- Durham’s $195 Place Name Tome
- Putrescense
- Party Lines
- Where's Us?
- Who Took Joanne's Biden Sign?
- Build Smart
- Get Ready To Bumbllllle!
- 18th Century Amy
- Trump’s Crime Spree
- What About Melania?
DURHAM’S $195 PLACE NAME TOME
Editor,
I think Katy Tahja would be interested in the following:
I read Katy Tahja’s article about Mendocino Coast Place Names in the Oct. 7 AVA and noticed she referenced “Durham’s Place Names of the California North Coast.”
By chance, two days later I bought “Durham’s Place Names of the SF Bay Area.” (2000) at a used bookstore in downtown San Rafael run by the San Rafael Library. The author is David L. Durham, a former USGS geologist.
In the back of the book are listings of several books offered by the publisher, Word Dancer Press of Clovis, CA, including Durham’s “definitive gazetteer of California,” California’s Geographic Names — A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State,” a 1,680 page 85 x 11 hard cover book for $195 (in 2000 dollars).
Keith Bramstedt
San Anselmo
PUTRESCENSE
Editor,
The election will tighten up in the swing states. A number of people know why the Willits Police Chief resigned. A lot of people would like to know. Who will investigate? The PD? The Comical? The sad UDJ? The New York Post? The Manchester Union Leader? The Wall Street Journal? The Willits papers? No, no, no. Who shall we support for the new editor at the Press Democrat? Marco McClean! Remember prescient? Used twice in the AVA. The UDJ doesn't know the word yet. Here's a new one for you: Putrescence. You should find plenty of opportunity to use it. Expected you to print Stanton’s calling Lincoln a baboon and Lincoln's reply. Doris K. Goodwin told several of Lincoln's jokes in Band of Rivals.
Ralph Bostrom
Willits
PARTY LINES
Editor,
I got my No and Yes flyers for Props 15 and 21 in the mail yesterday. They are asking us for a huge chunk of money again. Are they ever satisfied? I bet their pensions are in trouble and other symptoms of mismanagement. It seems they are running out of money faster all the time. I mean the pots get empty but the pockets get full.
I don't mind rich liberal Democrats if they make their own money with their own business. But most of them are on the dole somehow either working directly for the government in highly paid well-connected positions that need more money all the time, or as “nonprofit” contractors collecting money from the government doing all those wonderful things. Think Measure B, San Francisco's homeless program, also here in our County. The list is truly endless of rat holes to throw money down. I mean well-connected rat holes. I have a rule I've become quite comfortable with that is: don't ever send them anything you don't have to. Whatever they fix gets worse. They get richer and still want to be rewarded with more money using whatever excuses are handy.
Proposition 15 is going after just the “rich corporations”!? What a crock! They will certainly pass on whatever expense to all of us and while they confiscate and redistribute to all these wonderful programs that keep getting bigger and more expensive.
I noticed on my No On 15 flyer that No on 50 is supported by the NAACP. Proposition 15 will destroy many black owned businesses. This of course makes perfect sense.
When asked about the NAACP's supporting an anti-socialist proposition an NPR/KZYX radio host said the NAACP has become a corrupt organization. What do you expect from such a nonbiased fair and balanced radio station?
They should call it Party Line Radio. If Propositions 15 and 21 fail there is hope.
Tom Madden
Comptche
WHERE'S US?
To the Editor:
Do “We the People” get any voice anymore? Letters to the Editor often express disagreement with our “leaders’ ideas”: [e.g., “improving” traffic flow on State St.] but there is never any real attention paid to “We the People.”
Martha Barra’s letter (UDJ 10/09/20) succinctly explained why the Best Western is NOT a could choice for a homeless shelter. I don’t recall any journalist reporting anyone explaining why it is a GOOD choice. All We-the-People got was: “Sorry, We-the-People, but the door was slammed because “an escrow has been opened.” I agree that there should be an open meeting and/or some explanations from the “good choice” people. (I’d hate to think there was anything nefarious.)
Jon E. Telschow
Ukiah
WHO TOOK JOANNE'S BIDEN SIGN?
Hello,
Someone stole my political sign last night!
Just wanted to let you know someone stole our Biden/Harris sign last night. They even took the poles that held it up!
I filed a police report and the responder said there's been a lot of this going on from both sides.
Makes you wonder what's happening in the USA when we get this type of stuff in our community. Apparently, I live in a bubble because I believe everyone has the right to vote/advertise for anyone they want.
Stay safe,
Joanne Frazer
Fort Bragg
BUILD SMART
Editor:
Armoring for wildfires—
Apocalyptic fires in California make fall a dangerous time.
Climate change has brought droughts, Diablo winds, high temperatures and fierce firestorms, obliterating whole communities.
In the distant past California lived through multiple centuries of drought. Those times were cold and dry; now those droughts will be hot and dry.
As an architect, I rejoiced in the beauty of redwood, fir and cedar in designing beautiful homes on the coast and in the wine valleys of Sonoma and Napa. Now I see them as future bonfires. If we are to stay in this wine region we need to rethink how we build structures in fire zones. Last year, the head of Cal Fire said the answer is to build fireproof homes. Few followed his lead. It is astounding that we are replacing houses with the same materials that previously burned.
Fortunately, there are ways to build walls and roofs that are four-hour fire resistant and have high insulation value. New materials and techniques can achieve fireproof homes, and these materials are ideal for dramatically reducing costs for heating and cooling — and for similar building costs to traditional wood frame.
Allan Nichol
Occidental
GET READY TO BUMBLLLLLLE!
Letter to the editor:
Let's wrestle! Someone may get hurt debating!
Boy oh boy, haven't we all been waiting for the second presidential debate? I can hardly wait. Then again perhaps we could get lucky and have a power outage prior to the start. Total silence in the dark! That would have value: Rest! It can't get any better.
Here we have two candidates, bozos and buffoons, yelling at each other, no restraints, with stuff like “You clown,” “Shut up,” back and forth. Just brilliant. Wait, one minute. Just think, one of these loquacious silverbacks will be one day be your president. Eureka! I'm dying -- how lucky can an old man get. Here here!
In all of this interesting pandemonium the vast majority of retards and retardetttes just love it. Those watching could care less about substance or redeeming value. None of which are touched on. But how much ranting and raving and loud lambasting of the other side can we stand? We are paying for this, millions and millions of dollars. You would be better served watching lady mud wrestling. Hey! I like wrestling.
After the debate for those of you who were really informed and found that both candidates were respectful and presented themselves in a statesmanlike manner along with a future agenda that can be held in high esteem, call me collect! (The phone with silent.)
Gran says, Some of our kinfolk are coming over for supper tonight. Gramps had that old hog in the ground for two days now. Lordy, he set that old outhouse afire. Oh hell, that should give the old hog good rich smoky flavor. Yum! Gramps still has that damn swamp ass. I told him I better not see him eating any of that hog fat. I ain't washing or scrubbing any more of those undershorts. You can just go commando.
Love you gran. Cookies?
God bless America, the Donald, Jerry Philbrick and that old hog.
Still old and still angry,
Boonville
18TH CENTURY AMY
Editor:
Judge Amy Coney Barrett calls herself a “textualist.” I understand that to mean that provisions in the Constitution are to be read as people commonly understood their meaning in their day. With that definition, I cannot see any reasonable way of dealing with the Second Amendment except superseding it with a new one. Both the culture and technology of our day have made it entirely irrelevant.
When Barrett was asked about the gun amendment, she responded that she owned a gun. It’s my guess it wasn’t a musket. Modern weaponry and muskets are related in that they both can kill. In no other way can the Second Amendment be used as a standard justifying the huge array of combat weapons available at gun stores today.
And there is no discernible connection between a citizens militia in 1791 and the unrestricted freedom to own guns today. In simple objectivity and direct inference our founders granted citizens the right to own arms but as members of organized militias when prevailing powers threatened their rights.
The Supreme Court decision on this amendment, District of Columbia v. Heller in 2008, in my opinion, departed from the Constitution in a conclusion that makes no practical sense or logic. It certainly didn’t comply with Barrett’s “textualist” approach.
Gilbert Viera
Petaluma
TRUMP’S CRIME SPREE
Editor,
U.S. Court Of Appeals ruled that Trump’s use of emergency powers to divert $3.6 billion in military construction funds for the border wall is unlawful. The court of appeals order requires that construction cease immediately.
The district court last year and the Court of Appeals earlier this year ruled that Trump’s attempt to circumvent Congress and transfer $2.5 billion in military pay and pension funds for border wall construction is also unlawful. Construction of the border wall has desecrated tribal lands, leveled wildlife preservations, and destroyed border communities.
Please go online and see the COMPLETE DESTRUCTION of the ancient cactus and former wildlife lands that were hurriedly bulldozed by Trump’s ILLEGAL & UNLAWFUL actions, and answer the question, who pays for this? Who’ll take responsibility now? Idiot Trumpers?
In the debate, Trump LIED about the official number of immigrants, who show up for their court dates. It’s about 75%, who DO show up. It’s over 500 immigrant children, that Trump's family separation police now can't find the parents to, and he used the lie in the debate as an excuse for this evil to continue. Steve Bannon who's Trump main advisor to this whole mess, was himself arrested for FRAUD for his We Build The Wall SCAM. B.T.W.
Mexico’s not paying for the wall, that was just another LIE for the Idiot Trumpets. FOOLS! I notice that the editor of this paper thinks it’s more relevant to bitch about the B.S. Hunter Biden scoop , and very bad Dems, while completely ignoring the ongoing TRUMP CRIME SPREE! Not an exaggeration.
Most Trump supporters are Inbred-Mongoloid Fox-Tard Cowards, who don t understand the U.S. Constitution LIMITS the power of their Idiot Trump to destroy Families, Nature & Rule of Law.
You Trumpets are Wicked-Evil Pawns & Fools who all have to be held accountable for these misdeeds, not by me, but GOD! I personally raise my middle finger to you all. F.U.
To all the other good & smart AVA folks:
Best Regards,
Rob Mahon
Covelo
WHAT ABOUT MELANIA?
To the Editor:
Ever since the Republican convention Melania Trump has seemed happier than at any point since Election Day 2016. I think I know why. According to Washington Post reporter Mary Jordan's book “The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump,” Ms. Trump didn't move into the White House until June 2017, five months after her husband moved in, because she was renegotiating her prenuptial agreement with Mr. Trump to ensure that her son Barron would have equal footing with Mr. Trump's other kids in Mr. Trump's will.
But I think her new prenup went beyond that. I think Mr. and Ms. made another agreement: Ms. Trump would move into the White House and pretend to have a real relationship with her husband until after the 2020 election, and then she would be given a financial settlement and would be free to do as she pleased. That would account for Ms. Trump's newfound happiness, because she sees the light at the end of a very dark tunnel - she's almost there, almost free of a man for whom she feels little if any fondness. Don't expect Ms. Trump to remain in the White House long after the election.
If Ms. Trump did in fact renegotiate her prenup, she was smart to do so. But if she was really smart, she negotiated a lump-sum payment, not any kind of alimony or child support to be paid out over time, as Mr. Trump, with $400 million in debts, may be in no financial position to honor any such long-term commitment. And if Ms. Trump was exceptionally smart, she had Mr. Trump put the entire amount of such a lump-sum settlement in an escrow account, thus giving the ever-waffling Mr. Trump no opportunity to renege.
I would like to wish Ms. Trump well, but after the contempt she has shown for the children her husband locked in cages on the Mexican border, I have lost all sympathy for the woman who has had to play real wife for three and a half years. She seems to have no more empathy for the less fortunate than her husband does. In that sense, it's too bad their marriage exists only on paper, as they seem well suited for each other.
Lawrence Reichard
Belfast, Maine