Unusual News
Assembly Rejects John Wayne Day Proposal Because of Racist Comments by “Duke”
The state Assembly defeated the official ode to John Wayne on Thursday after several legislators described statements he made about racial minorities and his support for the anti-communist House Un-American Activities Committee and John Birch Society. Republican State Assemblyman Matthew Harper of Huntington Beach sought to declare May 26, 2016, as John Wayne Day to mark the day the actor was born. read more
Can We Make Lawmakers Wear Donor Logos like NASCAR Ads?
Republican Rancho Santa Fe venture capitalist/real estate mogul John Cox has proposed a ballot initiative for November 2016, California Is Not for Sale, which would require lawmakers to wear logos of their Top 10 contributors and include them on any advertising. The initiative is a response to the growing role of money in politics unleashed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling. read more
Coercive or Punitive? Orange County Man Jailed 5 Years for Contempt of Court
The court ordered Nazarzai to account for all his assets and Nazarzai said he had $370,540 at an unidentified location. He was ordered to produce it by July 2, 2010, but did not. Instead, he offered a fanciful story of how the money came to be missing. The judge wrote: "I find beyond a reasonable doubt that the cash was not in the car and never was placed into it for delivery.” Nazarzai was found to be in contempt of court. read more
Giant African Snails Pay Unwanted Call on Port of Oakland
Two of the monstrously large creatures (8 inches long, 5 inches wide) were found on wooden pallets from American Samoa at the Port of Oakland this month, raising the spectre of a voracious pest with no known predators set loose upon California which, in the words of the Chronicle, “eats crops and homes.” U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents said this is the second time in two months, snails have been found at the port. read more
Google Unhappy with DMV for Requiring a Driver in Driverless-Car Regs
Google wants to develop a robot car that doesn’t need controls tacked on for a human, but the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) said the product released to the public should be equipped with all of them. That would include a steering wheel, brakes and an accelerator for openers. Google said in a statement, "We are gravely disappointed." read more
Man Loses Appeal of Lawsuit over 20-Month Erection from Motorcycle Ride
When Superior Court Judge James McBride dismissed the case in March 2014, he discounted the testimony of Wolf’s key expert witness, Dr. Jonathan Rutchik. “He offered no opinion as to the duration of the exposure that caused this damage nor did he offer any opinion as to the latency period between exposure and symptoms,” the judge wrote. “He offered no opinion as to how such damage would cause priapism in general.” read more
Law Enforcement Having Trouble Hanging on to Their Weapons
An NBC Bay Area investigation found that 497 weapons have turned up missing at eight law enforcement agencies since 2010. That includes the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and six area police departments. Dozens of weapons were stolen from the homes and vehicles of officers. About one-third of the weapons, 166, were Tasers. read more
Rich and Famous Get a Terminal of Their Own at LAX
VIPs who use the service will be able to park in a secure lot, with transportation to the lounge, or go to a secure drop-off. The lounge will have private suites, and shuttles will transport passengers to the terminals.
The price of using the Los Angeles Suite—if you have to ask it's not for you—could run up to $1,800 a pop. read more
Morro Bay Wants to Be First West Coast City to Grace Its Shores with a Wind Farm
Morro Bay signed a memorandum of understanding last month with Trident Winds LLC to explore a “long-term commercial relationship” to construct an offshore wind project. Offshore wind farms have huge potential, albeit with huge drawbacks. They are expensive, tough to construct, vulnerable, unsightly, hard on the ocean environment and a danger to birds. Despite being a tad cleaner than fossil fuels, they have elicited deeply divided responses from environmentalists. read more
Whistleblower Complaint Filed over Governor’s Request for Info on Family Ranch
State law frowns upon public officials having state employees use state resources for personal reasons. The Brown administration denies that happened. “The governor is interested in the history and geology of his family ranch in Colusa County—not drilling for oil or gas,” Brown deputy press secretary Gareth Lacy told the Los Angeles Times. The documents were all public records and any citizen was entitled to ask to see them, he said. read more
Ready or Not, Here Come Tesla Drivers and New Autosteer
Tesla Model S drivers, most of whom are in California, got a software update for their cars a few weeks ago, giving them access to some cool features—Autosteer, Auto Lane Change and Autopark—and some of them have been posting their unregulated highway beta testing on YouTube. Tesla has been installing the hardware for its new features for awhile, but didn’t push the software out until October 14. read more
“Incredibly Venemous” Sea Snake Comes Ashore in Southern California
It was the first time in 30 years that Pelamis platurus, a descendant from Asian cobras and Australian tiger snakes, made an appearance in California. They ride warm currents in the Pacific and Indian oceans, in tropical climates, and last showed up during El Niño conditions similar to the present. “There’s probably a lot of them swimming off the coast of Southern California right now,” according to herpetologist Greg Pauly. read more
Two More Reasons Besides West Nile Virus to Fear Mosquitoes in California
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is warning residents to be wary of mosquitoes that bite in the middle of the day or comfortably fly around the interior of a home. That’s not normal behavior for most mosquitoes, but these infectious pests are special—they can transmit yellow fever, dengue fever and chikungunya. read more
Coastal Commission Bans Whale Sex at San Diego SeaWorld
The 11 killer whales at SeaWorld San Diego can have a new, expanded $100-million habitat, but won’t be able to breed anymore. Those were the terms laid down by the California Coastal Commission last week when it voted to allow the expansion over the protests of animal rights activists who would rather the orcas be freed. read more
Fort Bragg Loses 30% of Water, Tells Restaurants to Use Disposable Plates and Utensils
“We’re in uncharted territory,” Fort Bragg Public Works Director Tom Varga told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. The Northern California town, 15 miles from Mendocino, lost 30% of its water supply in a hurry when the low flow of the Noyo River caused a spike in salt content from ocean water backup. That made it unusable, so the city ordered a leap from a largely voluntary Stage 1 Water Emergency to Stage 3. read more
Worried About a Five-Decade Mega-Drought? How About 2,000 Years?
This occurred 27,500 years ago in California, turning a sprawling region of pine trees and juniper, where mammoths roamed, into shrubs and chaparral. “This was happening during a glacial period when it was already cool and wet―cooler and wetter than it is now,” paleoecologist and co-author Jonathan Nichols said. “If we got a drought like this now, it would be putting a big drought on top of a time which is already warm and dry.” read more