Category: Interesting

Recently I received my CA driver’s license renewal notice in the mail, and to put it bluntly, it was one of the most confusing forms I have ever laid my eyes on. Since mine expires in December, I am classified as a “wobbler” in that any state issued ID card/driver’s license will allow me to board an airplane until October of next year, but a REAL ID will be required after that. I could either fill out the forms mailed to me, or “complete online,” I chose the latter. In CA, your driver’s license is usually good for about 4 years, so I had a choice to make as far as the REAL ID goes.

The forms mailed out are confusing because it states pay $38 and we will renew your driver license. Here in lies the problem. Renewing this way only gets you a state issued license, not a REAL ID. Which is fine if you do not plan on traveling or already have a passport. Here is the key, if you want a REAL ID, you MUST VISIT a DMV location in person! Also filling out the form online gives you a head start on the others also getting a REAL ID.

I completed the process online and was given a control number (you want to write this down) and was directed to make an appointment with a DMV location…I declined. This is a personal choice, but I would rather show up and get in line before they open and be out within an hours’ time, too often I have had appointments run way late or still take forever. I decided to go to the Lodi location, about 30 minutes south of my residence on a Saturday morning. I prefer this one to the South Sacramento location because I always feel like I need a shower after visiting the South Sac office due to the people; both workers and customers.

Lodi’s DMV location opens at 7 am, so I got there at 6:30 and was about 50th in line. About 10 minutes before the doors opened, a lady with a cart came by asking what we needed and assigned a number based on the service you needed. The doors opened and you had to stand in line to approach the non-appointment window. What I like about this location is this is kind of a failsafe system they use, they checked over my documents and told me they would text me when it was my turn at the counter. When I was called, the lady asked who I was, and I was aghast…I said, “Johnnie Does…big time food critic…reallyright.com?” She shot me a blank stare. I gave her my control number and my documents. She typed a few things in the keyboard, scanned in my documents (more on this later), asked for a thumb print, I was asked to pay the $38 (debit only no credit cards accepted), did a vision test, and was told to go to another window to have my photo taken. I went to said window, was thumb printed again, a photo was taken, and after issuing me a fancy schmancy paper driver’s license, I was off, with a promise the REAL ID would arrive in about 3 weeks.

Whole process took 50 minutes, I was actually impressed. The people in Lodi were very efficient, friendly and even joked a little bit, what a total contrast to any other DMV I have been to. Let’s face it, no one likes going to the DMV, usually it’s the dregs of the earth you are dealing with. But this process was very quick and efficient, especially because technically it’s a federal program to have a compliant ID to travel now. I actually got my ID 10 days later. Be prepared to be unimpressed. Here I thought I would be getting a Homeland Security like ID and instead it’s just like your old driver’s license with just a couple of modifications.

Closing thoughts: It was very fast and efficient, and I actually felt like this government agency took care of business. That being said, here are my tips for when you get your REAL ID. Don’t take the documentation process lightly. You need your original birth certificate (not a copy), your Social Security Card or a W-2 with your Social Security Number on it (you will have to go back 3 years on that one), and 2 bills with your full name and address on it (not a PO Box). I showed up with the completed application, my control number from the DMV, paperwork I did on the website, my birth certificate, Social Security Card, my mortgage statement, and county property tax bill. I ran into no problems at all; however, the man at the counter next to me ran into a bunch. He had a worn-out birth certificate, and his personal documents had a PO Box listed, sorry no dice for him. Some tips I have are make sure 2 utility bills have your name and/or your spouses on it, as some households I know only have 1 listed, and don’t take this lightly, they will turn you away or send you back to get the correct info.

That being said, I do have a slight concern about this process; they scan in all of your personal documentation, and I’m sure it is “stored” somewhere and will eventually be hacked in a gigantic data breach. Now the state will have a database of your birth certificate, Social Security Number, your mortgage statement* and county tax bill* knowing the types of databases the state uses in other departments like the Controller’s office, I would be very scared.

Johnnie Does

*Denotes if you choose to use these documents to get the ID

Folks I apologize for not blogging too much lately but when things in your personal life go south, it tends to distract you from your hobbies. Right now I feel the need to vent so here we go.

I work for the State of California and let me tell you, their structure of management is ridiculous. For every six or seven employees, there is a supervisor. Then for every three supervisors, they have a supervisor. At my office, this goes up four layers before you get to the guy in charge of our building. Our site houses about two hundred people and of course is just one of many such facilities.

The management structure was codified into law (and union contracts) back in the early 1970’s when Jerry Brown was governor the first time. Back then office workers used IBM Selectric Typewriters, carbon paper, Webster’s Dictionary, rotary telephones, vacuum tubes to send intra-office messages, snail mail, and filing cabinets. Office workers dressed more formally, men wore ties and women wore dresses. Unions were a new idea in civil service.

Anyway, my second level supervisor has become a microcosm of what is wrong with government in general and California in particular. This supervisor has one set of rules for her friends and another for everyone else. This double standard, coupled with her Type A personality, is a killer combination for a bureaucrat. Another trait of this manager is that she has no regard for the chain of command under her. Having been in the military, I know that the chain of command flows from the top to the very bottom and vice versa.

This manager knows how to talk a good game but as you would expect, the disparity between words and deeds is vast. The manager often will talk about giving people opportunities to advance but the track record in my unit is atrocious. In nine years, only two people have been internally promoted from my level to the next step. During that period, we have added three more positions at the next level and a year ago, Type A declined creating another.

Two of the three managers directly under her are bullied and abused on a regular basis. These two folks happen to be from a different ethnic group and culture than she is and she runs roughshod over them all the time. They are documenting her behavior but have yet to pull the trigger on an EEOC or other complaint. They happen to be nice people and she despises them. Like some twisted soap opera, they all pretend to be collegial but it is clear that all is not well.

The latest office drama in my life began when an employee in my unit left at the end of April. This departure created a vacancy at the level above me. This rather sudden resignation created a flurry of activity behind the scenes. It took a month or two for the vacancy paperwork to work its way thru the personnel office. Filling the vacancy involves advertising the position, screening candidates, and conducting interviews. The paperwork done behind the scenes to get this done is horrendous. Management was ready to begin this process but it was halted in June for an unexpected reason. A Muslim lady that used to work in my unit contacted her old supervisor to say she was being failed on probation and would be returning to our unit—probably in July.

(In State employment, when you promote, this often involves moving to another unit or agency. If you fail probation—typically a six month term—then per agreement with the union, you have a right to return to your previous position.)

At this point, everything went dark. Type A manager decided there was no scenario in which she would allow the Muslim lady to return back into our unit. Instead, she arranged to have the Muslim lady handed-off to another unit. Only when the Muslim lady was safely back and with a different unit did the paperwork go forward to advertise the opening in my unit.

Finally, after almost six months, the vacant position was advertised. I was one of many applicants, but what surprised me was the number of qualified people within my unit that did not apply.

It has been convention that the interview panel would narrow the field to the top three and then let the immediate supervisor make the determination as to which person they wish to hire. (In the above, I’m using “convention” because although I thought it was required, I can find nothing in writing requiring that the selection to be from the top three or the hiring decision is the prerogative of the immediate supervisor.) Typically, the hiring manager does the paperwork, screening, and arranging of candidates for interview. This protocol was not the one followed in filling the vacancy.

Type A manager immersed herself in the minutia of what should have been a routine hire by one of the three managers under her. She screened applicants, selected the candidates for interview, scheduled the interview times, wrote the interview questions, selected the panel members, and selected the candidate via an undisclosed criterion. This all was frankly above her station.

Remember what I said about chain of command? She stripped the person under her of the authority to conduct the interview. Her place in the process should have been simply to oversee the process and if necessary be on the interview panel. Her actions deliberately undercut the authority of the supervisor under her to manage and select his employees.

To add even more insult to the injury, Type A manager added an employee under the mistreated supervisor to the interview panel. In effect, she diminished the supervisor and elevated a person under him. Note that the elevated person was at same level as the vacancy and was the most recent hire at that level. Word is that Type A manager is grooming this employee for advancement by personally directing his career path and wanted him to be able to use this experience to put on his resume. Other people at this level have never been on any interview panels.

Oh, I’ve been in this unit for ten years and worked my way up from the bottom. I was not on Type A manager’s list of candidates to interview. The abused manager under her had me on his list and requested that I be interviewed. In a pyric victory for me, Type A manager agreed. Obviously I had no chance of getting the job when she had already excluded me.

Interview and Beyond

Type A manager frontloaded the interview panel and then began the interview by reading the criterion that the selected candidate would need to work until 5 pm. We were then asked a series of questions about being managers in the unit and asked what we would do. These questions were all outside the scope of the duty statement and materials used to advertise the job. (I found out later that Type A manger had tried to advertise the job this way and was shot down by personnel because that was not an appropriate description of the vacant position. Apparently, she ignored both our personnel office and her org chart.)

Two days after the interviews were completed, each of the five people in my unit that had interviewed, were called one-by-one into Type A manager’s office and told they were not selected and then dismissed. I attempted to ask questions and was booted from her office. A coworker asked what happened and I described the experience ask being scraped off the bottom of her shoe like a piece of excrement and tossed away.

I grumbled to a few employees and a week later this resulted in me being called on her carpet yet again. Unlike last time, I was allowed to speak. I made a case that no one has been internally promoted in over five years and that many of us have done the work of those above us and were more than qualified for advancement. I tried to keep it from being flipped into a situation where I could be dismissed as just being mad that I was passed over. I also made the point that the primary duty of senior people was to train those under them. I cited the example of the lady whose resignation created this vacancy in the first place. I specifically talked about the time that a new hire in her second week on the job went to her and asked for help. The new hire was told, “Go figure it out for yourself” and then sent away. New hire then came to me. I answered her question and made sure that she was properly trained. I said it was inexcusable for someone in a senior position to treat a new hire like that.

In response, I was told by Type A manager that my experience and knowledge were not relevant to the position even though during my time in the unit, I’ve done the same production work as the people above me. She made it clear that I will never be promoted in this unit…as if I needed further clarification.

Oh the outside candidate that she picked was unwilling to work until 5 pm so she gets to go home at 4 pm instead. Of the five that interviewed for internal promotion, currently four work until either 4:30 or 5.

Final Thoughts

Because such heavy-handed tactics leave many enemies in its wake, I have been told by others about many things I’m not supposed to know about Type A manager. Such happens when you’re willing to speak-up if even a little. Type A manager has been known to redo interview results to give her the outcome that she wants, just in case someone actually challenges the results. Oh, favored recent hire mentioned above as part of the interview panel was the recipient of her generosity. He reportedly went from sixth to first due to manipulation of post-interview results. My sources on this information are impeccable.

So that’s my story. I’m looking for an exit strategy where I land on my feet. I think it’s tragic that this manager chooses to behave like this. It just goes to show that unchecked power corrupts. I doubt her conscience even keeps her up at night but I bet it used to.

My wife’s car registration was due in October. After getting my paycheck at the end of September, I dutifully went on the Internet to pay her registration. Amazingly enough, the DMV payment system was down. No, not because of hacking or PG&E power outages but for an overhaul of their payment system. Furthermore, I was greeted with a note that when the system came back up, DMV would be charging me a percentage for a processing fee.

Being a thrifty guy, at least when it comes to surrendering money to the government, I decided to write a check for the renewal and snail mail it. I wrote them a check and mailed it on September 28th.

On the 15th of October, I received a note from DMV that there was no payment enclosed in the envelope. I know this is not true. These guys lost the check. I even wrote the license plate number on the memo line of the check.

Knowing that the due date was imminent, I wrote them a check the very same day and mailed it again, but not before holding the sealed envelope up to the light and reading every part of the check to verify that they are without excuse.

Yesterday was November first and neither check has cleared my bank. Now I’m worried. Did they lose the second check too? I looked on their website and there’s no way to verify if something is paid. So, I came up with an experiment that seems to do the job. Here’s what you need, last five numbers of the VIN and license plate number. You pretend to pay online, and one of two things will happen, it will give you an error or show you an amount due.

I tested this on my car that was paid many months ago and then with the car due in October. I got the same result, so my conclusion was that both were shown as paid at DMV. I still don’t know what happened to either check.

I think if enough of us start opting out of paying electronically, they will drop the surcharge to pay online. Just don’t wait until the last minute because if they lose your check you need time on your side.

We’ve been doing the Dave Ramsey snowball for going on five years now. Although the end is in sight for getting out of debt, several of our appliances have reached the end of useful life. A few months back, we bought a new washer and dryer. Next on the list was the dishwasher.

Our Dishwasher was in a sorry state. Both racks in our dishwasher were broken. All but two of the wheels on the bottom rack had broken off, some more than once, but the top rack the worst. It literally fell off the rail system. The rails would disconnect from the side of the dishwasher and the wheels in the rails were broken too. The end result was when emptying or loading, the top rack would fall onto the bottom rack. Also, since the top rack was broken, the mechanism for washing the top rack did not have water feeding into it. Frequently, the dishes in the top rack were not clean. We lived with this for the better part of a year. Finally we had enough money to buy a new one.

Off and on, all summer long, we looked at various makes and models. Prices range from about $500 on the low end to over $2K on the high end. Given our experience, we decided on a different manufacturer and were mostly concerned about the rack system. Anything with an abundance of wheels and plastic was shunned.

We found a model ( LDT7808BM) that we liked at the local Best Buy. Later, we found the same model, for the same price at R.C. Willey. Both stores required an additional charge of about $180 for installation and removal of your old unit.

As the summer went on, a suggestion was made to take a look at Costco. Costco did in fact carry the very same dishwasher. The difference was that Costco would double the manufacturer warranty and install the dishwasher for free. This sounded like a great deal so we decided to purchase the dishwasher from Costco.

Note to readers: we are aware that if you buy such an item with the Costco credit card that you can get an even longer warranty with the purchase. However, we cut up all our credit cards about five years ago and pay cash for everything including, Christmas, vacations, and appliance purchases.

When payday arrived, we went to our local Costco to purchase the dishwasher. Guess what? You can’t buy it there even though they have a whole row of appliances on display. While they do have a part-time guy that can help you make your purchase on the Internet, it matters not since it must be purchased on the Costco website. Being that we are not Apple users and perfectly capable of operating electronic devices, we went on our way and made the purchase on the Costco phone app.

This began a series of adventures that I wasn’t expecting.

As you would expect, the charge was pending in our bank account almost instantaneously. However, about two days later, it dropped off of our checking account. About a week later, the charge showed up again and finally cleared. Like Amazon, I guess they don’t charge you until the item actually ships. Costco ships it directly to a third party with whom they have the installation agreement.

About two weeks after our initial purchase, we were contacted by the third party contractor used to install the dishwasher. Per Costco, you must agree to an installation date within ten days of being contacted by the third party vendor. When having work done in your house, the company is required to give you a four hour window for arriving to perform work. While you might think of the four hours as morning or afternoon; that is not in this case. Instead, these guys actually give you two time intervals on the same day. Interval number one is the time for delivery and interval two is for installation. When I found this out, I decided that I needed to burn a day off to get this done.

The delivery window was something like 9 AM to 1 PM. Two guys arrived about 10 AM and were in and out of the house in about two minutes. They used a dolly to wheel in the new dishwasher and set it down in the kitchen area. Along with the dishwasher, was a plastic bag with new water and drain hoses.

The installation window was 10 AM to 2 PM; so much for that morning or afternoon thing. I had tentatively set up a 12:30 lunch meeting at the salsa bar with Johnnie Does but the timing of installation was problematic. I was really hoping for a 10 AM start. Finally, at noon, I threw in the towel and cancelled the lunch. As expected, the installation guy arrived promptly at 12:30. Murphey’s Law in action.

As the installation guy was getting organized, I went outside and shut off the circuit breaker for the dishwasher. It wasn’t properly labelled but I got it on the second try. The installation guy began asked what brand we had purchased, and I said, “LG”. He responded affirmatively and said it’s a good thing we didn’t buy Samsung. He never explained why.

He then began to remove the old dishwasher. As he inspected the old the dishwasher, he said that it was hardwired into the circuit. He told me that this was against building code standards and that I needed an outlet to plug in the dishwasher. He then gave me the choice of getting an electrician and rescheduling the installation or writing him a check for $175 and he would do the work.

Folks, having a 20-amp circuit running from the breaker and terminating under the door of the dishwasher—which is what my old one did—seems like a very bad idea. Like some other things I am fully capable of doing myself, sometimes I’m willing to pay for the work because this guy has liability insurance and I don’t. I find comfort that I have some level of recourse if this goes sideways in the future. In the end, I agreed to the extra charge and the work proceeded.

Much of the accumulated stuff under the counters was evacuated to allow for the new install because in addition to the electrical junction box with outlet, the tech ran new hoses and drain line under the counter. Once all connections were made, the dishwasher was moved into place, leveled, and attached to the cabinet in which it is housed.

The dishwasher is quieter and lighter than our old one. It actually has three racks, the very top one for silverware. The one quirky thing is that is can connect it to your home’s Wi-Fi. I can somewhat understand using technology for operating lights and thermostats in your house but a dishwasher? Folks, you still need to manually add soap, so it seems an idea with limited utility.

Epilogue

Mama is happy to have a working device in her kitchen now. There is some truth to the slogan, “Happy wife, happy life” but the whole outlet charge was kind of a gotcha moment. I guess that’s as close to the Paul Blanco buying experience as I’ve gotten lately. It makes me wonder if Costco is familiar with this practice. $15 in parts and less than five minutes of work for $175 seems disproportionate. My “free installation” really wasn’t but…

A few days ago, we highlighted the fire that one lady lit under the backsides of CSD here in Elk Grove. Well, here’s the latest.

First, the lady reporting the algae in the lake to CSD has a rich history of sensationalism. Folks this is the same lady that claimed to have seen an alligator in the very same Camden Lakes that are the subject of the algae report. If you don’t recall that fateful report, we have a post about this elsewhere on the blog. Here is part of the report from Sacramento’s Fox affiliate, Channel 40. The original post is from Friday, April 13, 2018.

Several people have reported seeing the gator over the past few days and neighbors say they have seen a decrease in the number of ducks and geese at the lake.

Sharon Anderson, the Camden Neighborhood Association President, saw the alligator herself on Thursday evening and is warning her neighbors to be alert.

“Just kind of stay clear. Keep your eyes open,” said Anderson. “When we don’t see the ducks and geese in the water, maybe that’s an indication that we should be clear of it too,” she said.

Alligator Spotted in Camden Lake in Elk Grove

This report was all over local media over the weekend and by Monday, the California Department of Fish and Game (I know the agency by this name, but they have a more politically correct name these days) denounced the whole report as fraudulent.

Now she is back again with another report concerning the lakes. Once again, she was taken seriously and got government action on short order. I marvel that she is able to get these folks to act now and ascertain facts later.

As it turns out, her algae concern was validated by lab tests conducted by CSD. CSD released a press release on the results and even used her photo from Nosy Neighbor’s website.

Water from the Camden lakes has tested positive for cyanobacteria, commonly known as “blue-green algae.” Please take extra precautions to help protect yourself and your loved ones, including pets.

The lakes in the Camden Passage neighborhood of Elk Grove have tested positive for cyanobacteria, a type of blooming algae commonly known as “blue?green algae.” The presence of blue-green algae can produce a buildup of toxins harmful to both humans and animals.

While near-water activities such as picnicking, biking and hiking are safe, please take the following precautions to help protect yourself and your loved ones (including pets):

Avoid bodily contact with the water. If you come in contact with water containing blue-green algae, shower immediately with fresh water.
Keep dogs on leashes and do not let them swim in or drink from the lake. If you suspect your dog has been exposed to blue-green algae, contact a vet immediately.

Signs have been posted around the lake and water tests will be conducted weekly. The signs will be removed when the tests come back negative.

These lakes are a part of Laguna Creek and are a popular destination for Elk Grove residents and a natural habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. Swimming, boating and allowing dogs in the Camden lakes is never permitted per Cosumnes CSD park rules.

Harmful Algae Bloom in Camden Lakes

Once again, Sharon’s report gets an honorable mention on local television. Below is link from KOVR, the local CBS affiliate. The report is an abbreviated version of the CSD press release which I quoted above.

Lake In Elk Grove Neighborhood Tests Positive For Toxic Blue-Green Algae

As a result, of the lab results, CSD has posted new signs around the lake.

Folks, I tend to question whether this lady has both oars in the water, but I think if there are any Republicans left in California, they might want to learn how this lady gets stuff done. She gets more government action and media attention than anybody out there throwing blood at legislators or blockading the entrance to the State Capitol (both of which have happened in the last week). She gets her way and keeps in the good graces of the media and local electeds. I can’t name a single Republican that can claim to do likewise.

Do you remember at the end of every episode of Scooby-Doo when the bad guy says, “And I would have got away with it too if it weren’t for you mettlesome brats” or something to that effect? Well the generation that grew-up watching the crew of the Mystery Machine has an app. This app allows them to be mettlesome wherever and whenever they wish, thanks to the miracle of cyberspace. Allow me to introduce you to Nextdoor.

Yes folks, you can find lost pets, complain about homeless people living under bridges—they have yet to catch our contributor The Troll but have come close a few times-and get local government to do your bidding. Yes, in real life, this app has been instrumental in putting the fear of God into politicians and citizens with felony arrest records not able to get elected.

Here in my neighborhood, the users of this app have moved mountains.

Here’s the story.

September 1, 2019 Nosy neighbor complains about algae in the neighborhood lakes on Nextdoor app

The lakes in my subdivision are used for fishing, keeping some endangered species of bird happy, and for rainwater to drain from the neighborhood streets directly into the lake. One lady noticed some algae in the lower lake, took two photos, and posted them on line using the Nextdoor app. As a result, all sorts of bureaucratic hell erupted.

Here’s the text of the complaint that started the ball rolling.

Do you use the lake or fish in Camden Lakes? Caution

Today I spotted possibly Blue-Green algae in the lower lake by the new bridge (by the weir) in Camden.

Although this Algae and the lake has yet to be tested to determine if it’s toxic, I am alerting friends and neighbors just to be on the safe side.

Please do not let your dog swim in the lakes if you have any concerns regarding the blue-green algae as shown in the photos attached.

I have alerted the city, the parks department, the Laguna Creek Watershed Council, and by way of this post, I’m sure others will be alerted as well.

I hope to keep everybody posted on the outcome of any testing that is done on the Algae, or the water itself. Our neighborhood has asked that the lake water be tested for other pathogens and bacteria. We have yet to receive any results.

Link @ Nextdoor.com

September 3, 2019 CSD agrees to post warning signs

Within 48 hours of the initial post, CSD has posted multiple warning signs around both lakes

September 6, 2019 Lake Clean-up Begins

By Friday, September 6, CSD (Cosumnes Community Services District) has dispatched crews of boat people to clean the lakes. Said crews worked on Saturday as well.

CSD is in charge of most parks and lakes found in subdivisions of southern Sacramento County.

Above are before and after photos of the same portion of the lake showing the effects of the clean-up. Below is equipment used for cleaning the lake.

Debris piles were placed on the far side of the lake for removal later. Many were nine to ten feet high. Many dump truck loads worth of stuff were removed from each lake. When I said the post was able to move mountains, I meant that literally…mountains of plant debris.

Folks, this clean-up is usually done yearly, at least until CSD started running short of cash. Two years ago the lake was not cleaned at all. Last year the crew showed up at the end of October and did a mediocre job. This year, with one person complaining they sent the crew two months earlier than last year. If you read the Nextdoor thread, they even took water samples and decided to do the cleaning before the results came back.

The Nextdoor app is also used to track traffic, neighborhood crime, sell unwanted stuff, and of course complain about the behavior of others. Much of it is nonsense but in the hands of retired people with lots of free time, it can be used to move mountains. After spending time with this app, you’ll never look at old folks with gray hair quite the same way again. Squeaky wheels and grease may not block 5G internet in Elk Grove but they sure get things done in other areas.

Elk Grove, CA Recently the City Council unanimously approved the 5G wireless installation and tower placement application from AT&T.

Members of the Elk Grove Tea Party ran a vigorous campaign to oppose progress by buying ads on Facebook and sending those newfangled email messages to the city’s leaders voicing their opposition. In addition, they spoke at several Council meetings during the public comment section of the meeting and then promptly went home to bed. Some even set their VCR’s to record the meeting on the community access channel to play at their next monthly meeting. Just because they lost the critical vote with the Council, they can’t let the issue go. Not when lives are at stake.

During this hearing, various speakers shared their concerns regarding potential negative health issues related to the installation of new wireless technology.

One of those speakers, Pamela Marquez, told the council that research regarding health impacts from small cell antennas is being ignored.

“The telecoms, the FCC and the city of Elk Grove continue to ignore research that clearly demonstrates we will be harmed by this 4G/5G technology,” she said. “The only real question is ‘Why?’ Is it ignorance, is it malevolence or is it just about the money? Whatever the reason, they clearly do not care about the health or the public.”

City Council approves AT&T wireless antenna agreement for Elk Grove

Other municipalities are also questioning 5G.

These cell antennas are sometimes 48” high by 14.6” in diameter. A better name for them is Close Proximity Microwave Radiation Antenna – Wireless Telecommunication Facilities (CPMRA-WTFs).

Keep cell antennas away from our Elk Grove homes!

“My personal reason for doing this is I believe that humanity is threatened,” says Sandi Maurer,a member of the activist group EMF Safety Network, which lobbies to reduce people’s exposure
to electromagnetic fields.

Cities Are Saying ‘No’ to 5G, Citing Health, Aesthetics —and FCC Bullying

With the approval of 5G by the Federal Communications Commission and lacking any court precedent, the Tea Party is having difficulty making their case.

The health argument is hard to take to court because the FCC has sole discretion over whether the emissions of an electronic device are safe, a right unquestioned by any current court cases or pending federal legislation.

After consulting with their medical experts and despite knowing the hazards of 5G wireless, members of the Elk Grove Tea Party have devised an ingenious way to illustrate the danger to an ignorant general public. After extensive research they have released a set of instructions to build a 5G transmitter with common household items. Tea Party members are seeking volunteers to deploy 5G devices in their own homes.

We here at Really Right have received an advance copy of the plans which we would like to share with you. These plans are still being beta tested and may have further refinement before mass publication.

The following was secretly recorded at their last Executive Board meeting and released to one of our chief correspondents.

5G transmitters are described as being about the size of a pizza box. While warming some leftover pizza, that’s when the idea came to me.

After consulting with Steve, he used to be in the Air Force during the Vietnam War and knows all about radar, we decided to use a radar range (microwave oven to you youngsters) to mimic the long-term exposure to a 5G transmitter. 5G transmits at 40 watts while a typical microwave is about 1,000 watts. Using simple math, 1,000 divided by 40 is 25; thus, one hour of exposure to a microwave is equal to more than a day being near a 5G tower.

The radar range at our assisted living complex will only allow us to program up to 999 hours of cooking time. This works out to 24,975 hours of exposure to a 5G tower. Roughly, three years in no time at all. Heck, in a few months we can prove that 5G is bad and long before those greedy corporations even put up any towers in town.

So far, these are the instructions.

Place microwave in an area that you spend lots of time in like near your favorite chair by the TV. Place it on a low table so you won’t hurt your back while moving it into position. This also allows it to be lower than your hearing aids.

Remove the front door. This might void your warrant but remember that you are sacrificing for the children.

It is important that the machine thinks the door is shut. You can break off the latch part of the door and shove it in the hole or place a non-conductive material in the hole to override the safety mechanism of the machine. If the light stays on, then you need to adjust the safety mechanism until the light goes out. Remember, microwaves don’t play well with metallic items. We tried screwdrivers and that didn’t go so well.

Turn machine on high for 999 hours.

Now that you have started the experiment, you can take a nap in the chair.

As a bonus experiment, Janice suggested that you put a houseplant closer to the microwave as an early indicator that harmful affects are occurring. She prefers succulent plants due to their higher water content. Steve thought this was a good idea too.

Our national stop 5G organization has requested that we please send weekly updates so they can track our progress. Their website is www.hemlocksociety.org Look for the link on the left side for 5G self-reporting.

We here at Really Right have also learned that thanks to a generous award from Verizon to the Elk Grove Tea Party, the first five people to livestream the experiment simulating AT&T 5G will get free and safe 4G Wi-Fi for life.

I tried to log on to the ReallyRight.com site Wednesday morning this past week and to my dismay I was greeted with a screen reading “account suspended.” I was absolutely befuddled.

Did Elon Musk file a cease and desist on the BlogFather? Did useless skid mark on societies underpants Jarrold Nadler order this? Did the Russians finally hack a website to influence an election? Did Britney from the salsa bar do this as a jilted former flame? Did Twitter suspend this website like they suspended Chief’s Twitter account? Did the “FBI surveillance van” finally get the BlogFather? Did PG&E blow up the website like they blow up houses in San Bruno? The BlogFather took my phone call and at first, we thought maybe Aaron Park did this…but we concluded Aaron couldn’t find his way out of a paper bag if you gave him directions, so scratch him off the list. BlogFather being the guy that he is, straightened this all out…and it was a dumb error on the providers part, however, we are back, and the suspension had nothing to do with us.

However, since I am a Troll, I figure Nadler had something to do with it…based on pure jealousy of this internet Troll. He is mad at me because ope Hicks is into me and not him. I get it, he feels he is big and powerful and I’m just a Troll. First of all, Nadler, Hicks doesn’t even want to look at your greasy, pants to your pecs, Jersey trash self. Especially if you get a look at me…I look like I was carved out of marble…I’m so good I oughta be illegal…I also double as talent on loan from God. So as long as God doesn’t call his loan anytime soon, she is mine Nadler! Hmmm… Just to make you even more mad Nadler, not only is Trump 100% innocent and going to get re-elected, but I have also requested to see my girlfriend Hope “stretching” like in this photo. Also be advised, as someone from Tennessee, she has told me “I’m the only 10 she sees.”

Additional housekeeping: Turns out the FBI surveillance van is just someone’s fancy name for a home Wi-Fi network…lame! I figured he was going to jail, and I would be the new owner of this blog…Sad! In regards to Chief, I made contact with him and his Twitter was suspended initially for tweeting at real OJ Simpson things like “how’s the search for the real killer going” and “If you did kill Nicole Brown would you have done it the same way?” He also added he has been suspended again for trying to start a gofundme.com to buy OJ a mirror so he can identify the real killer and sending him a tweet and asking him to retweet it. I guess that is frowned upon in this establishment! I’m sorry OJ, you will be dealing with my constant trolling, I’m sure its way worse than what you did to Nicole Brown

Troll

Here are additional photos of the beautiful future Mrs. Troll, Hope Hicks…

Editor’s note: Troll failed to provide referenced photos of Hope Hicks in time for the publishing deadline so I had to improvise with my own selection. When searching the Internet for Hope Hicks, I found that many beautiful women wish they were mistaken for her.

By Chief

As I made my way back to my dwelling after a day of work, I found a letter from Pacific Gas & Electric, which allegedly supplies gas to my house. I figured it was a bill and I could use some comic relief as my bill usually runs about $4.25 a month…and due to a climate credit…I have had a credit balance going for about 8 months now! However, this was no such bill. It was essentially a dear homeowner letter informing me of their intent to do construction on my property! Wait…What…the…. actual…F**K!

The backstory here is I live in a cul-de-sac house and a neighbor and I have essentially a shared driveway spanning both our front yards. So, as a result, the gas meter is exposed to a driveway and they are concerned about damage to it from my or his vehicles. So, they will be installing a protective barrier…maybe they ran my DMV driving record…or my neighbors? The meter is attached to the house, and for both of us, if we were to hit the meter, we would likely do severe damage to our home before we got anywhere close to hitting said meter. I tried to question the necessity of the work and was rebuffed… When you buy a house, buried in all that paperwork is a form saying utilities can do whatever the hell they damn well please and you can’t object…so there is that.

My question is, why wouldn’t you have your authorized contractor send this out?

Lest I remind you of your sterling safety record in San Bruno…or the Paradise fire sparked by your faulty equipment in Concow? Or the various other fires in the state? Yet this is your priority…protecting my gas meter from a vehicle? Maybe I should install a barrier around my house to protect me from you! Seriously, your safety record basically makes you about as qualified as Geoffrey the Giraffe of Toys R Us fame to work on my house!

Oh, by the way, haven’t seen any of your bogus commercials claiming you are committed to safety and have removed 150,000 trees over the past few years…is it because you’re bankrupt? Does that tree figure include all the trees your equipment killed when it “malfunctioned?” I also heard a confirmed conversation between your executive and CAL-FIRE and an effort to mislead their investigators as to the fire’s origin…too bad it didn’t work. CALFIRE is about as morally bankrupt as you guys and yet you couldn’t come to an agreement…SAD!

Then you tried to buy off the legislature here and you kind of did by creating a pool for all utilities to pay into as a fund for future fire risk…I’m not sure how you can sleep at night knowing you’re trying to weasel your way out of paying for damage you caused! Your stonewalling has already caused Merced Mutual to go out of business and has inspired discussions of other small insurers to leave the state! It’s so bad, all the major insurers have joined forces creating an Ad-hoc committee to sue you and get our money back from your fire damage…see we all know that turnip doesn’t have much blood left in it…so let’s all pounce at once!

Yet you choose to focus your safety efforts on putting a barrier around my meter, so I don’t hit it with my car…. that’s rich. Yes, I should be priority number one, all while you file for bankruptcy to avoid paying a bill that was solely caused by your negligence. Guess I’m moving back to a Teepee.