Save the Orcas

An Associated Press story in Sunday's Press bemoans the shrinking of the Puget Sound Orca pods, citing starvation as the primary cause.

They went on to say we could reverse this trend by tearing out the Snake River dams, allowing more salmon to survive.

This is probably true except for one small detail. The Snake River flows into the Columbia which enters the Pacific Ocean. Why this geographic genius thinks Puget Sound would benefit is beyond me.

Perhaps they took two conservation subjects, combined them to make points on both. Still, if a reporter wants to write about fish runs in Puget Sound, he ought to do a little more research.

Kaepernick Syndrome

I have given a great deal of thought to this demonstrative behavior at Football games. One, the right to protest is basic. The question though, is the setting.

When a player is in uniform and present at a game, he is representing the team he plays for. As such, if allowed, the inference is that the team approves of the action.

Using a captive audience, such as at a football game is a misuse of that privilege. If that protester wants to speak out or act out to support a political position they should do so off the field of play and on their own time.

As has been pointed out by other athletes, while they have a right to their opinion, so does the public who may rebel against that which they disagree. Consequences are always possible.
In Kaepernick's case, he lives a mansion that is worth millions. It is terribly hard to classify him as one of the down trodden.

Unpredictable vs Shyster

I have decided to vote for the unpredictable Trump who might be OK if elected, rather than the very predictable Clinton who has a closet plumb full of skeletons.

While Trump just might choose qualified cabinet members and accept guidance from a Republican congress, Hillary will tilt the government hard left except when she is selling influence.

But the biggest issue is the Supreme Court. You may favor liberal issues or Conservative, but with a court that doesn't waiver from the constitution, we maintain balance.This is vital. There are those people out there that want to shred our government into a socialistic mob where the recipients of government largess outnumber the tax payers. When that happens we cease to be a democratic Republic and proceed down the drain.

Our Election Choices

It has been obvious that neither of our presidential candidates are fit for office. What to do? Well, first develop the key issues.

Back in the 1950's, former California Governor, Warren was named chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The rulings that followed, invented a new form of government that only vaguely resembled the constitution. This was the beginning of the liberal movement that decreed that the old fogies of yesteryear no longer mattered. They institutionalized Changes in constitutional reviews.

You see, the high court no longer reviews laws with an eye toward the constitution, but to legal precedents from previous court decisions.

No longer encumbered with previous precedents, they stray away from the bible of our country.
Now we have the choice between two unqualified candidates. One, Donald Trump, doesn't have a clue as to how to run a country. That can also be said for many others that ascended to that office.

On the other hand, we have supreme court justices with one foot in the grave and in one case, a mouthy liberal that needs to quit for the sake of the court's reputation. When a justice cannot or will not separate their personal opinions to the rule of law, they are no longer representing us.

Now we have the  other candidate. Hillary Clinton. A well known enemy of the military, a liberal that will appoint up to possibly three new justices, A left turn in our government is assured. In addition, she will continue to allow jobs to pour over seas for cheap labor. We avoided that for many years. We used tariffs to equalized the playing field.

Pay no attention to the polls. They don't have access to the blue collar workers that if they vote, will decide this race.

If Trump is the disaster that the left predicts, we can have him put of office very quickly. The cooperative efforts of the democrats, along with the establishment Republicans can kick him out in weeks, leaving Pence, a highly qualified guy as president.

Trump For President

Clinton or Trump? Since neither candidate is suitable, I'm going with Trump. If in fact he is the disaster many are predicting, we should be able with the help of Democrats and establishment Republicans to kick him out. We would then be left with Pence, who is far above either candidate.

On the other hand, Clinton is so firmly in control of the Democrats, we could never get enough votes to oust her from office.

So I'm going with the wild card. I'm thinking about selling clothespins at the polls for those not able to stand the smell of this election.

2024 Summer Olympics

I read today that Rome, Italy has pulled out of the running for the 2024 Olympics, joining Boston and Hamburg, Germany in declining further consideration.

Left are Los Angeles, Paris and Budapest. Los Angeles still has the infrastructure from previous Olympic games, with a swimming and diving facility and of course the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Paris won't stand the security test and Budapest will not be able to afford it. That leaves the Los Angeles Coliseum instead of the Roman Amphitheater. This will disappoint those were were lobbying for a new event from the past. Christians vs Lions.

Snow????

Today's weather forecast according to Accu-Weather is interesting. Tonight's low 29 degrees with a bit of snow. That is the local forecast for Bayview.

If in fact it does happen it will be the earliest I can remember. If squirrels are harbingers of a cold, snowy winter, the ground behind my home is covered with the waste left after these rodents finish off a pine cone.

Many people are predicting a snowy winter using every thing from Farmer's Almanac to how high bees nests are off the ground. Me, I'm a student of the law of averages. Been lucky for a couple of years? Then this will be the big one.   

We'll see.

Hurricane Mathew

In all of my years watching hurricanes hit the east coast, they would always turn NE out into the mid-
Atlantic. For the first time in my memory, if ever, the storm track is predicted to bounce off the Carolinas, then turn 180 degrees and head back to the south where it would meet it's tail in the Florida Keys. They weather guessers are not talking about that and what effect it would have, but it is sure unusual.

My brother has a winter home in Tampa Bay. It is a park model in a rented space. If the storm track shifts a bit to the west, the Gulf Coast could get it, too.

Hurricanes are unpredictable. Kind of like a spoiled child on steroids. I hope those that think just because they weren't driven out in their lifetimes, they won't die in this one. According to the Weather Channel, the U.S. hasn't seen a category four since about 1898 hit the Florida coast. Good luck toe the ignorant ones that will not survive this time, and prayers for those who do the right thing and still succumb.

Butt Out, Spokane

As far as protests go, I seldom agree with them. This is primarily because if you are in the majority, you have no need to protest.

The vast majority of protests come from left wing minorities, whose opinions are not widely held.

In the case of oil and or coal ports, the people near the affected areas have a right to protest, even though I and many others disagree with them.

In virtually all cases, the principle they are claiming, pollution, etc isn't really what they are trying to stop. It is the same as the Spotted Owl. In that case nobody gave a damn about the owls, it was about not cutting trees. They coined the vague phrase, "old growth," instead of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.

Just don't even thin the forests. Do not cut down any tree for any reason.

The same applies to oil and coal. These are environmental extremists.

Yesterday, I read where the Spokane City Council voted to support a protest, get this...of a pipe line from North Dakota to Illinois. This is not a Spokane issue. Butt out. Extremists feel they have the right to control everyone, not just their neighbors. Sheesh!

2016 Oktoberfish

Sir

   This past weekend Ralph's Coffee House held our 12th annual OktoberFish Derby here in Bayview.

It would be great to share our results with the public.

I have attached pictures of the Adult and youth winners

 OktoberFish 2016 winning fish L/R

Brooks Fickenscher (Spokane)    1st place 15.36lb
Ron Harrelson (Twin Falls)           2nd place 14.50lbs
Dan Whitney (Spirt Lake)              3rd place 14.36lb

Youth A  

Carson Laybourne  (Sandpoint)   1st place

Daisy McCorkle  (Athol)                2nd place

Morgan Beitey   (Spokane)           3rd place

Youth B

Eli Day (Spokane)    1st place

Samantha Day (Spokane)  2nd place

 Thank You for your consideration 

Ralph Jones (Derby Master)

Ralph's Coffee House 

208-683-2218