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Exposed! How the Billionaires Class Is Destroying Democracy
Out of the guts of the internet, we find an endless stream of misattributed quotes and made-up stories that end up in chain emails that you eventually receive from your loopy uncle in Texas who's trying to justify right-wing economics or anti-Obama conspiracy theories.
It's just one of the headaches of the Internet Age.
But, there's one quote in particular that's always attributed to an obscure Scottish historian, Sir Alexander Frasier Tytler (as if that gave it great credibility), and it seemed to both make sense and prophecy the end of the American Republic.
Tytler was supposed to have said: "A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largess of the public treasury. From that time on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the results that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship."
Tyltler goes on to talk about the process by which democracies fail as a result of this "voter selfishness."
The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been two hundred years," he was rumored to have said. "These nations have progressed through this sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from great courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependency back again to bondage."
Now, here's the reality: Tytler never said any of these words. They can all be tracked back to right-wing American businessmen in the early decades of the twentieth century. And why would right-wing businessmen say such things? Because, in actual point of fact, the thing that corrupts democracies is not "the voters" demanding "free stuff" (to paraphrase Romney), but, instead, its businessmen buying off politicians.
It's not the powerless who corrupt democracies, as that viral right-wing quote would suggest; it's the powerful who corrupt democracies. And money is the source of that power.
Yes, over the last hundred years, average American people have voted themselves benefits like Social Security, unemployment insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid. But at the same time, they've also supported tax increases to pay for all of these things. Remember, the Social Security tax only applies to the first $113,000 of wages – earned income. People like Paris Hilton and Mitt Romney, when they get all their money from capital gains, dividends, and carried interest, don't pay a penny of Social Security taxes on their millions of income. And the average top CEO in America, with an income of $13.7 million a year, over a million a month, only pays Social Security taxes on his first few days of income every year – every other day is Social Security tax-free. Quite literally, as Leona Helmsley famously said, only the "little people" pay such taxes. The safety net program for working class people is exclusively paid for by working class people.
On the other hand, when the Billionaire Class extracts benefits from the government for themselves, the generally don't pay higher taxes. The billions in taxpayer subsidies for Big Oil, trillions in bailouts and bonuses for Wall Street banksters, and hundreds of billions for war profiteers are always accompanied by demands for more tax cuts at the top.
And, truth be told, billionaires aren't even receiving these benefits by voting for them. Instead, they always get them through the simple process of buying politicians. For example, Sheldon Adelson spent $150 million in the last election. That's more than any American spent in any election in American history. And he spent all that money to give himself the "benefits" of derailing an Obama Justice Department investigation into his casino in China and to get his taxes cut even further.
Billionaires also corrupt democracy to get their benefits through billionaire-funded think tanks, like the Koch-funded American Legislative Exchange Council that writes legislation to benefit Corporate America, and then has Republicans state lawmakers introduce and pass laws in state after state, across the nation.
But despite this very clear reality of who is demanding largesse from our government, it's still working people and average voters who are targeted by right-wingers and their viral emails as the selfish "takers." That's the reason why the Business Roundtable is saying the best way to fix insurance programs like Social Security and Medicare is to raise the retirement age to 70 and voucherize Medicare.
Of course, the average CEO for an S&P 500 company doesn't need Social Security. But they know that by raising the retirement age, they're shielding themselves from any tax increases that may come with raising that payroll tax cap, so even billionaires pay into Social Security, which will quickly and easily make that insurance program solvent forever.
America's fiscal problems have nothing to do with voters. In fact, the Billionaire Class is trying to make it harder and harder for people to vote by pushing for voter suppression ID laws and restrictions on early voting.
America's fiscal problems are a direct result of the Billionaire Class working behind the scenes of our democracy and syphoning off massive amounts of wealth for themselves while paying lower taxes than they've paid in a half-century. As Senator Bernie Sanders points out, a quarter of all profitable corporations in America pay zero federal taxes. And Mitt Romney and Paris Hilton's income tax rates top out at 20 percent.
Tytler didn't really say those words that the Billionaire Class think-tanks and email shills attribute to him. But, had he said them, he probably would have something more along the lines of this: "A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the billionaires discover that they can steal for themselves largess of the public treasury through buying politicians. From that time on the billionaires will always buy candidates promising them the most benefits from the public treasury, with the results that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship."
If we are concerned about the future of our American democratic republic, the way to preserve it isn't to protect it from greedy Social Security recipients by pushing the retirement age back to 70. It's to get money out of government, thus neutering the political power of the Billionaire Class. And that means reversing two core doctrines that the US Supreme Court has created out of thin air (at the request of big business and billionaires): that corporations are people, and that money is speech.
The best way to do that is through a constitutional amendment that says corporations are not people, and money is property and not speech.
Go to MoveToAmend.org to join the fight for the survival of our democratic republic.


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Global Visitors
Sitemeter has its uses. This graph plots the last 100 visits to this blog. The traffic has increased from the U.S. since it was picked up by Voices Without Votes a website which is a project of Global Voices Online. It is funded by Reuters.
Voices' stated aim:
Voices without Votes opens a window on what non-Americans are saying in blogs and citizen media about US foreign policy and the 2008 presidential elections.
Now I was going to talk about a prophet in his own country, but bloggers have enough paranoia. At times we all feel like Hal from 2001 A Space Odyssey, floating through cyberspace, voices without visits.
Labels: US Election 2008
Macklin's Ministry: Taking the blinkers off
You have to be retired and living in Broome on a hot, humid, wet-season afternoon to watch a National Press Club address outside election time. Today's guest was Jenny Macklin, Federal Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. For a former deputy ALP leader she is neither charismatic nor that well known. The latter is unlikely to last long given the range and gravity of her portfolios and her obvious commitment to getting things done.
At times over the years I have wondered where she was. A low profile deputy can be an asset sometimes but not in an opposition having trouble being heard as we experienced during Simon Crean's leadership. Their personalities and media images were just too much alike.
Today Jenny delivered her speech competently and effectively, in contrast to Bob Brown's last Press Club address. After a few early stumbles she warmed up and seemed to engage her audience. It was a very solid performance from an experienced and savvy politician. Mind you I've been over magnetism since the 70s. Give us results any day.
I hoped to find out what's happening with indigenous housing and was not disappointed. There seems to be a clear plan to involve communities in housing design, construction and related training. A breathe of fresh air from the negativity of all levels of government about why local indigenous people, who need real work and training, can't get it in their own community.
This has been just as true of large communities as you might have expected of small ones. Millions of dollars have been spent on construction without apprenticeships being offered. The skills shortage has been a joke in much of remote Australia. This is especially the case where there are no mining projects, which have seen some belated but welcome developments in indigenous training. The disconnect between job vacancies, young indigenous people seeking employment and a host of government agencies empowered to organise training, has been a continuing disgrace.
Let's have no more excuses. Let's have no more "yes, but..." or undelivered promises. Hopefully Kevin Rudd's accountability based on real performance targets will put an end to the charade.
Macklin seemed to be on top of the issues related to home ownership, leasing and land rights. Whether she can solve them is another matter. She quoted Walgett resident Joseph Flick's advice: "Take the blinkers off and look for new options". It will be interesting to see what the response to the options is from aboriginal leaders. There are certainly concerns about the extinguishment of native title claims if land rights are alienated by government building.
The Australian's initial news report of the speech seemed to embrace the spirit of reconciliation, and bipartisanship. There were no references to ideological socialist experiments that have characterised past coverage:
Ms Macklin's housing plan, announced today, will deliver more flexibility in the current 99-year lease scheme over communal indigenous land, offering 20- or 40-year leases.
New leases in land rights overhaul (The Australian 27 February 2008)
Jenny was at her best when handling questions. There were two questions about Michael Mansell's attack on her that she answered quite effectively. The rest of question time showed that she is on top of both the problems and the detail of her ministerial responsibilities. Her position on quarantining of welfare payments promises to create ongoing debate. It can apply to all welfare recipients with children who are at risk, regardless of race. It will be used on a case-by-case basis. My understanding is that this is not the way the NT Intervention has worked so far where it seems to have been applied to whole communities.
The 2020 Summit might be short on female leadership but Macklin showed that the Cabinet is neither short on female numbers or talent. It was an informative, if not entertaining, presentation. It was a refreshing change to watch Tom Calma, from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission, nodding in apparent approval.
We can only hope that Jenny Macklin will be remembered as one of the best ministers in the Rudd government. The stakes are too high for anything else. She seems to have made a flying start and to share Kevin's impressive work ethic.
For the full speech see Closing the Gap - Building an Indigenous Future
Labels: indigenous, Jenny Macklin, Kevin Rudd, labor
No Country for film makers
Great to see an Australian documentary filmmaker winning an Oscar. Shame that Eva Orner feels that she has to work outside the country:
Orner says she will be forced to stay in New York because the Australian film industry can not support the type of films she wants to make.
Orner says documentaries such as Taxi to the Dark Side "just don't exist in Australia".
Aust lacks opportunities, Oscar winner Orner says (ABC News 26 February 2008)
It can't be for lack of pressing subjects. Yesterday's Coroner's report into the deaths of 22 aborigines in the Kimberley region is one glaring starting point.
The impact of the mining and energy boom, especially on the environment in the West, cries out for some first class film journalism or journalism of any kind for that matter.
The so-called underbelly of crime and corruption has barely been scratched.
Open the dailies and stick a pin to choose a topic: binge drinking and illegal drugs; conspicuous wealth and conspicuous homelessness; corporate power and corruption.
There are also plenty of more uplifting themes to be explored as well. I posted last week on a good news story, the premiere of Desert Heart, a documentary by David Batty of Bush Mechanics fame.
Perhaps Dick Pratt could redeem himself by funding some documentary projects. If finance is a major stumbling block, we must ask why the corporate sector has had its hands in its pockets during a time of unprecedented growth.
Hope someone takes up the issue of corporate funding of documentaries at the 2020 Summit. Go for it Cate.
Please make your suggestions for topics in Comments.
Posted by Kevin Rennie at 9:33 AM 2 COMMENTS
Labels: environment, indigenous, Kimberley
Lionel Rose: Australian hero
Lionel Rose: World Champion and 1968 Australian of the Year
Lionel became World Bantamweight Champion on 26 February 1968 by defeating Figthing Harada in Tokyo. He was the Australian of the year for 1968, the first aborigine in that role. He was only nineteen.
Lionel was not a political person in his youth unlike his American counterpart Muhammad Ali. Ali's boxing licence had been suspended a year earlier because of his refusal to be drafted for the Vietnam War. He was also stripped of his world title.
You didn't have to be into boxing to watch Lionel's bouts. We all did. There was no traffic in Melbourne if it was televised. His trainer was Jack Rennie - no relation, though it is a family name.
When he became the greatest boxer in Australian history, he was only nineteen.
Labels: 1968, indigenous
Dallas: too bizarre to be true
It could only happen in Texas. Some reports about Barack Obama's rally on Wednesday in Dallas are claiming that the US Secret Service haven't learnt much in 44 years.
Security details at Barack Obama's rally Wednesday stopped screening people for weapons at the front gates more than an hour before the Democratic presidential candidate took the stage at Reunion Arena.
Star-Telegram.com (21 February 2008)
Can't find any other big media coverage. Hope they take more care when he's President. Death on the Campaign Trail is not a work of fiction.
Labels: Barack Obama, US Election 2008
Barack Obama: Bridge to the 21st Century?
Earlier posts have explored why Hillary Clinton's supporters think she matters. Why then does Barack Obama matter to his ballooning band of followers.
Andrew Sullivan presented a detailed case for why Barack is the candidate for the times last December. Move over baby boomers, time to overthrow the old paradigms. Obama offers transformation, generational change, and potential re-branding of the United States. His is a fresh "face", post Vietnam politics, post civil right politics, post ideological polarisation American style. Post the politics of the past. On war, on religion and on race he will be a uniting force. He will bring a truce to the culture civil wars.
Sullivan argued that:
he could take America—finally—past the debilitating, self-perpetuating family quarrel of the Baby Boom generation that has long engulfed all of us.
Obama's candidacy in this sense is a potentially transformational one. Unlike any of the other candidates, he could take America—finally—past the debilitating, self-perpetuating family quarrel of the Baby Boom generation that has long engulfed all of us. So much has happened in America in the past seven years, let alone the past 40, that we can be forgiven for focusing on the present and the immediate future. But it is only when you take several large steps back into the long past that the full logic of an Obama presidency stares directly—and uncomfortably—at you.
At its best, the Obama candidacy is about ending a war—not so much the war in Iraq, which now has a momentum that will propel the occupation into the next decade—but the war within America that has prevailed since Vietnam and that shows dangerous signs of intensifying, a nonviolent civil war that has crippled America at the very time the world needs it most. It is a war about war—and about culture and about religion and about race. And in that war, Obama—and Obama alone—offers the possibility of a truce.
Goodbye to All That: Why Obama Matters (The Atlantic.com December 2007)
Strong rhetoric but it was supported by a detailed examination of Obama's positions on the war, on race and on religion. It is an argument which is clearly winning in progressive American politics. It's a substantial case for change. Let's hope it will have real substance in practice.
Labels: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, US Election 2008
Democrats of a Certain Age
With Barack Obama taking Wisconsin and Hawaii decisively, is it the end of Hilary Clinton's bid to be the first woman President? Will the rush to Obama roll through Ohio and Texas? Can Clinton's supporters slow his bandwagon?
Two Huffington Posts from the States earlier this week indicate that there may be some life left in the pro-Clinton forces.
Firstly, a feminist perspective from Karen Stabiner questioned Obama's liberal credentials
At a televised campaign stop, someone asked him how he felt about the ad campaign. Obama, grave-faced and sympathetic in tone, opined that when Senator Clinton was 'feeling down,' she went on the attack to make herself feel better; that is, she committed an error in judgment because she was in a bad mood. That was the moment when I, and other women of a certain age, all over the country, winced.
The Change Candidate Needs to Change His Tone Towards Women (17 February 2008)
Stephen Schlesinger took a very different tack trying to focus on fighting issues:
Of extraordinary importance, she has taken the lead on the most important economic crisis to face our country in decades. She was among the first of the first Democratic contenders to propose a bold economic recovery program designed to rescue the nation from recession.
...In many ways, Senator Clinton is to the left of Senator Obama. Hillary Clinton has outlined a program of universal health insurance -- meaning that every person in America would be covered.
...Lastly, Hillary Clinton is a fighter for change. Senator Obama, on the other hand, is a self-described conciliator. What Democrats want today, however, is a battler, not a motivational speaker.
Why Hillary Clinton Still Matters (16 February 2008)
These two commentators voice liberal Democrat sentiments which in normal times would have united the party behind Hillary. These are not ordinary times and Barack's secular evangelism is winning the day.
Really Achieving His Childhood Dreams
Randy Pausch Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams
If you have 76 minutes to spare, watch Randy Pausch. Join the 382,383 viewers who have watched this educational lecture.
What can you say about someone who is dying of pancreatic cancer who tells a colleague that if she retires life's not worth living. He's still battling and still having fun.
Thanks to Graeme Daniel of wwwtools For Education whose online newsletter led me to Youtube's Education category. A refreshing change from News & Politics.
Desert Heart: Back to Country
Winpa by Daniel Walbidi
For the second time in a week Broome's Sun Pictures was the setting for an important indigenous event. Wednesday saw a gathering of locals to watch and celebrate Kevin Rudd's Sorry speech. Last night brought the premiere of Desert Heart, a documentary by David Batty of Bush Mechanics fame.
It is the story of the Yulparija who left the Great Sandy Desert forty years ago. They now live as saltwater people in Bidyadanga south of Broome. In 2006 young artist Daniel Walbidi joined members of the tribe on a journey back to their land. They were supported by Emily Rohr of Short Street Gallery.
For more about their artwork, see Junk for Code.
The film, and the work of these artists which documents their country, are inspiring. Don't miss it when the ABC screens it in March.
Labels: broome, indigenous
What about Work Choices, Laurie?
Laurie Oakes let us all down in his interview with Brendan Nelson on the Sunday program this morning. He gets points for grilling him about the sad "sorry" speech. But we had to endure a Dorothy Dixer about the email between Kevin Rudd and Brian Burke in 2005.
That might be today's story but not the other big one of the week that should have been aired but wasn't. That was the Coalition's complete disregard for the people's verdict on Work Choices by effectively blocking changes in the Senate until July at least. Their timely rediscovery of the Senate Committee system is disgraceful.
Not one question from Laurie about Work Choices. He had pointed out Nelson's back flip on the apology. Yet he failed to raise Nelson's complete reversal of the position he took after the election:
We have listened and we have learned, and one of the issues that was very important to the Australian people in changing the Government on November 24 was that of WorkChoices.
We've listened to the Australian people, we respect the decisions they have made, and WorkChoices is dead.
Nelson declares WorkChoices dead (ABC News 19 December 2007)
Instead we had a reprise of Nelson's famous "I've never voted Liberal in my life" speech in 1993.
Not good enough, Laurie! Reform of Work Choices was unquestionably the number one issue of the 2007 election.
Labels: industrial relations
Egos shouldn't stop a Dream administration
(Huffington Post: AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
During the debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton before Super Tuesday, the question of whether they would have one another as Vice Presidential running mates arose. Though non-committal they naturally thought the other would make a good VP.
Jennifer Baumgardner blogged on the Huffington Post today about Hillary:
A bitter reality is beginning to sink in for me, a daughter of the Second Wave. Here we are: several generations raised with the mantra that a "woman" could be president, and learning that we don't mean any woman who actually exists.
A Woman in the White House (15 February 2008)
It struck me that they would make a powerful team, not just as an election ticket but also as an administration. The one who doesn't get the nomination could take specific responsibility for areas such as health and global warming. Dick Cheney has shown that the Vice President's role does not have to be just ceremonial (no irony or sarcasm intended).
The recent election of the Kevin Rudd/Julia Gillard led Labor government in Australia shows the power and the potential of such an alliance.
It would be a great pity if the talents and potential contribution of one of these two is lost because of egos or political expediency.
The cliché about the dream team feels just that, a dream. Realpolitik or real politics? to borrow the spin, we live in hope.
Labels: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, labor, US Election 2008
World Heritage Listing for the Kimberley?
It was great pity that the environmental issues facing North Western Australia received so little coverage and debate during the Federal election. The proposed Browse Basin gas hub(s) in the Kimberley and the World Heritage listing of Ningaloo Reef are just two of the critical decisions facing both the State and Federal governments.
With all the activity in Canberra it would have been easy to miss Peter Garrett's announcement of a long-term environmental assessment of the Kimberley region. He suggested that this could lead to world heritage listing of the Kimberley. He also flagged short term plans to help protect the environment such as support for a single LNG hub.
According to the Broome Advertiser (14 February 2008), Barry Haase, Liberal MHR for Kalgoorlie, attacked Garrett's statement as a ploy to win votes. Haase supported the urgent commercialisation of the basin and questioned whether heritage listing would bring tourists:
The heritage listing of Shark Bay has not caused an influx of tourists; I suggest that, while not wilderness, these gas plants may themselves become tourist icons in the future.
Haase's comments brought a swift rebuke from Save the Kimberley's Peter Tucker who suggested he "get his head out of the sand and step into the 21st century".
Meanwhile the Advertiser also reported that George Negus, the Kimberley's new best friend, plans to meet traditional owners when he vistis the region next month. Perhaps George can raise the national profile of the environmental issues in this part of the world.
Labels: environment
Stand by us
Stunning day!
It was so good to see Australians taking a meaningful part in our democratic processes. Parliament house is usually a remote, unwelcoming place. Television broadcasts rate lower than the cable chess channel. We have had a two day celebration on Capitol Hill which has engaged most of us around the country. People were up in the West at 7am to watch the apology speeches and ceremony. Members of the stolen generation travelled to Canberra from places like Broome and further away to be there. No easy trip I can assure you.
Kevin Rudd did us proud. Brendan Nelson has a way to go. He seems to want to be liked by everyone, an impossible aim in politics. Yesterday was not a debate about the Northern Territory intervention or the appropriate place to placate the white armband, whitewash view of aboriginal history.
It's worth recording the names of those Members of the House of Representatives who were deliberately absent: Sophie Mirabella Wilson Tuckey, Don Randall, Alby Schultz and Dennis Jensen. Theirs was not just a parliamentary gesture it was an insult to the Australian electorate whose views are clear. They are paid to be there on occasions like this, even when they lose the argument. As opponents of the apology, their presence would have been a powerful part of the reconciliation process.
More importantly it was a deliberate insult to all the aboriginal people in the chamber, the great hall, those outside on the lawns, in places like the Broome's Sun Pictures or just watching at home. The boycotting MPs did not show the respect that is customarily shown by indigenous people to their guests.
The rest of the nation acknowledged the wrongs of the past and stood up for a better future.
Labels: indigenous, Kevin Rudd, labor, liberal
Watching the opening of Federal parliament with its welcome to country definitely brought a warm inner glow. For many reasons. Tomorrow's sorry story will be hot stuff.
Today was only spoiled by Barry Haase, MHR for Kalgoorlie, whingeing about not seeing the wording of the apology which he does not support in any form. Barry had the largest swing in Western Australia against him in November.
Labels: 2007 election, indigenous, Kalgoorlie
Help send members of Stolen Generation to Canberra
Getup! are raising money to help send some indigenous people from the Kimberley to Canberra for Wednesday's apology.
To donate, click here.
Labels: indigenous
The American Numbers game
Every four years we become instant experts on the US elections. The primaries are providing more entertainment than usual.
First the Democrats. Unless Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton dramatically change the current trend, a hung convention seems certain with all the accompanying problems. Because of the proportional allocation of delegates it's likely to be close till the end. The role of the super delegates will be crucial and controversial and may help the Republicans. For an in depth but pessimistic view see Avoiding a Convention Train Wreck by Doug Kendall.
For the Republicans, John McCain should win comfortably. However, his unpopularity with conservatives may result in Mike Huckabee becoming his choice for Vice Presidential running mate. Huckabee's creationist view of evolution should bring some heavy science to the fight on global warming. He'll probably fix it on the third day.
The Republican system of winner-take-all helped destroy Mitt Romney's chances. I wonder if he would accept the VP position on the ticket. I'm sure that if they used the proportional method we'd have a situation similar to the Democrats. Doubtless some psephologist has worked out the figures. I'm sure Poll Bludger et al will enlighten us.
The assassination of Robert Kennedy during the 1968 primaries showed that nothing is certain in this American numbers game.
Slaughterhouse-Five: the anti-glacier novel
Kurt Vonnegut, who died last year, finished writing Slaughterhouse-Five in 1968 after a long gestation. It was published in 1969. I hadn't read it until this week. Its central theme is the fire bombing of Dresden on 13 February 1945. Vonnegut was a prisoner of war in Dresden at the time and saw the devastation firsthand.
It's the anniversary this week. The bombing has always been controversial. The nature of the attack: was it a war crime? The extent of the death toll: was it grossly overestimated (as the novel seems to do) because of nazi propaganda? Was it hushed up after the war by Allied military and governments?
The novel remains a modern classic for a number of reasons. It is essentially autobiographical though its main character Billy Pilgrim is fictional. Science fiction and time travel are unexpected aspects of this war memoir. It's from a completely different planet from Norman Mailer's "The Naked and the Dead" that was based on his own war experiences. The planet's called Tralfamadore to which he is taken by aliens and placed in a zoo. At times you feel like you wandered into the middle of a Phillip K. Dick short story. It's Ken Kesey in a real asylum.
Billy flashes back and forward in dreams, conscious recollections and excursions in time. He believes that we all live forever and can move between our experiences.
Vonneguts's "Duty Dance with Death" uses a meta-narrative. Kurt is only a minor character in the story but he reflects on his Armageddon, its broader context and the writing process throughout the book. We even get:
Robert Kennedy, whose summer home is eight miles from the home I live in all year round, was shot two nights ago. He died last night. So it goes.
Martin Luther King was shot a month ago. He died, too. So it goes.
There are lots of modern parallels that could be drawn from this novel. Billy Pilgrim would not make any of them if he time travelled to our world:
'It was alright,' said Billy. 'Everything is all right, and everybody has to do exactly what he does.'
The death and destruction of this "telegraphic schizophrenic" tale is supposed to speak for itself. So it goes.
"Peace.", wrote Vonnegut at the end of its lengthy sub-title. It's an "anti-glacier" book: Wars "were as easy to stop as glaciers. [They] keep coming."
Labels: 1968
Pacific Solution Final
We should all feel better tonight knowing that the Howard government's disgraceful Pacific solution to asylum seekers is over. 'Sorry' next!
Labels: immigration, indigenous, john howard
Global warming: Where's Huckabee?
Mike Huckabee is still running for President and may become John McCain's Vice Presidential running mate. He believes in creation rather than evolution putting him George W's camp. More important may be his position on global warming. His official website doesn't mention it. He's for 'Energy Independence':
We have to explore, we have to conserve, and we have to pursue all avenues of alternative energy: nuclear, wind, solar, hydrogen, clean coal, biodiesel, and biomass.
No details, no direct mention of problems with climate change. We'll have a scientific response, but whose science? We can't rely on fossil fuels just like we can't rely on fossil evidence.
He did raise his hand at one debate when asked if he believed that "global climate change is a serious threat and caused by human activity".
For some interesting material on the candidates and their policies the Washington Post's Issue Coverage Tracker is worth a visit.
Labels: environment, global warming, US Election 2008
Cable Beach Sunset
The wet season is finally in full swing in Broome.
Next couple of months are cyclone season. This is a clip from last year's dry.
Can't beat Cable Beach sunsets. Always best when there is some cloud.
Labels: broome
The Primaries: Personalities not Policies
The Australian media including the onliners have embraced the US primaries. Can this be the same people who were sick of elections, campaigns and polls? Mind, there is no danger at this stage of the commentators becoming carried away with analysis of the major issues or the candidates policy responses. Even, or perhaps especially, in the U.S. it's all personalities and media performance.
I've been looking for some coverage of Climate policy. As the likely Republican candidate, John McCain's environmental credentials demand more scrutiny. Two progressive U.S. commentators have radically contrasting views.
Firstly Joseph Romm of the Climate Progress blog:
Right now, McCain is not a straight-talking or courageous politician on global warming — though he is vastly superior to all of the other GOP candidates.
If McCain gets the nomination, I wonder if he will be more honest with the public. If not, I would strongly recommend that his opponent expose his doubletalk...
(McCain's Double-Talk Express on Global Warming (Climate Progress 25 January 2008)
More recently:
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama both have issued detailed energy and climate platforms. They far outclass John McCain and Mitt Romney, who have not.
(How to Pick the President (Climate Progress 4 February 2008)
The New Republic is an unlikely place to find a McCain fan but its editor Franklin Foer apparently believes that he might surprise:
"...there are the possibilities for doing some interesting things with McCain as a leader, and I'm mostly thinking about global warming – where McCain has the best track record on energy and environment on the Republican side in the Senate," Foer concluded. "So, I think you have some really good possibility for a Nixon-to-China type solution to climate change if he decides that that's going to be the thing he is going to use to build a bridge."
New Republic Editor: McCain Could Be 'Nixon-to-China' on Global Warming (The Business & Media Institute 2 February 2008)
One can only hope that there will be more interest in policies, both in the U.S and Australia, once the two candidates are known.
Fighting Global Warming US Style
Web Research 101
It's Super Tuesday in the US Primaries this week. Time to look at the Big 4 candidates' global warming policies as presented on their official websites.
Republicans: The Once and the Future Deniers
McCain claims to be a warrior against global warming but his official website is disappointing. His environment policy lives under Stewards of Our Nation's Rich Natural Heritage. No irony intended! The accompanying video sounds more like John Howard's last position: more nuclear energy, anti-Kyoto, vague on concrete proposals. He even talks about a new Kyoto that must include China and India. A furphy that sounds very familiar.
He is in favour of a cap and trading but there are no details or targets to be found here. The claim is:
He has offered common sense approaches to limit carbon emissions by harnessing market forces that will bring advanced technologies, such as nuclear energy, to the market faster, reduce our dependence on foreign supplies of energy, and see to it that America leads in a way that ensures all nations do their rightful share.
(A warning about his videos: It's hard to stay awake.)
No surprises on Romney's website. It does not even list the environment as one of the key issues, much less global warming. A site search for 'global warming' and 'climate change' produced no meaningful responses. His energy policy is about achieving "independence" from foreign oil.
There is a relevant February 2007 Press Release on the site:
Unfortunately, some in the Republican Party are embracing the radical environmental ideas of the liberal left. As governor, I found that thoughtful environmentalism need not be anti-growth and anti-jobs. But Kyoto-style sweeping mandates, imposed unilaterally in the United States, would kill jobs, depress growth and shift manufacturing to the dirtiest developing nations.
Republicans should never abandon pro-growth conservative principles in an effort to embrace the ideas of Al Gore. Instead of sweeping mandates, we must use America's power of innovation to develop alternative sources of energy and new technologies that use energy more efficiently.
It's George W. Bush four years ago.
Democrats: Me Too
Obama's website has lots of rhetoric and lots of detail. A sample:
* Reduce Carbon Emissions 80 Percent by 2050
* Invest in a Clean Energy Future
* Support Next Generation Biofuels
* Set America on Path to Oil Independence
* Improve Energy Efficiency 50 Percent by 2030
* Restore U.S. Leadership on Climate Change
Sounds good. He always does. Classy video. Like Rudd he has a plan.
Clinton sounds like someone who has known AL Gore for a long time. Her plan is detailed and has lots of overlap with Obama's.
Centered on a cap and trade system for carbon emissions, stronger energy and auto efficiency standards and a significant increase in green research funding, Hillary's plan will reduce America's reliance on foreign oil and address the looming climate crisis.
Let's assume a Democrat win in November (anything is possible in US politics – look at George W's amazing career). How will the Congress embrace a "war on global warming"? For many of them it is a sub-category of the "war on terror". Obama has the potential to take the people with him. Hillary seems more capable of getting practical results. We can expect lots of misinformation from the conservatives, before and after November, whoever the Democrat candidate turns out to be.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The start of the run had already given us a taste of what was to come, albeit not quite as tense! We saw plenty of other runners in the next hour or so, and it was good to see that it wasn't only us who could miss a turning!
After a very pleasant Sunday lunch in a roadside pub (I can recommend the Bulls Head) watching streams of MGs pass by we got back on the road. Some of the next routes would have us questioning if we'd took a wrong turn as some of the roads resembled farm-tracks with no passing places and we were relieved when we emerged without coming across a tractor in the opposite direction!
Back down to the proper roads!


text:
Valery A. Godyak
June 8, 1941 – present
Godyak, Valery A.
Valery A. Godyak is Corporate Scientist, Research Center at Osram Sylvania, Inc. (1993-present). Other institutional affiliations include GTE Corporation and Moscow State University. His research interests include gas discharge physics and radio-frequency discharges.
June 8, 1941Birth, Czernowitz (Ukraine).
1964Obtained Engineer-Physicist Degree, Leningrad Technical University, Saint Petersburg (Russia).
1964 – 1968Assistant Professor of General Physics, Ryazan Radiotechnological University.
1968Obtained PhD in Plasma Physics, Moscow State University (Moskovskii gosudarstvennyi universitet im. M.V. Lomonosova. Fizika), Moscow (Russia).
1968 – 1972Research Associate, Laboratory of Fusion Engineering, State Institute of Electro-Physical Apparatus, Leningrad.
1972 – 1981Group Leader, RF Discharge Laboratory, Moscow State University, Moscow (Russia).
1981 – 1984Elevator operator and electrician.
1984 – 1993Corporate Scientist, Research Center, GTE Corporation.
1993 – presentCorporate Scientist, Research Center, Osram Sylvania, Inc, Mississauga (Ont.).
2004Awarded James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics, American Physical Society.
Plasma physicist.
Czernowitz (Ukraine)
Saint Petersburg (Russia)
Moscow (Russia)
Mississauga (Ont.)
Plasma physics.
Radio frequency discharges.
GTE Corporation
Corporate Scientist, Research Center.
Moskovskii gosudarstvennyi universitet im. M.V. Lomonosova. Fizika
Obtained PhD in Plasma Physics (1968). Group Leader, RF Discharge Laboratory.
Osram Sylvania, Inc.
Ryazan Radio Technological University
Assistant Professor of General Physics.
State Institute of Electrophysical Apparatus, Leningrad
Research Associate, Laboratory of Fusion Engineering.
Received 2004 James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics.
Leningrad Polytechnic Institute
Obtained Engineer-Physicist Degree.


text:
Scarlatti Industries (auch Scarlatti Cars) war ein südafrikanischer Hersteller von Automobilen.

Unternehmensgeschichte
Das Unternehmen aus Benoni begann 1983 mit der Produktion von Automobilen. Der Markenname lautete Scarlatti. 1984 endete die Produktion. Andere Quellen geben die Bauzeit unpräzise mit 1980er Jahren an.

Fahrzeuge
Das einzige Modell war ein viersitziges Coupé. Die Basis bildete der Ford Cortina bzw. das Fahrgestell eines Ford aus amerikanischer Produktion. Darauf wurde eine Karosserie aus Kunststoff montiert. Ein V6-Motor mit 3000 cm³ Hubraum trieb die Fahrzeuge an. Zur Wahl standen ein manuelles Getriebe und ein Automatikgetriebe.

Literatur
 George Nick Georgano (Chefredakteur): The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. Volume 3: P–Z. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, Chicago 2001, ISBN 1-57958-293-1, S. 1421. (englisch)

Weblinks
  d'Auto (niederländisch, abgerufen am 26. Juni 2016)
  Allcarindex (englisch, abgerufen am 26. Juni 2016)

Einzelnachweise

Ehemaliger Pkw-Hersteller (Südafrika)
Wirtschaft (Gauteng)
Gegründet 1983
Aufgelöst 1984

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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"next": null,
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"alzheimer's",
"citsci4alz",
"name": "Human Computation Institute",
"title": "Stall Catchers",
"description": "Stall Catchers is a brand new citizen science game. Looking at real blood vessel data you can help speed up the search for Alzheimer's treatments!",
"get_involved": "People can help Alzheimer's research by participating in the game.",
"interest": "Stall Catchers game empowers everyone to directly fight a disease that affects them, their loved ones and the society at large.",
"content_url": "https://syhacked.com",
"al jazeera",
"cyberwar",
"games",
"hacking",
"syria"
"name": "Juliana Ruhfus",
"name": "Al Jazeera English & Nataly Rios Goico",
"name": "Conducttr",
"title": "#Hacked - Investigate Syria's Cyberwar",
"description": "Syria's Electronic Armies is a mobile web app which takes the user deep into Syria's cyber war.  It's an immersive news experience that presents Al Jazeera's award-winning journalism in a non-fictional game format where the user has to take security based decisions to keep sources safe.",
"get_involved_url": "https://medium.com/@julianaruhfus/hacked-syrias-electronic-armies-can-we-at-al-jazeera-create-immersive-news-experiences-in-a-ceceaf3d98d9#.p0d6xnsat",
"content_url": "http://offgridthegame.com",
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"indie games",
"infosec",
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"name": "Semaeopus",
"title": "Off Grid",
"description": "Ever wanted to explore data privacy, circumvention technology, and cyber security while playing a game? 'Off Grid' explores these themes through stealth and hacking mechanics and puzzles, and is fully moddable for players to tell their own stories around these important subjects.",
"get_involved": "Help reaching interested audiences, communities, and technologists, who may be interested in modding or creating interesting plays on the game to tell more in depth stories around their area of expertise, or their cultural experience of the themes of privacy and security.",
"get_involved_url": "http://offgridthegame.com",
"interest": "Off Grid is a unique way to explore what can be abstract or opaque issues, and creates a platform for people to tell their own stories about privacy and security through modding the game to make their own levels.",
"content_url": "https://github.com/lab804/labmet-weatherstation/blob/develop/README.md",
"agriculture",
"arduino",
"name": "João Trevizoli Esteves",
"name": "Murilo Da Silva Ijanc",
"title": "Go Green IoT",
"description": "Labmet is an open source platform that was built with a simple goal: to help people with agriculture by seamlessly using the agronomical best practices on their own planted food, and to help them lower environmental impact.",
"get_involved": "It would be awesome to have contributors to our project! There is plenty of stuff that the project requires and the community can help such as adding agricultural and agrometeorological models to the labmet libraries, improving the weather station code, electronic project, adding more sensors.",
"get_involved_url": "https://github.com/lab804",
"interest": "With this project people around the world will minimize water waste, avoid unnecessary pesticides, and reduce environmental contaminates. A simple IoT platform will help them utilize all the agronomic best practices.",
"content_url": "https://github.com/bmkramer/101innovations-survey-data/tree/mozfest2016-Open-Science-workflows",
"title": "Real-life Open Science workflows",
"description": "We will look at how Open Science practices can be combined into a full Open Science workflow. We also want to come up with concrete ideas to improve the use and interoperability of Open Science tools, so that scholars and scientists experience less obstacles in using these.",
"get_involved": "Come to our session! Saturday 3:15 PM, 9th floor, r.903",
"get_involved_url": "https://github.com/bmkramer/101innovations-survey-data/blob/mozfest2016-Open-Science-workflows/CONTRIBUTING.md",
"interest": "Help increase the uptake of Open Science workflows by removing technical and non-technical issues",
"content_url": "https://blog.mozvr.com/a-painter/",
"mozvr",
"painting",
"virtual reality",
"vr",
"webvr"
"name": "Mozilla VR",
"title": "A-Painter",
"description": "Virtual Reality Painting on the Web. Put on the headset and let your creative spirit loose in an infinite and unconstrained space, expressing yourself visually with A-Painter from Mozilla, a virtual reality painting experience delivered through WebVR.",
"get_involved": "Connect with Mozilla VR, the team behind WebVR, A-Frame and A-Painter. Build and share custom brushes for A-Painter! Liquid fire, varying shades of kitten heads, or let a million flowers bloom with a wave of your hand!",
"get_involved_url": "https://github.com/aframevr/a-painter",
"interest": "Digital artists and VR enthusiasts will both love creative freedom that web-scale extensibility brings to creative tools, and everyone will enjoy the unrestricted creative expression that A-Painter enables!",
"content_url": "http://www.ektheater.com/",
"artsaward",
"multimedia",
"performance",
"theater"
"name": "EK Theater",
"title": "Video Game Puppetry",
"description": "See how EK Theater uses video games in their unique form of puppetry",
"interest": "EK Theater's work has been called \"an impressive feat of engineering, coordination, and storytelling\" by the New York Times. Learn their innovative techniques with director Eddie Kim!",
"content_url": "http://koruza.net/",
"open hardware",
"wireless"
"name": "Irnas",
"name": "Luka Mustafa",
"title": "KORUZA Light-Speed Internet",
"description": "Koruza is a wireless internet system transmitting 1/10 GB of data  through a beam of light from building to building up to 150m apart.",
"get_involved": "Koruza is developed open source and open hardware. It is available for preorder from October 2016 on. Order a kit, test it, make suggestions, help improve it.",
"get_involved_url": "http://new.koruza.net/contact/",
"interest": "Instead of expensive cables or congested radio waves, Koruza transceivers connect with a beam of light. Set-up in hours, not days and connecting buildings up to 150 metres apart at 10 Gbps, Koruza transceivers are ten times cheaper than other optical connectors.",
"content_url": "http://refigure.org/",
"canvas",
"experimental results",
"figure",
"open leadership f16",
"refigure",
"repeats",
"name": "Joe Akin",
"name": "Girija Goyal",
"title": "Figure Canvas",
"description": "A tool for scientists to report repeats of experiments",
"get_involved": "development, outreach, beta testers, find us on Github",
"get_involved_url": "https://github.com/j-joe-akin/fig-can/",
"interest": "experimental data is more and more important with an increasingly data driven lifestyle; we ask how real is the data?",
"content_url": "http://process.arts.ac.uk/category/project-groups/digital-maker-collective",
"arts",
"art school",
"arts education",
"photogrammetry",
"name": "Digital Maker Collective",
"title": "Digital Maker Collective",
"description": "The Digital Maker Collective are an open group of University of the Arts London staff, students, alumni who share common goals of exploring digital & emerging technologies in the context of arts, education, society and the creative industries.",
"get_involved": "Join our networks and get involved in upcoming events and meet-ups @CCWDigital #DigitalMakerCollective",
"interest": "Creativity, arts, art school, arts education, creative industries, design, performance",
"content_url": "https://github.com/goyalsid/phageParser",
"hackathon",
"name": "Madeleine Bonsma",
"description": "A project to extract, analyze, and share CRISPR information from open genetic data.",
"get_involved": "Read about the project and how you can contribute with code or documentation on the GitHub repo!",
"get_involved_url": "https://github.com/goyalsid/phageParser/blob/master/README.md#where-can-i-get-involved",
"interest": "CRISPR research is becoming increasingly popular, and through this project anyone can help make relevant information easier to find and use.",
"content_url": "http://crowd2map.org",
"crowdsourcing",
"fgm",
"mapping",
"maps",
"tanzania"
"name": "Egle Marija Ramanauskaite",
"name": "Janet Chapman",
"title": "Crowd2Map Tanzania crowdsourced mapping",
"description": "Our project uses crowdsourcing to map rural Tanzania, thus improving the development in the region and fighting for important causes, such as ending female genital mutilation (FGM).",
"get_involved": "People can find all the relevant info through our website and our GitHub repo. People can do mapping, coding, and many other things to help.",
"get_involved_url": "https://github.com/seplute/crowd2map",
"interest": "This is an opportunity for everyone to contribute to world improvement by doing something fun.",
"content_url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Exc9PAXhOd0",
"name": "Mozilla Advocacy",
"title": "A Meme Is Born",
"description": "Why we need copyright laws that set the imagination free",
"get_involved": "Join the change copyright campaign.",
"get_involved_url": "https://www.changecopyright.org",
"content_url": "https://www.discoverdesign.org/challenges/minecraft-challenge-redesign-public-space",
"challenge",
"minecraft"
"name": "The Chicago Architecture Foundation",
"name": "member of the Hive Chicago Learning Network",
"title": "MINECRAFT CHALLENGE: Redesign A Public Space",
"description": "Make a great public space in Minecraft. This challenge is to design a space that promotes social interaction and a sense of community.",
"get_involved": "https://www.discoverdesign.org/help",
"get_involved_url": "https://www.discoverdesign.org/contact",
"interest": "A fun way to explore the dynamics of civic spaces in an active and interactive way. Try on Thimble here: https://thimbleprojects.org/ginagrant/95757/#overview",
"content_url": "https://postcrimes.org",
"copyright",
"europe",
"european union",
"law",
"legal",
"memes",
"policy"
"name": "The Young Astronauts",
"title": "Postcrimes",
"description": "In some European Union countries, photographing landmarks and posting the pictures on social media can be illegal. This campaign fights this absurdity.",
"get_involved": "Learn more and participate in this campaign to change copyright.",
"get_involved_url": "https://www.changecopyright.org/",
"interest": "This is a fun, innovative way to disrupt foolish public policy.",
"content_url": "http://skellystudio.co.uk/portfolio/the-wayback-machine/",
"connected home",
"critical design",
"iot"
"name": "Martin Skelly",
"name": "Rachel Uwa and Vladen Jole",
"title": "The Wayback Machine",
"description": "A prototype product which controls the availability of tech & services within a connected home. Turn a rotary dial to wind back time and turn off digital services and connections.",
"interest": "The prototype was created during the 2016 Mozilla Open IoT Design Sprint. As a conceptual prototype, it challenges us to think about the control we have over our technology, and the control that tech has over us.",
"content_url": "http://pennez.com/read-2-think-2/",
"kansas city",
"kc",
"literacy"
"name": "Pennez",
"name": "Turn the Page KC",
"name": "IBM Watson",
"title": "Pennez",
"description": "A hub for multicultural books that now leverages text-to-speech-to-text tech with children's voices to provide real-time feedback for young readers.",
"interest": "This initiative aims to increase literary inclusion by improving reading fluency.",
"content_url": "https://toolkit.mozilla.org/",
"best practices",
"ideate",
"product",
"prototype",
"software",
"toolkit"
"title": "Open Innovation Toolkit",
"description": "Toolkit helps you incorporate human-centered design into open source product development. Whether you have a new idea or a working prototype to test, there's lots of info here to help.",
"get_involved": "Contribute your own questions, methods, examples, and resources.",
"get_involved_url": "https://toolkit.mozilla.org/contribute/method/",
"interest": "Contains lots of helpful tips on how to gather insights, ideate, prototype and test. Helps you avoid common pitfalls and stay on a path toward success.",
"content_url": "https://octoverse.github.com/",
"contributors",
"engagement",
"git",
"github",
"title": "Github Shout-out",
"description": "Github's 2016 report on the state of open source code highlights Mozilla's @acabunoc, developing new ways to engage contributors.",
"get_involved": "Check out Abby's mentorship program.",
"get_involved_url": "https://github.com/MozillaFoundation/mentorship-program",
"interest": "The report details interesting trends on open and social software development. Shoutout to Abby demonstrates the importance of engagement to foster healthy and productive software projects.",
"content_url": "http://hivenyc.org/portfolio/nyc-haunts/",
"nyc",
"stem"
"name": "Global Kids",
"name": "New York Public Library",
"title": "New York City Haunts",
"description": "Integrating local history and social issues into geo-locative game design.",
"interest": "First Lady Michelle Obama played this game! NYC Haunts is a STEM-based learning program in which youth designers create a mobile, geo-locative alternate reality game that explores local history and contemporary issues facing a particular NYC neighborhood.",
"content_url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmWRifoFmDQ",
"movement",
"state of the web",
"talk",
"video",
"name": "Mark Surman",
"name": "re:publica",
"title": "Power and Empowerment on the Internet",
"description": "Mark Surman reflects on the internet freedom movement in the age of empires.",
"interest": "Despite monopolies, walled gardens, and surveillance on the internet, there's a grassroots movement for online freedom, creativity and opportunity for all.",
"content_url": "https://air.mozilla.org/foundation-demos-september-2-2016/",
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"name": "Mozilla Network",
"title": "Network Demos",
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"get_involved": "Everyone is welcome to join the video call.",
"get_involved_url": "https://public.etherpad-mozilla.org/p/foundation-demos",
"interest": "An open look at what we make and how we make.",
"content_url": "http://storyengine.io/stories/robby-kraft/",
"hack",
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"name": "Robby Kraft",
"name": "Stellar Folds team",
"name": "NASA Challenge",
"title": "Interview: Robby Kraft on NASA Challenge",
"description": "Mozilla interviewed origami artist developed paper prototypes of folding robots that could repair damaged rovers on Mars. Final five winner in NASA challenge.",
"interest": "An unexpected story about a network member that brings art and paper prototypes to the design of robot for Mars.",


text:
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Why Projects Abroad
American University Graduate Experiences Nomadic Life in Mongolia
American University graduate experiences a unique way of life with nomads in Mongolia
23-year-old Sylvan LaChance from Massachusetts wanted to experience a full cultural immersion somewhere completely different and far away from home. This motivated her to travel to Mongolia and she signed up to spend one month volunteering at the Projects Abroad Nomad Project. Sylvan had previously completed 2 trips with Projects Abroad; a Care Project in Tanzania and a Building Project in Ghana.
"I wanted to be away from the big city and have minimal contact with other volunteers and other people that speak my language. I wanted a full cultural immersion and it really was a cultural immersion out at the Nomad Project because nobody spoke English."
Sylvan stayed in a 'ger', the traditional Mongolian dwelling, with a nomad family - her host parents and their three children - for one month near the village of Altanbulag in the Tuv Province, which is located 200km away from Ulaanbaatar city. The host mother's parents lived next door and they had a farm with about 400 animals including horses, cows, goats, and sheep. Sylvan really enjoyed being involved in the daily routines of the nomads such as cooking traditional food, herding animals, riding horses, combing goats, and helping deliver calves.
"It was a really busy time as all the animals were giving birth. I think at least 200 animals gave a birth during the time I was there. The animals would give birth while they were in the steppes so we had to trek and get the new born animals. Sometimes when babies are born, their bodies come out the wrong way. So helping to pull out the babies was pretty incredible and going to find them on horse-back and sometimes by motorcycle was my favorite."
"This time of year, nomads comb their goats for cashmere. It was very difficult at first and took up a lot of time. But having done a lot of brushing I got little bit better with it and they said "you good, you good" and kept saying it over and over. It was just the best feeling. Because at the beginning I felt like an outsider but during the last 2 weeks I really did feel like part of the family. Everything I did they said 'you good' and it was really rewarding just feeling like you're part of something bigger."
At the end of her project, Sylvan said that she found the little things the most rewarding, and especially looking after the new born calves: "Because it's like new life; you see the babies and in the couple days they're a little bit bigger and for a month you watch them grow. Sometimes the mothers abandoned them so sometimes I would feed them with bottles. I felt very maternal."
"As a volunteer at the Nomad Project, I felt that I learnt so much; just because it's such an amazing experience. But they are so generous and it's kind of them to let you help. You might be slowing them down sometimes but experiencing a different kind of world and different lifestyle is so rewarding. It is so calm, so happy and so simple; and nothing I've ever seen before."
After her 1 month's stay with her Mongolian nomadic family, Sylvan advises future volunteers to be enthusiastic and ready to learn: "Just jump and help. If you don't push yourself on them, they don't ask you to help. So you will be watching them the whole time, if you don't speak up. You don't even have to ask them to do anything; just go and do it. They respect you more because you took the initiative to do it yourself."
"One thing I really liked about the nomadic families is the sense of community and family values are important. I think that is something we really loose today especially being in a city. Everybody is doing their own thing and own job. It's not about selfishness but you're going along on your own path and you don't really care too much for everyone around you. But they really communicate all the time with each other and care so much for each other like a big family. So it was nice to see and to feel a part of it too."
She continued: "They're really hospitable and kind to let me in. Because I realized how difficult it is to let an outsider come in and how difficult it is to teach someone things that you have been doing for your whole life. Everything is so natural to them - feeding goats or herding animals because they learnt it when they were 3-years-old. So I was grateful that they allowed me to learn."
"It was a different experience. I liked being in open space and I liked the landscape and really liked being with the animals. That's not an experience I could've had in the city. It was so different and incredible that I didn't want to leave."
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text:
Yakudoshi: Age of Calamity
Home / Literature
In Japan, people believe that there are years in a person?s life that are bad luck. For men, the worst is 41. It is yakudoshi. It is the age of calamity.
5.5 x 8 in.
Chris McKinney
Yakudoshi: Age of Calamity quantity
McKinney's seventh novel once again takes place in Hawaii's underworld of lounge bars, drugs, gambling and crime.
In Japan, people believe that there are years in a person's life that are bad luck. For men, the worst is 41. It is yakudoshi. It is the age of calamity.
Bruce Blanc, fresh off a nine-year prison jolt and back on the streets of Honolulu, is about to turn 41. He finds himself embroiled in urban Honolulu's Asian-American nightlife. Kids lighting up the night with cocaine and killing daylight with Xanax. Girls who spend more time looking at themselves in the mirror than Snow White's mom; the older divorcees with means who prey on them. And ninety-pound female drug lords and the cops in love with them. A new bar is opening or shutting down daily. The foundation of a new high rise is being poured every day. This is not your mom's Hawaii. It's building up, not building out.
When Bruce finds out that during his incarceration, his son, who he has never met, has gone missing, he takes on drug lords, police, and anyone else who stands in the way of his discovery of the truth. "Age of Calamity" is about a changing world and a man who is trying to change with it. It is about how a father's love can bend his code. But most of all, it's about how the roughest year in a person's life can sometimes be the most enlightening one.
Author: Chris McKinney


text:
California, CA smaller cities, CA small cities
Shafter, CA housing info
Shafter, California
Current weather forecast for Shafter, CA
California median age:
Shafter:
Shafter city income, earnings, and wages data
Mean prices in 2019: all housing units: $267,926; detached houses: $277,037; townhouses or other attached units: $234,233; in 2-unit structures: $259,960; in 3-to-4-unit structures: $225,705; in 5-or-more-unit structures: $209,668; mobile homes: $185,495; occupied boats, rvs, vans, etc.: $59,808
March 2019 cost of living index in Shafter: 90.7 (less than average, U.S. average is 100)
Shafter, CA residents, houses, and apartments details
(16.2% for White Non-Hispanic residents, 32.0% for Black residents, 23.9% for Hispanic or Latino residents, 11.5% for American Indian residents, 11.7% for other race residents, 2.7% for two or more races residents)
Detailed information about poverty and poor residents in Shafter, CA
Compare current foreclosures near Shafter, CA:
Freedman St
Shafter, CA 93263
Curtis Ave
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Black Knot Ct
Pendleton Ct
Grand Prairie Dr
Cadbury Dr
Jeffrey St
Au Chocolat Dr
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Montemar Dr
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Wasco, CA 93280
Check out more offers near Shafter, CA.
16,64785.1%Hispanic
900.5%Two or more races
330.2%American Indian alone
Races in Shafter detailed stats: ancestries, foreign born residents, place of birth
According to our research of California and other state lists, there were 25 registered sex offenders living in Shafter, California as of January 28, 2023.
The ratio of all residents to sex offenders in Shafter is 723 to 1.
The ratio of registered sex offenders to all residents in this city is near the state average.
Crime rates in Shafter by year
City-Data.com crime index 350.2 358.5 284.2 387.5 274.8 251.3 266.9 293.9 250.0 310.3 261.5 212.0 219.9 201.2
Crime rate in Shafter detailed stats: murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, arson
California average:
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Latest news from Shafter, CA collected exclusively by city-data.com from local newspapers, TV, and radio stations
Ancestries: American (1.7%), German (1.1%).
Current Local Time: PST time zone
Land area: 18.0 square miles.
Population density: 1,135 people per square mile (low).
Nearest city with pop. 50,000+: Bakersfield, CA (15.5 miles , pop. 247,057).
Nearest city with pop. 1,000,000+: Los Angeles, CA (109.4 miles , pop. 3,694,820).
Smith Corner, CA (1.4 miles ),
Cherokee Strip, CA (1.4 miles ),
Mexican Colony, CA (1.5 miles ),
Rosedale, CA (2.8 miles ),
Wasco, CA (2.9 miles ),
Greenacres, CA (3.3 miles ),
Buttonwillow, CA (3.5 miles ),
McFarland, CA (3.6 miles )
Latitude: 35.50 N, Longitude: 119.25 W
Daytime population change due to commuting: +1,196 (+6.1%)
Property values in Shafter, CA
Shafter, California accommodation & food services, waste management - Economy and Business Data
Population change in the 1990s: +3,120 (+32.4%).
Most common industries in Shafter, CA (%)
Groceries & related products merchant wholesalers (5.9%)
Truck transportation (5.5%)
Mining, quarrying, oil & gas extraction (4.5%)
Most common occupations in Shafter, CA (%)
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers (12.0%)
Average climate in Shafter, California
AQI CO NO2 SO2 Ozone PM10 PM2.5 Pb
Air Quality Index (AQI) level in 2018 was 135. This is significantly worse than average.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) [ppm] level in 2018 was 0.281. This is about average. Closest monitor was 13.6 miles away from the city center.
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) [ppb] level in 2018 was 9.55. This is significantly worse than average. Closest monitor was 1.5 miles away from the city center.
Particulate Matter (PM10) [µg/m3] level in 2018 was 53.7. This is significantly worse than average. Closest monitor was 13.6 miles away from the city center.
Particulate Matter (PM2.5) [µg/m3] level in 2018 was 15.7. This is significantly worse than average. Closest monitor was 14.2 miles away from the city center.
Lead (Pb) [µg/m3] level in 2018 was 0.00408. This is significantly better than average. Closest monitor was 13.5 miles away from the city center.
Shafter-area historical earthquake activity is significantly above California state average. It is 8105% greater than the overall U.S. average.
On 7/21/1952 at 11:52:14, a magnitude 7.7 (7.7 UK, Class: Major, Intensity: VIII - XII) earthquake occurred 37.0 miles away from Shafter center, causing $50,000,000 total damage
On 11/4/1927 at 13:51:53, a magnitude 7.5 (7.5 UK) earthquake occurred 108.5 miles away from Shafter center
On 6/28/1992 at 11:57:34, a magnitude 7.6 (6.2 MB, 7.6 MS, 7.3 MW, Depth: 0.7 mi) earthquake occurred 178.9 miles away from Shafter center, causing 3 deaths (1 shaking deaths, 2 other deaths) and 400 injuries, causing $100,000,000 total damage and $40,000,000 insured losses
On 4/18/1906 at 13:12:21, a magnitude 7.9 (7.9 UK) earthquake occurred 270.6 miles away from Shafter center, causing $524,000,000 total damage
On 10/16/1999 at 09:46:44, a magnitude 7.4 (6.3 MB, 7.4 MS, 7.2 MW, 7.3 ML) earthquake occurred 173.2 miles away from Shafter center
On 1/17/1994 at 12:30:55, a magnitude 6.8 (6.4 MB, 6.8 MS, 6.7 MW, Depth: 11.4 mi, Class: Strong, Intensity: VII - IX) earthquake occurred 100.2 miles away from the city center, causing 60 deaths (60 shaking deaths) and 7000 injuries
The number of natural disasters in Kern County (29) is a lot greater than the US average (15).
Causes of natural disasters: Fires: 12, Floods: 12, Storms: 7, Winter Storms: 5, Mudslides: 4, Landslides: 3, Freezes: 2, Drought: 1, Heavy Rain: 1, Hurricane: 1, Snow: 1, Tornado: 1, Wind: 1, Other: 1 (Note: some incidents may be assigned to more than one category).
Hospitals and medical centers in Shafter:
GOLDEN LIVINGCENTER - SHAFTER (140 EAST TULARE AVENUE)
Other hospitals and medical centers near Shafter:
GRIFFITH PLACE (Hospital, about 9 miles away; WASCO, CA)
NORTH KERN HOSPITAL (Hospital, about 9 miles away; WASCO, CA)
ODYSSEY HEALTHCARE OF BAKERSFIELD (Hospital, about 11 miles away; BAKERSFIELD, CA)
PEGASUS DIALYSIS, LLC (Dialysis Facility, about 12 miles away; BAKERSFIELD, CA)
OPTIMAL HOME HEALTH (Home Health Center, about 12 miles away; BAKERSFIELD, CA)
GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPITAL Acute Care Hospitals (about 14 miles away; BAKERSFIELD, CA)
BAKERSFIELD HEART HOSPITAL Acute Care Hospitals (about 14 miles away; BAKERSFIELD, CA)
Airports located in Shafter:
Shafter-Minter Field Airport (MIT) (Runways: 3, Itinerant Ops: 25,000, Local Ops: 20,000)
Amtrak stations near Shafter:
9 miles: WASCO (700 G ST.) . Services: fully wheelchair accessible.
16 miles: BAKERSFIELD (1501 F ST.) . Services: ticket office, partially wheelchair accessible, enclosed waiting area, public restrooms, public payphones, vending machines, free short-term parking, free long-term parking, call for car rental service, call for taxi service, public transit connection.
Local government website: www.shafter.com
Colleges/universities with over 2000 students nearest to Shafter:
California State University-Bakersfield (about 13 miles; Bakersfield, CA; Full-time enrollment: 7,564)
Bakersfield College (about 17 miles; Bakersfield, CA; FT enrollment: 10,325)
Taft College (about 27 miles; Taft, CA; FT enrollment: 2,121)
Porterville College (about 41 miles; Porterville, CA; FT enrollment: 2,560)
College of the Sequoias (about 58 miles; Visalia, CA; FT enrollment: 6,982)
San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia (about 59 miles; Visalia, CA; FT enrollment: 2,386)
West Hills College-Lemoore (about 64 miles; Lemoore, CA; FT enrollment: 2,314)
Public high schools in Shafter:
SHAFTER HIGH (Students: 1,030, Location: 526 MANNEL AVE., Grades: 9-12)
CENTRAL VALLEY HIGH (CONTINUATION) (Students: 3, Location: 526 MANNEL AVE., Grades: 9-12)
Private high school in Shafter:
FREE WILL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (Students: 18, Location: 155 REDWOOD DR, Grades: 1-12)
Public elementary/middle schools in Shafter:
RICHLAND JUNIOR HIGH (Students: 630, Location: 331 SHAFTER AVE., Grades: 7-8)
GOLDEN OAK ELEMENTARY (Students: 530, Location: 190 S. WALL, Grades: KG-6)
MAPLE ELEMENTARY (Students: 212, Location: 29161 FRESNO AVE., Grades: KG-8)
REDWOOD ELEMENTARY (Location: 331 N. SHAFTER AVE., Grades: KG-6)
SEQUOIA ELEMENTARY (Location: 500 E. FRESNO AVE., Grades: KG-6)
Private elementary/middle school in Shafter:
KERN SDA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Students: 7, Location: 30105 RIVERSIDE ST, Grades: 2-7)
See full list of schools located in Shafter
Notable locations in Shafter: Shafter High School Farm (A), Kern County Fire Department Station 32 Shafter (B), Shafter Branch Kern County Library (C), Richland School District Office (D), Depot Museum (E). Display/hide their locations on the map
Churches in Shafter include: Bible Truth Tabernacle (A), Church of Christ (B), Congregational Church of Shafter (C), Ebenezer Reformed Church (D), First Assembly of God Church (E), First Southern Baptist Church (F), Kingdom Hall of Jehovahs Witnesses (G), Mennonite Brethren Church (H), Saint Marks Episcopal Church (I). Display/hide their locations on the map
Parks in Shafter include: Mannel Park (1), Kirchenmann Park (2), Richland Park (3), Rodriguez Park (4). Display/hide their locations on the map
Birthplace of: Dean Florez - Politician.
Kern County has a predicted average indoor radon screening level between 2 and 4 pCi/L (pico curies per liter) - Moderate Potential
People in group quarters in Shafter in 2010:
517 people in correctional residential facilities
461 people in local jails and other confinement facilities (including police lockups)
53 people in agriculture workers' dormitories on farms
28 people in homes for the physically handicapped
25 people in homes for the mentally retarded
Banks with branches in Shafter (2011 data):
Mission Bank: Shafter Branch at 1110 E. Lerdo Highway, branch established on 2006/06/12. Info updated 2006/11/03: Bank assets: $246.4 mil, Deposits: $217.0 mil, headquarters in Bakersfield, CA, positive income, Commercial Lending Specialization, 3 total offices, Holding Company: Mission Bancorp
Bank of America, National Association: Shafter Branch at 261 Central Avenue, branch established on 1924/05/05. Info updated 2009/11/18: Bank assets: $1,451,969.3 mil, Deposits: $1,077,176.8 mil, headquarters in Charlotte, NC, positive income, 5782 total offices, Holding Company: Bank Of America Corporation
Westamerica Bank: Shafter Branch at 600 James Street, branch established on 1958/10/27. Info updated 2011/06/21: Bank assets: $4,998.1 mil, Deposits: $4,253.2 mil, headquarters in San Rafael, CA, positive income, Commercial Lending Specialization, 98 total offices, Holding Company: Westamerica Bancorporation
For population 15 years and over in Shafter:
Political contributions by individuals in Shafter, CA
Religion statistics for Shafter, CA (based on Kern County data)
Other 30,687 83
Orthodox 450 3
Kern County:
More about Health and Nutrition of Shafter, CA Residents
Police Protection - Officers 111 $500,675 $54,127 0 $0
Other and Unallocable 9 $60,304 $80,405 1 $390
Police - Other 8 $36,996 $55,494 0 $0
Other Government Administration 8 $63,294 $94,941 0 $0
Streets and Highways 6 $45,313 $90,626 0 $0
Parks and Recreation 5 $20,716 $49,718 0 $0
Water Supply 4 $20,628 $61,884 0 $0
Totals for Government 164 $824,266 $60,312 1 $390
Shafter government finances - Expenditure in 2017 (per resident):
Construction - Central Staff Services: $9,428,000 ($462.13)
Housing and Community Development: $899,000 ($44.07)
Sewerage: $590,000 ($28.92)
Current Operations - Correctional Institutions: $16,117,000 ($790.01)
Central Staff Services: $11,656,000 ($571.34)
Police Protection: $5,308,000 ($260.18)
Regular Highways: $1,681,000 ($82.40)
Protective Inspection and Regulation - Other: $1,278,000 ($62.64)
Sewerage: $1,241,000 ($60.83)
Solid Waste Management: $1,115,000 ($54.65)
Financial Administration: $602,000 ($29.51)
Health - Other: $455,000 ($22.30)
Housing and Community Development: $4,000 ($0.20)
General - Interest on Debt: $123,000 ($6.03)
Other Capital Outlay - General - Other: $2,104,000 ($103.13)
Police Protection: $106,000 ($5.20)
Central Staff Services: $40,000 ($1.96)
Solid Waste Management: $15,000 ($0.74)
Water Utilities: $15,000 ($0.74)
Total Salaries and Wages: $113,000 ($5.54)
Transit Utilities - Interest on Debt: $7,000 ($0.34)
Shafter government finances - Revenue in 2017 (per resident):
Charges - Other: $21,053,000 ($1031.96)
Parks and Recreation: $7,000 ($0.34)
Federal Intergovernmental - Other: $479,000 ($23.48)
Transit Utilities: $111,000 ($5.44)
Local Intergovernmental - Transit Utilities: $152,000 ($7.45)
Miscellaneous - Special Assessments: $2,058,000 ($100.88)
Interest Earnings: $874,000 ($42.84)
Rents: $287,000 ($14.07)
General Revenue - Other: $67,000 ($3.28)
Revenue - Water Utilities: $3,233,000 ($158.47)
State Intergovernmental - Highways: $326,000 ($15.98)
Other: $209,000 ($10.24)
Tax - General Sales and Gross Receipts: $15,540,000 ($761.73)
Property: $3,588,000 ($175.87)
Public Utilities Sales: $432,000 ($21.18)
Occupation and Business License - Other: $55,000 ($2.70)
Documentary and Stock Transfer: $49,000 ($2.40)
Shafter government finances - Debt in 2017 (per resident):
Outstanding Unspecified Public Purpose: $1,723,000 ($84.46)
Shafter government finances - Cash and Securities in 2017 (per resident):
Bond Funds - Cash and Securities: $13,627,000 ($667.96)
Other Funds - Cash and Securities: $66,519,000 ($3260.58)
0.05% of residents moved from foreign countries ($593 average AGI)
from Los Angeles County, CA 1.00% ($41,298 average AGI)
from Tulare County, CA 0.20% ($32,845)
from Ventura County, CA 0.14% ($44,824)
to Los Angeles County, CA 0.68% ($42,474 average AGI)
to Tulare County, CA 0.20% ($41,532)
to San Diego County, CA 0.17% ($53,172)
Businesses in Shafter, CA
Ace Hardware 1 Little Caesars Pizza 1
Chevrolet 1 Rite Aid 1
FedEx 1 SONIC Drive-In 1
GNC 1 Subway 2
H&R Block 1 U-Haul 1
Strongest AM radio stations in Shafter:
KERI (1180 AM; 50 kW; WASCO-GREENACRES, CA; Owner: KWSO, INC.)
KNZR (1560 AM; 25 kW; BAKERSFIELD, CA; Owner: BUCKLEY BROADCASTING CORP. OF CALIF.)
KUZZ (550 AM; 5 kW; BAKERSFIELD, CA; Owner: OWENS ONE COMPANY)
KGET (970 AM; 5 kW; BAKERSFIELD, CA; Owner: CLEVELAND RADIO LICENSES, LLC)
KAFY (1100 AM; 4 kW; BAKERSFIELD, CA; Owner: KAFY, INC.)
KGDP (660 AM; 50 kW; ORCUTT, CA; Owner: RADIO REPRESENTATIVES, INC.)
KMJ (580 AM; 50 kW; FRESNO, CA; Owner: INFINITY RADIO OPERATIONS INC.)
KWRU (940 AM; 50 kW; FRESNO, CA)
KCHJ (1010 AM; 5 kW; DELANO, CA; Owner: ILLINOIS LOTUS CORP.)
KIRN (670 AM; 35 kW; SIMI VALLEY, CA; Owner: LOTUS OXNARD CORP.)
KMAP (1050 AM; 10 kW; FRAZIER PARK, CA; Owner: KMAP, INC.)
KSPN (710 AM; 50 kW; LOS ANGELES, CA; Owner: KABC-AM RADIO, INC.)
KLAC (570 AM; 50 kW; LOS ANGELES, CA; Owner: AMFM RADIO LICENSES, L.L.C.)
Strongest FM radio stations in Shafter:
KSMJ (97.7 FM; SHAFTER, CA; Owner: BUCKLEY BROADCASTING CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA)
KIWI (102.9 FM; MCFARLAND, CA; Owner: ILLINOIS LOTUS CORP.)
KRFR (104.3 FM; SHAFTER, CA; Owner: AMERICAN GENERAL MEDIA OF TEXAS, INC)
KAXL (88.3 FM; GREENACRES, CA; Owner: SKYRIDE UNLIMITED, INCORPORATED)
K266AH (101.1 FM; BENA, CA; Owner: CALVARY CHAPEL OF TWIN FALLS, INC.)
KTQX (90.1 FM; BAKERSFIELD, CA; Owner: RADIO BILINGUE, INC.)
KKBB (99.3 FM; BAKERSFIELD, CA; Owner: BUCKLEY COMMUNICATIONS, INC.)
KDFO-FM (98.5 FM; DELANO, CA; Owner: CLEAR CHANNEL BROADCASTING LICENSES, INC.)
KKDJ (105.3 FM; DELANO, CA; Owner: CLEAR CHANNEL BROADCASTING LICENSES, INC.)
KGZO (90.9 FM; SHAFTER, CA; Owner: THE ASSOCIATION FOR COMMUNITY EDUCATION, INC.)
KMYX-FM (92.5 FM; ARVIN, CA; Owner: FARMWORKER EDUC. RADIO NETWORK, INC.)
K293AG (106.5 FM; TAFT, CA; Owner: CENTRO CRISTIANO DE FE, INC.)
KFRB (91.3 FM; BAKERSFIELD, CA; Owner: FAMILY STATIONS, INC.)
KUZZ-FM (107.9 FM; BAKERSFIELD, CA; Owner: OWENS ONE COMPANY, INC)
KLLY (95.3 FM; OILDALE, CA; Owner: BUCKLEY B/CTING CORP. OF CALIFORNIA)
KISV (94.1 FM; BAKERSFIELD, CA; Owner: AMERICAN GENERAL MEDIA CORP.)
KGFM (101.5 FM; BAKERSFIELD, CA; Owner: LAGNIAPPE BROADCASTING, INC.)
KPSL-FM (92.1 FM; BAKERSFIELD, CA; Owner: ILLINOIS LOTUS CORP.)
KZPO (103.3 FM; LINDSAY, CA; Owner: LINDSAY BROADCASTING)
KMQA (100.5 FM; EAST PORTERVILLE, CA; Owner: MOON BROADCASTING PORTERVILLE L.L.C.)
TV broadcast stations around Shafter:
KPMC-LP (Channel 42; BAKERSFIELD, CA; Owner: GARY M. COCOLA FAMILY TRUST)
KTRO-LP (Channel 50; LANCASTER, CA; Owner: ROBERT D. ADELMAN)
K08MM (Channel 8; BAKERSFIELD, CA; Owner: THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK)
K25FT (Channel 25; BAKERSFIELD, CA; Owner: THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK, INC.)
K67FS (Channel 67; BAKERSFIELD, CA; Owner: COMMUNITY TV OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA)
K50CL (Channel 50; McKITTRICK, CA; Owner: KERN EDUCATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS)
See more detailed statistics of Shafter fatal car crashes and road traffic accidents for 1975 - 2019 here
487,003Total average daily traffic
112,986Total average daily truck traffic
See full National Bridge Inventory statistics for Shafter, CA
FCC Registered Antenna Towers: 86 (See the full list of FCC Registered Antenna Towers in Shafter)
FCC Registered Broadcast Land Mobile Towers: 15 (See the full list of FCC Registered Broadcast Land Mobile Towers in Shafter, CA)
FCC Registered Amateur Radio Licenses: 26 (See the full list of FCC Registered Amateur Radio Licenses in Shafter)
FAA Registered Aircraft: 43 (See the full list of FAA Registered Aircraft in Shafter)
LOANS ORIGINATED 66 $157,781 23 $119,974 51 $157,149 4 $89,570 12 $103,666 0 $0
APPLICATIONS APPROVED, NOT ACCEPTED 8 $168,999 1 $252,000 6 $144,230 1 $43,000 0 $0 0 $0
APPLICATIONS DENIED 6 $194,160 5 $72,700 39 $153,406 4 $63,023 5 $77,018 1 $54,230
APPLICATIONS WITHDRAWN 11 $125,934 3 $60,073 17 $182,129 0 $0 4 $78,740 0 $0
FILES CLOSED FOR INCOMPLETENESS 0 $0 2 $87,000 3 $212,820 0 $0 1 $94,000 0 $0
LOANS ORIGINATED 49 $197,527 48 $159,914 62 $147,955 18 $71,149 2 $706,000 20 $97,685 2 $29,000
APPLICATIONS APPROVED, NOT ACCEPTED 2 $179,740 10 $222,914 17 $166,715 4 $149,550 0 $0 5 $211,628 1 $59,000
APPLICATIONS DENIED 7 $184,879 27 $166,598 102 $184,924 21 $75,845 0 $0 21 $140,476 4 $37,250
APPLICATIONS WITHDRAWN 12 $212,109 14 $208,179 31 $175,480 7 $53,744 0 $0 13 $136,222 2 $101,180
FILES CLOSED FOR INCOMPLETENESS 1 $305,240 1 $248,000 4 $245,690 1 $76,220 0 $0 1 $77,760 0 $0
LOANS ORIGINATED 5 $246,250 74 $213,479 209 $159,999 35 $96,809 40 $185,964 0 $0
APPLICATIONS APPROVED, NOT ACCEPTED 0 $0 19 $213,973 52 $160,763 7 $45,253 5 $155,666 1 $36,000
APPLICATIONS DENIED 3 $155,780 44 $192,322 195 $186,732 42 $100,105 23 $191,305 5 $57,452
APPLICATIONS WITHDRAWN 3 $262,333 15 $152,192 83 $173,531 7 $173,001 13 $165,524 0 $0
FILES CLOSED FOR INCOMPLETENESS 0 $0 5 $259,078 22 $204,912 3 $161,463 2 $323,700 0 $0
LOANS ORIGINATED 3 $172,437 237 $147,472 351 $161,407 68 $95,732 1 $500,000 46 $124,725 2 $50,270
APPLICATIONS APPROVED, NOT ACCEPTED 0 $0 31 $157,781 70 $159,375 9 $130,056 0 $0 10 $143,596 1 $44,500
APPLICATIONS DENIED 0 $0 88 $138,619 187 $172,838 48 $82,906 0 $0 26 $127,621 1 $55,800
APPLICATIONS WITHDRAWN 1 $126,350 39 $148,077 159 $159,860 13 $108,514 0 $0 9 $137,637 0 $0
FILES CLOSED FOR INCOMPLETENESS 0 $0 10 $145,070 37 $145,885 2 $200,100 0 $0 1 $199,920 0 $0
LOANS ORIGINATED 3 $110,197 204 $120,687 419 $132,211 40 $102,504 58 $129,019 1 $24,000
APPLICATIONS APPROVED, NOT ACCEPTED 1 $68,520 26 $113,080 66 $113,312 12 $91,499 7 $170,527 0 $0
APPLICATIONS DENIED 1 $138,000 57 $126,495 259 $124,600 40 $80,466 20 $144,641 1 $50,000
APPLICATIONS WITHDRAWN 0 $0 44 $106,396 229 $123,102 27 $139,002 17 $87,509 1 $25,270
FILES CLOSED FOR INCOMPLETENESS 0 $0 11 $125,537 49 $126,125 2 $80,780 5 $124,514 0 $0
LOANS ORIGINATED 30 $108,009 143 $102,249 265 $98,062 26 $57,982 0 $0 42 $85,837 0 $0
APPLICATIONS APPROVED, NOT ACCEPTED 0 $0 23 $109,859 58 $101,289 8 $99,224 1 $187,000 9 $71,504 1 $28,000
APPLICATIONS DENIED 3 $120,910 44 $95,378 226 $95,417 43 $50,751 1 $240,000 24 $93,248 2 $50,500
APPLICATIONS WITHDRAWN 2 $125,075 27 $91,481 180 $93,447 9 $61,659 0 $0 16 $72,027 0 $0
FILES CLOSED FOR INCOMPLETENESS 0 $0 6 $99,743 29 $82,661 0 $0 0 $0 4 $92,768 0 $0
LOANS ORIGINATED 50 $90,277 68 $79,876 260 $85,037 10 $40,520 38 $59,633
APPLICATIONS APPROVED, NOT ACCEPTED 3 $109,667 14 $91,131 48 $87,740 7 $47,293 5 $62,600
APPLICATIONS DENIED 7 $65,736 22 $73,251 208 $87,354 20 $22,760 18 $59,479
APPLICATIONS WITHDRAWN 2 $61,140 7 $78,461 103 $89,660 1 $13,700 6 $56,372
FILES CLOSED FOR INCOMPLETENESS 1 $76,770 1 $180,530 19 $114,202 2 $27,000 1 $68,000
(Based on 2 partial tracts)
LOANS ORIGINATED 12 $92,914 8 $78,520 16 $82,585 2 $14,695 2 $58,485
APPLICATIONS APPROVED, NOT ACCEPTED 2 $71,135 1 $63,420 4 $89,130 0 $0 0 $0
APPLICATIONS DENIED 1 $116,330 2 $118,515 15 $82,075 2 $16,565 1 $29,280
APPLICATIONS WITHDRAWN 1 $80,120 1 $77,030 7 $77,601 1 $11,560 0 $0
FILES CLOSED FOR INCOMPLETENESS 0 $0 0 $0 1 $126,600 0 $0 1 $29,280
LOANS ORIGINATED 12 $95,144 13 $27,968 31 $59,969 7 $25,746 28 $51,997
APPLICATIONS APPROVED, NOT ACCEPTED 0 $0 0 $0 1 $15,450 0 $0 0 $0
APPLICATIONS DENIED 0 $0 2 $53,850 11 $57,860 3 $19,090 1 $20,030
APPLICATIONS WITHDRAWN 3 $80,207 2 $16,565 12 $90,198 1 $11,560 0 $0
FILES CLOSED FOR INCOMPLETENESS 0 $0 0 $0 2 $74,260 1 $21,830 0 $0
LOANS ORIGINATED 9 $82,758 9 $28,733 5 $76,248 1 $14,560 1 $54,960
APPLICATIONS APPROVED, NOT ACCEPTED 0 $0 1 $21,830 1 $70,450 1 $11,560 1 $25,680
APPLICATIONS WITHDRAWN 1 $77,050 0 $0 4 $42,260 0 $0 1 $26,450
FILES CLOSED FOR INCOMPLETENESS 0 $0 1 $53,930 2 $39,805 0 $0 1 $19,260
LOANS ORIGINATED 93 $76,712 33 $63,174 87 $61,106 28 $29,510 2 $50,000 20 $60,654
APPLICATIONS APPROVED, NOT ACCEPTED 5 $54,200 6 $52,867 25 $65,202 13 $31,845 0 $0 6 $61,027
APPLICATIONS DENIED 7 $62,500 6 $35,010 72 $51,826 19 $21,455 0 $0 4 $50,250
FILES CLOSED FOR INCOMPLETENESS 1 $57,720 1 $300,000 9 $61,251 0 $0 0 $0 1 $90,360
LOANS ORIGINATED 4 $88,363 1 $230,000 1 $85,000
LOANS ORIGINATED 15 $226,565 5 $202,270 0 $0
APPLICATIONS APPROVED, NOT ACCEPTED 14 $279,265 6 $200,662 5 $258,400
APPLICATIONS DENIED 2 $324,000 0 $0 2 $324,000
APPLICATIONS WITHDRAWN 3 $265,000 0 $0 2 $324,000
LOANS ORIGINATED 23 $243,093 11 $222,804 3 $291,943
APPLICATIONS APPROVED, NOT ACCEPTED 5 $208,206 1 $117,870 2 $220,000
APPLICATIONS WITHDRAWN 2 $312,100 0 $0 0 $0
FILES CLOSED FOR INCOMPLETENESS 1 $240,000 0 $0 0 $0
APPLICATIONS APPROVED, NOT ACCEPTED 2 $248,175 0 $0
APPLICATIONS WITHDRAWN 1 $129,170 2 $193,000
LOANS ORIGINATED 15 $141,918 13 $173,856 4 $98,070
APPLICATIONS DENIED 0 $0 1 $150,000 0 $0
APPLICATIONS WITHDRAWN 0 $0 1 $145,000 0 $0
APPLICATIONS APPROVED, NOT ACCEPTED 5 $131,608 8 $132,490 2 $63,025
APPLICATIONS WITHDRAWN 2 $141,565 2 $116,500 1 $53,000
APPLICATIONS APPROVED, NOT ACCEPTED 3 $68,207 5 $116,972 0 $0
APPLICATIONS WITHDRAWN 2 $75,500 1 $108,000 0 $0
(Based on 1 partial tract)
LOANS ORIGINATED 11 $93,114 3 $109,587 1 $84,000
APPLICATIONS APPROVED, NOT ACCEPTED 0 $0 2 $86,500 0 $0
Based on the data from the years 2002 - 2018 the average number of fire incidents per year is 46. The highest number of fire incidents - 125 took place in 2006, and the least - 0 in 2003. The data has a growing trend.
Fire incident types reported to NFIRS in Shafter, CA
70.9%Other
See full National Fire Incident Reporting System statistics for Shafter, CA
Most common first names in Shafter, CA among deceased individuals
Henry 32 75.6 years
Elizabeth 28 82.5 years
Maria 24 68.6 years
Most common last names in Shafter, CA among deceased individuals
Martinez 20 67.2 years
Wilson 18 71.2 years
Rodriguez 17 74.3 years
Neufeld 16 80.9 years
Mettler 16 85.4 years
Williams 16 72.3 years
Shafter compared to California state average:
Median house value significantly below state average.
Black race population percentage below state average.
Hispanic race population percentage significantly above state average.
Median age below state average.
Shafter on our top lists:
#93 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of people in homes for the physically handicapped (population 1,000+)"
#6 on the list of "Top 101 counties with the highest Particulate Matter (PM10) Annual air pollution readings in 2012 (µg/m3)"
#13 on the list of "Top 101 counties with the highest carbon monoxide air pollution readings in 2012 (ppm)"
#13 on the list of "Top 101 counties with the highest lead air pollution readings in 2012 (µg/m3)"
#13 on the list of "Top 101 counties with the lowest lead air pollution readings in 2012 (µg/m3)"
There are 19 pilots and 10 other airmen in this city.
Johnathon Smith (2)
Chin-Pao Chou (1)
Stephen R. Oakley (1)
Steven Wilson (1)
Robert Mizner (1)
Bradley S. Higbee (1)