Quote:
“The devil is always in the details, right?”
—Mark Baird
About:
If the State of Jefferson ever formed, it’s unlikely Anthony Bourdain would ever travel there for its pizza or burritos.
Mark Baird, the “unofficial” leader of the State of Jefferson movement, likes to think they’d be known for their buffalo burgers. Though, he’ll admit, he’s in the minority. Most people behind this movement, he says, would probably prefer beef.
Being in the minority is a feeling he’s had for quite some time. Living in Northern California with Baird’s heavy libertarian point-of-view would likely drive most people crazy, and out of the state.
But Baird wants to stay. He’d just prefer he was living in a new state, a State of Jefferson.
Feeling that he’s had no representation in how Sacramento operates, this semi-retired pilot and former buffalo rancher has spent the past several years convincing thousands of citizens along with cities, counties and mayors to join his grass-roots movement.
In Part II of II of this story, we ask how Baird plans to form this new state and look into the financials, legality and likelihood of whether the State of Jefferson can ever live up to being more than just a state of mind.
Show Notes:
“Mr. Statham, would you consider giving San Francisco to Hawaii?”
—Former Calif. Assemblyman Bill Morrow (Oceanside-R)
About:
If President Kennedy’s moon-shot set the tone that no challenge was too difficult, Donald Trump’s presidential victory reminds us that anything is possible, even creating a new U.S. state. In Northern California, like the proper north, there’s been a generation of folks who believe the time for 51 is now. And given the state of the current political landscape, now may be their best shot.
Far from the reach of Sacramento, they’re living off the dream of a failed 1941 movement to split from the Golden State and live out their ideals in the name of the late president Thomas Jefferson.
The first part of this two-part story welcomes you to the State of Jefferson. It’s an episode that dives into some of the history, the people, and most importantly, the reasons why thousands of ranchers, farmers and folks from Northern California passionately want nothing more than to leave.
Show Notes:
“Thank you Mr. Machine...or Ms. Machine?”
—John Zerzan
About:
What does one make of our future—like the one 50 years from now? The answer, or rather a possible answer, has a lot to do with choice and technology. Whether we survive or go extinct is, however, another question.
Show Notes:
"I am not the 'Boont' God."
—Rod DeWitt
About:
With wave after wave of socioeconomic changes crashing into the Anderson Valley, a quiet and historically agrarian area, the lifestyle that gave rise to Boontling is quickly fading away. The fate and the future of the kitschy tongue lies solely in how the community comes to terms with market forces, the environment and, most importantly, its values.
Show Notes:
“They’re living too fast.”
—Wes ‘Deacon’ Smoot
About:
It used to be that you could grow apples, herd sheep, or fell timber and make a decent living in the Anderson Valley. But not even the few stop signs in this remote valley could slow down the incoming cash crop of grapes. The area’s long legacy of logging now takes a backseat to its newer reputation of producing some of the world’s best pinot noir.
But how did a tucked-away valley 40 minutes from the Pacific Coast and the main highway all of a sudden become a major wine destination? And what toll did this have on a fractured community just reeling from the Redwood Summer days? And what does it mean for the future of the town's famous frontier language called Boontling?
Show Notes:
1. And about the time he went to jail. (The New York Times)
2. And about the time he repurchased the paper. (Santa Rosa Press Democrat)
3. And some more reading on Anderson's role in the valley. (SF Weekly)
“And I think it saved the day, because we didn't have any money.”
—Captain Rainbow
About:
No place has tested the currents of change more than the Anderson Valley, a Gaza Strip-sized setting hidden in the hills of Northern California. Home to the language of Boontling, a fast fading past prose of the old frontier, the fate of the area’s kitschy tongue relies not on whether the valley will change, but how.
And why.
Show Notes:
Quote:
“I think intelligence in the universe is very rare.”
—Dr. James Rice, NASA, Mars Exploration Rover Geology Team Leader
About:
2017, let’s start anew! Let’s just pack up, say our goodbyes and march (drive, fly or sail) to greener pastures.
But where to? Canada is cold around this time of year, Europe is in limbo, and everywhere else has spotty Wi-Fi (it doesn’t). The globalized world where opportunity was meant to be infinite is really just flawed and finite like everything else. And it’s somewhat daunting to think, this is it.
But for some folks, the answer to humanity’s woes is simply a matter of looking up and towards Mars.
For what it’s worth, there’s no Comcast on Mars, so the Wi-Fi can’t be too bad.
Show Notes:
