One of the things I have noticed living in the Sierra Foothills is the prevalence of what is told to you as fact but turns out to be fiction. Below are some of the things we have heard here that includes the fiction and then I give you the facts.
What brought this about is my need to know, and if something does not sound right, I look it up and get the correct information.
** Star Thistle – This one is topping the list. When we moved here we were told by various people that Star Thistle is a recent addition of an invasive plant here to the State of CA. We were told that this plant was brought over from Asia. I found the facts about this plant, and when I mentioned this to a friend this last weekend I was told that the variety that is now here in the Sierra Foothills is from Russia. FACT: Star Thistle was introduced to the State of CA in the 1800’s. This fact was derived from John Muir Laws’ book entitled “The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada. The Russian Star Thistle, which I did look up is actually called Russian Knapweed and the color of the flower is purple, not the yellow flower that we have here in the Sierra Foothills.
** Politics within a small community vastly different from the CA Government, or the US Government. From direct experience, they are the same only on a smaller scale. I have discovered over my life of 50+ years that in order to be in politics you need to have the following: A huge ego; followers who enjoy the limelight of being in your glorious shadow who have given you money for flapping your lips; believing in what your lip flappers say as fact; and the ability to BS better than a used car salesman. We live in a small community that has a small homeowner’s association. The folks on our Board of Directors all possess these qualities with the exception of that they are personally not being given money. They just ask for it instead in the form of annual dues. Dues which they gladly accept or try to collect through collection tactics that are not fair and equitable to all of the owners.
** Winter is over when it snows on the Dogwoods. We have been told this by numerous residents up here where we live. This is based on an old Sierra Foothill Indian legend. OK? What I have discovered is that this legend is a legend told all over the country. Nothing is mentioned about what elevation one needs to be at, or is it a first snow, second snow, or many thereafter. So what is it? What happens here in the Sierra Foothills is not what happens in Appalachia on the east coast. And this statement about winter being over occurs on both sides of our country.
** Believe what I say because I have lived here longer than you! No matter where you live discovering the facts regarding your area should always be investigated rather than believing what you hear. We have heard rumors about people, places and things, only to discover that most are truly uninformed or that they are just spreading rumors with no basis in fact. They just pass on what they have been told as fact when indeed it turns out to be fiction.
** Rub lavender on your body to deter Mosquito’s. Well if you read my article on Mosquito’s you will find that this is rumor as well. Although what I was able to find is that lavender oil will help relieve itching, but for me that has not worked either.
** On a broader scale, there is the unemployment rate reported by the State and news agencies. They tell you what the latest claims are that have been filed, and the stock market goes crazy over this. What they do not tell you is the number of still unemployed. Why not? Out of sight, out of mind maybe?
** Again on a broader scale: There are many stories told through the US news agencies that if one looked at foreign news media, they would find that the story is not what we are being told in this country. Why not?
So, my words of wisdom to you: See it in writing from more than one source. If you cannot, then take it with a grain of salt! What have you heard in your neighborhood that you were able to de-bunk? Send me your comments…
Life in the Foothills 
Unfortunately, GadflyOnTheWall.com got hacked and destroyed. I am looking to establish GadflyOnTheWall2.com.
Of course, since Russia spans over the continents of Europe and Asia, it is possible that the Star Thistle comes from the Asian part of Russia, so the people who say that it is from Asia could still be right.
Fortunately, here in Foster City, we don’t have the big egoes, therefore we do not have the big deficit, rather we have a nice cushiony surplus. Our City Council could be called old fuddy duddies (ok, that’s an old saying), because they like to save money and don’t like to spend needlessly. One time I was on a city committee and they gave us a deadline to submit a budget and said that if we didn’t ask for the same amount as the previous year, then they would reduce our budget. Since we couldn’t foresee spending that much, we told them to reduce our budget.
Mark Twain said, “There are lies, damn lies, and statistics.” And the government is the biggest liar of them all with statistics that are made up. Unemployment is really 25% when you count everyone who not working or only partially working, but not collecting unemployment. GDP is really down or flat when you remove the made up valuations. CPI is really 10% when you add in food and energy and healthcare.
Ric
The Russian version of Star Thistle has a purple flower, the Asian is yellow.
If anyone is interested in reading more on what Gadfly has to say, please click on the link that is located on the right side of my blog. There is some most interesting commentary on the Economy of the US and some astute information about investing in today’s economic climate!
Thanks for the reply Gadfly!
This blog write-up is all too true. When I was in the 4th grade my class had an excerise in fact gathering. At the ripe age of 8 I took an oath, to which I still abide by, over 50 years later, and that is to LOOK IT UP. In other words don’t believe everything you hear, read, or see on TV. Double check on things for yourself. You will find out that most things you have been told are not reality. Sad but true!
Too bad that schools do not teach fact gathering as they did for you PJ! When someone sends me one of those emails that purports to be true fact, I verify the information using Snopes.com and other sources.