Jeff Pelline's Sierra Foothills Report

John Galt is a fictional character in Ayn Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged (1957). “Who’s John Galt” also was one of my favorite thoroughbred racehorses. Now “John Galt” also comments on Russ Steele’s blog.

“I don’t think Greg Diaz will be getting the Supervisor’s endorsement next election…In fact I’m pretty certain he’ll be making an early exit.”

Russ routinely lets this kind of information run without any verification. Why?

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“There was nothing terribly sophisticated about the denial-of-service attack executed by the activist hackers at Anonymous to temporarily knock out the website of Americans for Prosperity, the conservative advocacy group backed by billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch,” USA Today writes.

“But the senior execs at Georgia Pacific and other corporate holdings controlled by the Koch brothers ought to be very nervous. Anonymous, best known for similarly crippling websites of firms hostile to WikiLeaks, says it has begun actively probing for network weaknesses in Georgia Pacific and other Koch brothers’ holdings.

“Should the activist hackers succeed in cracking into any of the Koch brothers’ corporate networks, Anonymous could solidify its emerging persona as a digital-age Robin Hood, says Josh Shaul, chief technology officer of network security company Application Security.”

“In (one) statement, Anonymous accuses the Koch brothers of “fabricating grass-roots organizations and advertising campaigns to sway voters based on their falsehoods.”

The rest of the article is here.

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“Crude-oil futures touched $104 a barrel on reports of fighting near Libya’s oil facilities,” according to The Wall Street Journal.

“Light, sweet crude for April delivery gained $1.47, or 1.4 percent, to $103.38 barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, after rising as high as $104.09, the highest trade since Sept. 29, 2008. Brent crude on the ICE futures exchange recently added $1 to $115.79 a barrel.

“A rebel witness told AFP that at least four people were killed in clashes near an oil compound at Raslanuf, while Reuters reported an oil facility at the eastern Libyan port of Zuetina is on fire.”

The rest of the article is here.

An article “Britain facing 1970s-style oil price shock” is here.

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The APPLE Center in Nevada City is in jeopardy of closing, thanks to the passage of House budget legislation (HR 1) that led to shut down of the Private Industry Council, according to its proponents.

Starting March 1st, APPLE has been seeking sponsors to keep it going for $110 a day. “Which day will you choose? Your birthday? Your child’s birthday? Keep the Center thriving as the hub of Nevada County’s sustainability movement – sign up today to reserve your day!”

I signed up for at least one date: March 15, my birthday —and the Ides of March. Our son’s birthday is coming up in April, another viable date for a donation.

Our family likes the Center, including the exhibits and library on sustainability. A gardening workshop series is set too, for March 19th and 26th.

The APPLE Center also recycles e-waste — TVs, computers, microwaves and other broken electronics.

The Union’s editor/publisher rides in the Mardi Gras parade in Nevada City this weekend. It would be an ideal opportunity for The Union to step up and write a check to support the APPLE Center, not just provide “in kind” trading. We’re also going to donate an ad from our SierraCulture.com magazine.

Other businesses in town could provide matching support from individuals.

The “hard right” blogging contingent could join as well: Unlike CABPRO, donations to APPLE are tax-deductible.

This week, The Union sent out a mailer to subscribers on behalf of the Friendship Club. It could do the same for the APPLE Center — a noble gesture for a noble cause.

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