Greetings one and all. If you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin. It appears that Mitt Romney heeded my advice and backed out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination. I just do what I can (?). This does however leave Jeb Bush (John Ellis Bush. Jeb. Gettit?) as the probable new frontrunner in that race, beating out Chris Christie on the “Establishment” wing, and given both the probable split of votes among the many social and religious conservative nominees and also the weak challenges of the less radical but “old news” has-been’s who have little chance of beating him. Remarkably, if Jeb were to win the nomination, and then go on to defeat his Democratic opponent in November 2016, this would continue a sequence that has seen the name “Bush” on every winning Republican ticket since Nixon/Agnew won the election for them in 1972. By 2016 there will have been eleven elections since then. If Jeb is victorious, it will be six Republican wins; each one with a Bush on the ticket!
It is odd that a country founded on the principal of hostility to inherited status should be so tolerant of such a dynasty; not to mention of course that the current Democratic frontrunner, a certain Mrs. Clinton, is the wife of a former president. Chelsea for President in 2040 pehaps?. Meanwhile, those who are concerned about the Jebster’s lack of charisma/personality should be assured by his mother Barbara’s recent comment that he is not boring and that folks who think so should “try living with him.” Which is also odd.
Onward. Public Service Announcements. Calendars and pens at the ready. #344. I encourage you to attend the Unity Club’s lunchtime meeting tomorrow, Thursday, February 5 at 1pm. This will take place at the Fairgrounds Dining Hall in Boonville and both our high school principal Michelle Hutchins and local deputy sheriff Craig Walker will give talks/presentations. Hopefully they will also be responding to questions from the audience, who will be served coffee and cookies. #345. The Anderson Valley Grange is having its regular second Sunday Pancake Breakfast on February 8, from 8:30-11am. Prices range from $5-10, kids through hungry folks, for a delicious, locally-sourced breakfast. Choices include pancakes (gluten free available), eggs, and bacon, with a choice of juice, tea or coffee included. #346. The Mendocino Bookmobile returns to the Valley on Tuesday, February 10. They are here on alternate Tuesdays for 45 minutes at each of these places and times: Navarro Store 9am (for 30 minutes); the Floodgate 12.30pm; Philo 1.30pm; Boonville (Apple Hall) 2.30pm. Phone 463-4694 for further details. #347. The AV Alsace Varietals Festival, featuring Riesling, Muscat, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc, takes place at The Fairgrounds on Saturday and Sunday, February 8/9, with open houses and seminars, winemaker dinners, and local foods. Call 895-9463 for further details. #348. An early “heads-up.” The 24th Annual Variety Show returns on Friday/Saturday, March 7/8. For further details and/or to audition, call Bill at 895-2318, David at 895-3580, or Corporal Raindrop at 895-3807 for details. #349. Need a burn permit? You can get one from the Firehouse in Boonville, also home of the oddly named Community Services District which, for those of you wondering, performs a great job in dealing with all issues connected with the fire department, our local airport, and the recreation center, along with the maintenance of the street lights in the center of our heaving metropolis. all seven of them! Call 895-2075 for any questions regarding any of these services or stop by. You will be efficiently served with a smile. Trust me on this.
Here is the menu for the Community lunches and dinners over the next week at the Senior Center at the Veterans” Building in Boonville. The Center asks for a $6 donation from seniors for both lunches and dinners and charges $7 for Non-seniors for lunches and $8 for the dinners. Tomorrow, Thursday, February 5, the lunch, served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be Chicken Stir-fry, Asian Slaw, Quinoa salad, and Cherry Dump Cake for dessert. Then, next Tuesday evening, January 10 at 6pm, the dinner will feature Lasagna with Garlic Bread, and Tiramisu for dessert. As this is the 2nd Tuesday of the month, the dinner will be followed by Bingo at 7pm. All meals include vegetables, salad bar, and fruit, plus milk, coffee, tea, and lemonade. Hopefully you will be able to attend, and remember. ALL ages are welcome! Hope to see you there.
Topics and Valley events under discussion this week at The Three-Dot Lounge— “Moans, Groans, Good Thoughts, and Rampant (and surprisingly reliable) Rumors” from my favorite gathering place in the Valley.
…On their return from a well-earned winter break, Jose and Libby of Libby’s Restaurant have announced that they will be cutting back on their workload for health reasons and therefore lunches will no longer be served. Those familiar with the restaurant-owning business will know what that can be like in a busy establishment where the owners also work the shifts during both the prep time and business hours. They have been serving wonderful food to the community for many years and so it is with some relief that, while the delicious lunches will be missed by many, the dinner hours are to remain the same. Tuesday to Saturday from 5 to 8.30pm. Phew!
…Aquarelle, so I am informed, will re-open after their holiday break on Friday, February 13; but as for the re-opening of Stone and Embers in The Madrones complex, I have no news.
…High school kids on community oversight boards?. The regulars were unanimous in their agreement with the Powers-that-Be at the AVA who criticized such moves in the “Valley People” section of this esteemed organ last week. The folks who approve of such token appointments to local boards, simply because it ticks a few politically correct boxes, show a false/misguided consciousness when they do so. Diversity on our boards is important but, having spent much time around high school students in recent years, many of whom are certainly bright but are still kids in the end (fortunately), I cannot imagine what significant contributions in decision-making capacity they bring to boards such as the one that is “running” the Health Center at this time. I suggest that folks would better serve our next generation by sharing advice on the life skills that many lack when they enter the “real world” beyond the Valley, everything from handling basic social interactions to attitudes towards sexism, racism, homophobia, etc. Not only is having them on boards somewhat patronizing, in our humble opinion, it is without any practical benefit.
…From our 3-Dot regular, The Old Buzzard, comes another in his insightful series. “Signs that the Apocalypse is Approaching.” Buzzard reports, “Hopefully Yelp.com, the ‘online urban guide and business review site’ is not that influential on people’s decision-making when it comes to dining around the Valley. Throughout much of its history there have been allegations that Yelp Inc. has manipulated their website's user reviews based on participation in its advertising programs and, based on some reviews of local establishments (those who do not advertise), one can see why such allegations exist. As every successful restaurateur knows, for every poor review tendered, there are many more unwritten positive reviews. Furthermore, to post a complaint, shouldn’t one have visited the establishment more than once? Unfortunately, it is the nature of certain folks to complain about restaurants and I suspect that ironically many of these ‘reviewers’ would fail to know the difference between crawdads, crawfish, crayfish, and mudbugs. However, these people now have the “pulpit” they would never have been given in a previous, and perhaps more discerning, time and are going to spout their often debatable remarks with little regard to the effects it may have. The only way to stop this development is to check out restaurants in person and not pay heed to such websites, whose popularity is surely another sign that the Apocalypse is getting closer with each day.”
I’m outtahere. 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. A final request, “Let us prey.” Sometimes poking, often stroking, but almost always humbly yours, Turkey Vulture.
PS. Contact me with words of support/abuse either through the Letters Page or by e-mail at turkeyvulture1@earthlink.net.
PPS. On the sheep, Grace. Hi, Silver Swan. Behaving yourself? Hopefully not! Good day, Bobwhite Quail. Keep up the knitting!
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