# 417 - July 30th, 2014
Greetings one and all – if you are sitting comfortably
then I shall begin… What a mess! Outside the bucolic bubble that is Boonville
and not far beyond, the world seems to be almost spinning out of control. We
have increasingly tragic events, some of which are being considered as war
crimes, in regions such as the Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, Libya, and others; the
spreading Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the crashing/shooting down of civilian
airplanes; the continuing despicable acts by Boko Haram in Nigeria; thousands
of children being held at the Mexican/U.S. border after fleeing their
drug-cartel dominated countries; and now here in California we are starting to
see some large and out-of-control wildfires amidst terrible drought conditions.
I could go on… Thankfully LeBron James has finally decided on his new jersey
number for the Cleveland Cavaliers so the literally hundred’s of thousands of
people concerned with this dilemma can now all move on with their lives… Sick
joke? Not really, just the same point being made for the second week in
succession…
While
on the subject of the ills of the world, this weekend sees the 100th
anniversary of the start of World War One or ‘The War to End All Wars’ as it
was naively referred to. It seems that we have not really learned much at all
from a conflict that ultimately resulted in approximately 17 million military
and civilian deaths over four years. Today, a century later, instead of one
massive conflagration there are several smaller ones going on, not as deadly in
terms of lives lost, but certainly equally if not more preventable, I would
suggest. I cannot help but think that when folks look back on this period of
history in another 100 years time, assuming the Earth is still around, they
will be shaking their heads as they review the events of the first decade or so
of this century and say, “What were they thinking back then?”…
Oh, well,
to cheer you up, I do believe that the pulled pork sandwich will soon be back
on the menu at Lauren’s Restaurant, and with that in mind, it’s time for your
Public Service
Announcements (P.S.A.’s)… Calendars and pens at the ready… #522 - This coming
Sunday, August 3, sees the Fundraiser for Mark Pittner and Charlie
Paget-Seekins following their stroke and serious accident respectively. The
event is at The Grange from 5pm with refreshments and food provided by local
caterers and restaurants plus live music by The Ukeholics, The Hubberts, and
The Two Sarah’s… #523 - This weekend also sees the monthly Barn Sale -
Saturday/Sunday, August 2/3 - from 10am to 3pm each day at the Big Barn on A.V.
Way just north of Boonville… #524 - The Vets will not be in town for another
week - their next scheduled visit is on Thursday, August 7… #525 - The annual
Airport Party is on Saturday, August 9, all afternoon and into the evening…
#526 - And finally a brief heads-up on events coming up in August that include
the Lions’ Club BBQ benefit for the A.V. Volunteer Ambulance on Sunday 17; and
the Guest Chef Dinner on the last Friday, August 29 to benefit the Senior
Center…
Moving
quickly on to a few of the topics and Valley events under discussion this week
at The Three-Dot Lounge – yes it’s “Moans, Groans, Good Thoughts, and Rampant
(and surprisingly reliable) Rumors” from my favorite gathering place in the
Valley, a location that sees people get together and share their thoughts about
life in A.V. and where we subscribe to the Winston Churchill philosophy that “A
lie will get halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to put on
its pants”… So I’ll put my pants on and continue…
…
Several regulars joined me in toasting the hard work and enthusiasm that was always
brought to the job by Shelly Englert, who has decided to move on to new
endeavors after seven years as ‘the glue that held the organization together’
at the A.V. Land Trust…
… I have heard good reports from some regulars at The
Three-Dot on the recently founded events’ planning business here in Boonville.
‘Nettied in Boont’ (the Boontling phrase for ‘All Dressed up in Boonville’) is
run by a couple of local gals who will provide all the necessary services for
your event - from flower arrangements to photography to catering, as well as
planning the whole event if you wish. Call 501-7510 or 272 -0384 for further
details…
… The sales of the ‘Then and Now - An Anderson Valley
Journey’ continue to go well and some of the proceeds are already in use as
witnessed by the leaking roof at the Tuttle Building at the A.V. Museum now
being replaced before the rains come, assuming they do, in the Fall. After
selling out the initial run, more books are now in stock and are available at
the A.V. Museum on weekends or on-line at andersonvalleymuseum.org. They are
also available in the Valley at various outlets. Remember all proceeds go to
the Historical Society and Museum…
… From our 3-Dot regular, The Old Buzzard, comes another
in his insightful series – ‘Signs that the Apocalypse is Approaching’… The
Buzzard comments, “So yet another execution by lethal injection has been
botched. This time in Arizona, where it took almost two hours to kill a
double-murderer who was still gasping and snorting over an hour into what should
be a ten-minute process. The current debate is not about those sentenced to
death receiving the punishment they deserve in the minds of many folks in this
country. In fact, according to Amnesty International, a higher percentage of
U.S citizens have been ‘put to death’ since 2007 than in any country in the
world apart from China, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia - not the best of company
to be keeping I would suggest. The majority of citizens in all other
‘civilized’ countries do not think that way, nor do many in this country of
course. However, the current issue is not the pros and cons of capital
punishment, but that the actual process where such laws exist has sunk to such
levels of inefficiency and incompetence? Surely, in the many States in this country where
the majority of voters feel the need to get their ‘pound of flesh’ (and it is
on hold in California, although not carried out since 2006 and recently
declared unconstitutional but facing an appeal) then at least, to perhaps use
their parlance, they should ‘git ‘er done.’ At this point shouldn't they either
stop completely or use a more guaranteed method for a quick death than those
that have failed so miserably in recent months. Some people think the
re-introduction of the firing squad would be preferable - at least we know
there are plenty of perfectly functioning guns and bullets out there.
Personally, I believe that the guillotine would be a better solution than the
recent methods used in the likes of Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio, Arizona, etc, where the
knuckle-draggers are in the majority, the death row cells are stocked, and the
Apocalypse seems to be just about to knock on the door…”
Thank
you Buzzard - I think I agree with you… Anyway, I think it’s time to take my
leave. Besides I’ve got see a man about a sheep… So, until we talk again –
‘Keep the Faith’; be careful out there; stay out of the ditches; think good
thoughts; be wary of strangers with more dogs than teeth; please remember to
keep your windows cracked if you have pets in your vehicle; and may your god go
with you… Oh, and of course, one final request, “Let us prey”… Sometimes
poking, often stroking, but always humbly yours, Turkey Vulture…
p.s. You can contact me with words of support/abuse
either through the Letters Page or by e-mail at <turkeyvulture1@earthlink.net>
p.p.s. On the sheep, Grace…
p.p.p.s. Keep on wagging that tail, Fred…
p.p.p.p.s. Everything cool with you, O.J.? Of course it
is…
posted by Turkey Vulture @ 9:25 AM
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