Kern River Pipeline work closes freeway lanes

Kern River Pipeline company has been working on this area quite a long time.  See my earlier post, Kern River Pipeline Problems when part of the frontage road was damaged and closed last November.  This is a major natural gas pipeline that runs very near homes in my community.  Too near, if you ask me.

All I know is that Kern River had approval to increase the capacity of its pipeline.  I assume this ongoing construction work may be related to that.  But there seems to be no way of getting more details about what is going on.  Every day a highway patrolman is parked at the site with emergency lights on to warn drivers to slow down on the busy frontage road.  Sometimes a lane is closed.  I wonder what the work is they are doing, what the risks are, why it's taking so long, and who is paying for highway patrol presence. 

Today, part of the freeway was undermined and lanes again had to be closed.

KSL.com

The Utah Department of Transportation originally closed two lanes between the US-89 off-ramp and the I-215 on-ramp. Crews drilling under the interstate for a natural gas pipeline caused holes in the roadway's supporting base. So Sunday night UDOT closed the lanes to fix the problem. Crews also closed parts of Beck Street for the same reason. They have opened one lane on northbound I-15, but will keep one closed until at least 3 p.m.

 UPDATE:
An updated news story tells us that apparently tunneling under the freeway has resulted in collapses.  What kind of operation is this?   Does this inspire confidence?  So it does sound like they are replacing existing pipe with highter capacity pipe.  But it seems we should be paying attention to the poor quality of the work being performed here.  A natural gas pipeline that crosses a fault line in six places close to populations should be of great concern to our local governments.  I see little response to this comedy of errors from my community or others.  The highway department is going to suspend the permit to drill, and that's something.

By the way, note to the reporter: North Salt Lake is not Ogden, not even close -- but Salt Lakers are always pretty vague on anything north of the county line.  Come on KSL --- Ogden?

Kennecott expansion and air quality problems in the valley

A friend of mine provided the following information and asked me to share with my readers and urge you to pass it along to others as well.


Kennecott is requesting approval to expand their ore removal operation which, among other things, will result in increased pollutants in the Salt Lake valley.  A speaker at a meeting my friend attended stated that Kennecott is already responsible for 30 percent of the pollution in the valley.  If they are allowed to expand as requested, that contribution will increase accordingly, and we will either have a big increase in dirty air or will have to find other ways of reducing pollution that already reaches unacceptable levels many times during the year.  This is a matter of health for all of us and our families. 

Here’s the website for the Utah Division of Air Quality regarding the proposed approval of Kennecott’s request to expand their ore removal efforts by 25%. It explains the expected increase in pollutants.
http://www.airquality.utah.gov/Permits/DOCS/IN0105710028-11.pdf

There will be a Public Hearing at 6 :00 pm, Tuesday, February 22, 2011, Utah Air Quality Boardroom 1015, 195 North 1950 West, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Please send your written or e-mailed comments by close of business on March 8 to: Nando Meli Jr., Engineer, Phone: (801) 536-4052, e-mail: nmeli@utah.gov, or the address above. Put this number on all correspondence: DAQE-IN0105710028-11.

2009 BORSAO (75% Garnacha, 25% Tempranillo) (Campo de Borja, Spain)

This is a perennial great value and is widely available to boot. The 2009 is very good, as usual.

Dark violet-tinged ruby. Rich, open nose of ripe raspberry syrup and dark, roasted green herbs. Dark, ripe flavors of black raspberry and scorched gravel. The barest hint of bitterness in the back half of the palate and a bit less acidity than I like are the only detracting factors, but there's a lot to like at the price. B. $6 and change at Spec's (probably all of them). Imported by Jorge Ordonez Selections.

Two mediocre wines and one OK one

A disappointing week of wine. I blog about stuff I wouldn't buy again so anyone stumbling on this blog won't waste their money. These all seemed like they would be interesting to try but weren't worth buying.

2007 Les Claux Delorme VALENCAY Rouge (Loire Valley, France) -- this 40% Gamay, 30% Malbec (Cot), 20% Cab Franc, 10% Pinot Noir stank like manure the first night. As seems to frequently be the case (with wines that have this stink), two nights later the barnyard was nowhere to be smelled, and it was replaced by fresh, light flavors of crisp berries and minerals. It's quaffable, and went well with take-out Chinese. B- (after significant airing blows off the stank). Was about $20 from Zachys.

2008 Altano DOURO (Portugal) -- This organic Portuguese blend lacked concentration and tasted a bit overcropped and overextracted. Saturated color, Nose of high-toned blackberries, powdered rocks, burnt balsa wood and scorched earth. Lean, slightly undernourished fruit but nice minerally flavors, with a tannic, astringent finish. C.

2009 La Clotiere COTEAUX D'ANCENIS GAMAY (Loire Valley, France) -- Lean and underripe, this watery wine was more of a palate cleanser (good crisp acids) than an accompaniment to dinner. D+ Was about $9 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.

The Value of Social Networks

There are two camps when it comes to the value of social networks. Either sites like Facebook and Twitter are destroying our culture or they're the best thing since fire was invented.

I, personally, fall somewhere in the middle most of the time. However, there are times when I loathe it. Like when someone almost runs me off the road while they're trying to text about American Idol or when my poor college professor wife comes home from a rough day irritated because she gives the students ten different ways to access the same information but they can't bother to write it down or bring it to class. Instead, those students sit there the whole class and text their friends. I need to stop myself now on that topic because I could really go off on a soapbox about it. *sigh*

The good part, but also sometimes not a great part, about place like Facebook is the ability to be in touch with people all over the world, family you rarely see, and friends you'd lost touch with. Sometimes though, you remember why you don't still have those people as a constant presence in your life. Friends make crude or insensitive remarks. An issue or major event happens to you and they don't ackknowledge it. I've even had family members "unfriend" me. I've had former classmates "unfriend" me. One was someone I would have considered a best friend back in the day. These things can be painful and hurt your feelings, but the good part about that is that we learn if we, the human beings that we are, really matter to others.

Granted, I am a VERY opinionated and political person. I have my views, particularly when it comes to gay rights, that I'm passionate about and will fight over - verbally or otherwise. Some things are just worth fighting for and my right to be an equal in this world with others is one of those things.

So, when I spend a decent amount of time sharing information that matters to me, that affects MY LIFE and MY FAMILY, and it is essentially ignored by people I thought had a little more humanity and depth of character, it's frustrating and hurtful. The hurt doesn't last long because then I just get pissed off and type up a blog like this. For the last couple of weeks, since the events in Egypt unfolded, I calmed down my Facebook presence and tried to be more lighthearted. Then the events in WI and the Republican attacks on our freedoms kicked up this week, and I went on a tirade yesterday. Education is one of my soapbox areas. You want to get me going debate with me on education. I was a teacher, and now I work in higher education and trying to complete a doctorate in education. My wife is a college professor and working on her dissertation. Most people I know are in education in some way, and now I'm co-chair of the first GLSEN chapter in TN, so yeah, I get fired up when the topic turns to education.

With everything going on in the world and with all of the news I share, what do I see on my friend's status updates on Facebook? Some freakin' trees on Auburn University's campus have been poisoned and will likely die. OH! You would have thought someone had kicked their dog! Oh, the outrage. And someone on one of the friend's lists responded about having twisted priorities to do something like that. WTF?! Are you serious? They're pointing fingers about "twisted priorities" when a revolution took place to unseat a dictator and install democracy (btw, not a damn one of my conservative friends on FB even mentioned it!) and the Republican party (which these same friends voted into office...thank you, oh so fucking much!) is systematically tearing down unions, women's rights, child labor laws, and not to mention going after, you guessed it...the queers. Yet, a FUCKING TREE gets their attention.

SERIOUSLY, WHAT THE FUCK!?

Oh, and to top it all off, an old high school friend, after being an FB friend for probably over a year now and hearing me go on about equality rights for me and my family, decided yesterday to "like" an anti-gay marriage page on FB. Nice! She survived the last round of me deleting people off my friend's list because she hadn't directly been disrespectful before, but I don't think she'll fare too well this time.

See, that's the good thing about social networks. While sometimes it stings a little to know that people you thought were once decent people think you're a worthless piece of shit, at least their actions prove to you that they're not worth knowing. I know some people would say, "Yes, but shouldn't you keep your friends close, but your enemies closer? At least you'll know what they're planning and how to counter." Honestly, there's no countering that. There's no countering hatred or fixing stupid. They're stuck on stupid and like being there. One day, the way this country is going, I'll probably see these people across a battle line before I could ever hope to reach their hearts. Some people aren't worth trying to save or teach or talk to. They've deemed I'm not worth listening to. Why should I give them the respect they can't extend me?

The New World Order...Republican-Style

Thanks to the election of a new Republican majority, we have a new world order taking place. I just want to say "thank you" to the people (friends and family) who refused to listen, who bought into the fear and bigotry, and who selfishly thought of only themselves this last election. Are you happy now? Is this REALLY what you wanted? For all of them, when it comes home to bite YOU in the ass, just remember: WE TOLD YOU SO!!!

For those who watch something other than Fox News and reality shows or read something beyond Sunday morning cartoons, it's no surprise to see that about a dozen states are being calculatingly attacked by their new Republican governors and legislators. Everything from labor unions, including eliminating child labor laws, to health care to mental health services and school safety has been attacked since they took office. The focus isn't on jobs unless it is to force people to hold as many as possible just to pay their bills.

The biggest story is coming out of Wisconsin. The Republican governor there is going after the teacher's labor union in an attempt to dismantle it all together. The employees, God bless them, aren't taking it. They have been demonstrating for the last few days and the numbers are growing every day. It's what one person has termed "going Egypt" on them.

The same thing is happening here in Tennessee and reports have also been told about it going on in other states. This is part of the process of building the New "Republican" World Order. This IS 1984 in action. Make people so poor and disenfranchised that they can't do anything but work to keep their heads above water. They have no time nor money for getting further training or education. They can't pay for their kids college so their kids are destined to lives of minimum wage (if that!), long hours, and poor conditions. It's the method of keeping the masses under their thumb and controlled. An uneducated population is a controllable population.

A poster on Facebook said it far better than I could. Below is what she said:

The attack on public sector employees is the first stage in a larger agenda to transform all states, not just WI, into 'right-to-work' states. Private sector unions will be next, - they will be broken up, busted, and outlawed. The demonizin...g of public employees and those who protect them, is part of a larger attack on every working person in this state, and soon enough, this nation.

This is part of a larger far-right strategy to turn every state into a 'right-to-work' - NO UNIONS/UNIONS ARE ILLEGAL - state. Right-to-Work means right to be fired on a whim (for being too tall, too short, too black, too female, too fat, too liberal, too ugly, - whatever the employer disagrees with or doesn't like), - it also means right to work for less - no say in wages, no input on benefits, - just whatever the boss wants to pay, and it will be a race to the bottom as states and businesses compete to get the lowest prices to the consumer etc. while shortchanging employees, - right to work also means right to work in unsafe, unsanitary, dangerous, and in all other ways bad working conditions, - no union, no voice, - no say about public or worker safety, no input into the workplace environment, no recourse for things like discrimination based on sex or race or age, - it's open season on every working person, - all in the name of making 'a better business climate' - in essence, every job will be a worse than Wal-Mart job, - no benefits, no living wages, temp or part time would be the norm, erratic hours, no stability, and no say in how things get done or how you are treated as a human being who also happens to be a worker.

This is the vision of Walker and the GOP. State and NATIONAL.

If we can take Walker down on this issue, we might be able to prevent it from taking off nationally, - it is not just about demonizing the public workers, - though this is also part of a larger strategy to demonize and destroy the public sphere so that it becomes inefficient and cannot function - and what can function with limited funding and with such poor treatment of workers, etc. - so, once they demonize the public sphere, they will set out to sell it off, piece by piece, and privatize it. Once something is privatized there goes the voice of the democratic people - there goes the input of the public, there goes the fact that public spaces, places, and things have to be open for everyone, have to be accessible to all, have to serve the people, and have to be free from things like censorship (libraries, for example) and subjected to certain standards and etc (schools), - once something is privatized it is no longer democratic, it is no longer ours, - it is a source of profit for one or a few people, and it is up to them what gets done, what gets taught, what is available, who gets in, how things get done, and etc. And the bottom line is no longer the public good or the public need, but profit, and profit only.

This is the picture being painted and the agenda being pushed by Walker and the WI, and National GOP.

This is what we are up against.

Additionally, Walker's attack on Unions is important because Unions back Democratic candidates more often. The recent ruling by the Supreme Court gave corporations and Unions the right to contribute to campaigns. Since most corporations back the GOP, it was easy to see the impact of this decision, - the GOP had big wins and big money in the midterm - big money was spent by outside sources, - and the Unions spent some on the Dems, but since Unions don't have as much, well, -anyway. The key here is that if you break the Unions, - make them illegal, cut them off from their people, break the solidarity, take away the funding, take away the networks, you also take a way the support for Dems in 2012, - this is what the GOP is after. Walker is going to come after the emails of public employees soon, - to ensure that the Union can no longer contact those who used to be union members, to further break up contact and solidarity and destroy networks and communities.

Add to this the attack on voters rights, - VOTER ID, - this will disenfranchise - this is it's only purpose. Voter fraud is false, - and not a threat, - 14 cases in two years, in WI, is hardly something to crack down on, and all were caught, and the system works, - but VOTER ID is aimed at making it harder for some people to vote, - you have to pay for another state ID, - you have to have money and a DL to get this ID, then you have to have this ID with you when you vote, - to get this ID you have to have money, a DL, and time to go to the DMV, you also have to be very well informed on what is happening in order to know that you can no longer vote without this ID, - this bill puts up unnecessary barriers to voting, - primarily for poor people, - and also for the elderly and college kids, - they also want to do away with same day registration and make it harder to register to vote. SO add this to it, - and this is 2012, - they want to make sure less people vote, and these people they are targeting tend to be the people who would vote for Democrats, in many cases - they are also framing the need for VOTER ID as protection against 'illegal immigrants' voting, - which has never ever been a real thing or a problem. Thus, they are hoping to intimidate Latino voters, - add to this they are going to try to attempt to pass Arizona style racial profiling laws that would further create fear and intimidation in communities of color in WI.

And then, finally, with eyes on 2012, add to this the census data, the redistricting, and the fact that rather than actually rely on facts, the GOP will break up districts in ways that give them more districts, more power, and more control, - it does not matter where people are, where population grew or declined ,what matters is how to squeeze out and shrink Democratic districts, transform independent districts into GOP ones, and increase the number of GOP leaning districts, - thus, more power for the GOP in the state and more power for the GOP nationally.

I am sure there's more to add. I just know it. Add to this Walker's attack on pregnant women and children and the poor and the ill, - taking away Badgercare, - and add to this his stance against the health care reform bill, - taking away other access to health care, - the move is to make people desperate, - to make the poor even poorer, to make the middle class into the new working poor, and to make it so that people will end up wanting to do anything for any wage just to stay afloat, to break solidarity, networks, connections and to turn WI into a third world country, complete with third world environmental and labor laws - namely NO environmental protections, no labor laws, and no public safety laws, - this is what Open For Business means, - businesses get the power and the voice, they get what they want, and those of us who work, - and consume, - well, we are supposed to smile and say thank you, because if we get too rowdy, well, the national guard is here to take care of us.

And to top all of this off, all of these things even when taken together do not decrease the debt, and surprise, do not limit government. This is BIG GOVERNMENT at its worst and most oppressive, and this is no way to bring jobs jobs jobs, or balance a budget

I think we could take some lessons from Egypt.

2007 Chateau Saint Roch "Chimeres" Cotes du Roussillon Villages (Southwest France)

This was a superb wine. Great depth, complexity, and balance. I was not expecting such quality from the Roussillon area, which is known for its earthy, chunky wines. It's a blend of 40% Grenache, 30% Carignane, 20% Syrah, and 10% Mourvedre -- mostly very old vines.

Black ruby with violet highlights. Unique and very fragrant nose, featuring perfume (yes, like women's perfume), grilled steak, rock dust, and trippy black raspberry. Round, deeply-concentrated, and mouthfilling. Smoky, stony notes lead to dark, low-toned, sappy, ripe berry fruit and charcoal. Lots of micro-chalky tannin in the long finish. Excellent and extraordinarily distinctive wine. A. Imported by Eric Solomon, I got the wine for $16 from B-21 Wines in Florida, making it a great value.

2009 Domaine de Colette BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES (France)

This small estate makes consistently excellent Beaujolais. (See prior reviews here and here.) This is one of the best I've had. Textbook old-school Beaujolais.

Very dark ruby with magenta highlights. Ridiculous ripe, tangy nose of crunchy, grapey cherries and berries, laced with cracked rocks and minerals. Flavorful and athletic in the mouth, with loads of ripe, zesty red fruit and minerals, along with a little tannin. Fairly full-bodied, yet with great acids keeping it fresh. A vibrant mouthful. A-. Was around $18 at Central Market. Imported by Charles Neal Selections.

2007 Pezzi King ZINFANDEL (Dry Creek Valley, Cal.)

A textbook Dry Creek Zin. Loads of ripe fruit, good minerality and balance. Excellent value too. Whenever I get that Zin itch, a Dry Creeker like this one scratches it.

Very luminescent dark ruby. Richly fruited nose of spiced black cherry and black raspberry fruit, along with some classic Dry Creek earthy, stony notes. Full-bodied, concentrated ripe flavors of spicy blackberry and cherry. Good acids too for a wine this ripe. Very nice. A-. Drink over the next year. Was $16.99 at Spec's on Richmond.

2006 Domaine Grand Veneur CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE (Southern Rhone, France)

This was classic Chateauneuf! Very traditionally styled both in flavors and structure.

Dark black ruby. Intensely earthy, roasted dark herbs and iodine-infused nose, with notes of rich blackberry and cocoa powder underneath. Richly-flavored, with mouthcoating, dense, earthy, dry gravel and herb flavors masking some highly-concentrated blackberry extract fruit. Long, very clingy finish with some nice soft tannin. Great now, this will improve over the next 2-3 years. Amazingly, this is the "least" of the three Chateauneufs this producer makes. A. Imported by Kysela Pere et fils. I think this was around $35 from Zachy's in Scarsdale, NY, several months ago.

(Sorry, 2007 depicted.)

2009 Domaine La Suffrene BANDOL Blanc (Provence, France)

A very distinctive white that, while not possessing great depth or complexity, is a real kick to drink because of its unique flavors. Try brown-bagging this on your friends. No one will come even close to guessing what it is. As for the components, it's a blend of Clairette and Ugni Blanc grapes.

Very pale, bright gold. Loads of grassy, fresh herbs and bitter pear skins on the nose. Up-front fruit smacks the palate with very direct, low-toned bitter pear fruit and a huge herbal streak. Clingy, herbal finish, with medium body and decent acidity. Drink over the next few months. B. Was $25 at Spec's on Weslayan/Bissonnet.

2006 Anglim "CERISE" 39% Mourvedre, 32% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 4% Viognier "French Camp Vineyard" (Paso Robles, Cal.)

This Rhone blend was almost Pinot Noir-like not only in its gentle, feminine nature, but also in its flavor profile.

Medium dark ruby. Earthy, complex almost Pinot-like nose of sappy cherries, warm, smoky gravel, and lemony spice. A streak of intensely minerally, dark winey cherry fruit up front, along with some peppery heat, but in the finish an interesting note of ripe peach/peach pit. Lots of minerals in the finish. Decent acidity. Ready to drink right now. B. Was $14.99 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.

2009 ZESTOS (Madrid, Spain)

This 50% Garnacha, 50% Tempranillo was grown just outside of Madrid, and is a fantastic value. It's got gorgeously fresh fruit, good concentration, and great balance.

Youthful dark black ruby. Vivid dark cherry/berry aromas leap from the glass, mixed with stones and baby powder. Lively, rich fruit attacks the palate, with excellent ripeness and acid balance juxtaposing body and freshness. Some refined tannin adds textural interest. Very direct and satisfying. I would be very hard-pressed to think of a better value in a weekday dinner (or casual party) wine. B+. Was $7.99 at World Marketplace at Richmond and West Loop. Imported by Patrick Mata's Olé Imports.