Letter to Dan Lungren

Dear Congressman Lungren:

Thank you so much for your response to my recent inquiry regarding how to deal with climate change. However, I did not outline my proposal as I would have preferred to speak to you directly. I understand you are very busy campaigning and perhaps do not have a time slot in your schedule to meet with me. Therefore, I will outline my proposal to you here in this email and hopefully you will have a chance to consider this and offer your response.I left off my previous correspondence by pointing out that the science regarding global warming is very settled. I provided you with the phone number of the most respected scientist in this field, Dr. James Hansen over at Nasa. Dr. Hansen has recommended a carbon tax as the most effective and quickest means to begin moving our economy to a post fossil fuel era. To clarify the definition of this tax, it is not a cap and trade system. Dr. Hansen and many others in the environmental movement do NOT support cap and trade and neither do I. A cap and trade system would create a huge and difficult to bureaucracy and the resources needed to monitor such a system would exceed the desired benefits. So, coming from another angle, I agree with you completely that cap and trade is not the way to go.

A carbon tax, however is elegant in its simplicity. The amount of Co2 produced by the burning of oil, coal and natural gas is known precisely by scientists. A tax would be assessed at the point of extraction or port of entry based on the resource being extracted or imported. Such a system would be simple to implement - there are only a few oil, coal and gas companies in the U.S. so monitoring would be far more simpler than a cap and trade system.The most intriguing aspect of such a tax is that the entire amount would be refunded back to the American people in the form of dividend checks. People who purchase products that are not directly tied to fossil fuels will actually earn money. Such a system will shift resources towards cleaner energy alternatives through shifting public demand. This will stimulate the collective talent and resources of private industry to a new post industrial clean energy revolution.Such a tax would be implemented gradually so that industry has time to adjust but I am very confident that American ingenuity will be up to the task. In short, we can and must begin this transition for our childrens’ sake. Please consider what I have said and not dismiss this flat out before speaking to others about it. Once again, I urge you to speak to Dr. Hansen to understand this solution before you pass judgment.

Best Regards,
David Brotman

Attempt to Reach Dan Lungren

This may become a moot point if Ami Bera wins the 3rd Congressional seat next Tuesday but I do not assume anything. In fact, I would present the same argument to Mr. Bera as I am presenting to Congressman Lungren. I am doing this to go on the record as trying my damnedest to convince my representative in the U.S. Congress that something must be done about global warming. I have been told by others that my efforts are like a salmon swimming upstream considering the forces aligned against taking action but I cannot throw my arms up and give up when Serena’s future is at stake. In some respects I am covering my ass so that when Serena gets older, she cannot accuse me of not doing anything about this issue. This blog is my record and proof that I did try and will continue to try. So here is the detail on my attempt today:

1) Contacted Congressman Lungren at his Gold River office this morning at approximately 11:00 AM. I spoke to a woman named Katie who asked me what I wanted to discuss. I told her that it was climate change. She told me to contact Sandra Weissman at Lungren’s Washington D.C. office as she is the one in charge of energy policy for Mr. Lungren.

2) Spoke to Sandra Weissman at the D.C. office and explained my purpose. I briefly mentioned the current science regarding global warming and that it is an urgent matter. Her response was that Mr. Lungren agrees it is a problem but I am not sure that it is a problem. I insisted that it was important to speak with Mr. Lungren and she agreed to allow me to speak with Lungren’s scheduler, Debra Jones.

3) Sandra Weissman transferred me to Debra Jones and Debra asked me the purpose of the meeting. I reiterated my reasons for requesting a meeting and she suggested I email her a brief statement explaining the issue and she would get back to me. This conversation took place today at approximately 11:30 AM. I emailed her at debra.jones@mail.house.gov and the full text of that email is located in the previous 2 blog posts I just made.On a kind of funny note. Serena is sitting next to me right now writing out math problems as I type this up.

Letter to SacBee

I beg to differ with a recent claim made by one of your readers that the oil industry is not subsidized. Aside from the fact that California is one of the only states in the country that does not have an oil severance tax in place, a much larger subsidy has been taking place since fossil fuel became the energy choice of this country over a hundred years ago. All of the byproducts created from combustion of fossil fuels including but not limited to toxic air and water pollution, mercury poisoning of fish, ocean acidification, climate change, extinction of marine and mammal species, increased lung cancer, heart disease and asthma rates to name a few all represent external costs not included in the production of fossil fuel. Transferring these costs from producer to the public represents a massive subsidy of the fossil fuel industry. This convenient and profitable arrangement has allowed the oil companies to profit immensely at our expense. The only way to slow down this gravy train is to attach a cost to carbon in the form of a revenue neutral carbon tax.

Why Dems and Repubs can rarely find common ground

The main reason as I see it is because Repubs look at the world differently. Whereas Dems tend to see the world as it is in all its complexity, messiness and shades of gray, Repubs see the world as they would like it to be, a nostalgic dream of an era gone by. Many of them long for the world of yesteryear when European whites held all the reins of power and everybody fit in their rightful place. People of color weren’t so uppity and fortunately not many of them voted. Gays stayed in the closet and you could go out for the evening and forget to leave your door unlocked. Yes, those were the days. Now the world has become scary and the people you see in public are many different shades of yellow and brown. A intelligent person of color has made it to the White House, an impossible thought not more than 10 years ago. This rapidly changing demographic profile that makes up the U.S. is a frightening world to many older, white Americans. This fear morphed into anger and expressed itself through the tea party. "Taxed enough already" became their rallying cry in 2009 as the health care bill was being debated but a more accurate slogan would be "Too much change already."  But the demographic changes are here to stay and will likely accelerate as the Baby Boomers begin to die off in 20-30 years. Yet many whites cling to the hope they can somehow reverse this trend and eagerly embrace the messages of fear being promoted from within their ranks. Whether it is Mexicans, gays, Blacks, liberals or socialism, fear is the uniting theme. Though the pages of the playbook are worn and frayed, the strategy is consistently effective. Unable to reinvent itself as a big tent party and sell its bankrupt supply side economic theory, Repubs are forced to use the tactic of divide and conquer. Using social hot button issues such as gay marriage, abortion rights or illegal immigration, Repubs effectively force voters to take sides. If you vote along the party line, you are being patriotic. If you vote the other way, you are a traitor to your country. For many people busy with their daily lives, it is just plain easier to see the world in black and white and let others define right and wrong for them. Adhering to a rigid ideology eliminates the need to think and ponder the world in all its complexity and shades of gray. Some issues can be molded to fit into the guidelines of the ideology such as gay marriage or abortion. Other issues that do not fit the mold or expose the shortcomings of free market economic theory such as climate change need to be vigorously challenged or denied. This irrational approach to everyday problems conflicts with the more complex, scientific problem solving approach favored by Dems. In this environment, little can get accomplished since the mechanism by which problems get solved is different. There can be no common ground between the two parties unless the problem solving mechanism is the same. This would mean either Dems give up science as the reliable way of understanding the world or Repubs must discard their non-linear way thinking.

Letter to Eddie and Monica Ortiz

Eddie and Monica Ortiz own the Grocery Outlet in Rancho Cordova, CA located at 2801 Zinfandel Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.

Dear Eddie and Monica:

I am a regular customer of the Rancho Cordova Grocery Outlet and admire all the good things you do for the local community. I read a while back that your store has an advanced electrical monitoring system arranged with SMUD to help lower your power consumption and reduce your carbon footprint. Considering your commitment to the environment, I find it puzzling that you do not provide a bicycle rack near the entrance to the store to customers like myself who get around town by bike.Your attention to this matter would be greatly appreciated and would further demonstrate your commitment to protecting the environment.

Sincerely,
David Brotman

Porcupine Fable

It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold. The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together. This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions even though they gave off heat to each other.
After awhile, they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth. Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. This way they learned to live with the little wounds that were caused by the close relationship with their companion, but the most important part of it, was the heat that came from the others. This way they were able to survive.
Moral of the story: The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people, but the best is when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others and can admire the other person’s good qualities. In other words, learn to love the little pricks in your life.

Speak Up and You Shall Be Heard

I am a frequent customer at the Bel-Air Market in the Gold River Town Centre. There is an eating area in front of the market with tables and chairs. Almost every time I walk by, at least one person is smoking. I have gotten into the habit of hyperventilating on approach and then holding my breath until I get to the entrance near the ATM machines. For some reason, today I thought about whether there might be an alternative to hyperventilating. Suddenly an idea popped into my head! The Starbucks at the far end of the shopping center recently remodeled their store and along with the remodel was new signage outside that prohibited smoking within 20 feet of the store which effectively ended all the outdoor smokestacks that regularly visit for a coffee. Why not suggest the same for Bel Air? The possibility that they might accept this argument by precedence made sense and I had reason to be optimistic. The Town Centre shopping center is an older strip mall built in the 1980’s when the word pedestrian was still considered a foreign term. Like others built at the time, the parking lot and driveways were designed exclusively to accommodate the automobile. There is even a driveway that circles the perimeter of the mall that people use as a sort of mini-freeway. The main driveway that passes in front of the stores is narrow and there were no speed bumps installed to slow traffic down. People exiting the store had to look carefully to make sure no car was speeding through. My own close call took place about 2 years ago when I was crossing from the Jamba Juice side back over to Bel Air. A driver nearly clipped me as I was crossing the road. I yelled at him to stop and he looked up from whatever he was doing and did stop but then tried to defend his actions with some sheepish denial. That incident prompted me to suggest to the manager at Bel Air to install speed bumps. The manager at the time commiserated with me, noting that she was very aware of the problem and promised to work with the mall owner to see if something could be done. Well, sure enough, last year, new speed bumps were installed. So perhaps they did take me seriously.Anyways, that was a little bit of a tangent. Back to the main story. I decided to speak up once again. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Were they going to argue that they didn’t have jurisdiction over the outside area or have to consult with corporate headquarters? Nope, as soon as I mentioned it to the manager, he said he would get signs installed right away. I don’t know how long this will take, but I go over there pretty frequently.Moral of the story. If you think something needs attention, better to speak up. If you just assume someone else will speak up for you, you might be waiting a long time. In this case, Bel Air has been there over 10 years.

Letter to Dan Lungren

Dear Debra:

Per your instructions, I will outline my purpose for meeting with Congressman Lungren.First of all, I had the good fortune of bumping into Congressman Lungren in front of the Bel Air Market a couple of weeks ago. We talked a little bit about clean energy but under those circumstances, it was difficult to have a meaningful discussion. I would like to meet with Congressman Lungren to discuss 2 issues of critical importance: the impacts of climate change, our reliance on fossil fuels and what should be done about it.I do
not know whether or not Congressman Lungren accepts the theory that the climate is changing and humans are the primary cause of these changes. There is an accumulating body of evidence supporting anthropogenic climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which was created by the World Meteorological Organization has stated unequivocally in its most recent assessment that Human activities ... "are modifying the concentration of atmospheric constituents ... that absorb or scatter radiant energy. ... [M]ost of the observed warming over the last 50 years is likely to have been due to the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations." The statements by the IPCC are supported by every major scientific organization in the U.S., including the National Academy of Sciences, The American Meteorological Society, the American Geophysical Union, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). All have issued statements in recent years concluding that the evidence for human modification of climate is compelling.In short, there is no longer any meaningful debate occurring among scientists about whether
climate change is happening and whether humans are the cause. That issue has been settled. A small group of skeptics remain who have offered other theories such as water vapor, natural variation, sunspots,etc. None of the competing theories have withstood scientific scrutiny.

Most of these other explanations tend to focus on one aspect of the climate change model or
extract limited pieces of data, also known as cherry-picking to bolster their arguments. If Congressman Lungren is interested in learning more about the scientific basis behind climate change theory, I urge him to contact Dr. James Hansen of the Nasa Goddard Institute of Space Studies. Dr. Hansen is the leading climatologist on global warming and has been researching this problem for over 20 years. I am sure he would be delighted to discuss the issue with Congressman Lungren. Dr. Hansen can be reached at (212) 678-5500.
The impacts of climate change are already evident on a global scale. Mountain glaciers are receding and the polar ice caps are melting. A massive ice sheet 100 square miles and 600 feet thick in size recently broke off of the coast of Greenland. 2010 is shaping up to be the hottest year on record. Coral reefs around the world are under stress due to the acidification of the ocean from increasing Co2 concentrations in the atmosphere. Unusually hot weather gripped Russia this year, drying out acres of farmland and raising wheat prices around the world.

There is no secret as to what is causing the increase in Co2 in the atmosphere. The burning of fossil fuels since the beginning of the industrial revolution have released millions of tons of Co2 and much of the Co2 that was burned at the beginning of the 20th century is still in the air today. Dr. Hansen has identified a list of what he refers to as positive feed backs, which are observable consequences of Co2 increases that are responsible for accelerating the warming of the planet. According to Dr. Hansen, the earth’s climate is approaching a critical tipping point, where it may be too late to do anything. Once again, I urge Congressman Lungren to speak directly to Dr. Hansen so he can understand this problem in more depth.

To summarize:

1. The earth is getting warmer due to the increase in Co2 in the atmosphere.
2. Humans are responsible for the increase in Co2 due to the burning of fossil fuels.
3. The consequences of a warmer earth are now observable and accelerating.

The only question left is what to do about it. Clearly, we cannot extract and consume every last bit of fossil fuel left underground before we seek out alternatives. The consequences of burning additional fossil fuels, especially coal would be disastrous from both an economic and environmental perspective. I completely understand the concerns of many in Congress and perhaps Congressman Lungren who fear that any attempt to begin a transition to a clean energy economy would cost thousands of jobs. However, those costs must be weighed against the cost of not doing anything. On July 27, 2010 a panel of experts and officials from the Dept of Defense gathered to discuss the issue of clean energy. The Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus stated that it is a matter of national security to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels and his statements were echoed by other officials at the meeting including Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman at theDept of Energy. According to Deputy Secretary Poneman, the status quo is unsustainable. He goes on to say that, "The security and prosperity of the United States are directly tied to energy." A May, 2009 report from the Center for Naval Analysis called our national energy posture a serious and urgent threat to national security.

From everything that I have presented above, the only logical solution is to phase out fossil fuel use in this country and build an alternative clean energy infrastructure. The purpose of my meeting with Congressman Lungren is to give him a blueprint for accomplishing this goal. I promise not to take up too much of his time. I only ask that he hear me out on this.

Sincerely,
David Brotman

Return Comcast Cable Box

Since we can watch lots of stuff directly from the computer, we decided to end the Chinese package with expanded cable. This meant I had to return the cable box to the Comcast store on Truxel across from the Walmart in North Natomas. Total distance is approximately 24 miles. The weather was cooperating. In fact it was slightly nippy. Fall has finally arrived in Sacramento after a brief Indian summer last week. I left at about 10 minutes to 10 in the morning after taking Fluffy for a short walk. I don’t like to stop and the reason is that my muscles start to stiffen up. So I simply slow down for some Gatorade every once in a while which worked out fine. I arrived at the shopping center about 12 noon and before I parked my bike, I checked to see if the Indian fast food place was still there since it tasted so good last time. I was dismayed to find the space empty with a for lease sign. Jeez, that was only about 1.5 months ago that I ate there. Oh well. I locked my bike and opened the door to the Comcast store. It was crowded with a long line of people returning equipment and paying their bills. I had to wait about 1/2 hour but fortunately there was a big screen TV to pass the time. Business completed, it was time to choose a place to eat. I went over to unlock my bike and suddenly heard, "Hey, you in the shades, what time is it?" A well-dressed homeless man had looked up from reading some type of textbook and I told him, "It is 12:23. " He smiled and then said, "Bless you man, bless you." I just nodded. I could have said bless you too, but I am not a blessing you this or that type of person.
Okay back to the issue at hand. Food. Del Taco was out of the question and so was Arby’s. Their sandwiches are loaded with way too much salt. How about that Gordita’s Burrito on Truxel and El Camino? Yes, I remember that place. It was a decent place with good, clean food. I arrived at the corner and looked for the restaurant sign. It was gone but it did say Taqueria Mezcal. Okay, that’s close enough. I parked in front of La Bou next door, walked in and ordered a chicken burrito and a small drink. That burrito tasted so good. What a difference from that crap I ate at El Forastero. It was large and had beans, fresh chicken and I think some rice as well. I have come not to expect lettuce and tomato in burritos. But they did have salsa and it was fresh and appetizing, especially the green salsa. I piled green and red salsa onto my burrito and wolfed it down while dripping salsa and sauce on my plate. I was enjoying myself so much, I forgot about the time. Oh, shit! I had to be back in Gold River by 3 PM to pick up Pumpkin and it was already after 1. Travel time on the bike trail is usually never less than 1.5 hours and that was going downhill. Going back is all uphill. I had to get going. I jumped on my bike and headed back as fast as my sleepy legs would crank those pedals. My legs were sore and the burrito was weighing me down. No wonder sports experts do not recommend eating big meals before working out. I am sure there was a battle going on inside me to see where the blood would go - to my stomach or to my legs. I tried to put the pain and soreness out of my mind and focused on getting a rhythm. I am always amazed at how fast other cyclists ride on that path. I was pumping hard and I was probably averaging 12 mph which was not too shabby considering I had already traveled over 25 miles. But they were passing me by like I was standing still and no one looked like they were exerting much effort either. I didn’t want to look at the time on my cellphone and just pushed as hard as I could. I didn’t want Pumpkin standing outside waiting for me. Finally, I arrived on Roaring Camp Drive just as the school bell rang in the distance. Wow, what timing! I just made it. I parked my bike under a tree where I usually meet her and 2 minutes later saw her dragging her backpack on the sidewalk. That was close!Total adventure time - 5 hours. Distance traveled - 48 miles.

Remembering David Waldman

Yesterday we visited Gilda and the rest of the Waldmans at her house to remember and celebrate the life of David Waldman who passed away on September 20th. It was great to see Eric, Suene, Ian and the kids, Ridley and Jude. I spent half my childhood at the Waldman’s, going up every year to spend the summer with Ian and Eric. I had a lot of fun times there, playing up at the circle and getting a little too wild every now and then with Eric and Ian. I was always fascinated with David’s skills as a carpenter and his ability to remodel the house in Kensington mostly by himself. I eagerly helped him whenever he needed help, not only to gain a little insight into how to build a house but also because he had a funny sense of humor. Some of my most memorable times were listening to him rant about the Republicans in Washington at the dinner table. His language was usually colorful and his observations were always insightful. I am going to miss him a lot.For anyone who was unable to attend the event yesterday, I have reproduced a short biography written by Gilda about David and their long marriage together.

Ami Bera/Dan Lungren Cosmic Collision

I have always been involved with politics. I guess it runs in my family. I am not going to go into detail about how politics have influenced my family in negative ways. Instead I am only going to mention that I never have and never will vote Republican, at least not in this lifetime. The Republican agenda runs counter to pretty much everything I stand for. Given the poor state of the economy, one might think that jobs are at the top of my list of priorities. And although getting more business is important to me, equally important are the accelerating effects of global warming. The science is unambiguous and definitive that humans are the cause of global warming and that the effects will be catastrophic if nothing is done very quickly to move away from fossil fuels. With an anemic economy and illegal immigration dominating the news, convincing people that global warming is not only real but is beginning to affect us in the form of higher food prices, loss of fresh water, rising sea levels, ocean acidification and dying coral reefs, to name a few, is a hard sell. The scary part is that some scientists are beginning to mention the possibility that we are close to reaching a tipping point, or in layman’s terms, the point of no return where nothing we do will be able to overcome the positive feed backs that are accelerating rising temperatures across the globe.


In fact, I feel so strongly about this issue, that I gave up my car on 8/11/09. It has been a challenge doing without a car but now that I have adjusted my lifestyle, I have never felt better. Yes, we still have a car but I rarely drive it unless I need to buy 5 gallon bottles of water or something else that just won’t fit in a backpack. And this brings me to why I am writing about Ami Bera and Dan Lungren. Dan Lungren represents the 3rd district which includes Gold River. He is a very conservative Republican and it puzzles me why the Sacramento Bee is endorsing him for reelection. A couple of months ago, I got a call from someone working for Ami Bera. Who is Ami Bera? He is the latest Democratic challenger to try and unseat Lungren in this year’s midterm election. I decided to help out with the limited time I have available to try and get Ami Bera elected. A couple of weeks ago, I did some phone bank work at the Ami Bera’s headquarters in Carmichael and just this past Friday, I did some more limited phone bank work remotely from home. Yesterday, which was Saturday, Eric drove up from Sherman Oaks to join us in attending a celebration of David Waldman’s life. They arrived in the late afternoon and we didn’t feel like going out so I offered to head over to Bel Air Market to pick up some Chinese food from the deli. I threw my backpack on and jumped on my bike for the 5 minute ride over. The service at the deli was quick. 1 quart of fried rice, 1 quart of chow mein and 12 potstickers seemed like just enough for dinner. I carried the food back to my bike and loaded everything in my backpack. After unlocking the bike from the pole it was tethered to, I looked up and noticed a tall, curly haired man wearing a t-shirt and shorts who looked a little disheveled. I stared at him as he pulled a couple of shopping bags out of a shopping cart. "He looks very familiar," I thought to myself. Could it be? Is that who I think it is? He looked exactly like Dan Lungren. That’s impossible. Wait a sec. I remember reading someplace that he actually lives in Gold River but spends most of his time in Washington, D.C. So it must be him. Although I agree with nothing he supports, I do write to him from time to time, doing my best to try and convince him that something needs to be done about global warming. I decided to take a chance. "Dan Lungren, is that you?", I asked tentatively. He wheeled around, smiled and nodded. I walked over and introduced myself and told him that I was the one who has been sending him emails about clean energy. How would he react to that? "I do get a lot of emails but my staff goes through every one", he replied. He started talking about some company in Rancho Cordova named Clean Energy Systems that is involved in extracting more oil from the old oilfields in Bakersfield and sequestering carbon at the same time. Boy, if that is his idea of clean energy, I have a much bigger challenge ahead of me than I thought. In any case, it seems strange and somewhat coincidental that the day after I do some phone banking for Ami Bera, I run into Dan Lungren, the incumbent who Ami Bera is running against.

Ami Bera Phone Bank

Today was my first experience doing phone banking. Calling up strangers and asking them to vote is not my forte but life is about doing things that are uncomfortable. Otherwise, we stagnate. I checked the bike route to Carmichael and it said 5.9 miles which seemed impossible but I decided to follow the instructions in the route given. Left home at 9:20 AM, went under the Sunrise bridge and crossed over to the north side of the American River. The instructions said right on Bannister. I had no idea where Bannister was and when I crossed over there appeared to be only one street exit from the river access point. Hmm, okay I might as well go up this one, I decided. It was steep but fortunately no cars. There was no street sign to confirm whether I was on the right street until I got to the top of the hill and by then there was no way I was turning around. It ended up being Pennsylvania Ave, exiting to Fair Oaks Blvd near Bob’s Cycles. I was not about to head down Fair Oaks Blvd despite there being a bike lane. No way, not with cars going 50 mph. I found a street I think was called New York Ave. and decided to give it a go, hoping it would not be a dead end. I was pleasantly surprised to be riding through a well paved, bucolic neighborhood with rolling hills, empty fields and lots of trees. This was nice. Stop sign brought me to Winding Way. Not much traffic here so I decided to go east on Winding Way. That turned out to be a good decision. Winding Way has a nice wide bike lane and there aren’t many cars to contend with. I turned right on San Juan and then left on Winding Way again. This was great. Hardly any cars. A little roughly maintained - a few trees poking out into the street but that was easy to navigate through. I thought Manzanita was much farther away than it was because in less than 10 minutes, I had arrived. The address was 4132 Manzanita, Carmichael and I was at 4701. Not knowing which way the numbers were going, I turned right, passing by some jardineros struggling to remove a tree from in front of a gas station. This area has some historical significance because there is a mongolian bbq place across the street which was the very first restaurant we ever ate at after arriving in Sacramento. And it is still there! Okay, wrong direction because the numbers were increasing. I reversed direction and headed down Manzanita. The old Crestview bowling alley, now boarded up and abandoned had a sign that read "We will miss you." A few more blocks and I arrived at my destination which was the Sacramento headquarters of Ami Bera For Congress, tucked away in a small strip mall. Dripping with sweat as usual, I opened the door and was greeted by a young woman who asked me to sign in. Her name was Sarah and she got me setup at one of the computers. Good thing I brought my cell phone because I was going to need it. She explained the procedure - all I had to do was read from a script on the screen, enter the disposition and move on to the next name. The purpose here was to call people to remind them to fill out their vote by mail application and then to vote for Ami Bera who is running against Dan Lungren in my district. The first few calls were a little awkward as I got used to reading the script but after a while it started to come easy. I wasn’t phased by people hanging up on me and no one was rude though a few reminded me that they had already been contacted 3 or 4 times. I am sure I would not have been happy to receive this type of call if it was the 3rd or 4th time for me. I got a rhythm going and made it to around 50 calls. By that time, it was 12 and time to go. I bid farewell and they begged me to come back next week. I didn’t commit but told them I would check my calendar. Next stop was either Dollar Tree or 99 Cent store. Fortunately, there was a Dollar Tree nearby and I loaded up on soap, toothpaste and some other miscellaneous items. I continued down Fair Oaks because Manzanita turns into Fair Oaks and was pleasantly surprised to see a Big Lots store. This was cool because I have been looking for one and the one on Folsom closed. Bought some socks and maple syrup and a mouse pad for 80 cents.My backpack was now around 20 pounds so I decided time to go home. The ride back was enjoyable. Fair Oaks and Carmichael are beautiful areas. I passed by some horse pastures, large estates where I couldn’t even see the houses, they were so well hidden. No traffic and lots of trees. Heading back I found Bannister Ave which was where I was supposed to turn. It said river access so I gladly turned off of Fair Oaks Blvd just before it turned into a roller coaster. Trail led me back to where I originally went up and then I made it home. Total adventure time was 4 hours.

We Love Oil!

President Obama, don’t you understand? We Americans don’t want clean energy. We want dirty energy! We demand our right to breathe unburned hydrocarbons on a cool winter day. We proudly proclaim our support for the freedom to inhale diesel particulate matter deep into our lungs.

Yes, we stand here and salute the red, the white, the blue and the brown  haze that hangs over our cities like a warm, soothing bowl of pea soup.  Our children deserve all the best we have to give them, like asthma, cardiac disease and lung cancer. Oil is our lifeblood even if it eventually becomes our deathblood. Let us show the world that we are proud Americans, proud to go in reverse and experience the joys of living in an oil based economy for generations and generations thereafter. Let freedom ring and oil gush. Amen!

Some Paraprosdokians

Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather. Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.

Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it’s still on the list.

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

If I agreed with you we’d both be wrong.

We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

War does not determine who is right - only who is left.

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

Evening news is where they begin with ‘Good evening’, and then proceed to tell you why it isn’t.

A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.

How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?

Some people are like Slinkies ... not really good for anything, but you can’t help smiling when you see one tumble down the stairs.

Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.

I didn’t say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

Why do Americans choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?

Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.

A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!

Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won’t expect it back.

A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you will look forward to the trip.

Hospitality: making your guests feel like they’re at home, even if you wish they were.

Some cause happiness wherever they go. Others whenever they go.

There’s a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can’t get away.

I used to be indecisive. Now I’m not sure.

I always take life with a grain of salt, plus a slice of lemon, and a shot of tequila.

When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.

You’re never too old to learn something stupid.

To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.

Some people hear voices. Some see invisible people. Others have no imagination
whatsoever.


A bus is a vehicle that runs twice as fast when you are after it as when you are in it.


If you are supposed to learn from your mistakes, why do some people have more than one child?

Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

I asked god for a bike, but I know god doesn’t work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.

What is a Teabagger

Teabaggers are misinformed, right-wing corporate media consumers who often fail to understand that BOTH major parties represent a corrupt plutocracy that steals from the middle class by taxing labor and profiting from corporate tax subsidies.

A teabagger also often fails to acknowledge that George W. Bush and his neo-conservative minions perpetrated one of the boldest and most  egregious executive power grabs in the history of the United States. Furthermore, teabaggers mistakenly continue to blame a newly elected President Obama for all that ails the United States of America, based on  a grossly flawed perception of reality (including latent racial prejudice) and despite the fact the U.S. economy collapsed on the previous administration’s watch.

Teabaggers are also known to base their misguided, right-wing-media -inspired beliefs about President Obama on stupid conspiracy theories about totalitarian takeovers, FEMA camps, etc., despite the fact these very same theories have been circulating around on the Internet for years, and were originally ascribed to neo-conservative capitalists at a time when Barack Obama had not even entered national politics. Teabaggers also are known to be particularly paranoid, xenophobic and intolerant, especially with regard to immigrants and anyone who isn’t white.

Additionally, teabaggers generally echo stupid myths about entitlement spending (it actually only accounts for about 1% of federal budget spending), have no idea that most poor people
in America are not lazy, actually do work and don’t want to be on welfare, and have no idea  what socialism actually means or that socialist reform in this country is actually what allowed a middle class to flourish and ultimately make the U.S. one of the most prosperous nations in human history.

Furthermore, teabaggers incorrectly equate socialism with Stalinism, think a system that rewards greed (capitalism) is the divine preference (despite Gospel evidence to the contrary), and are shameless champions of a misguided belief in American exceptionalism. Teabaggers also fail to recognize the inherently unpatriotic nature of their failed  every-man-for-himself ideology that ultimately vilifies anyone who supports public policy aimed at reaching out to fellow Americans in need. They celebrate an exploitative corporatocracy (holy creator of jobs, blah blah blah) while denigrating the little guy for being "weak."

Interestingly, teabaggers uphold an immoral, morbidly obese, twice  divorced, draft-dodging, college dropout and known drug addict as their  de facto leader, and are even known to advocate burning books. Of course, teabaggers fail to recognize the blatant hypocrisy within the GOP and tend to oversimplify all political debate and social issues, much like their pseudo-intellectual, fat-@#$% leader.

Finally, incredibly, teabaggers fail to recognize the hysterical double entendre associated with their proudly adopted teabag moniker.

Every village has its idiots, of course, but it’s sad when citizens of any nation allow themselves to be whipped into a frenzy enmasse by a state-run propaganda machine masquerading as a legitimate, fair, balanced and independent news organization.

Teabaggers are RIGHT to believe the future of the U.S.A. is in jeopardy, but sadly they have not yet correctly identified the real enemy. Perhaps when teabaggers finally grow up and mature into thinking adults, they will see the right-leaning power establishment for the oppressive and cunning beast that it is.

Teabagger: We don’t care that George Bush tripled the deficit, lied us into a war, and increased the government by 25%. The new administration only cut taxes for 90% of the population... fascists. Let’s go throw some Lipton tea bags into a fountain.

Jury Duty

About every 2 years, I get a jury summons. The last one back in 2008 involved an alleged dui. In that case, I voted to acquit due to lack of evidence. That service took about a week and a half. Resigned to the possibility of another week or more of service, I was prepared for the 50 mile round trip bike ride. Frankly, I really don’t care if I hear "On your left" or have to put up with a caravan of 20 cyclists whizzing by me in lycra shorts and Italian t-shirts. Today was my day. I allocated the entire day to this event since I had no idea if I was going to need to serve or not. The only instructions were to arrive in front of the Superior Court at 11:30 AM and then call an 800 number for further instructions.

The normal travel time from Gold River to downtown Sacramento via bike is usually around 2 hours give or take 10 minutes. I left at around 7:45 AM just to be safe. Weather was good, light wind, cool temperature and the trail was empty of bikes. Notice I said bikes. There are plenty of joggers out at that time. By the time I passed Hagan Park, there were more cyclists crowding the trail. I always wonder how they have time to zip up and down the trails during work hours since they are clearly not dressed for work or carry any changes of clothing, unless of course they keep a change of clothes at work. I would say about 95% of the people I see on the trail are there to exercise whereas I am on the trail to go someplace and happen to be exercising in the process.Anyways, I made it to the railroad trestle near downtown by 10 AM. That gave me plenty of time since the travel time from the trestle to my destination was not more than15 minutes.

I decided to detour to the 99 cent store to stock up on drinks. I had long ago emptied my water bottle and the thought of downing a big bottle of Gatorade excited me. Yes, this is the same 99 cent store mentioned in a previous blog entry. Corner of El Camino Ave and Northgate Blvd in South Natomas. Going there always brings back fond memories of working at LEED and the Farm Bureau on Gateway Oaks Blvd. This 99 cent store is always well stocked and today was no exception. I headed straight for the drink aisle and picked up water, Gatorade, an energy drink and some Arizona tea. Outside, it was time to apply some more sunblock. After getting all slathered up, I hopped on my bike and headed back to the trail. I stopped at the trestle and eagerly sucked down the Gatorade. That tasted really good after riding 2 hours. Finally, I arrived at the courthouse at exactly 11:30 AM. Here was the moment of truth. I dialed the 800 number, followed the prompts and arrived at a robotic voice that said, "Group 531, your group is not needed at this time. Your service is completed."

Oh, okay. So no need to serve. I was basically done for the day. Now I just needed to return home. I had 2 other items on my agenda for that day. One was to exchange my old RT tickets for new ones and the other was to purchase another digital clock for my bedroom since Pumpkin took mine. First stop was the RT office on R street. I was surprised to see a long line of people waiting in line. Maybe it had something to do with being the first of the month. While waiting, I was forced to listen to a fat heifer gush about her grandchild to another woman and a man that would make strange gurgling noises about every 3 minutes. My turn certainly didn’t take very long. "Sorry, sir but none of those tickets are any good anymore." "None?," I asked. "None," she smiled. Oh well. That was about 15 minutes of wasted time.
I was pretty sure there was a Big Lots store somewhere on Folsom Blvd near Power Inn Road. I had a vague idea on how to make it over to Folsom Blvd from downtown. I knew it was somewhere off of Alhambra just east of the Cap City Freeway but as far as getting over there, I didn’t know which streets were the quietest route for bikes. Somehow I ended up heading east on Q street then north on 21st street. These are streets I do not normally bike on so I was not familiar with the traffic nor the terrain. This turned out to be a bad decision. I recognized the Chinese dim sum place I went to a long time ago but nothing else. Turns out that at each intersection there is an extra peninsula of sidewalk to allow walkers to avoid getting hit by cars. Okay, that’s nice. I am always supportive of walk friendly streets. But a sidewalk jutting out into the street is not bike friendly. I momentarily gazed up to look at a restaurant coming up on my right, imagining that I was wolfing down a giant burrito with green salsa and failed to see the curb. Bam! The bike lurched to the side and I fell immediately onto the pavement, eating some asphalt and scraping up my right knee in the process. Oh shit! My immediate thought was not my knee but whether my bike held out okay. This was crucial because there really was no other way home for me. I immediately got up and checked the bike. Seemed okay. "Hey, buddy. You okay?", a guy called out from a large SUV behind dark tinted windows. I waved at him and motioned that indeed, I was fine. Well, the truth was that I wasn’t all that fine. I’ve been in worse accidents but my knee stung pretty badly. I am sitting in the middle of a concrete jungle so there aren’t any bathrooms nearby and my next order of business was to find some way to wash off my knee. By the way, I was wearing shorts which from a certain perspective was actually a good thing since it made it easier to clean the wound. I continued riding, looking for a park, anyplace to wash but not thinking strategically about where I was riding. I was paying attention to the ground which was good but choosing the wrong streets to ride. I turned right on J street and found myself playing cat and mouse with cars. A small sedan passed within inches of my handlebar. One false move and I would have ended up in the ER.
Fortunately, I quickly detoured south on 26th street and was relieved to find myself in front of Sutter’s Fort. Okay, there has to be a bathroom here. There are plenty of fountains, a duck pond and a drinking fountain. Ah ha, a bathroom! I quickly went in and of course there was no soap in it because it is one of those public bathrooms that homeless use. I splashed water on the scrape and winced in pain. Did that help? Probably not.I was 25 miles from home with a scrapped knee. The weather was kind of hot and I was hungry. I finally found Folsom Blvd. This is the beginning of a road that goes all the way to the Folsom bridge about 30+ miles away. Here it is a narrow street. When it finally passes Power Inn Road it becomes a wide 4 lane boulevard. My decision was made, though. I was going to look for Big Lots, quickly grab a clock then find a place to eat nearby. That wasn’t going to pan out because Big Lots no longer existed on Folsom Blvd. Okay, forget about Big Lots, I thought to myself. My stomach was growling and I was going through an empty stretch of road. I continued on and found El Forastero, a taqueria just east of Watt Ave. I could have gone to La Bou which would have probably been a better experience but I still had a burrito floating around in my head. I ordered the California burrito which turned out to be a messy, greasy concoction without any lettuce, tomato or other green vege on it. I loaded it up with salsa to make it at least halfway decent. Still, it was a heavy dish that took a long time to finish, A group of nursing students, probably from one of those vocational colleges nearby came in after me and each one ordered a combination plate filled with beans, rice, nachos, cheese you name it. They were chattering up a storm and somehow chowing down in the process. I had made it halfway through my burrito and was surprised to see them busing their trays. One of them belched as she dropped her tray contents into the trash can. She was kind of attractive but when she belched, that thought was immediately erased and replaced with revulsion.

I wanted out of there and so I speeded up my meal. I got out and hopped on my bike. Only this time, I felt weighted down. That really was a mistake but too late now. I suddenly had a thought: What about buying the clock at Walmart? It was on the way, after all. That was going to be my final stop before going home. I was about 4 miles away. I fell into somewhat of a trance while riding. There was not much traffic so I just day dreamed. About a half hour later I arrived at the Rancho Cordova Walmart. I locked my bike up and sauntered in. An old lady in glasses called out, "Welcome to Walmart." I was a sweaty mess with a red knee that had now crusted over slightly but she must have seen worse because it didn’t phase her. Wow! What a difference. The store had gone through a complete makeover. There was a supermarket with a deli section. I almost didn’t recognize where I was. I had to wander around for a while. Finally, I located the clocks and grabbed an extra large digital one to put on my dresser in my bedroom. I had another thought: Don’t I need some pants? Most of my pants had already become gooby pants and it really was time. I found the jeans area and located a pair of $10 jeans. That was my price. Straight leg, relaxed fit. Even though I knew my size, I thought I should still try it on. I looked around and saw the dressing rooms. I pulled up my cart and took out the pair and said "just one pair" to a pregnant Russian looking woman with a name tag that said "Olga" sitting down in front of the only 2 rooms to change in. She motioned to the room on the right. The door was closed. I asked, "Is this available?" She nodded her head and continued talking with her coworker who was standing next to her. I turned the knob and pushed on the door. The door opened and I stood face to face with the ass of a large, naked woman who was bending over right in front of me. Oh shit! That was the last thing I expected to see and it was a revolting sight but I reacted quickly and shut the door without her knowing. Good thing too. I am sure that the store’s pleasant background music would have been rudely interrupted by a blood curdling scream that would have shaken even the most seasoned shopper and store clerk. "Excuse me, but that room is taken." I was clearly shaken up but Olga didn’t even bat an eyelash. She just rolled her eyes and motioned to the other room. I made it out and hurried home. "What an ordeal," I thought to myself as I flopped down on the couch.

Visit to Comcast in Natomas

This past Thursday I had to get a cable box from Comcast so we can watch Chinese programs when Cindy’s parents come in a couple of weeks. The closest Comcast office is located in North Natomas near the Walmart on Truxel Road. Travel time by car is about 40 minutes. Travel time by bike is about 2 hours. I gave up my car on 8/11/09 so that means bike, walk or crawl. Fortunately the bike trail goes all the way to Truxel . I had originally thought about going up Northgate but Northgate is bumpy and the road is narrow. Truxel is wider and more pleasant to ride on. I slung on my backpack to carry the cable box and gatorade in the bike bottle holder and off I went. Departure time was 10:07 AM, and not too hot. By the time I made it to Cal Expo, I was pretty thirsty and the gatorade was almost gone. Decided to make a pitstop at the 99 cent store on Northgate and El Camino. A couple that looked kind of trashy was arguing in front of the entrance. Now this area is traditionally quite Hispanic. There is a Pupusa place right next to the 99 cent store where I had a torta de pollo a few months back and that was about as greasy as it gets. I practically emptied an entire napkin holder eating it while a 2 year old boy watched me with interest. But that was then and I wasn’t in the mood for greasy. There was something different about the area but I hadn’t put my finger on it yet. I loaded up on some iced tea and an energy drink just in case and went back to my bike where I had tied my backpack up. I usually try and avoid taking my backpack into the store. I had left my sun block in the main pocket and when opened it up, the tube had apparently opened up somehow on the trip over and half a tube of sun block was plastered all over the inside. What a mess! I didn’t have any napkins this time so I figured I would clean it up after picking up the cable box. I looked around as I was unlocking the bike and noticed something there was something different about South Natomas that I hadn’t noticed before. Yes, it is an area that is kind of rough around the edges but there was definitely something going on. I glanced around and saw an Indian family parking their car right in front of me. I also heard some Indian music playing from a stereo not far away. This area that was once solidly Hispanic was becoming East Indian. My hunch was confirmed when I passed by a restaurant that was formerly a Taqueria and had now become a small Fijian market. Well, that’s interesting.

See, this is the type of info that you might miss driving in a car. But I hadn't missed anything. Just goes to show you that neighborhoods, like people are dynamic, living entities that are constantly changing. Okay, enough of the philosophy. Time to get a move on. I was now heading west down El Camino and then right on Truxel. Going over any freeway on a bike can be risky and the Truxel/I-80 interchange is no exception. The safe way is to ride opposite traffic on the sidewalk and then all the cars can see you when they turn. After making it over the freeway I passed Walmart and then continued a short distance on the other side. Destination address was 3890 Truxel Road. I passed by the address without realizing it and just as I was about to cross another small intersection, a woman driving a small Nissan Sentra cut me off as she turned in front of me. No signaling, no slowing down nothing. She missed me by about 1 foot. Fortunately, I saw her quickly enough to take evasive measures. This is why I avoid riding at all on the street. I really don’t care if it is illegal. I stopped off at a McDonalds to take a piss and hopped on my bike to backtrack a short distance. The Comcast store is tucked away in a small shopping mall.

Finally, after about 2 hours of riding, I had arrived at my destination. I went inside and a woman standing next to a terminal asked me if I was adding service or picking up equipment. I answered yes to both questions and she offered to assist. Okay, fine. She started entering some info and asked what I was ordering. I mentioned the Chinese CCTV-4 and Zhong-Tian package and that must have really thrown her for a loop. She went into the back and came out and then motioned me over to another employee on the other side of the store. Okay, fine. I basically went through the entire process from the beginning and once again, when we got to the point where she asked what service I wanted and she started to type something on her workstation and then finally, got up and headed into the back. After a few moments, she came out with someone who I guessed was a supervisor. This woman was the only one who knew what to do and after a few minutes, she said she was going to get my cable box and would return in a minute. I looked over at someone who was in the process of returning a mammoth sized cable box and I asked if my box was going to be that big. She said not to worry and came out with a small sized box, just the right size to fit inside my backpack. My visit to Comcast was over but I was hungry and it was a long, hot ride back to Gold River. I was pleasantly surprised to see a small Indian fast food place. II ordered a 3 item special with nan bread. Mmmm, that was good. The nan bread was fresh and the food had just the right amount of spice to make the experience really enjoyable.

After lunch, it was time to go home. What a ride. Going back is always more unpleasant because my butt was already sore from sitting so long on the way over. In addition, it was about 1:30 PM and the heat was on. I decided to take it slow and steady and made it all the way to Ancil Hoffman park for my first pitstop. It is approximately mile 13.5 from the intersection of Northgate and the bike trail. I was sweating but the wait was worth it. There is a really powerful drinking fountain that spurts water almost 4 feet high. I soaked my whole head in it for a few minutes. Ahh, that was refreshing. After about 3 minutes it was time to continue. I merged onto the bike trail to go over the Ancil Hoffman bridge right behind the arm rider. Who is the arm rider? He is someone who I draw inspiration from every time I see him which is not that frequently. He has a specially made bicycle that allows him to pedal with his arms with his legs in front. That’s right. Just his arms. He is obviously disabled because his legs look thin. But he can power up hills as fast as most of the riders I see on the trail and maintain a steady pace for miles.After another 45 minutes, I finally made it home. I was pretty tired and took a little siesta.

Letter to Dan Lungren

Dear Congressman Lungren:
I hope you can keep an open mind as I discuss with you the importance and benefits of a carbon tax. I know you may be ideologically opposed to this concept, but please hear me out on this. Fossil fuels, especially oil were instrumental in building the United States into a superpower. We have a lot to thank for the discovery of petroleum and the enormous positive changes brought to our civilization by the industrial revolution. During the middle of the twentieth century as our infrastructure was being built around oil, only a small group of scientists were aware of the toxicity of oil. As our collective knowledge of the effects of burning fossil fuels has grown over the past 60 years, the costs have grown as well. The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and ongoing oil accidents occurring around the world, most recently in Dalian, China illustrate the risks involved in the extraction, refining, delivery and combustion of oil. There is no credible argument that can refute the reality that damage to the environment during the production, delivery and burning of oil represents a cost. Whether we are talking about smog alerts in Los Angeles, increased asthma cases in large cities, ocean dead zones, acid rain, fallout from global climate change, or increased lung cancer rates, we have been paying a price for our decision over a hundred years ago to exploit this resource. Because these costs are so difficult to quantify, we have allowed ourselves to wait until incidents occur before we commit to paying for these costs. In most cases, the general public has footed the tab for these large, spread out environmental damage consequences. If you can see the environment as a cost of production like any other cost such as labor, capital and material, what entity besides the company involved in the production of its product should be responsible for these costs? The obvious answer of course, is that a company operating in a free market economy, should not depend on anyone else for its costs of production. Yet, that is what has been happening on a very large scale for the last 100 years. The fossil fuel industry has, without any fanfare, transferred most of these costs onto the general public, violating some of the most important principles of free enterprise systems - depending on the public to subsidize your business and not maintaining a level playing field for all the market players. Picking up the tab for all of these costs represents a massive subsidy of the fossil fuel industry and has kept the price of oil artificially low relative to its true cost. Is that fair? Yes, I agree these costs are extremely difficult to quantify. But to leave them out is an affront to our free market economy. The purpose of implementing a carbon tax is to finally begin to quantify the cost of environmental damage as a legitimate cost of production, fully integrating these costs into the Profit and Loss statements of fossil fuel companies and leveling the playing field for other energy producers. The other related issue to a carbon tax is jobs. There is a common perception that any type of clean energy legislation would adversely affect our economy and prevent job growth. I beg to differ and I will explain to you why. Our dependence on foreign sources for oil is an issue of national security.
Unfortunately, due to our consumption patterns, there is not enough oil reserves in the U.S., even fully exploited to quench our appetite. In an atmosphere of rapidly rising world demand, oil producing countries cannot keep up with this demand. If you read the Wall Street Journal the other day, a milestone was reached when it was announced that China has now surpassed the United States as the largest consumer of energy. The cost of securing oil from countries that are sometimes openly hostile to our way of life and the risk that some of our money going overseas for oil is finding its ways into the waiting pockets of terrorists is unsettling at the very least. I propose to you that our dependence on oil is the root cause of our precarious economy. Unless we begin to transform our infrastructure and wean ourselves away from oil, the risks will only increase. The United States oil production peaked in 1970 and there are scientists predicting peak oil within the next 10 years. The economic consequences of terminal decline are potentially disastrous. Should we sit this out and wait to see what happens or purchase an insurance policy in the form of clean energy technology to inoculate ourselves from this inevitable result?

Sincerely,
David Brotman

Passing Meaningful Climate Change Legislation

In a recent editorial, Thomas Friedman asked the question: Are there 7 Republicans who can put  their country first and vote for meaningful climate change legislation?

The answer is a qualified no. The only sliver of hope Democrats have in  implementing a carbon tax is to frame the issue as a model of free enterprise. In a market economy, players operate on a level playing field. No one player has an unfair advantage coming into the market. The damage to the environment and our health resulting from the production or use of a fossil fuel represents a cost. Unlike hard costs such as rent, office supplies and labor,  environmental costs are difficult to quantify. Nevertheless, from the beginning of the industrial revolution up through today, the general public has been picking up the tab for these costs. This shifting of cost to the public represents a massive subsidy to the oil, coal and gas industry which explains why fossil fuels remain relatively cheap in comparison to renewable energy. A carbon tax represents the first attempt in a hundred  years to quantify the environmental costs of fossil fuel production. It  finally integrates a cost that has been conspicuously missing from the P and L statements of companies that have profited enormously from its absence. A carbon tax will finally level the playing field in the market, inoculate our economy from volatile price swings as we approach peak oil and affirm our commitment to our children.

Meeting with Elizabeth Kim at Alyson Huber's Office

Today I rode my bike to Rancho Cordova City Hall to meet with Elizabeth Kim, a member of Alyson Huber’s staff. Alysson Huber is the assemblywoman representing the 10th assembly district of California. The purpose of our meeting was to discuss the benefits of a carbon tax. The meeting went really well and I strongly believe that Elizabeth got the concept which is fairly straightforward. When a company produces a product, it is concerned about revenues and expenses. Only measurable costs are included in a P and L statement. Up until now, energy companies such as oil, coal and gas have been able to make enormous profits off of their energy products because they have been able to shift a significant portion of those costs onto the general public. What does this mean? Let’s take a look at coal for example. In strip mining, entire mountains are blown up and removed and heavy machinery is moved in to extract the coal. Once the coal is processed it is used to power utilities and other industries. When the coal is burned, Co2 is released into the air. When the Co2 reacts with H2o, carbonic acid is produced which is more commonly referred to as acid rain. When lakes and rivers become acidic, the fish and other life in the lake die off as oxygen becomes depleted. In addition, Co2 traps heat from the sun which in turn warms the atmosphere, aka global warming. Other chemicals are also released into the air during the burning of coal and find their way into our lungs.Each of these damaging effects either on the environment or our health represent a significant cost. The problem is that quantifying these costs is very difficult. In the absence of easily measurable costs, the fossil fuel industry can profit handsomely by avoiding responsibility and effectively shifting all of these costs onto the general public. This shifting of costs represents a massive subsidy of the fossil fuel industry. In effect, we are paying for part of the production costs of these energy sources. The central premise of my argument for a carbon tax is this: The environment represents a cost of doing business just like any other cost. If you rent a storage space, you have to pay for it. If you rent labor, you have to pay for it. And if you damage the environment during the production of your product, you alone should be responsible for it, not the public. That is what free enterprise is about. A carbon tax is the most effective way of quantifying the cost of "damaging" the environment. It is easy to implement, easy to monitor and encourages a shift away from fossil fuels without compromising jobs. In any case, Elizabeth was so impressed with my ideas, she invited me to meet with Assemblywoman Huber at the state capitol sometime in the future. We agreed that I would call her next week to find out Huber’s reaction to my ideas.

Meeting with Elizabeth Kim at Alyson Huber's Office

Today I rode my bike to Rancho Cordova City Hall to meet with Elizabeth Kim, a member of Alyson Huber’s staff. Alysson Huber is the assemblywoman representing the 10th assembly district of California. The purpose of our meeting was to discuss the benefits of a carbon tax. The meeting went really well and I strongly believe that Elizabeth got the concept which is fairly straightforward. When a company produces a product, it is concerned about revenues and expenses. Only measurable costs are included in a P and L statement. Up until now, energy companies such as oil, coal and gas have been able to make enormous profits off of their energy products because they have been able to shift a significant portion of those costs onto the general public. What does this mean? Let’s take a look at coal for example. In strip mining, entire mountains are blown up and removed and heavy machinery is moved in to extract the coal. Once the coal is processed it is used to power utilities and other industries. When the coal is burned, Co2 is released into the air. When the Co2 reacts with H2o, carbonic acid is produced which is more commonly referred to as acid rain. When lakes and rivers become acidic, the fish and other life in the lake die off as oxygen becomes depleted. In addition, Co2 traps heat from the sun which in turn warms the atmosphere, aka global warming. Other chemicals are also released into the air during the burning of coal and find their way into our lungs.Each of these damaging effects either on the environment or our health represent a significant cost. The problem is that quantifying these costs is very difficult. In the absence of easily measurable costs, the fossil fuel industry can profit handsomely by avoiding responsibility and effectively shifting all of these costs onto the general public. This shifting of costs represents a massive subsidy of the fossil fuel industry. In effect, we are paying for part of the production costs of these energy sources. The central premise of my argument for a carbon tax is this: The environment represents a cost of doing business just like any other cost. If you rent a storage space, you have to pay for it. If you rent labor, you have to pay for it. And if you damage the environment during the production of your product, you alone should be responsible for it, not the public. That is what free enterprise is about. A carbon tax is the most effective way of quantifying the cost of "damaging" the environment. It is easy to implement, easy to monitor and encourages a shift away from fossil fuels without compromising jobs. In any case, Elizabeth was so impressed with my ideas, she invited me to meet with Assemblywoman Huber at the state capitol sometime in the future. We agreed that I would call her next week to find out Huber’s reaction to my ideas.

The Zen of Sarcasm

Don’t  be irreplaceable.  If  you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted.

Always  remember that you’re unique. Just  like everyone else.

Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

Before  you criticize people, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize, you’re a mile away and you have their shoes.

If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is probably not for you.

If  you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably a  wise investment.

If  you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.

Some  days you’re the bug; some days you’re the windshield.

A closed mouth gathers no foot.

Generally speaking, you aren’t learning much when your lips are moving.

Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.

Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

Town Hall Meeting

I decided to go to a town hall meeting hosted by Alyson Huber, Assemblymember of the 10th district. It was held at the Rio Americano High School from 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM. The weather was kind of warm that day but in keeping with my desire to maintain a low carbon footprint, I decided to go there by bike. One way distance is about 9 miles with easy access from the bike trail since the high school overlooks the American River. I was kind of in a hurry so by the time I got there, I was drenched in sweat. I walked into the event at the school library and quite a few heads turned to stare at the spectacle of a man drenched in sweat. After signing in without dripping on the sign-in sheet, I made my way over to a seat about 4 rows back and took in the crowd assembled. A lot of gray hair and bald heads dominated the audience with a few younger people scattered throughout. The meeting started promptly at 5:30 with Assemblymember Huber introducing herself and describing her focus at the state capital. My purpose in attending was to follow up on emails left on her website and messages left on her voice mail asking about the oil severance tax. California is the only oil producing state that does not have a severance tax and a modest 6% tax could pull in close to 900 million dollars a year. After being forced to sit through cranky old conservatives railing about pensions that state workers don’t deserve, I finally got a chance to speak up. My question was whether Ms. Huber thought that the state budget deficit could be solved without looking at any revenue generation and whether she supported the oil severance tax. I was a little disappointed to hear an ambiguous answer from her with her thinking out loud whether gas prices would go up. (The short answer to that question is no, they won’t go up because oil is a world commodity. How come people have so much trouble with this concept?). She did mention that a severance tax is included in the assembly version of the budget but not in the senate version. I appreciated how much time she spent with my question but I don’t get the sense that she is particularly enthusiastic about it. When the meeting ended, there was no time for chit chat since there was another town hall meeting across town she had to go to. I did get a chance to speak to one of her staff members and she told me to call anytime.

Fry's Ordeal

The day pumpkin and wifey left for Taiwan, June 6th, 2010, my computer started wheezing and beeping. I could tell that what was happening was the CPU fan was starting to fail, causing thermal overheating and thus the warning beeps. Since it has been about 4 years since the last time I upgraded, I figured it would be a good time to build a new computer. I usually do all my own upgrading, putting together a new motherboard, CPU and ram since it is pretty simple stuff to do. This particular upgrade turned out to be the upgrade from hell as you shall see.On Monday morning, I scanned the latest Fry’s ads for motherboard/CPU specials. There was a good special going on with a AMD Phenom quad 4 processor. I hopped in the car for the 25 minute drive up Hazel Ave to the Fry’s in Roseville to make the purchase.

An hour and half later, I was back home, busy putting everything together. I didn’t waste any time and by early afternoon, I was ready to flip on the power switch. I turned it on and nothing happened. I checked all my connections and knew something wasn’t right so I figured that it was worth a trip back to Fry’s. At the service desk a technician took a look at the computer and found the problem right away. There is a secondary 12v power supply connection on the Gigabyte motherboard that I had missed, probably because it was a 6 pin connection and my power supply had only a 4 pin connection. I asked the technician if it was okay to plug in a 4 pin male to a 6 pin female and he said "Oh sure, no problem." Okay, I could accept that and feeling a little embarrassed, I packed up the unit and took it back home. As soon as I got home, I turned on the power and it did the POST (power on self test) with no problem. Okay, that’s good. Next step was the operating system install. I put in the Windows XP disk and started the install. Usually when I get to this point, the job is pretty much over since the operating system installs itself and just asks me to plop in a CD when it needs a particular driver. However, this time, I got the blue screen of death at about the halfway point. WTF? I checked all my connections and everything looked fine. Now what? Time to take it back to Fry’s. This time another technician took a look at it and said, "I know what your problem is. You have to install Windows 7." "Are you sure?", I asked . That seemed kind of strange. "Oh, yes. Look right here." And he showed me on the side of the Gigabyte MB box a sticker that said Windows 7 compatible. Okay, I guess he must be right so I packed up the unit and took it back home. I had to pay $100 for Windows 7 Home Premium edition, I justified this purchase because I had always promised myself that eventually I would replace my aging Windows XP system. I put in the disk and the install bombed with a memory address error at about the halfway point. Not again!, I thought to myself. That same afternoon, I got in the car yet again for another trip to Fry’s. By this time, I am starting to get frustrated. Some people would already be dropping their unit from a 20 story building but I am not the type to be easily defeated. I was determined to get it working. At the service desk, I told the technician that I was having problems installing Windows 7 and could they do it for me. Certainly, for $100. Okay, I guess I have to do it. I dropped off the unit and drove home. There was something nagging in the back of my mind about Windows XP not being compatible with an AMD Phenom quad 4 processor and when I got home, I called AMD directly and the support tech guy said that is absolute nonsense that their Phenom processors only work on Windows XP systems. In any case, the next day, the unit was ready for pickup. When I got to the service desk, I asked the technician if he encountered any issues during the install. "Nope, everything was fine," he said. "Are you sure?", I asked. How come he didn’t have any problems and I did? Was there something magical going on? Life wasn’t fair. I took it home and powered it on. It didn’t even get as far as the initial windows splash screen before a memory error came on and when I rebooted it, I got the blue screen of death. Something like bad_pool_not_equal. I was starting to get a little fussy. How many trips have I made? 4 and counting. That is 20 miles/trip which is 40 miles roundtrip or 160 miles. Time for trip #5. At the service desk, I explained my problem and also pointed out that AMD quad 4 processors should work fine on Windows XP. "We have to do some diagnostics", the tech guy told me. Well, duh! How come that wasn’t done during the Windows 7 system install? I can’t imagine that install going without a hitch. "Don’t worry, we’ll find the problem." Famous last words. In any case, I had to leave the unit with them and wait for the results. The next day which was Friday, I called to ask how things were going. "Still performing diagnostics", the support desk answered. "How long is this going to take?" "Try calling tomorrow." Alright. I suppose I could deal with one more day without the computer . After all, I have 4 other computers at home so it is not like I am left high and dry. Regardless, I was anxious to get this issue resolved. The next day, I called in the afternoon. "Sorry, the guy working on it is not here. Try again tomorrow." Now I am getting pissed. See how long it took? I could have gotten pissed back on Wednesday when the Windows 7 install bombed. And looking back, that should have been when I trusted my instincts and thrown in the towel. But I don’t give in very easily. But the operating system issue was bugging me. Why should I have had to buy Windows 7 if it was supposed to work with Windows XP? I decided that it was time to return everything. I should get a refund on the operating system install because the tech guy gave me wrong information and I had an email from AMD supporting my argument. I got to the support desk and showed the tech guy the email from AMD. Okay, he said. He was getting ready to give me a screwdriver to dismantle the system right there to remove the MB and other parts so I could return it. Just before he handed me the screwdriver, another tech guy, Josh said, "I was the one who worked on it and everything works fine." Okay, I wanted to see proof. He turned it on and it seemed to boot fine . However, he did mention something about a graphics dll file in windows system32 that had to be replaced. That’s weird but okay, what else could I say? No charge on the diagnostics but this was definitely going to be the last time. I took it home and booted up. It froze midway during the windows startup. That’s it. No mas. I promptly removed everything and placed all the parts in the original packaging and jammed up Hazel Avenue to return it. The woman at the service desk was getting ready to refund me everything including the operating system install but there was just one little problem. I had forgotten to include the I/O thermal plate. Without that tiny piece of metal, she wouldn’t give me a refund on the motherboard. I did get a credit for everything else and drove home to pick up the remaining piece. Altogether about 7 trips back and forth for a computer upgrade. I resolved that I was never going to Fry’s again for computer parts or service. And so ends my 8 days of hell with Fry’s.

Technology and Living Beyond our Means

As much as it is tempting to want to lash out at Obama, BP, the MMS or Bush or whoever is a convenient enough target, we are all collectively responsible for this mess. Our failure to demand a transition away from fossil fuels over the last 50+ years is rooted in a culture that encourages a self-indulgent lifestyle. Encouraged by the media, we consume resources far more than any other country in the world. In our society, bigger is always better. More horsepower, more towing capacity,  bigger engines, faster acceleration always take precedent over any annoying reminders that there is somehow a connection between our consumer behavior and the predicament we find ourselves in.  The thought of living within our means instead of beyond our means is anathema to the American spirit of individual liberty and freedom of choice. Feeling  helpless to change this dynamic, we angrily attempt to fix the blame anywhere we can to avoid the awful reality that the spill in the Gulf is  nothing more than a symptom of this lifestyle we have chosen.

Naked Woman in the Window

I like to take my Denio’s personal shopping cart with me whenever I go to Bel Air Market to go shopping. I am probably the only one in Gold River that likes to walk to the market. At first it felt a little strange because not many people expect to see some middle-aged guy pulling a personal shopping cart through the store. These small shopping carts have two wheels and a handle for pulling groceries. I like to use it because it is convenient and it allows me to walk to the market and walk the dog at the same time. I could try and stuff everything in my backpack but when I am buying 2 gallons of milk, that just doesn’t work out well. So the shopping cart is the best solution for me. Anyways, that was getting off the subject a little bit. Gold River is somewhat unique in that it sits adjacent to the American River close to the Nimbus Hatchery. Within Gold River is a series of villages. Each village has its own homeowners association. It is a well-planned community with plenty of greenbelts and a network of paved trails that connect the villages together along with a couple of access trails that lead to the American River. There are more than a few ways to get to Bel Air Market from our house. I could walk straight down Gold Country Blvd all the way to Gold Field Drive and then left on Gold Field. However, there is a shortcut that cuts through two villages and is more direct and that is the shortcut I took on my way back from the market. I typically buy milk at night and although the streets are well-lit, the paved paths between the villages are not lit at all so it is nearly pitch black. While walking back last night, dog in one hand, shopping cart in the other, I noticed a two story house in Maidu Village with the blinds completely drawn away. From my vantage point, I could clearly see an empty bedroom with a large bed off to one side. What caught my attention, however, was what happened next. A completely naked woman suddenly appeared from the left side of the room and began doing stretching exercises against the bedpost. Yes, I suppose I could have covered my eyes and continued walking but curiosity always gets the better of me and I stopped in my tracks to watch. She continued to stretch her legs for a while and suddenly jumped into the bed and threw the blankets over herself. I am sure that she never imagined that someone would be out there on the trail that night.

Heaving Washing Machines out of Pit

Today I took Fluffy for her usual morning walk. The air was cool and crisp and the sky was overcast. I usually like to head west towards the Sunrise Bridge but today I decided to head over to the equestrian trail that runs along the river heading east towards the Nimbus Hatchery. This turned out to be much more scenic than just simply following on the side of the bike trail. As soon as Fluffy saw the river, she got excited at the ducks and gulls flying around and tried to pull me towards the water. No way were we getting near that water, not when the temperature is probably something like 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The trail was narrow and somewhat muddy but no horse crap anywhere which had the effect of lifting my spirits.

We got to the end of the line which was where the trail dropped off sharply towards the water and from there it looked nearly impossible to go further even though I saw a brave woman making her way towards us from the other side. We followed an exit trail which ended up at the bike trail, crossed over and then up the other side. This led us to the Gold River trail that linked the western paved spur to the end of the Sunrise recreation area paved road. From there, we crossed over the spur and then over to the road which led to the Nimbus Hatchery. Near the Dept of Fish and Game employee entrance, we left the road and headed back towards another trail that runs through the tailing hills that had been left there over 70 years ago. The history of Gold River is tied to the dredging of the American River. In fact, Gold River is built on a giant pile of rocks. The tailings are the rocks piled up from the dredging. The numerous rock piles have created small valleys that look like small mining pits. There is a pit that is next to the trail we were on that is somewhat close to the adjacent neighborhood of houses. Scattered in this pit are the remains of some old appliances that look like they had been dumped there illegally a long time ago. I pass by this area frequently because it is so nice and peaceful. But every time I pass by this pit, I have to see the rusted remains of washing machines. I have thought about hauling them out of the pit but I always forget to bring my gloves.

Today was different. I decided I had had enough. I quickly took Fluffy home because this was not something she needed to witness and I didn’t want her in the way. My plan was to get some rope and tie it around these rotted metal carcasses, then tie the other end of the rope around my waist and pull them out one by one. The excitement began to build as I grabbed my gloves and some heavy duty rope that I knew would come in handy one day, stuffed them in my backpack, jumped on my bike and pedaled furiously back to the pit. Once there, I checked to see if anyone was around. Not that I really cared. But sometimes people can get confused and think that a good deed is actually something more malevolent if they don’t see the whole picture.

I ran down the hill to the bottom of the pit to size up my challenge. There were 4 machines down there plus something farther away which was also metal but I couldn’t tell what it was. I walked over to machine #1 and looped the rope through a couple of holes at the bottom. Then I pulled but it wouldn’t budge. I pulled harder and it made some creaking noises but it was obvious that this machine was in no mood to go anywhere. Okay, so much for plan a. The only remaining option was to lift the machine up and then push it end over end up the hill. It was a good thing I brought my working gloves because I could see that bare handed I would get cut up pretty badly from all the sharp rusted metal edges.

I don’t where the energy came from to do this. Maybe it was the cup of instant coffee I had just before I took Fluffy for a walk but that was over an hour ago. Anyways, these motherfing sons of bitches were exiting the pit if it took all night. To tell the truth, I really had no idea how long each one would take because frankly, I don’t recall doing this kind of project before. So here I was pushing the machine end over end. As the heavy end hit the ground, it made a calamitous noise. The hardest part was getting the machine over the steep rocks near the top. But I had a rhythm going - not a Latin dance rhythm because you can’t exactly dance with an old washing machine. But I had a rhythm nonetheless that helped me heave this thing up the hill. Finally, I pushed it over the crest of the hill and let it crash down the other side. By this time, I was drenched in sweat. The machine probably weighed well over 150 pounds and there were three more machines down there yet to be moved. Machine #2 turned out to be an old dryer which weighed about half of what the first one weighed. I pushed that up in less than 5 minutes. The last two were heavier but I was determined to get the job done. By now my clothes were dirty and the sweat had soaked through my shirt and even through my sweatshirt. The last item was the object that was 30 yards away all by itself. I went over to it and was surprised to discover that it was not another washing machine but an old metal Sacramento Bee newspaper stand. I am sure it was vandalized and then dumped there after it was emptied of its loot. Quite a bit smaller than the other objects but still heavy, I heaved it over the top.

The hard part completed, all that was left to do was to line them up. Why? Was it because I wanted them to stand at attention as they waited for their ultimate fate? No, I plan to go back there tomorrow and take some pictures of them because if I am going to spend this much time blogging about this event, I have to get some pictures to document it as well. Now I was officially done. I went back down the hill to retrieve my backpack and rope and saw a man walking his dog out of the corner of my eye. “Hey” he said, “did you haul all those up yourself?” “Yep” I answered. Another couple walking by also stopped. “Bravo”, they all yelled and started clapping their hands.The first man then told me that he remembers those washing machines being there when he was just a little kid. Can you imagine that? It took 30-40 years before someone decided to do something about it. But how good it felt to do it and then to have some people actually applauding was just icing on the cake. Stay tuned for pictures.

Letter to President Obama

Dear Mr. President:

Jobs, jobs, jobs. How come you didn’t see the writing on the wall? You came into office on the campaign promise that you were going to fight for the little guy. What happened? Instead, you surrounded yourself with cabinet members aligned with Wall Street and the first thing you did was bail out the banks followed by the bailout of our failing auto industry. The little guy like me got scraps. People like myself are still struggling with trying to get loan modifications and wondering how to make ends meet when no one is hiring. My wife works for the state of California and she has to put up with lost wages from being furloughed. Sure, I voted for you because like you I strongly believe that protecting the environment, slowing global warming and making health care affordable are worthy and noble causes. I also believe that transitioning to a fossil free economy is the best way to stimulate the ingenuity and creativity of our collective intelligence. One of the problems that I am sure you are aware of is that the American people #1: Have a short memory; and #2: Have limited patience. Yes, there is no mistaking that you inherited a horrendous mess from that village idiot but your window of opportunity was much shorter than perhaps Rahm Emanuel led you to believe. The first signal that you were heading in the wrong direction was the angry tea party demonstrations and acrimonious townhall meetings (By the way, I attended one held by Dan Lungren but never made it inside). That should have driven home the message to you that people were not ready for health care reform. Who wants health care reform when people are desperate for a job? But instead of confronting the anger and hostility, your administration along with the Democrats in Congress played down the significance of this anger and essentially brushed it off as the rantings of right wing nutcases.Now you are confronted with a second signal. The loss of a key Senate seat in one of the most liberal states in the country threatens to derail your entire agenda, not just health care reform. You think the Republicans are going to go along with anything you propose now that they smell blood? All your political capital has been exhausted on this ill-timed strategy and Republicans are in no mood to compromise on any part of your agenda. You even have to deal with holding the blue dog Democrats together, let alone trying to throw olive branches over to the other side of the aisle. So here is my suggestion. Focus on the little guy. Focus on small businesses because small businesses hold the key to hiring people again, not the big lumbering auto industry. Instead of a trillion dollar health care reform bill, invest heavily in upgrading our country’s infrastructure. Give generous tax breaks to small businesses that invest in green technology. Make education a top priority since that is where you are going to get the biggest bang for every dollar spent. First, improve public schools by holding schools accountable for their students’ academic results. Higher education also needs a complete overhaul. Universities and Colleges are simply too expensive for a majority of Americans. Most students end up being saddled with mountains of debt when they graduate. Universities must be forced to offer low cost higher degree programs to all who are motivated through online web-based learning programs. By turning higher education from a privilege available only to the few that can afford it to an opportunity for many, a more educated workforce will drive our economy forward in the next few decades.Your staff also needs a shakeup. I would like to see Paul Krugman in a prominent position in your cabinet. I am sure he would be honored to serve your administration.So there you have it. Good luck and please do not forget who got you into office.