Ding Dong the CERN LHC is DEAD... for now anyway.

Ding Dong The CERN LHC is DEAD!
Yippee!
Yahoo!

Till next year anyway...
Oh well, a little Joy is better than no Joy.

To those who may not have heard of it, the CERN LHC "is the world's most powerful particle accelerator. It is buried inside a 17-mile (27-kilometer) tunnel below the earth. It fires beams of "hadrons" — such as protons or neutrons from the nucleus of an atom — through two tubes the size of fire hoses. The inside of the tubes are kept in a virtually complete vacuum, at a temperature colder than outer space."

The well-oiled people behind its creation think their mechanical monstrosity may reveal what happened at the moment of The Big Bang and answer some of their questions about the creation of the universe (or universes, as it may be).

"The project was conceived in 1984 by scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN. The organization's 20 member nations along with observer countries like the United States, Japan, Canada, Russia and India have spent US$10 billion on it."
(From: ap.google.com/)

Not everyone is thrilled with their fiddling with physics, though. Some critics of the project have expressed serious concerns that the expensive experiment may just create a black hole... which might then destroy the entire planet.

CERN supporters have waved such criticism away, saying in effect, "That's so silly... the existence of black holes hasn't been proven... they are only a theory." To this I reply, "Well, in that case, the Big Bang is unproven and only a theory, too." So why try to recreate it?

The project has been cursed with one failure after another.

The most recent problem occurred last weekend, when a failure, known as a 'quench', resulted in about 100 of the LHC's 1200 super-cooled magnets to heat up by as much as 100 degrees.

Firefighters were called out after a ton of liquid helium poured into the tunnel, which bridgles the French-Swiss border. (The helium is used to cool the magnets to a temperature colder than deep space - 1.9 kelvin (-456F) - making them "superconducting" magnets.

Cern claims to have systems in place to deal with failures like quenches before they damage equipment but, for some reason, in this instance, a quench in the machine got out of control.

"It does seem that all the systems that are supposed to protect the machine in cases like this worked as far as we can tell."

"But obviously something went wrong," said James Gillies, Cern's director of communications.

Is it just me, or do those two statements by Mr. Gillies contradict each other?

Sounds like he's saying:
"All the safety systems worked exactly as they were supposed to."
and
"But, something didn't work."

Hmmm.... Makes me feel better about the whole $10 billion spent and the 'theoretical' black hole thing...

How 'bout You?

Peace.
L.

Collider Halted Until Next Year
By Paul Rincon
Science reporter, BBC News
(From: news.bbc.co.uk/)

The Large Hadron Collider near Geneva will be shut off until spring 2009 while engineers probe a magnet failure.

The incident on 19 September caused a tonne of liquid helium to leak out into the experiment's 27km-long tunnel.

Officials said the time required to fully investigate the problem precluded a re-start before the lab's winter maintenance period.

The collider is built to smash protons together at huge speeds, recreating conditions moments after the Big Bang.

Scientists hope it will shed light on fundamental questions in physics.

"Coming immediately after the very successful start of LHC operation on 10 September, this is undoubtedly a psychological blow," said Robert Aymar, director-general of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (Cern), in a statement.

But he praised the skill and preparation of the teams involved in building the particle accelerator.

High priority

A spokesman for Cern told BBC News it was unclear at this stage when the collider could re-start operations after the lab's regular winter shut-down - which is partly done to save money on electricity during this period of peak demand.

A number of factors could affect when the lab re-opened, including prolonged cold weather.


The LHC has been in construction for some 13 years


What happened in the machine?

"It's usually around late March or early April that we start re-commissioning the whole accelerator chain. The LHC being at the end of that chain," said James Gillies, Cern's director of communications.

"It will take us a while to get beams injected into the LHC, but I think it's fair to say this will be the priority for next year's start-up."

The accelerator chain prepares the beams of protons to be fired through the machine to make possible the collisions that physicists will use to study the make-up of our Universe.

The problem occurred last weekend, when a failure, known as a quench, caused around 100 of the LHC's super-cooled magnets to heat up by as much as 100 degrees.

The fire brigade were called out after a tonne of liquid helium leaked into the tunnel, which straddles the French-Swiss border.

Helium spill

The machine has more than 1,200 "dipole" magnets arranged end-to-end in the 27km-long, ring-shaped tunnel that houses the LHC.

These magnets carry and steer beams of protons which will whizz around the machine at close to the speed of light.

At allotted points around the "ring", these beams cross paths, smashing together near four massive "detectors" that monitor the collisions for interesting events.

Cern said the most likely cause of the equipment failure was a faulty electrical connection between two of the accelerator's magnets.

This connection melted during testing of the machine and caused a huge leak of super-cool helium.

This helium is used to chill the magnets to a temperature of 1.9 kelvin (-271C; -456F) - which is colder than deep space.

This makes the magnets "superconducting", allowing them to generate the large magnetic fields required to steer the beams while at the same time consuming relatively little power.

A quench occurs when part of a superconducting magnet heats up and causes superconducting properties to be lost.

Hot spot

Cern has procedures in place to deal with quenches before they damage equipment, but in this instance a hot spot in the machine got out of control.

"It does seem that all the systems that are supposed to protect the machine in cases like this worked as far as we can tell. But obviously something went wrong," said Mr Gillies.

"The engineers have decided that in order to find out what really happened, they are going to have to go into the machine."

One of the LHC's eight sectors will now have to be warmed up so an inspection can be carried out.

Mr Gillies told BBC News that this was likely to take a week, and that engineers would then have a much better idea of how to fix the fault.

Each particle accelerator is a unique machine, so Cern says that teething troubles were to be expected with such a complex machine at the cutting edge of technology.

"Events occur from time to time that temporarily stop operations, for shorter or longer periods, especially during the early phases," said Cern physicist Peter Limon.

What Are The Duties of the Vice President? & A Test of VP Worthiness.

Growing concerns about Sarah Palin's qualifications (or lack thereof) for possibly taking on the position of Vice President have inspired me to post several Blogs.

After reading that John McCain told ABC's Charlie Gibson that he considered Governor Palin's overseeing of the Alaska National Guard and Alaska's proximity to Russia to be 'credentials' for National Security experience...

Well, I didn't know whether to laugh or scream.

So, I did neither.

Instead, I went online and looked up:

What EXACTLY are the Duties and Responsibilities of the US Vice President?

(From: encarta.msn.com)

* "The vice president's most important role is to replace the president if the president dies or becomes unable to manage the country's affairs."

* "The vice president attends Cabinet meetings and sessions of the National Security Council, the president's chief advisory panel for formulating and implementing policies related to the military, foreign relations, and other national security issues."

* "The president also relies on the vice president to lead important presidential committees and panels, which study issues such as environmental protection, urban renewal, and reducing the size of the government bureaucracy. In addition, the vice president often travels to other countries to represent the president at international conferences, the funerals of foreign dignitaries, and other important events."

* "The vice president serves as president of the Senate, formally presiding over Senate deliberations."

* "The vice president also presides over a joint session of Congress when it formally counts electoral votes for presidential elections."

Hmmm....

That first one's REALLY scary when you look at one of the VP candidates.

So...

How can any of us get a better idea of which candidate is better suited for the job?

EUREKA!

I've got it!!



Here's A Perfect Means By Which to Tell Which Vice Presidential Candidate REALLY has the Skill Set Required of a Vice President of these United States of America.

A Test On LIVE Television...

On Stage Left: Senator Joseph Biden.

On Stage Right: Governor Sarah Palin.

Each candidate is provided with a chair, a desk and two Number 2 pencils.

To begin, each candidate is given a copy of a World Map with all countries outlined but unidentified.

Each candidate then has 30 minutes to correctly identify as many countries as possible with Extra Credit for correctly identifying their capitals and/or their current leaders/heads of state.

Now, That's What I Call A REALITY Show.

I think I'll email Charlie Gibson... Whaddya Think?

Peace.
L.

As American as... er, British as Baseball? Egads!

Hmmm...

Baseball invented in... Britain?

Bollocks!

Well, you know what The Late Late Show's host, Craig Ferguson, says, "If you read it/it's on the internet, it must be true."

Watch out... Next they'll claim to be the inventors of hot dogs!

Then again...

Hot dogs - in my humble opinion - are... well... gross.
And it isn't breaking news that Great Britain is not on the A-List of destination spots for gourmet travelers.

Anyway, I'll continue to accept America as the true birthplace of baseball until I see the alleged diaries proving otherwise and their veracity is authenticated by several independent document experts.

Not that it's a big deal either way...

Peace.
L.




(From: www.ananova.com/)

Baseball 'invented in Britain'?
Baseball, America's treasured national sport, was first played in Britain, according to new evidence.

Local historians in Surrey have confirmed that baseball was played in the UK more than 20 years before American independence.

A diary that documents a game being played in Guildford in 1755 has been verified by Surrey History Centre.

William Bray, a Surrey diarist and historian from Shere, wrote about the game when he was still a teenager.

Julian Pooley, Surrey History Centre manager and William Bray expert, said the diary showed the game was a well-established sport in the 18th Century and was played by men and women.

Mr Pooley said: "He kept lots and lots of diaries that we have in the Surrey History Centre but last year a new one was discovered in a garden shed and it contains his diary from 1754 to 1755.

"It contains a reference to him playing baseball. What intrigued me is he is playing it with a load of young ladies."

The diary states they had tea after the game on Easter Monday and also played cricket.

Kevin Sullivan, the Washington Post's London correspondent and an avid Boston Red Sox fan, said: "It's a great American tradition to take things from other places and improve them. We've always known that baseball evolved - it wasn't invented like basketball.".

Yeah, She's Ready: Palin Links Iraq to 9/11 at Deployment Ceremony

My jaw dropped when I saw this article and video.

Yesterday, at a deployment ceremony for an Iraq-bound brigade of soldiers that included her son, sophomore Alaska Governor and McCain Vice-Presidential running mate, Sarah Palin, made statements linking fighting in Iraq to fighting those behind the 9/11 terror attacks.

My Gd... Even the Incompetent-In-Chief himself, George W. Bush finally acknowledged that Iraq had nothing whatsoever to do with the planning of or carrying out of the horrific attacks on September 11, 2001.

Someone should ask Palin if she's even aware of what country the majority of the hijackers came from... and if she can find that country on a map.

(Psst... Don't tell her... 15 of the 19 received their Visas in Saudi Arabia.)

Yeah, she's ready to be Vice President...
... Like I'm ready to be a brain surgeon!

Peace.
L.

From: thinkprogress.org/At Son's Troop Deployment Ceremony, McCain VP Candidate Palin Links 9/11 To Iraq.

On the seventh anniversary of the terror attacks, Alaska Governor and McCain vice-presidential running mate Sarah Palin linked the Iraq war to the attacks of September 11, 2001, "telling an Iraq-bound brigade of soldiers that included her son that they would 'defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans.'" "America can never go back to that false sense of security that came before September 11, 2001," said Palin at the deployment ceremony.

As the Washington Post's Anne Kornblut points out, "The idea that Iraq shared responsibility with al-Qaeda for the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, once promoted by Bush administration officials, has since been rejected even by the president himself."

Watch it:

Funeral For A Friend and Police Mobilization

I'm posting this article to share the info with other friends of Mark Papa Guardado, who was murdered in San Francisco on September 2nd.

Rest In Peace, Papa.
We will never forget you.

Peace.
L.

(From: sfgate.com)
Police Mobilize For Hells Angels Funeral
Steve Rubenstein, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, September 12, 2008

DALY CITY -- Police throughout the Bay Area are bracing for the biggest show of motorcycle club members since Marlon Brando hit town in "The Wild One."

No one knows exactly how many two-wheeled mourners in leather jackets are going to attend services Sunday and Monday for the slain president of the Hells Angels' San Francisco chapter, Mark "Papa" Guardado.

Some say there could be 1,000 Hells Angels, some say more.

"However many there are, we're going to be ready," said Officer Shawn Chase, spokesman for the California Highway Patrol.

Guardado, 46, was shot Sept. 2 outside a bar at 24th Street and Treat Avenue after what police described as a "wrestling match" with the gunman, who fled on a motorcycle. Christopher Ablett, 37, of Modesto, a member of the rival Mongols Motorcycle Club, is wanted on suspicion of murder.

Little is known about how the Hells Angels plan to mourn their leader. There will be a vigil Sunday at 7 p.m. and a funeral Monday at 10 a.m. at Duggan's Serra Mortuary at 500 Westlake Ave. in Daly City, with interment to follow at Cypress Lawn cemetery in Colma. The two-wheeled funeral procession could be the largest in Bay Area history.

The undertakers are expecting more people than the chapel can hold and plan to install loudspeakers in the parking lot to accommodate the overflow crowd, authorities said. Hells Angels members from around the country are expected to attend.

Daly City police will be on duty at the mortuary, and Colma police will be on duty at the cemetery. San Francisco police will be on duty if the funeral procession passes through San Francisco or stops at the Hells Angels clubhouse on Tennessee Street, where Guardado lived.

Highway Patrol officers will be everyplace.

"We will have as many officers as we need," Chase said. "We could have a couple of hundred ready. It's a fluid situation. We don't want to see any conflicts, especially with other motorcycle groups. Things can get out of hand fast."

Daly City police Capt. Mike Edwards said a commander had a "cordial meeting" with club members at the funeral home earlier in the week but did not learn exactly what the Angels were planning to do. Hells Angels members at the clubhouse declined to comment on funeral plans and asked reporters and photographers to leave.

"It's difficult to judge how to prepare," Edwards said. "They said they want to take care of their own. That's OK. We're here to help. We're not here to tell anyone what to do."

If Hells Angels turn out in the number that some are predicting, Edwards said it could be the largest funeral procession in Daly City history, certainly the largest one on motorcycles.

"They're not telling us the route of the procession," Edwards said. "We're going to keep things as orderly as possible."

Fact Check: Sarah Palin's ABC Interview

Recently, Sarah Palin (or her handlers/spin doctors) dug up and invoked Honest Abe Lincoln, when back-pedaling to try to explain her statement to an audience that the Iraq War was "...God's Will"... Even though she never mentioned good ol' Abe in that speech.

Now, when finding herself on the spot in a recent interview with ABC's Charles Gibson, she casts a long line into a fictional wishing well and tries to tell us - among other things - that, if we look back in history not just she, but other Vice Presidents had no experience with meeting foreign heads of state before they took office.

Go Fish!

That is utterly untrue, going back in history at least 30 years.

Then, when questioned about her glaring lack of diplomatic experience or even traveling to other continents on her resume, she offered that her inexperience translates to serving our country's desire for change in D.C.... that having such experience is the old Washington way of doing things.

Uh, Hello? Sarah? Yes, our country has a deep and justified desire for Change... But, that Does Not mean we want to replace the Incompetent-in-Chief with the Unqualified.

Peace.
L.

(From: abclocal.go.com/kgo)
Fact Check: Sarah Palin's ABC News Interview
Friday September 12, 2008 | 7:01 PM

By Mark Matthews

FAIRBANKS, AK (KGO) -- Charlie Gibson interviews Sarah Palin on domestic issues on Friday night. His questions to the Republican vice presidential candidate on Thursday night focused on foreign policy.

Here is a Fact Check of some the answers she gave.

Sarah Palin just applied for a passport two years ago, and has not travelled extensively outside of the country. Charlie Gibson asked her about her readiness to lead the country.

"Did you ever travel outside the country prior to your trip to Kuwait and Germany last year?," asked ABC News Charlie Gibson.

"Canada, Mexico and then yeah that trip that was a trip of a lifetime to visit our troops in Kuwait and stop and visit our injured soldiers in Germany. That was a trip of a lifetime and it changed my life," said Gov. Sarah Palin/(R) Vice Presidential Nominee.

"Have you ever met a foreign head of state?" asked Gibson.

"I have not, and I think if you go back in history and if you ask that question of many vice presidents they may have the same answer that I just gave you," said Palin.

Fact Check:
No they wouldn't, at least not going back the past 30 years.
Dick Cheney was secretary of defense before he was vice president.
Al Gore was a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and was a part of many congressional delegations to foreign countries. It was the same for Dan Qualyle, who lacked Gore's credentials but also sat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Before Quayle, George H.W. Bush was an envoy to China and the head of the CIA, and Walter Mondale was a senator for 16 years before becoming vice president, and was Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Palin went on to say what the country wants now is someone without the big resume.
"
We got to remember what the desire is in this nation at this time. It is for no more politics as usual and somebody's big fat resume maybe that shows decades and decades in that Washington establishment, where yeah they've had opportunities to meet heads of state," said Palin.

Gibson challenged Palin for flip flopping on global warming; taking on John McCain's position that global warming does have man-made causes.

"Call me a cynic, but I hear a little bit of change in your policy there when you say yes now your beginning to say it is man-made," said Gibson.

"I think you are a cynic, I have not said that. I believe in science and have such great respect for what they are telling us. I'm not going to disagree with the point that they make that mans activities can be attributed to changes," said Palin.

Fact Check:
That's false.
Just two weeks ago, Palin is told a conservative online news service: "A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location." Adding that: "She isn't one though who would attribute it to being man-made."

Last year, she told the Fairbanks Daily that "She is not an Al Gore doom and gloom environmentalist blaming changes in our climate on human activity."

Why Tackle Issues When There's Lipstick, Pigs and Spin?

I hereby award a Generous Thump on the Head To:
Senator John McCain, his campaign handlers, spin dorks and everyone who took false and flaming umbrage at Senator Barack Obama's statement that "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.".

Not only is there videotape of John McCain using that same exact phrase Three Times over the last year or so...
McCain used the "Lipstick on a pig" phrase when referring to Senator Hillary Clinton's Health Plan.
Did the Democrats get all apoplectic and offended?
No.

Even evil Darth Cheney used the exact phrase not that long ago.

So... What's all the Hubub About?

Well, apparently, McCain and the GOP have noticed that when Actual Issues That Affect Americans and What Needs To Be Done To Get Our Country Back on Track are being discussed in the various media, across the Blogosphere and across the United States of America...
Senator Barack Obama and his strategies for positive change fare much better than the plans of John McCain (if he has any).

So?

So...
The Republicans - when faced with the fact that, as far as The Issues go, they don't have a leg to stand on - fall back on the 'swift-boating' style of attack used against Senator John Kerry and many others before him.

Their aim becomes one of trying to create as many diversions as they can to distract the American people's attention away from the fact that, the issues that are affecting the majority of us: the Iraq War; the Afganistan War; the heart-and-record-breaking deficit; the price of gas; the economy; Global Warming; the sub-prime mortgage racket and subsequent taxpayer bail-outs of banks and Fannie & Freddie (businesses that knew better but did it anyway and that won't learn any lessons if they get bailed out); rising food prices, skyrocketing healthcare costs, callous incompetence following natural disasters... (I could go on, but it's getting late) are the 7-going-on-8yr. legacy of Republican President and John McCain good buddy, George W. Bush and that John McCain and the GOP have no intention to change anything... Why would they? They're rich old white men who have lots of money, homes, job offers (lobbying?) and state-of-the-art health care.

Lacking substance, strategy and any reason to change their status quo...
What's a GOP candidate to do to try to convince the American people to vote for him?

The Republican Razzle Dazzle:

They attack their opponents character like a herd of rabid and foaming chihuahuas.
They pick through their opponent's speeches with tweezers and a microscope, find actionable words and take them completely out of context and then combine them with much harrumphing, "How dare you's" and fabricated fake offense (they're really good at the fabricating stuff - see Iraq War Build-Up/WMDs).

In this instance, the spin dorks excised that one innocuous sentence with the precision of a surgeon, added Sarah Palin and injected some artificial insult, chewed it up, swallowed it and regurgitated it like a projectile... in some cases they followed it with a demand for an apology from Senator Obama.

An apology? For What Exactly?
What Senator Obama was commenting on is this:
As an analogy, let's say that the Bush Administration, its policies and practices are a pig.
Here comes John McCain and the rest of the Bushies saying "Rah! Rah! Change is coming." (This is The LIPSTICK.)
In other words...
The more things McCain... The more they stay McSame.

No apology necessary on Senator Obama's part...

But, if the GOP wants to apologize for instantly assuming that any mention of a pig refers to Palin...
Don't hold your breath...
The Republicans don't do apologies or admit any wrongdoing - even when everyone knows they're wrong... Not Ever. (Just ask 'the Decider'.)

Peace.
L.
(From: slate.com)

Who First Put "Lipstick on a Pig"?
The origins of the porcine proverb.

By Ben Zimmer
Posted Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2008, at 5:37 PM ET

When Barack Obama told a crowd at a campaign event on Tuesday, "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig," the McCain campaign swiftly took offense, claiming the analogy was directed at vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin. Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki countered the accusation, saying, "That expression is older than my grandfather's grandfather and it means that you can dress something up but it doesn't change what it is." Is the expression really that old?

The concept is an old one, but the phrasing used by Obama is rather new. Many porcine proverbs describe vain attempts at converting something from ugly to pretty, or from useless to useful. The famous maxim that "You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear" dates back at least to the mid-16th century. Other old sayings play on the ludicrousness of a pig getting dressed up. "A hog in armour is still but a hog" was recorded in 1732 by British physician Thomas Fuller. As Francis Grose later explained in A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1796), a "hog in armour" alludes to "an awkward or mean looking man or woman, finely dressed." Charles H. Spurgeon noted another variation in his 1887 compendium of proverbs, The Salt-Cellars: "A hog in a silk waistcoat is still a hog," meaning, "Circumstances do not alter a man's nature, nor even his manners."

The "lipstick" variation is relatively novel—not surprising, since the word lipstick itself dates only to 1880. The incongruity of pigs and cosmetics was expressed as early as 1926 by the colorful editor Charles F. Lummis, writing in the Los Angeles Times: "Most of us know as much of history as a pig does of lipsticks." But the exact wording of "putting lipstick on a pig (or hog)" doesn't show up until much later. In 1985, the Washington Post quoted a San Francisco radio host on plans for renovating Candlestick Park (instead of building a new downtown stadium for the Giants): "That would be like putting lipstick on a pig."

Ann Richards did much to boost the saying's political popularity when she used a number of variations while governor of Texas in the early '90s. In 1991, in her first budget-writing session, she said, "This is not another one of those deals where you put lipstick on a hog and call it a princess." The next year, at a Democratic barbecue in South Dakota, she criticized the George H.W. Bush administration for using warships to protect oil tankers in the Middle East, which she considered a hidden subsidy for foreign oil. "You can put lipstick on a hog and call it Monique, but it is still a pig," she said. Richards returned to the theme in her failed 1994 gubernatorial race against the younger Bush, using the "call it Monique" line to disparage her opponent's negative ads.

Since then, "lipstick on a pig" has spiced up the political verbiage of everyone from Charlie Rangel to Dick Cheney. John McCain himself used it last year to describe Hillary Clinton's health care proposal. And even though the folksy expression is one that sounds old (and connects back to genuinely old proverbs), it's not quite the vintage of anyone's grandfather's grandfather.

Poll Madness: Gallup-ing To The Right... Again.

"McCain pulls ahead of Obama in National Poll."?

Ouch.

Hearing those words from the news anchor's lips induced a slight twinge in the center of my chest.

"That can't be right", I quickly reassured myself, "There's no freaking way those ridiculous results can be scientific or accurate."

After all, McCain had just introduced Sarah Palin as his nominee for VP. Regardless of the outwardly boisterous - if not internally bewildered - support shown for McCain's choice... I mean Come On... Are You Serious?

After hearing all of the cries from both Senator Clinton's camp and the Republicans about Senator Obama being too inexperienced... McCain chooses an unknown Governor from a sparsely-populated state... who hasn't even finished her second term as Governor... who has never been a member of Congress... who can be seen in a video on YouTube to be declaring the Iraq War to be God's Plan... who also invoked God's will when encouraging another audience to pray for a a $30 billion national gas pipeline project to be built in Alaska... who reduced the aid given to pregnant teenagers in Alaska (luckily for her own pregnant teenage daughter, the Palins do O.K.) to lead the U.S. Senate and possibly be in line for the Presidency?

Then, there's the whole pitiful act of desperation shown by McCain's campaign people when they suddenly pulled out their "New" motto "Change is Coming.".
(The Original Rallying Cry - "Change You Can Believe In" - is from Senator Barack Obama's campaign - going back about a year.):

To say McCain's campaign is painfully lacking in originality and in new or good ideas is an understatement.
But, Hey... He is Right about One Thing...
Change is Coming... It's Just Not Coming By Way of John McCain and Sarah Palin.

He's a Bushie.

'Nuff said.

Back to those goofy poll result claims...

My first question would be...

Who owns/pays the salaries of those who allegedly did the polling?

Rupert Murdoch? Nah... News Corp. is another behemoth entirely.

Well, I did some searching...

The questionable poll results came from Gallup, USA Today and CBS News polls.

I checked into Gallup's practices regarding whom they choose to poll...
Apparently, Gallup doesn't adjust its "pool" of voters to add or subtract Republicans or Democrats in an effort to mirror those parties' estimated make-ups in a population.
Something they did often enough in 2004 - skewering things so as to make it appear as though the Republicans were further ahead "in the Polls" than they actually were (or could - be based upon exit poll numbers.) - that MoveOn.org placed a full-page ad in the New York Times with this headline:
"Gallup-ing to the Right. Why does America's top pollster keep getting it wrong?".

Maybe instead of Gallup, we should start getting our poll information from Zogby International, an independent polling firm that does adjust its pool so as to reflect a given population.

Who owns USA Today?
Gannett.
What does Gannett own?
Among other things... Gannett owns 100 daily newspapers in the USA; the Army Times, Navy Times, Navy Times Marine Corps, Air Force Times, Federal Times, Defense Times, and Military Market.

Who owns CBS?
Well, both CBS and Viacom are owned by multi-billionaire Sumner Redstone. Mr. Redstone is also Viacom's founder. Viacom was was split-off from CBS Corporation in 2005.

Check the current article below and see for yourself just what might explain the the alleged McCain "jump in the polls".

Oh...
In case you were unaware...
"In 2007, Viacom filed a $1 billion lawsuit against Google and YouTube for copyright infringement and recently a federal judge granted Viacom's request for data of all YouTube users. The blogosphere has since called for a boycott of all Viacom properties - so that means no MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon or - gasp - Comedy Central for you!" (From: neatorama.com)

My final thought:
"Hey, Gallup... Poll This."

Peace.
L.


From: huffingtonpost.com

Poll Madness: McCain Takes Lead Even As Democrats Out-Register Republicans?

This week's mainstream coverage of the presidential horse-race has been dominated by a series of polls showing the McCain-Palin ticket with its first stable lead over Obama and Biden. Gallup's tracking poll, USA Today and CBS News all show the Republicans with some kind of lead over the Democratic ticket. But, interestingly, all three polls were also conducted using a higher sampling of Republican voters than in July, raising a question of methodology.

In a year in which Democrats have a lead of 11 million registered voters over Republicans, and have been adding to that advantage through a robust field operation, are pollsters over-sampling Republicans?

Despite a raft of advantages in the electorate for Democrats, in September's first Gallup tracking poll, an equal number of Republicans and Democrats were surveyed (including "leaners") from Sept. 3-5, compared to a 10-point Democratic identification advantage two weeks ago. That partisan makeup of the polling pool resulted in a 5-point lead for McCain in Sept. 5 tracking poll. Meanwhile, the new CBS poll features a 6-point swing in partisan composition toward Republicans, which plays some role in the poll's two-point lead for McCain. Finally, the latest USA Today poll, which claims a four-point edge for McCain, was arrived at after a 10-point swing in partisan makeup toward GOP respondents.

Some polling experts say the changing state of party affiliation in the field is slow to be reflected in polls themselves. Democratic pollster Anna Greenberg told the Huffington Post that "when it comes to registration and turnout, the polls often do a very bad job of taking those [factors] into account," because newly registered voters aren't in the voter files used by firms that survey public opinion. "You could make the argument they are under-representing new registrants," she said, which would mean that the Democrats new edge would not be taken into account.

Monday's USA Today poll had a 48-47 split between Democrats and Republicans surveyed. That represents a nearly 10 point shift in party identification toward Republicans since USA Today's July polling. When asked for comment, USA Today polling editor Jim Norman wrote that "it's possible" that their latest sample includes too many Republicans. Though he added, "it's also possible that we have too many Democrats," because "there's always the chance of an over- or under-representation" in polls.

Still, Norman admitted that the GOP identification in the latest survey has spiked. "The party ID in our most recent poll does show a shift away from what Gallup has been getting in earlier polls, going all the way back to 2005," Norman said. "But previous conventions -- the Republican one in 1988, the Democratic one in 1992, the Democratic one in 2000 -- have also shown shifts in party ID toward the party that had the convention, and those shifts seemed to last, to greater or lesser degrees, though the election. Further, I've been told by Gallup that their tracking poll has shown a similar shift in party ID since the Republican convention. ... I guarantee you we will be watching closely in all of our polls between now and election day to see whether there are further shifts in party ID in either direction."

And it's true. Gallup's own GOP identification (including leaners) has swung six points in the last month, from 42 percent of voters to 48, according to tables provided to the Huffington Post. Meanwhile, solid and leaning Democrats have fallen from 52 to 48 percent of those polled. For political scientists who believe that partisanship is largely stable over time -- and who take note of the advantage in voter registration being experienced by Democrats during the same period -- the newly GOP-heavy poll samples can raise eyebrows.

Emory University political scientist Alan Abramowitz is highly skeptical of the new Gallup, USA Today and CBS polls. About the latter, which showed a statistically insignificant two point lead for McCain, Abramowitz said: "One reason for the dramatic difference between the two recent CBS polls is that the two samples differed fairly dramatically in terms of partisan composition. The first sample was 35.2% Democratic, 26.2 percent Republicans, and 38.6 percent independent. The second sample was 34.9% Democratic, 31.1% Republican, and 34.0% independent. That's a change from a 9 point Democratic advantage to a 3.8 point Democratic advantage. That alone would probably explain about half of the difference in candidate preferences between the two [CBS] polls."

The Shot Heard 'Round The World: Rest In Peace, Papa.

One of my Very Few and Very Beloved Friends died on Tuesday night...

Of Lead Poisoning, one could say....

Or, one could just say that he was shot.

(I'm not trying to be funny... The former description just popped into my mind... I only found out about his death about an hour ago and I'm in a really strange state of mind at the moment.)

His name was Mark Guardado.

We who knew him called him "Papa".

He was a big, strong, physically-imposing man and, yes, he might have been intimidating, if you didn't know him.

He was the President of the San Francisco Chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.

Papa was a dear friend when I needed one and showed me nothing less than kindness and respect. He was like a protective big brother to me and probably never knew that I had the biggest crush on him, although, Thankfully - The last time I saw him, in the Haight Ashbury, I hugged him and he me and I told him that I loved him.

I first met him in the 1990's, at the Hells Angels Clubhouse in San Francisco. I lived in Dog Patch at the time and we shared a sizeable backyard.

My parents weren't exactly thrilled with my having close friendships with members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, but, I can honestly say - I never felt safer in my Life than I did when I was with them.

One memorable night in particular comes to mind. I had been spending time with mutual friends at a friend's home near the ocean. In the evening, Papa offered to give me a ride back home on his motorcycle. There was a light rain and the road was slick. I was wearing a long, black leather trench coat. After we were on the road, roaring our way home - (Harley-Davidson motorcycles make a very distinctive roar - Before too long, I had learned to recognize who was arriving solely by the roar of his motorcycle.) - I realized that my coat-tails were flapping behind me, above the rear of the motorcycle. I started to have unpleasant visions of my lovely coat getting caught by the wheel and yanking me backwards, off of the bike. After much consideration, I decided to fix it. I had just let go of Papa with one hand to try to re-adjust my coat when, without missing a beat, he reached swiftly around behind him and grabbed my arm and pulled it back around his waist and made sure I knew that holding on to him was more important than going for the coat-tails.

I could share a few more stories... Like my jaw-dropping moment of first meeting Papa... but, some stories are for Family Only.

Screw the knee-jerk label of 'dangerous criminals' or 'organized gang' that certain departments or members of the media perpetually and mindlessly slap on the Hells Angels. (Besides, the biggest and best armed 'gang' that terrorizes San Francisco is staffed by certain brutal members of the SFPD.)

I loved Papa with all of my heart. He only showed me love and respect, as did virtually all of the guys. Probably due to the fact that I showed them love and respect. I wasn't one of the ditzy girls who just showed up at parties and got drunk.

We were Neighbors.

We were Friends.

The news of his sudden, violent and senseless death...
Breaks My Heart.

My Deepest Condolences to Papa's Family and Countless Friends.

I Will Miss You Dearly, Papa Mark.

Thank You for your Friendship and Love.

I Love You.

Rest In Peace.
L.

(From: sfgate.com)
Hells Angels Leader in S.F. Shot Dead
Jaxon Van Derbeken, Chronicle Staff Writer

Thursday, September 4, 2008

(09-03) 18:03 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- The president of the San Francisco chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club was shot and killed Tuesday night on a Mission District street, police said Wednesday.

Mark "Papa" Guardado, 45, was shot at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday near 24th Street and Treat Avenue, about a mile from the group's clubhouse where he lived. He died at San Francisco General Hospital.

Witnesses told investigators that Guardado and the gunman struggled before the shooting.

"They had a wrestling match first," said Lt. Mike Stasko of the San Francisco police homicide detail. Then "the guy shot him, and he got on his motorcycle and left."

Police have made no arrests, but said one avenue they are exploring was that Guardado was fighting with a rival in another motorcycle group. "We're looking at all the options," Stasko said.

An attorney who was defending Guardado in a battery case in Sonoma County said that he was "absolutely devastated" by the killing and that "Mark was a wonderful human being."

"His friends loved him," said the attorney, Patrick Ciocca. "He really was an all-around good guy. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of people who are going to miss him dearly."

Members of the Hells Angels at the group's clubhouse on Tennessee Street in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco declined to talk about the killing.

At the street corner where Guardado was shot, across from a bar and a nail salon, there was a makeshift memorial where someone had written in large, black letters, "RIP Papa Frisco."

Nearby, others wrote "never forget" and "we will always love you." Five burned-out candles lay nearby.

Ciocca was unable to say how long Guardado had headed the local chapter. But he stressed that the Hells Angels had been unfairly harassed over the years by authorities who have raided the clubhouse in search of evidence that the group is a criminal enterprise.

"It's outlandish," Ciocca said.

The group's San Francisco chapter - or "Frisco," as its members call it - is the second-oldest Hells Angels club in the country, after Fontana in San Bernardino County. In 2004, it celebrated its 50th anniversary with a party that attracted about a thousand bikers from around the world.

Organized Crime: The Biggest & Best-Armed Gang in San Francisco.

The events described below are True and were witnessed by myself and at least a dozen other people...

I actually wrote a blog about these events immediately after they happened, but I hit the wrong combo of keys on the keyboard and the whole darn thing dis-a-freaken-peared... (Aargh!)
I felt emotionally drained and disheartened when it went 'Poof!' and I didn't have the energy to re-write it before now.

A short while back, I had the unpleasant experience of witnessing an physical assault on someone by some armed gang members.

I had just arrived home from taking Jessi the Dog to the Park for a romp. I was sitting on my front steps watching the parade (of locals and tourists) go by. Being Summer, there is a never ending supply of them - from across the country and the world. It was shortly before 8pm - with a surprising surplus of daylight left.

I had noticed five people hanging out across the street from me - three guys and two girls. They were probably in their early 20's. Homeless... Well, Living Outdoors. They were just hanging out, talking with each other. They weren't bothering anyone. They weren't even Spare Changing.

About five minutes after I sat down, two cars race up to the corner and jerk to a stop in front of the kids. Two men exit each car and head swiftly and directly towards the kids. The four men from the cars are gang members. They are dressed in the immediately identifiable 'colors' and clothing of a well-known San Francisco gang. (A number of the gang's members have a history of violence, but they never get arrested or go to prison.) All four of the gang members are carrying guns.

They immediately separate the three guys from the two girls and tell the guys to move on. The three young men pick up their backpacks and back away, but not wanting to abandon their friends, they don't go more than a few steps. One of the gang bangers - a tall slim guy, with blonde, slicked back hair - stands in front of the two girls and starts snarling inthe face of one of them. I couldn't make out anything that was being said, but his face-to-face stance and sharply contorted facial expressions said enough. The girl just stood there and only occasionally seemed to respond - or tried to anyway - calmly and quietly. She never raised her voice nor moved towards him. When the greasy blonde bully was done, the runt of the litter took his place.

The second gang member to get in the girl's face was the shortest of the four. He was stocky, with dark hair and a receding hairline. (When I saw him, I couldn't help but think that he must have joined the gang because of some ugly experiences he had in high school. He struck me as probably having been one of the kids who gets shoved into a locker in between classes or 'swirly'd' in the bathroom. Joining a gang and carrying a gun allowed him to achieve what was otherwise Impossible - it gave him the ability to bully and abuse others.) The 'runt' was face-to-face with the girl and snarling at her - like the blonde before him. I could nearly hear his voice - he was snarling at her loudly - but (thanks to auto and bus traffic) I still couldn't make out any words.

Suddenly, his arm flies forward and he shoves the girl's shoulder hard. The girl just stands there. (The other three are still standing in a half circle behind the two girls and the three young men behind them.) A few moments later, without provocation, he sharply thrusts both his arms forward and forcefully grabbed/shoved her chest. Caught off guard and off balance, the girl stumbles back and bumps against one of the gang members standing behind her. Other than the concerned protestations of the young men, not one passerby moves to intervene on the girls' behalf or question the bullies. (Not that I blame them - the men were armed.) I quickly pull a notebook and pen out of my backpack and wrote down the date, time and location. I wrote down a description of the cars and the physical descriptions of the four gang members. (I wish I had my camera with me.) Feeling that they'd gotten their hostile threats/message across to the girls, the four let them walk away... But, not before the 'runt' gave the girl one more forceful shove as she was turning to pick up her backpack.

The four thugs then walked to their cars and left.

What do I do?

What would You do?

- Approach and Ask what's going on?
Well, yeah.. In a Perfect World. But, I wasn't wearing my Kevlar that day and all 4 of them were all carrying guns.

- Call 911/the Police?
Good plan... except for one little problem.

I left out one important detail about these events - on purpose.


The Police were Already There.

The four armed men men who arrived wearing immediatley identifiable blue 'colors' and uniforms had pulled up in two dual-colored sedans - each marked SFPD.

All four are Police Officers.
Their behavior was a far cry from what is expected of those we trust with a badge and a gun.
The 'runt' officer in particular showed significant lack of professionalism and restraint. But, the other three officers just stood around the girls like a pack of coyotes and let him do it to her. They only moved to prevent the three young men from trying to intervene on her behalf.

Unfortunately, as I understand it, there is no Office of Internal Affairs at the SFPD.
We do have an Office of Citizen's Complaint - where San Franciscans can go to file a complaint against the Police. The OCC has trained investigators on staff who will hold interviews, take statements, request SFPD documents and work to verify information and get to the Truth.
But, the biggest and best-armed gang in San Francisco doesn't like to be investigated for wrongdoing, brutality or unjustified shootings.
(or questioned about its unsolved murder rate.)

A few years ago, I spent a couple of hours in a room with two investigators and a tape recorder at their office making a detailed statement. I had witnessed a certain legendary (not for good reasons) police officer (Officer Gabreal Galliere - or some such) who - after placing a young, intoxicated, homeless man in handcuffs (behind his back) - proceeded to beat the young man... first with closed fist punches to his face and then by beating a corner garbage can with the kid's face. He was in handcuffs the entire time and didn't/couldn't resist or defend himself. The blonde female officer who was also present did nothing to intervene or stop the attack. (I kid you not.) The young man was unrecognizeable in the photos that were later taken of him.

The case dragged on for a while. The young victim was homeless and not easy to contact/locate. And the SFPD have highly-skilled and smarmy snakes... I mean lawyers on their side. Result: Statute of Limitations wins... San Francisco loses.

Officer Gabreal and officers like him not only blacken and bruise the faces and bodies of their victims... They damage the public's image, opinion and Trust of the Police Department. Officer Gabreal has expended sweat and blood (not his) and deserves his own Personal Hell... hopefully spent whilst handcuffed and helpless and facing someone much bigger and badder than himself.

But I digress.

Anyway, I did go to the OCC to report the unjustified and excessive physical violence done to the girl. I filed a written complaint and provided a recorded description/statement about the events that I observed. Later, I went back to do a photo line-up. I do not know whether or not the girl who was assaulted is going to file a complaint. I wouldn't blame her either way. I found her a week or so after the attack and introduced myself. I told her that I saw the entire event and that I would stand up in court for her. She thanked me. She was still a little shaken up over it. Whether or not it ever ends up in court, at least the complaint will be noted in the involved officers' permanent file.

Oh, the OCC investigator I met with did check into the reports filed by the police officers who were there - based upon the time, location, officer descriptions and vehicle ID numbers I wrote down.

Apparently, in their reports, the officers claimed that they went to the scene in response to someone reporting a fight.

I was there at least five minutes before the Police arrived and there was no fight going on anywhere around us.

Go figure.

My own personal observations indicate that the City's Homeless are frequently the preferred targets for harassment and/or physical abuse by certain power-tripping police officers. Probably for a few reasons...
- In a court of Law, whose testimony do you think will carry more weight: a homeless person or a veteran Police Officer?
- Being Homeless means Increased Vulnerablility.
Without four walls, a roof and a door with a deadbolt lock, you are vulnerable not only to severe weather/extreme temperatures, but also to being a victim of physical violence - whether it be from another homeless person, a housed person or a Police Officer.
If a homeless person files a complaint against a particular officer, that officer and/or his/her associates can make that person's life a living Hell. This is not conjecture on my part. I've talked to numerous homeless people - some of whom described being beaten by Police Officers and then warned not to report it... "Or Else."

So, my question is this:

Who do you call for Help when someone is being assaulted... by a Police Officer?
(especially if there are three other officers present who are just standing around watching?)

"These people are supposed to make you safe, but they end up being the people you are afraid of."
- Linda Vaccarezza after an ordeal during which her arm was broken by Officer Anthony Nelson. Police department files on 6'2" 225 lb. Officer Nelson indicated that he had used force 27 times in his 33 months on the job - often citing fear for his safety as the reason - before the 2003 war protest where he struck court reporter Vacarezza. Fortunately for Vaccarezza, the whole event was recorded on video. She was awarded $835,000 in a settlement.

As for Officer Nelson... Initially, the (corrupt and/or incompetent) SF Police Commission ruled that Nelson hadn't used unnecessary force, in spite of video proving otherwise, and recommended a 30-day suspension. Only after the SF Chronicle reported on Nelson's long record of violence did they vote 5-2 to terminate him. It was the first termination of a SF police officer in five years. (Ugh!)

It would've been much more cost-effective for San Francisco and the Police Commission to have fired Nelson for using unjustified excessive force early on and then hire someone who isn't a brutal thug to replace him. Perhaps San Francisco needs to start terminating Police Commissioners who refuse to fire police officers who consistently present a penchant for violence?

In the meantime, I will be carrying my camera (with videotaping capability) with me Everywhere.

Smile, Officer Gabreal... I'm looking for You.

Peacefully Protecting and Serving You.
L.

The Shot Heard 'Round The World... Love You, Papa.

One of my Very Few and Very Beloved Friends died on Tuesday night...

Of Lead Poisoning, one could say....

Or, one could just say that he was shot.

(I'm not trying to be funny... The former description just popped into my mind... I only found out about his death about an hour ago and I'm in a really strange state of mind at the moment.)

His name was Mark Guardado.

We who knew him called him "Papa".

He was a big, strong, physically-imposing man and, yes, he might have been intimidating, if you didn't know him.

He was the President of the San Francisco Chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.

Papa was a dear friend when I needed one and showed me nothing less than kindness and respect. He was like a protective big brother to me and probably never knew that I had the biggest crush on him, although, Thankfully - The last time I saw him, in the Haight Ashbury, I hugged him and he me and I told him that I loved him.

I first met him in the 1990's, at the Hells Angels Clubhouse in San Francisco. I lived in Dog Patch at the time and we shared a sizeable backyard.

My parents weren't exactly thrilled with my having close friendships with members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, but, I can honestly say - I never felt safer in my Life than I did when I was with them.

One memorable night in particular comes to mind. I had been spending time with mutual friends at a friend's home near the ocean. In the evening, Papa offered to give me a ride back home on his motorcycle. There was a light rain and the road was slick. I was wearing a long, black leather trench coat. After we were on the road, roaring our way home - (Harley-Davidson motorcycles make a very distinctive roar - Before too long, I had learned to recognize who was arriving solely by the roar of his motorcycle.) - I realized that my coat-tails were flapping behind me, above the rear of the motorcycle. I started to have unpleasant visions of my lovely coat getting caught by the wheel and yanking me backwards, off of the bike. After much consideration, I decided to fix it. I had just let go of Papa with one hand to try to re-adjust my coat when, without missing a beat, he reached swiftly around behind him and grabbed my arm and pulled it back around his waist and made sure I knew that holding on to him was more important than going for the coat-tails.

I could share a few more stories... Like my jaw-dropping moment of first meeting Papa... but, some stories are for Family Only.

Screw the knee-jerk label of 'dangerous criminals' or 'organized gang' that certain departments or members of the media perpetually and mindlessly slap on the Hells Angels. (Besides, the biggest and best armed 'gang' that terrorizes San Francisco is staffed by certain brutal members of the SFPD.)

I loved Papa with all of my heart. He only showed me love and respect, as did virtually all of the guys. Probably due to the fact that I showed them love and respect. I wasn't one of the ditzy girls who just showed up at parties and got drunk.

We were Neighbors.

We were Friends.

The news of his sudden, violent and senseless death...
Breaks My Heart.

My Deepest Condolences to Papa's Family and Countless Friends.

I Will Miss You Dearly, Papa Mark.

Thank You for your Friendship and Love.

I Love You.

Rest In Peace.
L.

(From: sfgate.com)
Hells Angels Leader in S.F. Shot Dead
Jaxon Van Derbeken, Chronicle Staff Writer

Thursday, September 4, 2008

(09-03) 18:03 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- The president of the San Francisco chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club was shot and killed Tuesday night on a Mission District street, police said Wednesday.

Mark "Papa" Guardado, 45, was shot at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday near 24th Street and Treat Avenue, about a mile from the group's clubhouse where he lived. He died at San Francisco General Hospital.

Witnesses told investigators that Guardado and the gunman struggled before the shooting.

"They had a wrestling match first," said Lt. Mike Stasko of the San Francisco police homicide detail. Then "the guy shot him, and he got on his motorcycle and left."

Police have made no arrests, but said one avenue they are exploring was that Guardado was fighting with a rival in another motorcycle group. "We're looking at all the options," Stasko said.

An attorney who was defending Guardado in a battery case in Sonoma County said that he was "absolutely devastated" by the killing and that "Mark was a wonderful human being."

"His friends loved him," said the attorney, Patrick Ciocca. "He really was an all-around good guy. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of people who are going to miss him dearly."

Members of the Hells Angels at the group's clubhouse on Tennessee Street in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco declined to talk about the killing.

At the street corner where Guardado was shot, across from a bar and a nail salon, there was a makeshift memorial where someone had written in large, black letters, "RIP Papa Frisco."

Nearby, others wrote "never forget" and "we will always love you." Five burned-out candles lay nearby.

Ciocca was unable to say how long Guardado had headed the local chapter. But he stressed that the Hells Angels had been unfairly harassed over the years by authorities who have raided the clubhouse in search of evidence that the group is a criminal enterprise.

"It's outlandish," Ciocca said.

The group's San Francisco chapter - or "Frisco," as its members call it - is the second-oldest Hells Angels club in the country, after Fontana in San Bernardino County. In 2004, it celebrated its 50th anniversary with a party that attracted about a thousand bikers from around the world.