Friday, March 30, 2012

Is Sonoma the most retarded city on earth? Why yes it is.

I don't pay attention to Sonoma that much. Predictably for California, they were struggling pretty hard financially. Yet, they wouldn't allow a Williams and Sonoma store into their town because it's a chain store. Here. You can't make this shit up.

So, when I hear stuff about the town - I only mildly pay attention while trying to prevent my eyes from locking in the up position.

Still, I've been noticing a trend lately about Sonoma. And really, I wonder how many towns are like them. Chalk full of green energy projects that have been paid for, but aren't actually functional. This article caught my eye a couple of days ago.

"Sonoma County's "Electric Trail" continues to grow, though parts of the network of charging stations for electric vehicles have yet to open nearly two years after being installed." Source.

The article goes on to say:

"The purchase of 12 new charging stations in the north county, including Guerneville, Cloverdale and Healdsburg, using $150,000 in grant money, was authorized Tuesday by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors."

Did you get that? The ones they have - aren't being used. So lets buy more! But wait kids - there is more:

"The city of Santa Rosa installed 13 charging stations in the summer of 2010. Nearly two years later, they remain unused, in part as a consequence of back-and-forth negotiations with the vendor on how to charge users for electricity."

You can make up your own commentary. Because really - you can imagine what I think. I think it's funny the article is three pages. But you only have to read the first page, because the others are just a cheer leading session for electric cars.

You'd think this was an isolated incident. Right? Apparently not.

"SONOMA, Calif. (KGO) -- Fields of solar panels were supposed to save $1 million at a local school district this year. But the I-Team has found out the district won't be saving any money -- instead they'll be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Sonoma Valley Unified School District's solar project has been controversial from the beginning. Neighbors claim they didn't know the panels were going up and now they are wondering why they aren't working. "
Source.

This article goes on to say:

"We expect to save over $26 million over the next 25 years," SVUSD Deputy Superintendent Justin Frese said.

There's just one problem...

"Right now they're not operating," neighbor Nancie Ligon said. "


Oh hell. Just watch the video where the school board was confronted by the news media and were pretty evasive.



The other interesting thing about this story is this quote:

"That won't make up the $1 million the district hoped to save this year, so, according to Frese, the district may have to spend $300,000-$400,000 or more out of the general fund for their electricity. "

If they are only spending 400,000 bucks for the year on electricity - how do they realise a gain of a million for the year. Did they expect to make 600,000 dollars selling electricity back to the grid? That is quite extraordinary. Or, they were just cooking the books on savings to get the project funded?

But hey - at least the city employees aren't stealing 7 million dollars in gas like L.A. Here.
I am turning captcha off for a week to see how much the wordpress conflict affects comments. FYI

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Well, people have to drive!

Did you guys see that jaw dropping oil inventory rise yesterday? 7.1m barrels! I've provided a weekly run down for the year, so you can see how extraordinary this jump was.

Back on Feb 23rd I predicted the rise in gas prices would cave the economy before gas got to 5 bucks a gallon. Here. It was right around the time that President Money Bags was holding a press conference every two seconds about how the last thing a sitting President would want, was rising gasoline prices.

Although, he said it with a gleam in his eye. Because you know that's exactly what he wants. He hopes it will rescue the green energy industry.

Well, who is laughing now? I mean, I will go along with high gas prices - because it pisses off the masses. Pissed off masses don't re-elect sitting Presidents.

US crude inventories decline by 1.2m barrels Mar 22,2012

US crude inventories rise by 1.8m barrels Mar 15,2012

US crude inventories rise by 0.8m barrels Mar 7,2012

US crude inventories rise by 4.2m barrels Feb 29,2012

US crude inventories rise by 1.6m barrels Feb 23,2012

US crude inventories decline by 200,000 barrels Feb 16,2012

US crude inventories rise by 0.3m barrels Feb 9,2012

US crude inventories rise by 4.2m barrels Feb 1,2012

US crude inventories rise by 3.6m barrels Jan 25,2012

US crude inventories decline by 3.4m barrels Jan 25,2012

US crude inventories rise by 5.0m barrels Jan 11,2012

US crude inventories rise by 2.2m barrels Jan 5,2012

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Did you know?



You can print your own circuit boards? For about 8,500 bucks. Not this beautiful model. This one was about 30 grand. Honestly I stopped paying attention, because all I could see was the future where you can print the brains of computers or toys. Then print out the skins with 3D printers.

I mean, you could put a low end shop together for under ten grand. Web site. Look how small the machine is!



Tuesday, March 27, 2012

He's probably going there to disapprove of their fancy flavors.

"Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum will be at the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield on Thursday. Senator Rick Santorum Will Address Healthcare Reform at Jelly Belly Candy Company in Fairfield, California on Thursday, March 29, 2012

According to Santorum's website, the candidate will hold a rally at 4 p.m. and discuss healthcare reform outside of the local candy factory located at One Jelly Belly Lane.

A $1,000 a plate campaign fundraising event will follow inside the Jelly Belly facility afterward, according to local Republican organizers."



Santorum has no chance in California. He shouldn't have even bothered coming. If he doesn't like porn - he certainly isn't going to be weed "friendly". And that is the only thing keeping our economy afloat.

He knows they sell JellyBelly's everywhere. Right? I almost want to drive by, just to see how many people show up. I'm betting it is two.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Today's odd mashup of cars.



Well... this pretty much explains the day. By the time we got there, they weren't even charging people to get in anymore. The place was practically empty by 3:00. And that guy was going to drive home with that umbrella!





If eyes are the window to the soul.









Not everyone has gotten the message that taking photos with your iPad is douchey. He did seem slightly self conscience about it though. He tried hard not to get photographed taking pictures with it.

Im at breakfast. Table next to me talking about porn in the cloud. Not just porn - gorilla porn. Which must be raunchy. Love silicon valley.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

San Fransisco Flower Show 2012. Set 2.









I thought this was funny. Instead of nice delicate vases - half of them were just plastic water bottles.







San Fransisco Flower Show 2012. Set 1.







This was broken safety glass. Everyone is trying to be douchey and recycle everything. Yet they wont let you toss bottles into the ocean! Which is really the affect they want. At first you think it looks neat. Then you think some kid is going to come through and get cut up and sue you.







This was another case of people using broken glass as a ground cover. All those dark pieces are broken bottles. Seriously. And wouldn't you know it, kids were picking it up and throwing it into the pond right next to them. Broken glass is like a child magnet. Duh!



Is that a dare?

The Farmhouse Gallery.



Today I was over at the San Fransisco flower show. Ug, Don't ask. It was going to be cars today, but it's raining. Which is a bummer because my car sugar is low.

Anyway, It can have some really interesting stuff. It will also make you leave in a rage. I mean - I don't understand why you have to stop in the middle of an isle and have a conversation. But I'm getting off track.

Normally I'd just give you a picture dump, but there was one artist from Canada that I found kinda interesting. His stuff was well lit. Loves it. It was different. I mean, I'm not sure what his customer base would be. But I liked it in a weird way. So I gave him a whole post. I couldn't find a webpage for him, but I did run across this article talking about the artist and has his contact info.







Friday, March 23, 2012

Take my poll. --->

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Boy - President Money Bags is squealing really hard for someone who thought five dollar gas, was no big deal.

The scopes.







The above three shots are from CES2012. The company is Dino-Lite. As I recall they ranged from 250 bucks to 500 bucks. I'm not going to spec them out now because my ADD is off the charts. I'm trying to focus today.

I thought it was interesting the example they were using to sell the product was currency dealers. Or watchmakers. I thought of half a zillion other uses. If they wrote a software package for my cell phone, I'd take this thing completely mobile.

The bottom two shots are from a Photonics conference I went to. The microscopes were way more expensive - but, oddly they were using the same examples for how people might use them. If I were the company from the second set of shots, it might put a shiver up my spine if I saw this post. Obviously their product is going to be slightly better. But the Dino-Lite ones might be just good enough for what most people want to do.



Wednesday, March 21, 2012

And now for something completely different.



One of the trends I saw emerging at CES was these inexpensive handheld USB digital microscopes. I took a few pictures, but I got sidetracked, or became too ADD to get a coherent story about them on the blog. They had pretty good resolution for being so inexpensive. Honestly, the very same month I went to a conference where people were selling high powered microscopes, and wondered if they knew these handheld devices would eventually become more commonplace and eat into their profits.

Anyway...

Mr S. bought me one for my birthday in Feb, and I just never got around to playing with it. But, now I welcome you to the world of micro photography.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Dear Jeffrey Immelt. Fuck you.

"Jeffrey Immelt (r.) is reportedly disgusted by Obama’s allegiance to growth-killing policies. Friends describe Immelt as privately dismayed that, even after three years on the job, President Obama hasn’t moved to the center, but instead further left. The GE CEO, I’m told, is appalled by everything from the president’s class-warfare rhetoric to his continued belief that big government is the key to economic salvation." Source.

One of the things that pisses me off the most about the current climate of politics is how the filthy rich poisoned the well.

Oh, we don't mind paying our fair share, they said. "I've never made a decision based on taxes", I saw one filthy rich dude say. Which was fucking amazing, because I am not filthy rich, and every decision I make financially is partially based on tax repercussions. "Tax us more!" they said. Bill Effing Gates was even trying to get an international Global Tax imposed.

So, what do you think a tried and true socialist President would do? Take them up on their offer of course. And now they are fucking crying?! Fuck all of you. I hope you get a energy efficient light bulb crammed up your asses.

When I look at the occupy movement, I see it being directly spawned from the passive filthy rich. "Lets see if we can get this asshole to tax all of these people more!", they said loudly. But silently they thought "because I know my team of lawyers and accountants will be able to find me enough deductions so it won't matter to me". The whole time egging on the unions - because, the really rich are just completely embarrassed how little they pay in taxes. They would gladly let President Money Bags redistribute their wealth. Because they are so lame, they can't even write a check themselves. Their dishonestly on display for all to take advantage of. Warren Buffett. Showing themselves as an example of all that is wrong with the world. Pitting poor against rich.

And who would have known Immelt was a republican. I thought he was a tick on the Presidents ball sack.

I watched time after time while titans of Silicon Valley bellied up to the government bar. This was after they'd spent their whole careers operating outside of government control. They started putting people like Steven Chu and Al Gore on boards of directors, just so they could gain political and financial pull. Then said, we didn't get your money fair enough. So, we must get President Money bags to embrace a global tax. So the UN of all people, could full fill some Global Poverty Act. THE UN!

And then, the real salt in the wound is this article was written by Charley Gasparino. The apologist for all bad behaviour on wall street. If there is a naked shorting story, out will pop Jim Cramer. If there is an MF Global style fraud, out pops Charley to explain why they weren't really stealing any ones money.

Makes me wonder if he thinks President Money Bags might not win, and now his buddy will have to go back into the civilian world. And he's here to tell us why we wasn't a bad guy, he was just trying to change the administrations mind. Well, except for that part where he took all of our money for his shitty douchebaggy light bulbs.
Two years of angina and hysteria over Greece for a week of up days and one 50 point down day in the market? Seriously?

Thursday, March 15, 2012

A very boring update.



It's been raining the last couple of days - which has sent me into a complete frenzy. The ground is soft, Yo! So I've been trying to get things done before high pressure builds back in, and ground work comes to a halt.

This means, preparing my garden. Fixing sprinklers, and maybe getting that mow strip closer to being in. Ripping stuff out that should have been dormant all winter long. Eff mother nature.

The plan was to let it rain all winter to soften the ground, so I could dig out the strip. Well, that didn't happen. I didn't even start any of my garden seeds since it didn't rain all winter. So I figured rain might be pushed out this year. The past two years I've gotten blight.

You want to kill yourself now for even reading this post, right? Hey, I can't make this world look glamorous all of the time. This is the real world people. Drudgery.

Then, I am going to take a stab at my taxes this weekend. So don't expect anything amazing from me. But keep in mind I might just get a giant stick up my butt and go on a flame fest. You regulars have been through this before. I'm patchy.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

The line between good and evil.



My girl has a funny shed line right now. So, the top is grey and the bottom is tan.

Normally you would get a hole where the new hair is much shorter than the rest. But her hair is so short, she just turns a different color. And she still has control of that one ear. She's a half lop.

Things are getting gappy.



For the last week, it's been noticeable that people seem to be driving less. There are still a lot of people out and about. They tend to be clustered up though, and often you can look long distances down roads and see few cars.

Last week the market was just happy because we didn't have as big of a stockpile increase. We'll see what they say this week. And when did that become good news? "We are floating on oil". We're just happy we aren't floating on more.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Caught in your undertow.



If you are ever near Martinez, you have to make it by this town Port Costa. It's as if Twin Peaks had sex with Sedona Arizona. It is kitchy. And with a town of 250 residents, it's quirky. There once used to be a doll museum. I swear I don't know why some budding film maker doesn't shoot a horror film there. The town is perfect for one.

The town basically consists of a few stores, a hotel, and an old biker bar. Which obviously is the main attraction. It has a giant stuffed bear in it. And when is the last time you've seen that? The walls are filled with kitchy stuff. Next door they have an oddities store. But, it was closed.

It's the sort of place you could lose yourself for a day, and feel like you've stepped back in time. And you'd play that Twin Peaks theme song in your head every moment you spent there.





Mr S. and I considered buying a house and gentrifying it. But only if we could get amazon to deliver stuff to the house. The roads in are sort of narrow. At one point I'd asked one of the people who lived there if they got Amazon deliveries. She'd never heard of it. AMAZON! No one she knows has ever said the word amazon.com? They must not get TV there.