In fond memory of a friend, Master Chef Paul Mesbur, who passed away this weekend...

Update on tornados:

The storm that ripped through the Sacramento area Monday spawned two separate tornadoes, one in North Natomas and the other in West Sacramento, the National Weather Service confirmed.

"From all of our findings so far this morning we believe this was a tornado, probably a high-end F0 tornado," NWS meteorologist Jim Mathews told reporter Dave Marquis during a live interview on News10 Midday.

F0 refers to the Fujita Tornado Damage Scale, which rates tornadoes on a scale of severity ranging from F0 to F5. The F0 designation indicates that the damage from Monday's twister was relatively light.

Mathews said the tornado's wind speed was estimated at 70 miles per hour. The damage path was a mile and a half to two miles long and about 100 to 200 feet across. "The damage path is not continuous, obviously the tornado was on the ground for partial periods of time, took off and then descended again," Mathews said.

Sacramento City Fire Department crews along with the city's Department of Housing and Dangerous Buildings are assessing the damage. The fire department said the primary impact point for the storm was in a commercial area of North Natomas where many buildings sustained roof damage. Shingles were torn from the roof of a Raley's supermarket and sheet metal blew off the roof of a Shell gasoline station. A number of homes in the area sustained damage to roofs and fences. Windows were broken at a shopping center.

At the Terracina Gold apartments this morning crews were cleaning up shingles and metal gutters blown off the buildings. A portable toilet is headed for the trash after Monday's wind tossed it through the air.

The twister also knocked over a big rig and lifted a small car about a foot off the ground in North Natomas.

We had 2 tornados touch down in the Sacramento area today! More expected tomorrow.


Photos sent to local TV stations from viewers.

Powerful Thunderstorms Spawn Funnel Clouds in Central Valley

As the cells moved north through the area at about 20 miles per hour, there were several sightings of funnel clouds in the Natomas basin just north of downtown Sacramento and near Woodland. Two of the funnel clouds appeared to touch the ground, according to the National Weather Service.

About 12 years ago while driving with a friend from New Orleans through the Florida panhandle to visit my dad in Val Dosta, Georgia I got up close and personal with a tornado. It was a frightening, yet beautiful sighting of the power of nature. Have had the urge to do some storm chasing ever since. Never thought I'd get the chance to do so in Sacramento of all places.

Sorry for the length on this one. It's an interesting and disturbing series of events happening around the Sacramento Valley these days that I've attempted to condense.

Here's a recap of the news stories and links to the source:

http://www.news10.net/storyfull1.asp?id=9306

March Lends Support to Placerville's "Hate-Free" Proclamation

Following a mayoral proclamation declaring Placerville a "hate-free" zone, a crowd of several hundred marchers took to city streets Sunday in a show of support. The demonstration further fueled the brewing El Dorado County controversy over homosexuality and freedom of speech rights.

The procession was the latest in a string of incidents triggered by the vocal emergence of a Garden Valley anti-gay group, which calls itself GayMarriageNO.

The organization, which describes itself as Christian-based, says it is "dedicated to the public advocacy of the natural family and...opposed to homosexual marriage...and the homosexual lifestyle." It elicited controversy when a truck carrying signs touting anti-gay messages began appearing along US-50 and near county schools last October.

The group has also been accused in recent months of passing out literature espousing intolerance at local events such as the annual Martin Luther King commemoration and Georgetown's Founders Day.

A handful of GayMarriageNO members showed up to stage a counterprotest. They said the proclamation discriminates against religious groups and attempts to silence their right to freedom of speech.

And yet...

http://www.news10.net/storyfull.asp?id=9333

Sex Education Initiative Would Ban Some Topics from Class Discussion

Discussion of many sex-related topics could soon be severely curtailed in California schools under the edicts of a new initiative that could go before voters next year.

The conservative activist group Responsible Citizens, Inc. kicked off a signature drive Wednesday at the State Capitol aimed at turning the Civil Rights for Families Initiative into law. The measure, sponsored Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy, R-Monrovia, would significantly restrict any in-class discussion of various sexual practices, including masturbation, homosexuality and domestic partnerships.

Under the terms of the initiative, at least 18 topics related to human sexuality would be prohibited in any California kindergarten through sixth grade classroom. Any instruction or discussion of those topics in grades 7 through 12 would require advance written parental notification and approval for every day the subject was taught. School districts could also be fined $5,000 per violation for any infraction of the initiative.

Supporters say the measure is designed to return the control and responsibility for children's education to parents. "It's not the school's job," said Mountjoy. "That's Mom and Dad's job."

Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg, D-Los Angeles said the restriction would limit class discussion in several school subjects, including art, history and social studies.

And yet...

http://www.gaymarriageno.org/eldorado.htm

El Dorado High School -January 4, 2005- 7:45am, a group of about 5 men and women begin gathering on the public sidewalk in front of El Dorado High School in Placerville, California. The group has planned to distribute literature as part of a peaceful, first amendment educational outreach to the local students attending the high school.

You can read the rest on their website.

So, it's okay to talk about homosexuality in schools as long as it is Christians talking about those "evil sodimites."


http://www.thekcrachannel.com/news/4201279/detail.html

Area Residents Find Hate Fliers In Yards
Literature Distributed In Sacramento, Roseville, Rockin, Other Areas

POSTED: 1:44 pm PST February 15, 2005
UPDATED: 1:49 pm PST February 15, 2005

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Some residents of Sacramento and Placer counties have complained about a mass distribution of hate literature that was left on front yards Monday morning.

Residents in Citrus Heights, Fair Oaks, Sacramento, Carmichael, Roseville and Rocklin discovered the three-page flier from the National Alliance contains an anti-Semitic message and targets Black History Month. A similar distribution occurred Friday in Galt.

"People still feel violated," said Nancy Appel, associate director for the Anti-Defamation League's regional office in San Francisco. "They still feel upset that this filth has been dropped on their driveway."

The National Alliance appears to be involved in a national campaign to recruit new members, Appel said.

The fliers were rolled and inserted into small, clear plastic tubes, with the phrase "Love Your Race" visible, residents said.

And yet...

http://www.news10.net/storyfull.asp?id=9328

Protesters, Supporters Gather for Vigil at Home with Anti-War Displays

About 400 people showed up for a candlelight vigil Tuesday night at the home in Sacramento's Land Park neighborhood where anti-war displays have provoked strong sentiments.

The gathering was organized as a protest by Move America Forward, a conservative organization that supports the war on terror and American troops. A roughly equal number of individuals showed up in support of the homeowners' right to free speech.

The three-hour gathering was vocal, with First Amendment supporters on one side of Marty Street and those who oppose the effigy on the other. One of the latter was Mike Ferreira. "The effigy that they hung up was disrespectful of our troops and being a veteran I was deeply offended by that," he said.

Glenda Thomas believed that the Pearcys, who put up the anti-war displays, have the right to express their views. "I support the Constitution which the people across the street don’t seem to do," she said. "The president doesn’t even seem to do much to support the Constitution."

While the police kept the protestors apart, a representative of the Pearcys invited those who opposed their displays to talk with them. The offer was declined.

The Pearcys told News10 in a one-on-one interview later in the evening that their displays expressed their opinion that President George W. Bush is responsible for the deaths of American troops in a foreign country. The couple emphasized that the display was not meant as a sign of disrespect for soldiers themselves.

The first display, which went up a week and a half ago, showed the effigy of a soldier with a noose around its neck and the words "Your Tax Dollars at Work." The effigy and its message immediately provoked a local response that in turn was picked up on radio and national talk shows. The display was torn down several days later. The individual responsible, who turned hismelf into police, may be charged with misdemeanor vandalism.

Last Saturday Steve Pearcy put up another display, again an effigy of a soldier, this time with a sign reading "Bush Lied, I Died" around the figure's neck. On Monday that display was torn down by another protester.

So, it is a "disgusting violation" for someone to distribute racist materials on the driveways of neighborhoods, yet when someone confines their free speech about politics to their own property, people rally to shut him up.

And now it is escalating.

http://www.thekcrachannel.com/news/4199776/detail.html

Pipe Bomb Found Near Auburn DMV Office
Explosive Device Found By DMV Employee

POSTED: 11:11 am PST February 15, 2005
UPDATED: 6:00 pm PST February 15, 2005

AUBURN, Calif. -- Local and federal authorities are investigating the discovery of a pipe bomb near a Department of Motor Vehicles office in Auburn.

The device was found about 7 a.m. Tuesday by a DMV employee near the building at Enterprise Drive and Nevada Street.

Authorities described the device as a piece of PVC pipe with duct tape, gun powder in the center and wires attached. No note or graffiti was found with the device.

FBI officials have yet to determine if the pipe bomb is linked to other incendiary devices found at other sites in Placer County in recent week.

"We've had a county building, we've got buildings that are being built, we have residential areas, now we have a state building ... and so, it's getting personal to everyone involved," California Highway Patrol spokeswoman Kelly Baraga said.

The most recent incident involved a firebomb inside a backpack that was placed at the entrance of the Placer County Superior Courthouse in Auburn Sunday morning.

http://www.auburnjournal.com/articles/2005/01/19/news/top_stories/01firebombs.txt

E.L.F. claims it planted bombs
Radical environmental group says Auburn, Lincoln attacks a prelude to further sabotage

By: Penne Usher, Journal Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 18, 2005 11:54 PM PST


In a letter received at the Auburn Journal on Tuesday, the Earth Liberation Front claimed responsibility for five firebombs planted in a newly constructed Auburn building last week and a similar bomb planting in Lincoln discovered Dec. 27.

FBI investigators confirmed that the devices found at the Auburn site were strikingly similar to those found in three homes under construction in the Twelve Bridges development in Lincoln on Dec. 27.

For some reason, I get the feeling that California has been "chosen" as a battle ground for a test of many of the rights in the Constitution. I suspect this is being orchestrated along with the efforts to split apart the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Seems as if the Sacramento area is going to be Ground Zero, in reaction to the efforts of local resident Michael Newdow to have the pledge of allegiance banned from schools and the prayer banned from the presidential inaugural.

I hope our country survives without another civil war. There is already another grassroots effort to have California split off from the nation.

Urgent...

If you don't already have automatic updates turned on, be sure to make a visit to your Windows Update site. Yesterday there were 3 critical updates, today there are 9 of them. Apparently there is a huge security hole in the new anti-spyware software everyone has installed from Microsoft a few weeks ago.
Articles:

ComputerWorld

Reuters

Also this week, Microsoft issued its monthly security bulletin, warning computer users of eight new "critical"-rated flaws in its Windows, Office and other software products that could allow hackers to sneak into personal computers and snoop on sensitive data

Out in right field here, pounding mitt, ready to do battle with the gauntlet tossed my way by Tracy.


5/21/1919 political cartoon originally from the Brooklyn Eagle.


Music Survey

1. Total amount of music files on your computer:

Not much, probably less then 50mgs. Most of my music is still on cassette tape and I have yet to figure out how to transfer it to CD or my PC. Heck, I only learned how to transfer CDs to my PC a few months ago! Still haven't figured out how to transfer them back to another CD. Don't tell me though! I want to figure it out for myself. It's alright to give hints though. :p

2. The last CD you bought was:

The Very Best of Sheryl Crow. I usually wait for the "best ofs" from artists so I get full value for the money I pay for a CD. I hate paying for a whole album and disliking all but a couple of songs. (Yes, I'm cheap! and picky!)

3. What is the song you last listened to before reading this message?

I'm listening to the 25th anniversary collection of the original Woodstock Festival. The song currently playing is White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane. Did I already say that I'm a dinosaur also?

4. Write down 5 songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you:

One: Phoebe Snow. It is a three-way tie between her recordings of Going Down for the Third Time, Harpo's Blues, and Good Times.

I enjoy her style and whimsey and can listen with ease to her songs repeatedly. You might be familiar with her song "Poetry Man."

Two: Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

I usually listen to this one in the car while driving long distances. Cranking up the volume, and keeping the windows shut allows me to croak along in my very out-of-tune voice without too much embarrassment from fellow travelers on the road.

Three: Tres Gymnopedies - Erik Satie

I have many versions that I listen to, depending on the mood, including those of Herbie Mann, Blood Sweat and Tears, NBC Symphony Orchestra, Bill Quist and a few others; one notable piece being the one that is combined with the sounds of breaking surf on a beach.

Listening to this music makes me feel like I'm being serenaded at sunset while floating along on a puffy cloud. Anytime I need to relax or have trouble sleeping, I put this on and am off to dreamland. I first heard the music back in the early 70's at a touchy-feely seminar as my feet were bathed in warm, orange scented water while wrapped in smoky incense and candle light. I was instantly intoxicated with the music and caught a stolen glimpse of the album cover. Been searching for that exact piece ever since, but have yet to find it. But, I've surely enjoyed the journey while hunting for it.

There are three "Gymnopedies". People often compare Satie with Debussy, whose compositions I also find irresistable. Apparently, I've been attracted to things Greek for a long time, which explains my former addiction to Alliance of Heroes. I read on Amazon.com that

"the term Gymnopædia was an Apollonic celebration in ancient Sparta where men of all ages danced, not naked, but unarmed. It's not known exactly where Satie found his inspiration to these piano pieces. The works consist of a thin, ascetic, "naked" piano structure in which lonesome and singularly expressive melodies circle like falling autumn leaves; a monotonous, low bass line accompaniment, and against it softly dissonant chords in the middle register, constantly repeating the same iambic rhythm-pattern. Together this creates an atmosphere of vague melancholy, of mysticism and exoticism. Perhaps there is also a fin-de-siècle feeling, even some salon nostalgia."

Four: The original cast recordings from Phantom of the Opera

I like both the music and lyrics. Everytime I listen to these tapes I get flashbacks of the scenes from the play I got to see in San Francisco a few years ago.

Five: Michael Franks - Popsicle Toes


His website/blog has some interesting tales and gorgeous photos from his tours in Cape Town, South Africa, Republic of Georgia and Japan. I wish I could paint better then I do. I'd love to paint that photo of Cape Town's beach.

Anyway, I love his jazzy style, and listen to his music when I need to be inspired or cheered up. The clever lyrics always make me smile and the inuendo often inspires me when I have writer's block. Always being told I have icebergs for feet, makes Popsicle Toes even more endearing to me.


Michael Franks
Popsicle Toes

And when God gave out rhythm
He sure was good to you
You can add, subtract, multiply.
And divide by two

I know today's your birthday
And I did not buy no rose
But I wrote this song instead and I call it:

Popsicle Toes
Popsicle Toes,
Popsicle Toes are always froze
Popsicle Toes,

You're so brave to expose all those
Popsicle Toes
You must have been Miss Pennsylvania
With all this pulchritude,
How come you always load your Pentax
When I'm in the nude?

We ought to have a birthday party
And you can wear your birthday clothes,
Then we can hit the floor and go explore those
Popsicle Toes

You got the nicest
North America
This sailor ever saw-
I like to feel your warm Brazil
And touch your Panama

But your Tierra del Fuegos
Are nearly always froze-
We gotta see-saw until we unthaw those
Popsicle Toes

What three people am I passing this baton to and why?

Melissa because she needs another excuse to post in her blog.
Chris because the election is over and she needs an excuse to shovel the dust off her blog.
and Rob because anyone who likes locksmithing, sheep and owl chicks has got to have awesome taste in music!

Flashback to the Coors and JP Stevens boycots of the '60s and '70s...

About time those evil liberal bastages reread their political action manual from the '60's and took back their boycott power from them red folk. Check out this list of companies. You'll be surprised that some of your favorite vendors are a little more "red" then you thought. The nice thing about this list is that it isn't just a list of names, you also get all the details of what was evaluated for the ranking applied to the company. Check out Amazon.com for an eye opener.

A blurb from the BuyBlue website:

You may have voted blue, but every day you unknowingly help dump millions of dollars into the conservative war chest. By purchasing products and services from companies that donate heavily to conservatives, we have been compromising our own interests as liberals and progressives.

BuyBlue.org is a concerted effort to lift the veil of corporate patronage, so consumers can make informed buying decisions that coincide with their principles.

Here's their current campaign list for Valentine's Day shopping. There's even a BuyBlue store where you can buy decals, t-shirts, bumper stickers, etc.

Spread the news, tell your friends about the list and to Buy Blue!