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Al’s Corner – September 2023

image from www.sparkysonestop.com

This volume of Al's Corner is dedicated to the celebration of the Davis Vanguard's National Issues Open Discussion Page.  Of course, this page isn't open to me, or several other banned people.  Nor, in practice, is it a discussion.  Let's do some stats and declare a winner:

"Winner!": 

Walter Shwe — 53 posts  (Status:  Active)

Runners Up:

David Greenwald — 10  (Status: Appears to have abandoned the page)

Keith Olson — 9  (Status: Appears to have abandoned the page)

Don Shor — 1  (Status: Appears to have abandoned the page)

Dave Hart — 1  (Status: Appears to have abandoned the page)

The last 36 posts in a row have been from Walter Shwe.  Since August 26th, over a week ago, the only posts have been from a single person.  Guess who.  But the topper, of all the toppers, is this post from today:

Walter Shwe

This post and page just keeps giving and giving. I love it.

Let us all wish the Davis Vanguard continued success on it's Open National Issues page.

Al's Corner September is ready & open for business on any & all topics, within the confines of the minimal "rulez" posted.  If you are posting about the Library Issue, please continue posting on that open thread.  I have a feeling that one is going to go on for a long time  😐

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Alan C. Miller

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Comments

94 responses to “Al’s Corner – September 2023”

  1. Ron O

    (even the people that rode bikes to the event have oil on their chains and grease in their wheel hubs)
    They could be using whale oil.
    Things are going well for me so I don’t really care that gas $1/gallon more in CA than NV and if the price of gas doubles it won’t change my life at all (I paid over $6/gallon in Tahoe over Labor Day and saw it is over $6/gallon at the Richards Shell today as I was heading north from “South of Davis”).
    California gas creates $1 “less” per gallon of greenhouse gas impacts than Nevada gas does. And the closer you get to Tahoe (or the Bay Area), the higher the “quality” of gasoline, and the less impact it creates.
    For that matter, Davis gasoline creates less impact than gas from the CostCo in Woodland, for example.
    But the best thing to do (if you really want to have a positive impact) is to buy-up every available used and new car, to prevent others from driving them.
    That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

  2. Alan C. Miller

    On the topic of on topics and off topics, Al’s Corner is a bit of a free-for-all, so feel free to free form. However, on Al’s Curiosity Corner topics or other such single-topic articles, I’d prefer that if you want to go off topic, return to Al’s Corner, where off topic is on topic. And as the great George Colin pointed out as OK topics for network air, “You can prick your finger, but you can’t finger your prick”.

  3. Ron O

    David Greenwald (today’s growth article, already referenced above):
    “Completely agree Richard – this is one of the problems here – Davis has been alternating between massive growth and no growth and what it really needs is steady and sustainable growth.”
    There is no such thing.
    The only thing that Davis would “accomplish” is to copy what every other city in the valley is already doing (e.g., accommodating growth as a result of the exodus from the Bay Area).
    Truth be told, Davis itself has no “need” whatsoever for residential growth. For that matter, UCD is not increasing the number of staff members, either (per Richard McCann’s earlier comment).
    One of these days, perhaps David and the rest of the YIMBYs can tell us what he means by “housing crisis” or “housing shortage”, rather than just repeating the phrases like a developer’s parrot.
    I realize that a lot of David’s interest is due to declining K-12 enrollment, which is occurring throughout the state. Unfortunately, school districts are highly-resistant to shut down schools, despite what’s best for a given community as a whole. (See today’s article in the Chronicle regarding a school in Chinatown which only has 11 students, resulting in a cost to educate of $75,000 per student.)
    https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/sfusd-school-student-spending-18367645.php

  4. Roberta L. Millstein

    Keith asks, “is pointing out things that actually occurred at the climate march actually off topic?”
    As I understood it, what was really being questioned was Davis’s policy about who is allowed to chalk/paint sidewalks and what the process is for deciding. That is at best tangential to the march itself and certainly to the issues raised by the march. Still, note that I approved all the comments without question. Approving them, however, doesn’t mean that I won’t call them out and request that people try to stick to the topic.
    SOD says that he is “guessing that everyone at the “climate march to end fossil fuel” uses fossil fuels every day.”
    Yes, probably. The whole point of pressing our leaders to do something is so that our society can be reconfigured so that individuals aren’t (essentially) forced to use fossil fuels every day. Declaring a climate emergency that allowed greater investment in renewables and public transportation, for example, could help with that a great deal. As for who will bear the brunt of these changes, today’s youth have been much better than environmental movements of the past in insisting that the most vulnerable among us do not bear the brunt of whatever changes are made. (For example, that is a big part of the Green New Deal). There are ways to compensate for phasing out fossil fuel use.

  5. South of Davis

    RM: wrote:

    The whole point of pressing our leaders to do something is so that
    our society can be reconfigured so that individuals aren’t (essentially)
    forced to use fossil fuels every day.
    I have a friend that did real well working for a Sand Hill Road VC firm that has a totally self contained “bug out” cabin totally off grid between Tahoe and Quincy and I think his combination of solar, wind and hydro power and all the Tesla Powerwall batteries cost close to $1 million. This is cool, but it is going to cost crazy amounts of money for just batteries if we want to get a large number of people off fossil fuels. California is a nice place but someone needs to pay for all this and if tax”payers” are forced to subsidize the poor and middle class it will just push more and more people (actual tax”payers”) to leave the state.
    Declaring a climate emergency that allowed greater investment in renewables
    The government is already spending WAY more than it is taking in, and sadly few of the the kids today realize that they are the one that will have to deal with the government debt (in addition to all those DoorDash charges they keep adding to their six figure student loans).
    https://wolfstreet.com/2023/09/18/congrats-america-%f0%9f%a5%82we-made-it-government-debt-spikes-past-33-trillion-1-6-trillion-since-debt-ceiling-2-2-trillion-from-year-ago/
    and public transportation
    I’m greener than most people in that I ride my bike to work most days (and I would make the kids ride to school EVERY day, even in the rain like I did if my wife didn’t give me a hard time) and we live in a modest old home, drive modest old cars and grow vegetable and herbs in the backyard, but I am honest and realize that public transportation is a big money pit that is expensive, slow does not work for most people (especially people with kids) and does not make ANY financial sense outside of super dense population centers (the “bullet” trains in Japan are great, but Amtrack here in CA is a joke and a ride to the Bay Area or Tahoe takes “double” (or more) the posted time more often than the trips are “on time”. Over the years the TART busses in Tahoe have almost always been empty when I drove by them and since Covid they have been FREE and are still empty 90% of the time when I pass them.
    I feel like DG and many of his “YIMBY” friends are just being used by rich developers to help the get even richer like the “climate activist” kids are being used by rich alternative energy companies and massive super rich owned public infrastructure companies (with help from the unions they work with) to get richer (I’m sure even my youngest kid will die of old age before the super expensive CA “bullet” train takes a single person from SF to LA).

  6. Alan C. Miller

    SUBJECT: “Vanguard Receives Bomb Threat to DJUSD, Schools (UPDATE: All Clear)”
    Well, WS cuts and pastes paragraphs condemning M4L. I guess that is proof of who did it. Let’s defund the police and hire “WS Cut ‘n Paste with Mustard & Ketchup on Top Investigative Services” to replace them 😐
    Walter Shwe September 20, 2023 at 5:05 am
    This is more intimidation and threats from members and supporters of the right wing authoritarian organization the Moms for Liberty. Let’s refresh people’s memories to the contents of their nationwide Republican banana republic playbook.
    Unmasking Moms for Liberty
    Moms for Liberty has county-specific chapters across the country that target local school board meetings, school board members, administrators, and teachers. The group advocates to strip districts of protective COVID-19 measures and modify classroom curriculum to exclude the teaching of “critical race theory” (CRT) and sex education, all in the name of “parental rights.”
    “Parental rights” means strategically harassing public schools
    On October 4, Attorney General Merrick Garland released a memo condemning a “disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff.”
    https://www.mediamatters.org/critical-race-theory/unmasking-moms-liberty
    Moms for Liberty
    
Updated: June 27, 2023
    Moms For Liberty was founded in January 2021 claiming it will “organize, educate and empower parents to defend their parental rights.” This advocacy has included calls for book bans, classroom censorship, and bans on teaching about slavery, race, racism and LGBTQ people and history. Moms for Liberty claims to be a grassroots organization, but its founders and founding chapter have strong ties to high-ranking elected officials and national anti-LGBTQ groups including the Heritage Foundation. It claims to have 135 chapters in 35 states.
    —In June 2023 Moms for Liberty’s Hamilton County chapter launched a newsletter that quoted Adolph Hitler on the cover.
    <a href="https://glaad.org/gap/moms-liberty/    “>https://glaad.org/gap/moms-liberty/

  7. Ron O

    ” . . . today’s youth have been much better than environmental movements of the past in insisting that the most vulnerable among us do not bear the brunt of whatever changes are made. (For example, that is a big part of the Green New Deal). There are ways to compensate for phasing out fossil fuel use.”
    I’m not aware of any particular “cost” that “environmental movements of the past” have inflicted upon the “most vulnerable among us”.
    But it seems to me that the “most vulnerable among us” don’t live in this country.
    Regarding “youth”, I recall Bill Maher comparing the number of young people following (the Kardashians?), vs. Greta Thunberg. And the results weren’t inspiring.
    But the “blending” of social justice and environmental concerns started decades ago, which is a primary reason that environmental groups started avoiding the topic of population. The reason being that they were afraid of being accused of racism.
    Also, see the book “Ecotopia” from 1975:
    “Ecotopia also tolerates the voluntary separatism of many people of African descent who have, in fact, chosen to live in a mini-nation in the San Francisco East Bay-area in order to protect themselves from racism.”
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecotopia
    In my opinion, the blending of environmental concerns with social justice concerns weakens both movements, at least on a theoretical “issues” level.
    The “environment” does not care what skin color you have, your sex, or perceived gender. Ask any polar bear what he (or she) thinks, as a “representative” of the non-human environment. Nor does he care about “who” is taxed, labor issues, “housing crises” or anything other than a steady supply of salmon.

  8. Ron O

    “This is more intimidation and threats from members and supporters of the right wing authoritarian organization the Moms for Liberty.”
    That guy is not even worth paying attention to. But why would the Vanguard allow such allegations to be made?
    Perhaps it is protected from libel allegations since it does not name anyone in particular, and is only an “opinion”? (Of course, that opinion has not been factually established, either.)
    But in my “opinion”, publishing such allegations do not reflect well upon the Vanguard itself.

  9. Alan C. Miller

    RO, I just wish everyone would stop making assumptions that fit their political framework. Bomb threats are rarely detonations, but are highly disruptive. Much as I’m not a fan of M4L, I seriously doubt they have been acquiring timers and TNT that are being assembled in a Davis basement. Whatever political leanings the perp has, the main point is that the perp is an asshole and needs to be caught and taken out of circulation like a bad penny. The bomb threats are a distraction to the political issues.

  10. South of Davis

    Alan wrote:

    Whatever political leanings the perp has, the main point is
    that the perp is an asshole and needs to be caught and taken
    out of circulation like a bad penny.
    I agree 100% but have a feeling that only a M4L will be “taken out of circulation” and do time (like a J6 protestor) and if it is a “false flag” the confused kid will get just a “stern warning” (like Jussie Smollett and 99%+ of the people that fake hate crimes).
    P.S. I’m not religious and when I die I’m hoping that when I meet god she does not get mad at me for not joining one of the “big three” religions and so I could abstain from eating meat on Fridays, eating pork all year or drinking alcohol. I have met nice people and total a-holes in each of the “big three” and was surprised that Alan called out Matt Walsh saying “I don’t sync at all with the strict right-wing Christian root of his values.” thinking that he probably would not say the same thing about the “values” of someone else if he was in one of the other two big religions.
    https://www.fakehatecrimes.org/

  11. Alan C. Miller

    SOD, I wasn’t calling MW out, I was stating I didn’t sync with his values/attitude as I see them.
    I’m more hopeful that the perp will be treated as a perp for their crimes, not their beliefs. JS situation was a very different crime laced with politics and gossip, and we don’t even know if the bomb threats are false flags or not. A series of bomb threats is a big deal, and a big crime. While some will make political hay out of whatever ‘side’ the asshole is on, it is irrelevant to the political issues. The asshole is just an asshole.

  12. Ron O

    I wouldn’t assume that the person (or persons) will ever be caught.
    “P.S. I’m not religious and when I die I’m hoping that when I meet god she does not get mad at me.”
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1CeHR5YAi4

  13. Alan C. Miller

    I have a lot more faith in the FBI, and I am all but certain they are here.

  14. Alan C. Miller

    SUBJECT: “Vanguard Receives Bomb Threat to DJUSD, Schools (UPDATE: All Clear)”
    PhilColeman September 20, 2023 at 8:44 am
    “The Vanguard’s time of notification was 2:15 AM . . . but why send a time-critical email to someone who is not at their phone or computer?”
    DG has made it known many times over the years that he gets up at 3:00am to start his Vanguardian day. Sounds like someone who is familiar with the Vanguardian ways, so probably someone local. Possibly someone who has some personal reason to give the Vanguard a head’s up before other media.

  15. Ron O

    “Possibly someone who has some personal reason to give the Vanguard a head’s up before other media.”
    Hmm.

  16. Ron O

    Well, I see that the Federal Reserve has kept rates the same, left the door open for another hike, and is continuing to “reverse” quantitative easing. (The latter of which I had to look up to understand, and I’m still not sure that I do.)
    In any case, I guess the Fed doesn’t think there’s a “housing crisis”. Or maybe they do.

  17. Ron O

    By the way, I’ve heard that the Federal Reserve Bank is actually “none” of those things (not Federal, has no “Reserves”, and is not a “Bank”), and that they print money out of thin air. (Or more accurately, add some monetary digits in a computer.)
    Something “fishy” going on there, especially since they seem to have a lot of power and attention.
    Seems to me that the FBI might want to focus its energies on THAT organization, instead of some lame bomb threat.
    🙂

  18. Roberta L. Millstein

    “Possibly someone who has some personal reason to give the Vanguard a head’s up before other media.”
    Possibly someone who suspected that Greenwald would print some of the content of the email, something that hadn’t been released by the police before with previous emails and hadn’t been in the Davis Enterprise (to my recollection).
    In other words, he gave them a platform. Thanks, David.
    It’s been stated in the DE that the FBI is indeed involved. Why they are finding it so hard to trace these emails is a mystery to me.
    And at the risk of stating the obvious but saying what has to be said, I thoroughly condemn these acts of terror. The terrorists are threatening to bomb schools (and now, school employees!) in the name of protecting children, but clearly, protecting children is not what they are about.

  19. Ron O

    “It’s been stated in the DE that the FBI is indeed involved. Why they are finding it so hard to trace these emails is a mystery to me.”
    Possibly not for a “tech wienie”, or at least someone “Googling” how to call in (or email) a bomb threat without getting caught.
    Can’t imagine that someone wouldn’t take at least basic steps (whatever they are) to avoid detection. Otherwise, there would have been a knock at someone’s door a long time ago.
    Also, these may be separate threats, from different people.
    I still suspect that unless it’s some local idiot(s), they’ll never get caught.
    I don’t think it’s a big deal that David published the “manifesto” in this case.
    But if it’s really this easy to create significant disruption (without getting caught), I’m surprised it doesn’t happen more often – regardless of the “cause”.

  20. Alan C. Miller

    RM say: “And at the risk of stating the obvious but saying what has to be said, I thoroughly condemn these acts of terror.”
    I don’t think it has to be said, it’s so obvious.
    I don’t think even politicians have to say it, it’s so obvious.

  21. Roberta L. Millstein

    “I don’t think it has to be said, it’s so obvious.
    I don’t think even politicians have to say it, it’s so obvious.”
    And yet, some jump immediately to other issues, including downplaying the acts themselves. That’s what makes me think that it needs to be said.
    But yeah, a lot of posturing from the politicians.

  22. Ron O

    “And yet, some jump immediately to other issues, including downplaying the acts themselves.”
    Those are two different things.
    But there’s certainly bigger news items that impact many more people than a local bomb threat (or more accurately, an ongoing series of threats).

  23. Alan C. Miller

    I go back to a story I’ve told many times. At my high school, there was a bomb threat, about 1978. The caller called before school opened and said a bomb was going off at 10:00am. They evacuated the school at 9:40am.
    My thought, as a kid, was: ‘why do they trust a bomber’ ? What if he said 10:00, and set it off at 9:00am ? The low candle power of school bureaucrats has never failed to amaze me. Anyway, the school was checked by police and cleared and we went back to school.
    Epilogue: two weeks later a pipe bomb was found under a roof overhang with a fizzled fuse. They said it would have taken out several classrooms and broken windows on the other side of the road had it gone off.

  24. Roberta L. Millstein

    Ron said, “But there’s certainly bigger news items that impact many more people than a local bomb threat (or more accurately, an ongoing series of threats).”
    Thank you for proving my point.
    Alan said, “two weeks later a pipe bomb was found under a roof overhang with a fizzled fuse. They said it would have taken out several classrooms and broken windows on the other side of the road had it gone off.”
    Which is why all the threats need to be taken seriously, no matter what an individual’s personal assessment of the threat is.
    “The low candle power of school bureaucrats has never failed to amaze me.”
    Yeah.

  25. Ron O

    Pretty scary, Alan.
    And I suppose that the more often these threats are called in, the less seriously they are taken. Seems like they “cleared” the facilities pretty quickly, which makes one wonder how thorough of a search could be undertaken – especially considering your example.
    I think what I find more disturbing in this case is that they apparently/also targeted individuals.
    It also seems strange that this is still occurring – weeks after the incident at the library. Normally, the lunatics lose interest over time, it seems to me.

  26. Alan C. Miller

    I said: “The low candle power of school bureaucrats has never failed to amaze me.”
    Can you imagine the conversation?
    ‘Well, the bomber said 10:00am, so we better evacuate the students . . . um . . . maybe 20 minutes before detonation ? That should be a safe window to get everyone out to the grass.”
    “Yup”
    “Yup”
    “Yup”

  27. Alan C. Miller

    RO say: “It also seems strange that this is still occurring – weeks after the incident at the library. Normally, the lunatics lose interest over time, it seems to me. ”
    Seems we have a particularly rabid lunatic here.

  28. Roberta L. Millstein

    Unabomber, anyone?
    And let’s not pretend that we know that this is one crazed individual rather than an organized effort. Because we don’t know that.

  29. Ron O

    “Thank you for proving my point.”
    You’re welcome, Roberta.
    I can name any number of news items far more significant than this, impacting a far larger number of people, and in a far more serious manner.
    But that doesn’t mean it’s not serious.
    Now, if there was actually a bomb, then it would elevate in importance (locally, at least).
    But (sorry to say) I’m not that impressed that it’s an earth-shaking event (or series of events). I suspect that not even the kids are scared, depending upon how the adults around them act. So if you want to call that “downplaying” the incident, have at it.
    But again, threatening individuals somehow seems worse.
    Here’s a “clue” for you regarding relative importance: Do you think the national news media will focus on this incident, or will they focus on the fed’s decision today?
    And again, it seems to me that another blog focuses on the “housing crisis” every day – without even mentioning the impact of fed decisions.
    One could also compare what the “national” news media covers, vs. what’s important in the “world” at large. (Again, you’d find differences.)

  30. Ron O

    Unabomber, anyone?
    That guy didn’t even “warn” his victims, as I recall. (He recently died in prison.)
    For a long time, they stored his cabin in Rancho Cordova area. (I know this because a co-worker at the time showed me his photo taken next to the cabin at that location.)
    The cabin itself was presented as a “symptom” of someone who would do something like that, which I found rather strange. Just because someone is a hermit in the woods should not raise suspicion.
    As it turned out, the “manifesto” is what led his brother to point the finger at him.

  31. Alan C. Miller

    Someone sent this to me from Facebook on BB’s page I assume directed at her:
    John Aubert
    Individuals have been committing terrorist acts against DJUSD schools and school employees in the name of the exact same social/political causes that you support!! DO YOU UNEQUIVOCALLY DENOUNCE THIS TERRORISM BEING PERPETRATED IN THE NAME OF CAUSES THAT YOU SUPPORT???
    Helpful?

  32. Ron O

    Helpful?
    I’m not even sure what we’re trying to “help”.
    Some individuals, however, should seek “help”. Perhaps the FBI will guide them toward that.
    Even I, as an “anti-housing advocate” (as Greenwald puts it) don’t engage in such nonsense. And I’m not sure what I’m supposed to be trying to “help” with that issue, either.
    Who (collectively) are these people who presumably lurk among us, somewhere?
    Right – “I condemn the bomb threats, hateful acts of terrorism, and kicking your dog (or god).” Maybe I could qualify as a politician, though I’m not going to be kissing any babies. (Actually, the latter could probably get you in trouble these days.)

  33. Alan C. Miller

    Right on time: a collection of statements from local politicians condemning the act. I wonder if I typed into ChatGPT: “Hi, I’m a local city councilperson in Davis, CA, and there have been numerous bomb threats to our local library and public schools, including this morning when employees of the school district were also targeted. Write me a statement to the public condemning the act, in the style of other public statements I’ve released”, I wonder how close those would be to the statements released?

  34. Keith

    “I wonder how close those would be to the statements released?”
    That would be interesting to compare.

  35. Alan C. Miller

    From ChatGPT (in a few seconds):
    NOTE! This NOT a statement from Lucas Frerichs, this is a ChatGPT output for a statement in the style of County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs after a brief description of the events of this morning and the earlier threats
    Lucas Frerichs, Yolo County Supervisor
    I strongly condemn the recent bomb threats targeting our local library and public schools in Yolo County, including today’s alarming incident involving school district employees. Such acts have no place in our community. Law enforcement is actively investigating to ensure our residents’ safety, particularly our children. I urge all residents to stay vigilant, report suspicious activity, and support one another. Together, we will overcome these challenges and continue to make Yolo County a safe place, guided by our values of compassion and resilience.

  36. Ron “Hal” O

    Alan’s ChatGPT post is proof that we no longer need politicians or university chancellors.
    Actually, I’m not sure that we ever did.
    Now, if we could only replace K-12 students, teachers, staff and library personnel with this as well –
    but I digress.

  37. South of Davis

    For fun I cut and pasted Alan’s prompts into Google Bard, but added “the local council person is a big supporter of Trans Rights:
    Statement from [Your Name], Davis City Councilmember
    I am deeply troubled by the recent bomb threats targeting our local library, public schools, and school district employees. These threats are cowardly and hateful, and I condemn them in the strongest possible terms.
    Our library and public schools are essential institutions in our community. They provide access to information, education, and resources for people of all ages. They are also places where people come together to learn, grow, and be inspired.
    Threats of violence against these institutions are an attack on our shared values. They seek to intimidate and silence us, and they have no place in our community.
    I am particularly disturbed by the fact that these threats have targeted our trans students and staff. Trans people are already marginalized and vulnerable, and these threats only serve to further isolate and endanger them.
    I want to reaffirm the City of Davis’s commitment to equity and inclusion. We are a community that values and respects all people, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
    I urge anyone with information about these threats to come forward to the police. We must work together to protect our community and uphold the values that make Davis such a great place to live.
    In addition to the above, you may want to include the following in your statement:
    A message of support to the staff and students of the affected schools and library
    A call for unity and resilience in the community
    A reaffirmation of the importance of free speech and open access to information
    A condemnation of all forms of discrimination and hate
    Here is an example:
    Our library and public schools are safe havens for people of all ages, including our trans students and staff. They are places where we can come together to learn, grow, and be inspired. The recent bomb threats against these institutions are an attack on our shared values and on the very fabric of our community.
    I stand united with the staff and students of the affected schools and library, and I urge everyone in our community to do the same. We must not allow these threats to divide us or silence us. We must stand together and reaffirm our commitment to free speech, open access to information, and equity for all people.
    We are Davis, and we are strong.
    This is what I got when I said the councilmember was a supporter of Moms for Liberty
    This irom [Your Name], Davis City Councilmember
    I am deeply concerned by the recent bomb threats targeting our local library, public schools, and school district employees. These threats are cowardly and unacceptable, and I condemn them in the strongest possible terms.
    Our library and public schools are essential institutions in our community. They provide access to information, education, and resources for people of all ages. They are also places where people come together to learn, grow, and be inspired.
    Threats of violence against these institutions are an attack on our shared values. They seek to intimidate and silence us, and they have no place in our community.
    I urge anyone with information about these threats to come forward to the police. We must work together to protect our community and uphold the values that make Davis such a great place to live.
    In addition to the above, you may want to include the following in your statement:
    A message of support to the staff and students of the affected schools and library
    A call for unity and resilience in the community
    A reaffirmation of the importance of free speech and open access to information
    Here is an example:
    Our library and public schools are safe havens for people of all ages. They are places where we can come together to learn, grow, and be inspired. The recent bomb threats against these institutions are an attack on our shared values and on the very fabric of our community.
    I stand united with the staff and students of the affected schools and library, and I urge everyone in our community to do the same. We must not allow these threats to divide us or silence us. We must stand together and reaffirm our commitment to free speech and open access to information.
    We are Davis, and we are strong.
    Please note that I have avoided mentioning your support for Moms for Liberty in this statement. I believe that it is important to focus on the unity of the community in the face of these threats, and I do not want to alienate anyone who may not share your political views.

  38. Alan C. Miller

    OH GOD, that last part killed me! I’m sure Elon is working on a version that doesn’t judge.
    I’ve also noticed that ChatGPT is weirdly puritanical and won’t say anything ‘bad’ unless you talk it into it.

  39. Ron O

    After reading Alan and SODs computer-generated “statements”, I think we’re very near the end of humanity, itself.
    I would say “good riddance”, but there might still be a few people around who haven’t been taken over by the AI body-snatchers.

  40. South of Davis

    Today I was reading an article about a Denver homeless camp with a bar and budget brothel (paying for it in a tent inside a homeless camp is one notch down from the back seat of a car in the bad part of town)
    “A homeless camp in Denver was cleaned up after a viral video revealed that some enterprising individuals had set up a makeshift speakeasy with prostitution tents, according to police.”
    Some commenters were happy to hear that the free market was alive in a left leaning big city.
    Another commenter said “I have been telling people for years that the US today is worse than the US in the fictional movie Idiocracy, prove me wrong”
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP2tUW0HDHA
    I’m thinking he is correct since President Camacho in the movie seemed to be a better president than the last couple Presidents we have had…

  41. Ron O

    Hadn’t previously heard of Idiocracy (SOD’s link). Looks like it has pretty decent reviews, as well.
    I saw a comment on YouTube that some “mistake” this for a comedy.
    On a related note (now that we no longer have Jerry Springer), do we still have Maury Povich and his “who’s the daddy” show?
    At least Jerry Springer didn’t try to pretend that he was concerned about his guests. (Assuming that it was real in the first place.) It doesn’t seem like a “coincidence” to me that Jerry Springer was an actual politician.

  42. Ron O

    I happened across a video which shows that the Sacramento DA is taking action against the city itself regarding its “failure” to enforce laws regarding the homeless.
    Seems like Sacramento elected a very “conservative” DA to replace the previous “conservative” DA.
    The video I saw (not sure if the same one is embedded in this article) shows that even Gavin Newsom is appealing to the Supreme Court in regard to the Boise decision – clearly indicating that he even he’s had “enough”.
    https://www.foxnews.com/video/6337558472112
    (I don’t normally “seek out” Fox news, “not that there’s anything wrong with that” -to paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld.)

  43. Alan C. Miller

    SUBJECT: “Commentary: Bomb Threats Are a Form of Terrorism, but WILL NOT Succeed” [2duysvangaaaard]
    Succeed? Well it depends on what their motives are, doesn’t it? If getting their message out there and repeated, be it to foment hate against the LGBTQ plus community, or evoke hate against the M4L crowd, you’ve done a great job of getting the asshole’s message out there. Great “duty”, Greenwald. More like “doody”.
    DG say: “Wednesday was already going to be a long day for me, but it wasn’t helped by the fact that we received an early morning bomb threat to the schools. I dutifully called it in to the Davis Police and, in talking to the police officer, noted that while I figured there was nothing to it, I would never forgive myself if something, god forbid, did happen and I didn’t do my duty.”
    More like self-serving doody duty. First single-handedly saving Asmundson and S. Greenwald from each other in Chamber lobby in 2010, and now this. Every 13 years a civil hero. What would we do without yee ?
    And again, thanks for getting the asshole’s message out, whatever “side” they are “on”.

  44. Alan C. Miller

    David Greenwald Post author September 22, 2023 at 10:31 am
    Posting this for someone else…
    Doesn’t matter what the subject or context is. Just matters that your rules don’t allow anonymous posting. Ever.
    Except when you feel like it.
    The Enigma of David Greenwald’s Blog
    [A poem by ChatGPT]
    In Davis town, where stories flow,
    Lives David Greenwald, don’t you know,
    He runs a blog, Vanguard’s the name,
    Where tales of politics rise like flame.
    But here’s a twist, a curious view,
    Of rules he set, both old and new,
    Commenters should give real names, he’d say,
    Yet some remain in shadows’ sway.
    Oh, David dear, your rules are clear,
    But sometimes, it seems, you don’t hold them near,
    For when opinions align like a pair,
    The anonymous voices, you let them share.
    A nursery rhyme, this tale might be,
    Of a blogger’s choices, we now decree,
    In Davis Vanguard’s virtual gate,
    Where politics and rules oft’ debate.