Stuck On Stupid

Anyone that follows blogs, blog articles, blog commentaries, newspaper editorials and opinion pages, local Times-Standard “My Word,” and letters to the editors will soon begin to see a recognizable pattern emerge – very little substance and very little actual relevant conversation. Oh! There's a humongous amount of words, mostly by unknown web entities (avatars) going AT one another, rarely ever talking TO one another. Lots of shouting and hollering, but no meaningful conversation. As one Blog Commentator put it, when talking about the wanton actions of those that engage in totally unjustifiable conduct that prove themselves so totally untenable, without any credibility, they continue to try to justify themselves by incoherent and nonsensical rationale – in other words: Stuck On Stupid.

An interesting observation regarding these individuals is how many seemingly intelligent and responsible people (known and unknown entities) readily engage these self-manifest stupid blowhards in their mindless quest for attention. As a consequence, with their cooperation, it is the stupid that dominate and obfuscate whatever meaningful work honest, sincere and descent people might want to accomplish in their blog articles, commentary, letter to the editor and opinions. Most responders are incapable of distinguishing the difference between the "subject" from the "object." It seems very few people can deal with the issues at hand, or the “OBJECT” under discussion. So they go after the person, the “SUBJECT.” Rather than discuss matters dispassionately, you end up with a personal vendetta.

As some of you may know, the writer of this blog Report made his living as a logger, mostly in old growth redwood and Douglas fir. I'm not in the picture, but could of easily been one of those guys. Back in those years, we'd occasionally get one of these hot-shot "deaf and dumb" blowhards, that couldn't find his ass with both hands, but was always trying to tell someone what to do and how to do it. One notable reality of the timber industry is that it was and still is, rather unforgiving; you rarely got a second chance. Even so, most of the old-timers would exercise great patience with these upstart punks. We all had a job to do and these guys were a hindrance, never carried their share of the load and were always a threat to themselves and others. In some cases, if the person was really likeable, the old-timer's would spend hours trying to talk, to explain and to show them the seriousness of their situation if they did not start cooperating.

These men took pride in themselves and in the professional work they performed. They expected new entries into their profession to show the same consideration. You ultimately EARNED the “right” to work equal to them. It was always the same with whatever new crew you engaged. You had to start all over, right at the bottom and earn everyone's respect. If you thought you were going to bullshit your way in and that everyone would just rollover for you, you were in for some serious education. Once in a great while one of these individual non-listener/non-learner would see what you might say was “the handwriting on the wall” and quit. No disgrace, they could readily see that they were totally out of their league and move on to something more to their abilities (probably saved their lives, too). Others never saw or heard anything until it was WAY too late. Those that could, never came back either.

Which brings me to “Stuck On Stupid.” Look at what I post on my two blogs, this one and The Joe Blow Report 2 and you won't find many comments. It's not that people don't come here, even spend time here, they do. It is that they just don't want to engage on the issues. And, there are some serious issues confronting everyone in this world today. I recently had an opportunity to confront one of these issues dealing with who or what you actually vote for in this country. I don't think there is any disagreement that all political representatives, from top to bottom, one way or another are corrupt and controlled by a wealthy Elite, what I call a plutocratic oligarchy. Consequently, a vote for anyone ultimately is a vote for the Oligarchy. The question arose as to what the common man and woman can effectively do to get back the control they believe they have in their country's government other than just keep on voting. The conversation surrounding this issue, Stuck On Stupid, was clearly and concisely demonstrated on Eric Kirk's SoHum Parlance II. The commentary thread is rather informative; there's a good example of one of these rather dense blowhards. Notice in particular the comments by Eric Kirk, or perhaps the lack of comment to demonstrate lack of substance - it is his blog and chosen subject, however.

Another good example of the serious issues confronting us was illustrated in an interview I recently saw on Access Humboldt TV: Sentinel Interviews: [E.P.D. Chief] Garr Nielsen by Charles Douglas. This was an astute and timely interview. Mr. Douglas' questions revealed some important information everyone that lives in Eureka needs to consider. As a property owner in Eureka who has had occasion to call on the police for assistance, I was under the impression that they received benefit of their employment paid for by my tax monies; that they essentially worked for the benefit of the taxpaying citizens of Eureka. Thus making the police department ultimately answerable to all of us through our elected representatives, the Eureka City Council. In this interview, Chief Garr Nielsen sets everyone straight on that subject. He says he works for and serves at the pleasure of the Eureka City Manager, David W. Tyson. I wonder how many taxpaying people in Eureka understand what this difference really means. The City of Eureka Website defines his job. Here's a partial quote:

The City Manager is the chief executive/administrative officer of the City, ... The City Manager is appointed by, answerable to, and takes direction from the City Council. The City Manager's office is responsible for the day-to-day efficient performance of all city operations, implementing Council policy ...” [Emphasis added]

Anyone that knows anything about corporations, and the City of Eureka is a corporation, knows that “the” chief executive/administrative officer runs the corporation. So, Chief Garr Nielsen spoke the truth. When there is a complaint about E.P.D. policing conduct, the only person Chief Nielsen has to worry about is Mr. Dave Tyson. That reality was reaffirmed when he explained his approach to demonstrations and demonstrators. If you'd like to learn more about what the taxpaying people and property owners in Eureka can expect from the EPD in the future, here's a link to the complete interview: Sentinel Interviews: Garr Nielsen. Confronting this issue will change your mind and alter your beliefs regarding police protection and what we can expect in the future.

Most of those “old” loggers were survivors. They would do everything they thought reasonable to help a new member of the crew if that person showed the least interest in learning what it took to do the job. Couple that with some initiative and they'd give you every chance. Spurn their offer and you'd soon find out that they were just as unforgiving as a widow maker.

--Joe

Lost Logger Redux

One of Joe Blow's afterlives was a logger. In the mid-seventies he became aware of an ever-growing adversarial change in attitudes and in the law regarding the logging and timber industry. Most of this negative impact was believed to be caused by the ever-expanding population growth, including retired people and environmentalist-motivated, pot growing, so-called “back_to_the_land” transplanted Southern California Hippies. It was the Redwood National Park sale that really impacted his business and got his attention. The environmental movement, widespread propaganda against old growth timber harvesting, political glad-handing, new restrictive laws and new invasive agencies, he soon learned, were far more destructive and threatening than a few “pot farmers” trying to enforce a new way of life.

Joe fought the good fight, but in the end lost the battle and went the way most old loggers go. In Joe's case, in an effort to retain some dignity, he took his businesses out of state. Since “home is where the heart is,” throughout those years away Joe remained aware of how the timber industry and his remaining friends were managing. One of his concerns was how the directly affected communities were dealing with, what he considered a hostile takeover by the environmentalists and big timber companies. Where was the anger and the backlash? It seemed like the rough and tough timber man and woman just rolled over like a cowed dog. They took their generational losses as if it was ordained by God. Most local business people's attitude was, “Oh well, what can we do?” But, somethings apparently changed in thirty years. All that anger didn't just go the way of "old loggers." Thirty to forty years of constant battles and the struggle to stay alive and to defend and protect your family from repressive attitudes, laws and the narrow-minded, thin-skinned, changes people.

It seems turnabout is fair play. At least that is what's being reported by Heidi Walters for the NC Journal: Unhappy Camp - Reliving the bad old ’80s way up in there the hills – An excellent article on some of the “local” signs of the times.

Why it took 30 years for short-sighted business people to stop voting their pocket books must have something to do with the fact their Ronald Reagan experiment in capitalist domination didn't work for the small business person and land owner like they believed it would.

Frankly, this is a lesson all the pot growers, a.k.a. “pot farmers” should take to heart. Some people have long memories and deeply buried resentments. Lets not forget all the people that exploited all that easy money, either. Since they are the ones that ran interference for the growers and made the whole process possible. Now, according to the news in today's Monday, October 18, 2010, Times-Standard paper, 'A neighborhood problem': Eureka neighbors take to courts to fight grow house -- and win, you can run a commercial, in-house grow operation with 79 or more plants right in the middle of a Eureka residential neighborhood and the police won't bother you even when everyone complains. Why did it take 14 “plaintiffs,” people in the neighborhood, filing suit in court to get the operation stopped even when the Judge said:

“The evidence supports a conclusion that the nuisance conducted on the premises interfered with plaintiffs' use and enjoyment of their property,” Reinholtsen wrote in the ruling. “The plaintiffs suffered substantial actual damages, and the use of the premises by defendant and his tenants was unreasonable.”

EPD Detective Neil Hubbard concluded by saying:

With the seemingly ever-increasing gray area of the state's marijuana law, Hubbard said frustrated neighbors may be wise to follow the Hillsdale Street neighborhood's lead. He said this is increasingly a problem that falls outside of police hands, noting that the tenants at Ebenstein's house were not arrested nor charged for the grow operation.

Hubbard said he's never heard of a small claims case like the one brought forward by the Hillsdale neighbors, but would like to see more of them. [Emphasis added]

“The grow houses are really not so much of a police problem anymore,” Hubbard said. “It's a neighborhood problem. I'm glad to see (the Hillsdale neighbors) stepped to the plate and took this on. ... It's going to take that kind of thing to improve these properties. I'd like to see more of it.”

When Judge Reinholtsen concludes “that the nuisance conducted on the premises interfered with plaintiffs' use and enjoyment of their property,” and “suffered substantial actual damages” and the use of that property was “ unreasonable,” I'd like to know what is police business these days?

What does it mean when the local police start telling citizens, that when they've got a problem that threatens their health, children, life, and property that it's time for them to start taking matters into their own hands? Maybe our city fathers know something we don't and when it comes to cutting back on so-called “public safety” their only doing what's obvious and necessary. If so, we live in a rather convoluted mess, that's for sure.

If that's the case, then maybe it's time to take another look at California gun laws and concealed carry permit issues. If we can't count on the police, then the only ones left are “us.” Old loggers know what that means.
[Source]

--Joe