Sierrabear

Editors note: This submission is from the blog of one L.Kidd, self professed wanderer and occasional contributor to Sierrabear.

As I sit here

my disdain for our current situation boils over

and shoots like the steam from a locomotive,

out of each of my frustrated pores.

Sonora, CA -- When most people think of art in Tuolumne County, images like  the Red Church come to mind, simple, wholesome images, views of our area that reflect our cultural past and our scenic beauty. Much of our local music is also reminiscent of days gone by, often reflecting an aesthetic that, though enduring, is hardly pushing the boundaries. These views seem mostly geared toward tourists. What about our current stories? This year local videographer Jessica Valentine produced a video for home town musicians The Nightshade Family, with both subject matter and images that reflect a more current side, perhaps a darker side, of Tuolumne County life. See video below.

Soulsbyville, Ca -- There’s that sign again, “Driving 25? Or teaching kids to speed?” It’s hard to miss when driving on Soulsbyville road. The admonishment comes as a surprise almost every time as I speed by the dilapidated building that serves as a backdrop for the bluntly worded signage. Who’s responsible for this?

Washington D.C -- Leaders of the world’s largest economies will gather next week in Pittsburgh for the second time this year. The first meeting of the G-20 nations in April came at the height of the global financial crisis – a crisis that required unprecedented international cooperation to jumpstart the world’s economies and help break the downward spiral that enveloped all our nations.

Editors note: This stylishly written article has more to do with Tuolumne County than one might suspect. Besides,  we just love bicycle advocacy here at Sierrabear.

I hope that choosing the bicycle as my preferred product needs little explanation or justification but my proposed ban on cycle helmets might be a little more problematic. For a long time I’ve harboured the suspicion in my more paranoid moments that there’s some kind of collusion between the road/oil lobby and elements of the cycling fraternity to ensure that cycling in Britain remains a marginalized, unpleasant and largely despised activity.

Sonora, Ca -- Recently the Union Democrat reported on a Groveland pot bust story  in which Sgt. Craig Davis was quoted, “TNT [Tuolumne County Narcotics Team] is on a never-ending crusade to rid narcotics offenders from the neighborhoods and community of Tuolumne County.”

A "never ending crusade" may be an accurate description of drug policy in the United States. This year marks 40th anniversary of the "War on Drugs", which, since Nixon coined the phrase, has incarcerated millions of Americans. Why are the drugs still here? Do we need 40 more years? What will it take for TNT to win this war?

Sonora, Ca -- With the unemployment rate in Tuolumne County hitting 12.7 percent just this July, it's always good have a few tips and tricks for saving a few bucks. I could say something smarmy about the correlation of alcohol abuse and unemployment rates, but I wont.

This is a simple no-brainer recipe that yields a slightly cloudy, drinkable wine-cooler-like beverage on the cheap in about two weeks or less. Because the wine is made in the sterile container the juice comes in, it's much easier to keep contamination out of the process. There is no cooking or heating of any ingredients.