics to establish a foothold. And then there are our Humboldt natives who are just really shit sorry excuses of humanity who think all this is just really oh-so-cool. They take a sense of pride in being one-note and easily read and led. It's equal parts amusing and sad.

I don't think the Murder Mountain series will act as a tourist magnet, but I believe it will attract those who think of themselves as some type of outlaw while they are really just criminals. They will come here thinking it's the Wild West where anything goes and everything is for the taking. The cops will do what they can, but let's face it, that is limited. Vigilante justice, however, still exists here. So if you are one of those "dudes" thinking you can come to Humboldt and shit wherever you please, watch the end of that show one more time. Realize there is a community here that will fight that and, if need be, put a bullet in your head. Come for the crime. Stay as the fertilizer. Now I'd like to see that on a t-shirt.

A Snowflake Exposed to Flame

The conservative, MAGA hat wearing crowd loves to throw this term "snowflake" around whenever a "libtard," as they so eloquently call them, is offended by something they spew. I get it. Liberals get offended ... easily. So easily, in fact, that it is too easy to do and therefore the sport of morons. But what else would you expect from the intellectual brain trust that uses a term like "libtard"?

(In full disclosure, I have both liberal and conservative tendencies, as I think most rational people do, and mine are a mixture of both the original definitions of the words and the current ones. I'll let you decided where you think I reside, though don't be surprised if I don't care.)

When the Trumpets throw that "snowflake" term around they do it without a hint of irony or self-awareness. They do it without realizing that they are snowflakes, too. And the things they get upset about are just as, if not moreso, ridiculous.

People using bathrooms that don't conform to the genitalia between their legs. Starbucks coffee cups that don't use the word "Christmas." Pronouns. Merely discussing gun control. Athletes and movie stars with political opinions with which they don't agree. The list goes on and on, and shows a distinct lack of originality.

What I perceive as truth is: If you are easily offended, you aren't very intelligent. That goes for all sides of the political spectrum. I've seen it in capitalists, anarchists, socialists, communists, and so on. What I've always noticed is that the most easily offended are often the ones who don't really think about things too much. They react. They aren't introspective. They don't delve too deeply into the issues. Their opinions come from what a like-minded source of information tells them to think. They are on autopilot, and it shows to anyone who is paying attention.

The only problem is that the Trump bots are far better at calling people names than the "libtards." Maybe it's time to throw it back and see how it sticks.

Trump Is A God Among Men

Catchy title. It's kind of true. He is a god for certain people. They follow him, believe him, and listen to him without thinking ... just like religious zealots following someone's interpretation of someone's words from some time ago. I don't like Trump. I question his followers. I haven't just jumped on the bandwagon, though. This distrust goes back to the late '80s when I lived and worked on the East Coast ... in particular at a gas station right at the exit where people ventured into New York City. I met a lot of people who worked for and with him. Not a single one had anything decent to say about the media whore (you think he was bad then ...). Not one.

Just print and do your very own tribute!

My dislike of the man was forged early on. My hatred came when he ran for office this last time around. That sealed the deal. He negotiated that one splendidly.

I get why people voted for him. Even intelligent people. Drain the swamp. Spoke his mind. Wasn't a politician. Was going to tell it like it is. None of that really happened, did it?

The swamp wasn't drained. The waters were muddied. The alligators replaced with piranhas. It was a magic act, and some people bought it.

He didn't really speak his mind. He has gone back and forth on things several times over. Immigration, anyone? Besides, you can't really speak your mind in a Tweet. You can only spew, and spew he did. He's a hypocrite, and he doesn't care. That's fine. That applies to plenty of people. The fact that his followers don't care, though, is concerning. I still ask: What does he really stand for? The answer, I think, is clear.

The MAGA hat wearing folks were right about him not being a politician, though. He wasn't ... still isn't. Not in any real sense of the word. He's a fly in the ointment. A hole in the condom. Blood in your urine. He's an annoyance, and, more importantly, he's a sign that there is trouble out there ... bad trouble a brewing. I would agree that politicians are a dubious lot, but I'd rather have a politician as a president than a self-serving businessman. I often wonder about those who think a person not qualified for a job is the best person for a job, and does that apply to professions like auto mechanics and doctors, or is it just politicians where this is a positive thing? After all, what Trump has done for foreign relations is to create problems that will take over a decade to resolve. How is that for a non-politician? We showed the world who is boss, though, right?

He does, however, tell it like it is. In confusing Tweets and rambling question and answer sessions. His confusion, befuddlement, and general lack of knowledge would make Reagan proud. He has spoken, and what he has said is so true. There is no clue as to what is really transpiring in the world or in his mind. Dark conspiracies. Criminals. Backstabbers. Shadowy men on a shadowy planet. His world is full of fear and loathing, and he's transferred all of that ever-so-willingly onto his loyal acolytes.

I understand why people who have been largely ignored by politicians and the media have latched onto him. I get it. I understand it enough that I predicted his win the first time around, and I'll say here he has a good chance to win again. What I don't get is why those folks still believe in him. They don't have to watch the mainstream media to know what he's about. All they have to do is pay attention to ... him. That tells the astute observer all they need to know.

As for the people I thought would have known better, the people I thought could see right through this magic act, I have one question and one question only: In your support for Trump the President have you asked yourself, "Would I want him to be my boss?"

I will give Trump credit for many things. He is a good at negotiation. He has a good business sense. He can read a room. You don't stay where he is at as long as he has without those things. They may be self-serving, and he may be a sham, but people have believed his lies since before he was president. So morals aside, he's good at those things. He makes for great television, too. For all the bad, there is some things he has some skills in. But when he is removed from office by hook, crook, or stroke, the American public is going to have to deal with the mess he has made. Russia can't be blamed for all of it. That government's lies were believed. The blame lies on us and us only.

Vote for him again if you really believe in him. I encourage it. Tell your friends. Tell your family. Loudly proclaim why you proudly sport the Make America Great Again hat. Convince them to vote with you. But ... when his time comes to an end, don't whine, complain, or cry about the bill when it becomes due. Don't try to pass the anger off on another president when you are asked to pay what you owe in blood or money. That's not fair, and I hope you know that. Can you afford that debt? We'll see. I think I know the answer ...

PG&E and its Power Games

For years PG&E has routinely siphoned money it should have been spending on maintaining and updating its equipment for safety reasons into the hands of CEOs. Kind of a standard business practice in the age of out-of-control capitalism. This lack of safety has mixed with idiotic forestry practices initially pushed by big lumber companies and climate change to create a situation that has burned down thousands upon thousands of acres of forests, destroyed towns, and killed people. Now, when facing lawsuits, PG&E has taken an order from Governor Brown to the extreme and has started shutting off power to communities whenever the wind blows ... literally.

Fuck Armageddon, this is Hell -- PG&E style!

PG&E has never been known for its business sense, so to examine it there would be an exercise in futility. Instead, I like looking at the reaction of the public it serves.

First, when there is any cry of putting PG&E into the public's hands (not a foreign concept at all in America), there are the usual alarmist cries of "socialism." Those cries don't come for the other public services in the public's hands, but when it comes to PG&E ... yikes! Those fearful puppies aren't exactly incorrect, but they aren't totally faithful to their beliefs, either. Instead, they just seem to be repeating what they heard from someone else without really thinking about it, which is how a surprisingly large amount of PG&E's service district reacts. You would almost think they have been trained ...

There are those, and it's a growing number, who have taken this opportunity of PG&E's game playing to blame Governor Newsom and demand his recall. Some are even saying he is directly ordering the power company as to when to shut down the power. Never mind the fact that PG&E's own CEO has testimony on record, easily read by anyone who cares, that blatantly states the decision to cut power to communities is all on PG&E. All of it. On record. Do these recallers tell anyone that? No. Of course not. They want Newsom gone because he isn't a Republican, and they are latching onto this decidedly heated topic in order to gain support. If only they had picked a different reason I may have supported them.

Then there is the segment of the population, and it is large, that says, don't blame the PG&E workers out there fixing the lines (some have been attacked apparently). It isn't their fault. Say prayers for them instead. I have no problem with this, but then PG&E put out a PSA asking for the same thing, and nobody batted an eye. Nobody said, "Hey, wait, PG&E. You put your workers in these situations. Yes, those workers' families are affected by this, too, because you created this situation. Don't ask the public to treat them with respect. Just stop cutting the fucking power and do maintenance on your lines."

The end result is pretty clear. With PG&E filing for bankruptcy, asking for a rates increase to fix the safety issues (that worked so well in the years prior), and the fact that it had to give so many rebates out to affected communities, it's easy to see that the company in its present state is not going to make it through another ten years. I'd love for it to be in the public's hands with people running it who are accountable to the public and not stockholders. I would also feel pretty confident that the money I'm paying to make the lines safe would actually be making the lines safe and not going toward purchasing someone a summer home. It's all about accountability. The powers that be at PG&E have accountability to its shareholders only, which would not be the case if the company were a public entity.

So, when all those around you are losing their minds and defending the company, hit them with some facts and see where that conversation goes. My guess is they go as quiet as quickly as the lights have been being shut off, and there is nothing wrong with that. Stupid is as PG&E does.

I Have Returned

After four years (!) of not updating this blog, I have returned. Why? In-N-Out Burger. Eureka, CA is finally getting one, and as expected, as if on cue, the community is going apeshit.

The responses, as seen in various social media outlets, range from the person being so excited that they "can't sleep" to those lamenting about what is happening to the locally owned burger joints when such an establishment comes in. For the most part, though, people are really, really excited. It's new! It's going to bring jobs! It's got great burgers! (Having eaten at one once, I can say I was not impressed, but that is, of course, just a matter of taste.)

It is new. It will bring a few jobs. And ... nothing. Nothing else. Picture having the kind of life where you get so excited over a burger place coming to your town that is in several other locations that you can't sleep. You can't sleep. Over a burger barn. A restaurant. A chain restaurant, at that. I can only imagine what would happen if we got an Olive Garden. That person would probably have a heart attack.

There are other responses in the media outlets. Some turn into an attack on Trump, which then causes the Trump puppets to start throwing around terms like "snowflake" and "libtard." Irony, it should be noted, is easily lost on the Trump puppets. It all plays out like this well-scripted show that we've seen a thousand times before. Another same episode of a long-running sitcom that was never all that funny to begin with. This is the state of Humboldt County, California. It would be hilarious if people weren't so damn proud of it.

So, yeah, after four years I'm back filled with anger and sarcasm. Some will say I've become harsher. Some will say I've become softer. Some will have missed me. Some will have wished I stayed gone. I don't care either way. I'm back. You, however, are free to leave.