Achtung Baby: "Whoopi" Banned In Deutschland/Germany.

The Last Thing - well, nearly the last thing - that I would ever want to blog about is babies.

Ah, but this blog isn't so much about babies as it is an interesting look at the Legal Trouble that soon-to-be sleep-deprived parents might run into when trying to register that Perfect Name for their little bundle of... er, Joy.

"To Be Or Not To Be... One of the Many?"
In the U.S., the names Sophie, Hannah, Violet and Emma are enjoying rising popularity. Yes, they are pretty names... But...

Speaking as someone who - at times - shared the same first name with three other girls in the same classroom... For me, at least... It Sucked.

I've disliked my moniker enough that I've been planning on legally changing it for years.

What's stopped me?
Concern that my parents might feel slighted... mostly. That... and I want an uncommon name. One that - whenever I or anyone else says it - feels like it is Really Me. Something lyrical... a name whose letters roll and flow as naturally as the tides. I might even check out the numerology of the letters involved.

Oddly enough... I found out several years ago that my Artist Mother acctually had wanted to give my brothers and I much more interesting names. But, my Conservative Father rejected the idea of "... weird names."

So, currently (and, hopefully, temporarily) I am a weird grrl with an annoyingly common name.

But... Thank Goodness I was born here in the U.S. of A.... Here, at least, my parents and everyone else's have the freedom to make their own name choice.
Thankfully, they didn't go the Biblical route. But, they could have... (I shudder to think.)
They also had the option of giving me an uncommon or simply a non-gender specific name.

This Particular Freedom is not specifically cited in the Our Constitution, but it's here... we definitely have it.

Uncommon or Invented name-loving parents aren't so lucky in some other countries.

Achtung Baby!

Unique... Original... Non-gender specific Baby Names are OK in America...

But, if you happen to live in Germany and you decide that you want to name your newborn child something uber unusual...
Like, say: "Whoopi". (Based on True Events.)

Don't call-in a rush order on the birth announcements just yet.

After parents in Germany come up with their newbie's new name... they have to register the name... or, attempt to register the name with the Standesamt (Office of Vital Statistics).

The Standesamt makes the final decision as to whether or not the name is an acceptable one Appeals may be attempted for rejected names, but they cost Euros.

Oh, yeah...

As for the once ecstatic parents who wanted their babe named: "Whoopi"...

The whimsical name was rejected by Standesamt officials.

That's too bad.

Maybe those officials have never heard of this woman...


Peace.
L.

(From:online.wsj.com/.)
Name choices have long been agonizing for some parents. In Colonial times, it was not uncommon for parents to open the Bible and select a word at random -- a practice that created such gems as Notwithstanding Griswold and Maybe Barnes. In some countries, name choices are regulated by the government. France passed a law in the early 1800s that prohibited all names except those on a preapproved list; the last of these laws was repealed in 1993. In Germany, the government still bans invented names and names that don't clearly designate a child's sex. Sweden and Denmark forbid names that officials think might subject a child to ridicule. Swedish authorities have rejected such names as Veranda, Ikea and Metallica.

(From: yeahbaby.com.)

"German law mandates a baby name must reflect the sex of the child, and not endanger the well being of the child. Once a baby name is chosen, the expectant parents must register the name with the Standesamt. The Standesamt relies on a guide book which translates to 'the international manual of the first names'. The manual is referenced for making decisions on whether a baby name is acceptable. If additional information is needed, a German official will research the name which may necessitate calling a foreign embassy for additional information.


If the Standesamt rejects a proposed baby name, German parents may file an appeal. Should the parents lose the appeal, they will have to submit a different baby name. Since there is a fee for each name registration, having a baby name rejected will cost you additional Euros.


The Standesamt's website lists recent baby names decisions which went through the appeal process. The name 'Matti' was recently rejected as a baby boy name because the name did not clearly identify the gender. The name 'Calotta' was recently rejected because it was similar to the French word 'Calotte' which means cap. But, the Standesamt ruled the names 'Legolas' and 'Nemo' were acceptible baby boy names.


German baby names tend to be quite traditional in nature, and this may well be due to the process in which Germans must choose a baby's name."

The Inexplicably Underreported Assassination of Public Access TV (See: 1st Amendment)

I happened to have ABC's Nightline on my TV tonight (Friday) as I was sitting in front of my computer...
(I usually watch David Letterman but, when I heard Dave mention "the holidays", I knew it was a repeat and flipped the channel.)

I wasn't paying too much attention to Nightline either... that is, until I heard them talking about the uncensored and eclectic utopia that is Public Access TV and a recent (2006) California law that has - I sincerely hope it can and will be repealed - been allowed to - for all intents and purposes - Destroy It... and do so as completely and totally as a bomb would a building.

For those who may not know, Public Access Television is (was) a TV Station that's made available to you, me and everyone who might just be inspired to create a TV show and send it over the airwaves to thousands or millions of homes.

Public Access wasn't a BYO-equipment and everything else, we'll give you a space deal... Public Access TV meant a fully-loaded TV Station and included the studio space, all the equipment to get shows 'on the air' as well as a capable staff.

Until the 2006 California law (DIVCA, or the Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act), your local Cable TV Companies - in exchange for the widespread digging and extensive cable-laying they were doing (not to mention, the ever-increasing prices they would be charging) - were required to make one or more channels available for public access (including the staff and equipment).
The best part was that the cable monopolies... I mean companies, couldn't control nor censor the content of shows broadcast on public access TV.

Tragically, this uniquely-American platform - the broadcast embodiment of our Beloved First Amendment: Freedom of Speech has been silently slain... No one heard a thing.

I didn't. Did You?

Even though I don't have cable, I was quite familiar with the Public Access TV program. But, I never heard a single word about any pending legislation that would take the Public out of the Access. Nor did I hear of it passing. That was in 2006. Here, in 2009, the first I hear of it is a brief spot on Nightline. Now, I'm grateful that ABC did the segment... I just wish that they and other networks would have done stories about it in 2006!

When I Googled various versions of phrases about "threats to Public Access TV" and "CA law Public Access TV"... Not a single Network Television reference appeared in the results. And, with the lone exception of the L.A. Times, there weren't any major or minor newspaper references. Nor Time, nor Newsweek, nor any other magazine. Not entirely surprising, though... as Time-Warner is one of the companies that is reaping the benefits of the Free Speech-Obliterating legislation. Apparently, the law was designed to help telecoms (Companies like AT&T Inc., Verizon and Qwest campaigned across the country for the legislation) expand into the profitable cable market. With DIVCA killing corporate Public Access TV obligations, these companies can now save millions of dollars... money that they will undoubtedly - instead - now spend on self-promoting billboard, magazine and radio ads, in endless junk mailings and for commercials on TV.

Wait a minute.... Haven't all of these same cable tv, international media-monopolizing and telecom companies already made many millions of dollars, if not billions, in profits?
Why are these profitable corporations getting what amounts to many millions of dollars in subsidies, while they campaign to expand their influence and increase their profits...
Whilst We, The People Get... Gaffled?

Peace... And Public Access!
L.

(From: articles.latimes.com

Cable Flips Channel On Public Access TV
A new California law allows Time Warner to close 12 studios that provided community programming in Los Angeles.
Critics say a valuable 1st Amendment platform is lost.

By Reed Johnson
January 05, 2009

For decades, public access programming on cable television has provided a virtually free forum for community activists and aspiring entertainers, for preening star wannabes as well as serious-minded political watchdogs.

But in Los Angeles and across California that forum began crumbling last week, a development that advocates say will strip ordinary citizens of a valuable 1st Amendment platform.

A provision of a law passed by the Legislature in 2006, which took effect Thursday, allows cable television providers the option of dropping their long-standing obligation of providing free studios, equipment and training to the public. In return, providers must pay a substantial annual fee and continue to provide a minimal number of public education and government channels.

The new law is designed to make it easier for phone companies to enter into the lucrative cable market by relieving them of certain money-draining contractual obligations.

In Los Angeles, 12 public access studios that provided programming for 11 community channels have been closed by Time Warner Cable Inc. That means much of the city’s diverse, neighborhood-specific public access shows may disappear.

If that happens, Los Angeles cable subscribers would be losing an outlet for their particular communities’ programming, said David Hernandez, president of the Los Angeles Public Access Coalition.

“It’s the regional broadcasting capability that’s lost,” he said.

Thirty other states, including Texas, Nevada, Florida, Illinois and Michigan, have enacted legislation similar to California’s Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act, or DIVCA, according to the nonprofit Alliance for Community Media. In several of those states, the loss of production studios was bitterly fought by opposition groups to little avail.

But the waning of public access programming in California would carry special significance for the nation, said Ron Cooper, a public access advocate and regional treasurer of the Alliance for Community Media in Sacramento.

“The rest of the country is watching,” Cooper said. “And not because it’s a good example – quite the opposite.”

In Los Angeles, public access covers an array of citizen-produced shows, including “Soul & Sound of Watts,” “East L.A. After Dark” and a late-night program by sexologist Dr. Susan Block. Between 30% and 35% of all programming is religion-oriented.

Although public access television often is mocked as a showcase for eccentric narcissists and sensationalistic provocateurs – what Cooper referred to as “naked Nazis” – he said only a small proportion of its content fits this bill.

“For the city of Los Angeles, the City of Angels, the media capital of the world to say there is no room for public” access, Cooper said, “I don’t even know how to describe it.”

Time-Warner says it is only complying with the provisions of the new law, which still requires a limited number of public, government and education channels funded by a fee calculated by 1% of gross annual revenue. In Los Angeles, that fee for Time-Warner amounts to about $5 million, which is in addition to a $25-million annual franchise fee.

“The spirit of DIVCA was to create a level playing field for all competitors,” said Patricia Fregoso-Cox, vice president of communications for Time-Warner Cable for the western region.

Fregoso-Cox said the company would continue to reserve four area cable channels for so-called PEG (public, education and government) content and that it had no plans to convert those to commercial programming. One city-run public access studio, in Boyle Heights, will remain open, at least for now.

As for the 12 studio closings, she said: “We have an exit strategy. Some of the buildings we own, some of the buildings we lease. Some of the buildings will be repositioned for other programming.”

In Los Angeles, the cavalcade of characters, gadflies and watchdogs that populate the public access channels aren’t going away without a fight. Hernandez has written to City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo and California Attorney General Jerry Brown to ask for injunctive relief against the studio closings.

“It’s a two-pronged immorality,” said Leslie Dutton, executive producer and host of the Full Disclosure Network, an Emmy-winning public access news broadcast.

“It’s immoral for the city to do nothing to replace the assets that are being taken from the public with the millions of dollars that are still coming to them, and No. 2, for preventing Time-Warner from closing the channels down.”

Dutton and others say there is no guarantee that any of the four PEG channels will be used for public access programming. They also say that neither Time-Warner nor the city gave adequate public notice of the studio closings.

“There wasn’t a flier or a handout or anything telling what this was,” said Rob Baker, producer of “The John Kerwin Show,” a celebrity-oriented talk program that taped what could be its last episode Dec. 17. “Nobody knew that public access is hearing its death knell.”

On the contrary, Fregoso-Cox said, “this isn’t something that hasn’t been communicated, that people aren’t aware of.”

The closing of the city’s studios is only one consequence of a nationwide campaign by phone companies – including AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and Qwest Communications International Inc. – to move into the cable market.

Many cable providers, meanwhile, are trying to compete in the phone market by bundling services (cable, phone, Internet), resulting in an escalating turf battle among powerful multimedia companies seeking control over a growing universe of information-delivery systems.

California’s legislation, drafted by then-Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, a Los Angeles Democrat, was signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in September 2006. Nuñez said the law would increase competition and lower cable subscribers’ rates, a contention challenged by consumer groups.

Public access advocates acknowledge that YouTube and other Internet-based platforms have given new outlets for citizen expression. But, they point out, YouTube doesn’t provide free professional studios, equipment and training, nor does it pay for the staff to run the facilities.

Furthermore, Hernandez said, because public access television “is a public asset already, why should the public give up something that belongs to them?”

Public access advocates in Los Angeles and other California cities won’t have an easy time getting back in the studio. Cities are broke, and Los Angeles officials question whether the funds exist to help offset the studio closings.

A city report estimates that the annual cost of staffing and operating a 12-studio system would be $2.7 million, plus a one-time $4.5-million equipping cost, excluding rent.

“We’re looking at a year in which we’re looking at a $400-million deficit,” said Jose Cornejo, chief of staff for Councilman Tony Cardenas.

Cornejo said Cardenas and other City Council members had been scrutinizing the effect of the new law for many months and concluded that their hands were tied by the state.

The council therefore decided to adopt the recommendations of a report by the Board of Information Technology Commissioners. The report said the city should consolidate its control over the four remaining channels so they wouldn’t revert back to Time-Warner’s management, as would be possible under the new law, Cornejo said.

“Time-Warner is saying, ‘I now can do this. Go fly a kite, council,’ ” Cornejo said. “They usurped our jurisdiction with DIVCA.”

Councilman Bill Rosendahl, a former cable executive, said he supported public access as a 1st Amendment right and “an electronic soapbox.”

He favors studying whether it would be possible for the city to dedicate more funding toward it. But he said the city must address many pressing financial needs.

“We’re in this spot not because the city of Los Angeles created it but because the Legislature did,” he said.

reed.johnson@latimes.com

"Mr. Roberts Goes To The White House."... Or, "Oops! I Did It Again."

(Doug Mills/The New York Times)

The Presidential Oath as written in the U.S. Constitution:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

That's it. Period. Concise and To The Point.

Hmmm....
Oh Yeah... There's No "... So Help Me God." at the end... It's that Supremely Important Notion of Separation of Church and State and All, I Think.

But when Supreme Court Chief Justice and Constitutional Scholar John Roberts swore in Obama, he flipped some of the words, saying: "I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully."

I'm sure it was just nerves... Yeah, that's it. The Chief Justice just gets butterflies from public speaking.

Or, perhaps... inexperience? After all, he's the youngest ever Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

I'm sure it had nothing to do with the little issue of now-President Obama having been one of 22 Senate Democrats who voted against Mr. Roberts' confirmation to the Supreme Court in 2005 — Making this not only the First Time a Supreme Court Justice has sworn in a President who voted against him... But, it's also the First Time said Supreme Court Justice has had to do it TWICE.

Peace.
L.

(From: www.latimes.com/)

Obama Takes Oath Again, Faithfully This Time

A day after he and Chief John Roberts stumbled over the words, Obama decides to do it over to remove any doubt about the legitimacy of his presidency.
By David G. Savage
7:43 PM PST, January 21, 2009


Washington, D.C. - President Obama took the oath of office Tuesday outside the Capitol, as millions watched in person and on TV. He took it again Wednesday night -- this time in the privacy of the White House, with only a few aides and reporters looking on.

The reason: During the inauguration ceremony, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. stumbled over the oath's opening words, and Obama repeated them back, incorrectly.

The second time around, they both got it right.

The president's lawyer and constitutional experts agreed that taking the oath a second time was unnecessary. Under the Constitution, Obama became president at noon Tuesday, a few minutes before he placed his hand on a Bible to take the oath.

"We believe the oath of office was administered effectively and that the president was sworn in appropriately yesterday," White House counsel Greg Craig said in a statement. "But the oath appears in the Constitution itself. And out of abundance of caution, because there was one word out of sequence, Chief Justice Roberts administered the oath a second time."

Yale law professor Akhil Reed Amar said, "It puts to rest all the doubts. . . . We lawyers are cautious folks."

As for Obama, he joked that he and his staff decided to repeat the ceremony because "we decided it was so much fun."

Yet it was clear that the administration, having been dogged by false Internet rumors about Obama's citizenship during the presidential campaign, wanted to take no chances about the legitimacy of his presidency.

During Tuesday's ceremony, Roberts misplaced the word "faithfully" when he was reading the oath of office, and Obama repeated the mistake.

The Constitution says the president must solemnly swear "that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States." But on Tuesday, Obama said, "I will execute the office of president of the United States faithfully. . . ."

On Wednesday, there were no such gaffes. Obama raised his right hand in the White House Map Room about 7:35 p.m. -- there was no Bible -- and repeated Roberts' words to the letter.

"Congratulations, again," the chief justice said, smiling.

"Thank you, sir," Obama replied.

Amar noted that at least two presidents, Calvin Coolidge and Chester A. Arthur, took the oath a second time after questions were raised. In Coolidge's case, his father was a justice of the peace and administered the oath to his son upon the death of President Harding.

"Coolidge retook the oath in a secret ceremony," Amar said. "He didn't want his father to know about it."

Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Irvine School of Law, said the do-over "was just a matter of caution and compliance with the text."

"But I don't think it mattered. No one would have standing to sue. Obama would still be president. But this would stop people from asking whether or he was legitimately president."

If It Walks Like A Duck... Then, No... I'm Not Looking For Pot.

One of many great advantages I've discovered about Blogging:
An acute case of laryngitis doesn't have any deleterious effect.

Ahh... Life in the microcosm that is Haight Street...

In the wee hours of last night... or perhaps it was later (earlier?) than that...

And, I am startled to semi-consciousness by an all to familiar CRRAASSHH!... Preceded by a nanosecond by the screech of wheels... and followed by the scraping SSMMAACCKK! sound of bare metal impacting the concrete of the sidewalk and accompanied by the multiple notes of the widely-scattered tinkling of now-exploded and jagged shards of glass.

No. It wasn't what you might think. There was - thankfully - no car/bus/motor- or bicycle accident. (Though there have been plenty of those.)

No, these were the sounds of a late-night, beer-buoyed, independent, glass bottle recycler's overloaded metal shopping cart suddenly (and very loudly) biting the dust and spewing its bounty of bottles - now in the form of jagged chunks, shiny shards and tiny slivers - across a wide swath of both sidewalk and street.

Previous experience has taught me to already know what was coming next... The explosive SSCCRR-BBLLAAMM! which would smash through the quiet - amplified by the soundwaves bouncing off of the the buildings - every time a late-night delivery truck, N-Owl Muni bus or slow-cruising taxicab determinedly stalking its prey - rolled a heavy, black tire (or two) over the larger chunks of glass. This was because the passing pissed person - who only moments earlier would have done whatever he deemed necessary to protect the catch in his cart from any would-be marauders - now couldn't be bothered to pick up the pieces. No, the broken bottles were now so much spilled milk. And now? Now, he had to put pedal to metal and work to replace the loss. So, off he went... with the rattling and clinking of his now much more-manageable shopping cart of bouncing bottles trailing off as he searched for more treasure.

As someone with a canine companion, I cringe whenever I hear these sounds.

It boggles the mind how many otherwise seemingly coherent/fully-functioning people apparently see no problem with dropping/throwing/breaking bottles on our sidewalks and in our Parks... and then... nothing - they just depart for whatever it is that their mysterious thought processes proclaim is 'important', 'worthwhile' or simply 'fun'... and - without any misgivings - they abandon their contribution to the community: jagged chunks, many-pointed pieces and razor-sharp slivers scattered across the ground we all walk on. All of us. Some with two feet - usually with shoes on, but not always... some can't afford them. Some with four feet... well, Paws, actually - almost exclusively without shoes. No Nikes... Just pads of soft skin and tufts of fine fur... Nothing that - in any way - is able to cross paths with broken glass and... forget walking away the 'winner'... in fact, in many cases you can forget walking away altogether!

In spite of my constant vigilance when out with my dog... Jessi has stepped on broken glass at least three times. When it happens, she instantly starts favoring a paw. Since she's a bouncy one, depending upon her level of pain, it can be hard to tell if something's happened or not. If she's in acute pain, she'll stop doing doggy things and stop walking - other than coming to me, leaning against my legs and not moving. If I even have an inkling that something's up - I'll immediately stop, kneel next to her, lift each paw and carefully and gently check each pad and in between... twice.

On two occasions, I was able to remove the painfully paw-piercing piece. The third time, we were four blocks away from home and, suddenly Jessi pressed against me and wouldn't budge. She maintained a look directly into my eyes - something she NEVER does - and I knew. I checked her paws twice... nothing. I stood up and... Jessi wouldn't budge. I checked her paws again - this time with a flashlight - and found a small hole with a ring of blood around it. Whatever she had stepped on had pierced the skin pad, gone into it and disappeared. No wonder she wouldn't move.

If you've ever stepped on a piece of glass/a sliver of wood/a toothpick or anything sharp and felt it slice open and tear into the tender skin on the sole of your foot... you might empathize. And, hopefully, you would never be so heartless as to leave anything so menacing in your wake (Especially in Parks, where such hazards are multiplied as they are then hidden by dirt and grass.).

But, I digress.

The whole jacknifed shopping cart, bottle spillage and the menacing mess left behind had an encore performance earlier this evening - different cart, more bottles, more foot-flaying flotsam left behind. Although - to the careening cart-driver's credit - he did make an effort to pick up some of the bigger chunks of glass. Unfortunately, he then tossed them on top of the bottles remaining in the cart, where they shattered even more, and the shards and slivers rained back out through the ribs of the cart. Pure Genius.

With this menacing, if not colorful mess growing, I grabbed a broom, dustpan and paper bag. Passers-by had a variety of reactions to me. Some looked confused. Some looked amused. (Most of these appeared to be shoppers, diners, couples, groups of friends.) Passing cars slowed to a crawl. Some (those with dogs and/or who live outdoors) smiled and said "Thank You." and/or "You Rock." One man in particular stood out among them all. I'd already spent about 20 minutes on the clean-up (There was a lot of glass.) and was nearly done when he walked by. "How much do you get paid to do that?", he inquired. "I don't.", I replied matter-of-factly and mildly annoyed at the question. Since when must someone get paid to do the right thing? "You're not getting paid?", he seemed incredulous. "Then, what are you doing it for?, he continued, Are you looking for pot?"

I kid you not. He really asked me this.

Now it was my turn to be incredulous. I stopped sweeping the now sizeable pile of glass chunks and litter - all of it thoroughly wet and covered in grime, took a deep breath, looked at him and spoke slowly: "No. I'm not looking for pot. I'm sweeping up broken glass (apparently the broom, dustpan and jagged chunks weren't a dead giveaway after all). I have a dog and many people around here have dogs. I'm sweeping up broken glass so that none of them step on it and cut open their feet." (Simple, concise and to the point, I thought... that, and I hadn't even hit him with the broom.)
His reply?
"Oh. Okay. I get it."

Moral Of The Story:

Well, there are two. One is Practical. One is Philosophical.

First, the practical one: Clean up after yourself... And, if it's within the realm of your means and ability... Be The Change You Want To See and Clean Up the mess left by those whose only Contribution to our Shared Environment will be as Fertilizer. (Especially in your own community. Hopefully, doing so will inspire copycats.)

Secondly, the Philosophical: Found in this Blog's Title, which says...

"If It Walks Like A Duck..."
... Then, No... I'm Not Looking For Pot.

Peace.
L.

Increasing Evidence That Israel Is Using White Phosphorus Weapons Over Heavily-Populated Gaza

White Phosphorus:
"White phosphorus ignites and produces layers of thick white smoke when exposed to oxygen, but phosphorous from an explosion will cause serious burns that can melt flesh to the bone and kill. Its use as an offensive munition is banned by the chemical weapons convention."
(From: www.guardian.co.uk/)

Increasing evidence from eyewitness accounts and people on the ground in Gaza is pointing to Israeli Forces loading its shells and mortars with the highly-incendiary chemical known as 'white phosphorus'.

International concerns for the safety of Palestinian civilians are "... amplified, given the technique evidenced in media photographs of air-bursting white phosphorus projectiles. Air bursting of white phosphorus artillery spreads 116 burning wafers over an area between 125 and 250 meters in diameter, depending on the altitude of the burst, thereby exposing more civilians and civilian infrastructure to potential harm than a localized ground burst." - (From: hrw.org)

In spite of these reports and video evidence, IDF (Israel Defense Forces) spokespersons are continuing to deny using the caustic chemical. They also continue to declare that they are following the guidelines put forth in international law regarding what materials/chemicals may be used, how they may be used and for what reasons - as it regards heavily-populated areas being targeted... like Gaza.

Recently, some Israeli officials have gone a bit further, in that they aren't denying using the disgusting stuff - something which they did in recent past military actions against Gaza - but they aren't admitting to it, either.

Only adding sociopathic insult to excruciating injury... Seeing various Israeli talking heads - such as the head of the Israeli Consulate here in San Francisco - calmly and without the tiniest hint of humanity, let alone any sense of regret - speak expressionless about the ongoing and growing Palestinian civilian deaths and injuries as well as the unpleasant results of "wayward" Israeli shells or Israel's intentional bombing of a known UN shelter... and, now, the shelling and subsequent fiery destruction of a UN compound that included food and other relief supply storage... who so blankly continue to claim that their actions are only taken in self-defense and that everyone should blame Hamas for all of the pain, suffering and death.

It boggles the mind that these apparently educated people are so caught up in their own bs party line that they are blinded to the simple fact that they are doing exactly what Hamas wants them to do... Injuring, maiming, terrorizing and killing countless Palestinian civilians in their mad drive to eliminate Hamas leadership... All the while remaining Unflinchingly Unapologetic.

Their military might just may, in fact, eliminate a handful of Hamas leaders. But, their complete and utter lack of genuine empathy or human compassion for the terrible suffering of Palestinian civilians will only inspire the survivors of this over-the-top offensive to line-up to sign-up and replace those Hamas members that the bombings actually killed.

This isn't cutting off your nose to spite your face... This is Blowing It Off... Along with blowing away any innocent persons who just so happened to be in the vicinity.

The "Chosen People"?... Hmmm, apparently, they never got the memo. Or, perhaps it got incinerated by some of their white phosphorus... along with the Messenger carrying it.

Peace... Please.
L.



(From: www.huffingtonpost.com)

Evidence Grows That Israel is Using White Phosphorus in Gaza
By Greg Mitchell.

For several days, charges that Israel has been using white phosphorus in its Gaza bombing have spread, unconfirmed but gaining some credibility as some human rights groups have weighed in. But today the charges are reaching critical mass in the wake of the bombing of the main United Nations compound in Gaza City.

This just in from Reuters:

A warehouse in a U.N. compound in Gaza that came under Israeli fire on Thursday was apparently hit by white-phosphorus shells, U.N. humanitarian affairs chief John Holmes said. "The main warehouse was badly damaged by what appeared to be white-phosphorus shells," Holmes told reporters at a news briefing in New York. "Those on the ground don't have any doubt that's what they were. If you were looking for confirmation, that looks like it to me."

And update from BBC:

"Human Rights Watch says it has observed "dozens and dozens" of white phosphorus shells being fired by Israel at the Gaza Strip - a heavily populated civilian area where its use is prohibited."

Palestinian medical officials said they had treated large numbers of casualties with unusual burns that were extremely painful to treat and could be consistent with exposure to white phosphorus (WP).

The Times of London reported earlier today:

"The Israeli military has denied using white phosphorus shells in the Gaza offensive, although an investigation by The Times has revealed that dozens of Palestinians in Gaza have sustained serious injuries from the substance, which burns at extremely high temperatures. The Geneva Convention of 1980 proscribes the use of white phosphorus as a weapon of war in civilian areas, although it can be used to create a smokescreen. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said today that all weapons used in Gaza were "within the scope of international law.""

In fact, the International Red Cross has stated that Israel is certainly using it and Israel's response was a non-denial, a spokesman explaining that the military "wishes to reiterate that it uses weapons in compliance with international law, while strictly observing that they be used in accordance with the type of combat and its characteristics."

Foreign press cannot get to bottom of it due to Israel refusing journalists' entry to Gaza.

The use of white phosphorus as an illuminating device only is okayed by international law but such use is extremely risky and banned for use in dense civilian areas. The fires it sets cannot be put out with the usual water or fire extinguishers.

Today, at least two United Nations officials have flatly declared that three or more white phosphorous shells were part of the attack today that set a UN building and compound ablaze in Gaza City. Here is just one of many press reports, just posted by The New York Times:

"A spokesman for the Relief and Works Agency, Christopher Gunness, said that the Israelis had been provided with the GPS coordinates of all United Nations facilities in Gaza. He said that two buildings were ablaze and that there were five fully laden fuel vehicles at the site....
In the attack on Thursday, Mr. Gunness said, the Israelis used phosphorous shells, according to Bloomberg. "The Israelis have shot three phosphorus shells against the compound, where hundreds of civilians are being sheltered," he was quoted as saying.

Earlier this week The New York Times reported on growing civilian charges of white phosphorus use:

Luay Suboh, 10, from Beit Lahiya, lost his eyesight and some skin on his face Saturday when, his mother said, a fiery substance clung to him as he darted home from a shelter where his family was staying to pick up clothes. The substance smelled like burned trash, said Ms. Jaawanah, the mother who fled her home in Zeitoun, who had experienced it too. She had no affection for Hamas, but her sufferings were changing that. 'Do you think I'm against them firing rockets now?' she asked, referring to Hamas. 'No. I was against it before. Not anymore.'
Also this week, AFP reported:

"Medics in Gaza say they have treated more than 50 people suffering burns caused by controversial white phosphorus shells, a claim backed up by a report of the New York-based Human Rights Watch. And two Norwegian doctors, recently returned from working in the Gaza Strip, accused Israel of using the territory as a testing ground for a new "extremely nasty" type of explosive."

Then there is today's report by The Times of London from correspondent Sheera Franklin in Jerusalem:

"Remnants of an Israeli white phosphorus shell, identified by the marking on the outer casing -- M825A1 -- have been found in the village of Sheikh Ajilin in western Gaza. Witnesses in Gaza said that the shell was fired on January 9 and was taken indoors as evidence. They recalled seeing thick smoke and smelling a strong odour in keeping with the garlic-like smell associated with white phosphorus.
Hebrew writing on the shell casing reads "exploding smoke" -- the term the Israeli army uses for white phosphorus. Doctors who examined the shell said that it appeared to include phosphorus residue. Residents said that they suffered burns on their feet when they walked where the shelling had taken place."

(From: democracynow.org)*"Medics and human rights groups are also reporting that they are seeing injuries distinctive of another controversial weapon, Dense Inert Metal Explosive, known as DIME, that was designed by the US Air Force in 2006."
Gives a new and very ugly meaning to the phrase: "Dropping a DIME."
L.

The Billboard of SHAME Invites You To: "Visit... WHERE?!"(You've Gotta See This.)

Skateboarding back from the San Francisco CalTrain Station to Market Street the other night - in the midst of crossing a street - something caught my eye.

From what I've observed, it seems that the majority of people on the street rarely Look Up...

Thankfully, I'm not part of that majority.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. "You Have Got To Be Kidding Me!", I said - to no one in particular - and burst out laughing. I felt it was my civic duty to photograph it and post it here in my Blog.

This is what I saw...




"Visit Israel * Different From The Israel In The News!"

Yes, that's right people of Earth! There are countless places in Israel where tourists can spend lots of money, do lots of shopping,... and not hear a single Israeli Bomb Dropping!

Now that you mention it... I hate it when my shopping excursions get interrupted by targeted air strikes and that annoying high-pitched whistle that precedes a direct missle or bomb hit...

It's really good to know that - in spite of the terrible suffering, thousands of injuries and violent, bloody deaths of over 400 men, women and children in Gaza...

There are still places where you can Get Your Party On In The 'Holy Land.'

Excuse me... I think I'm going to go throw up now.

Peace.
(Soon, I Hope.)
L.

HAARP - A Brief Intro. Also... Is There A HAARP/Hurricane Katrina Connection? Hmm...

After SK8boarding in my Favorite SF weather (Blustery and Cool) yesterday (Saturday), I stopped to visit one of my wise and wordly friends.
He's a Collector of Some Very Fascinating Things.
We Share an Interest in Sharp and Blunt Objects, Artwork, Artifacts and Obscure But Important Information.

At one point, a thick stack of documents bound together with 2 metal rings caught my attention.
I started flipping through the pages and one five-letter acronym caught my eyes and instantly stopped my page-flipping...

HAARP

If you don't know what the heck HAARP is... it's a shame.

It's a Very Big, Very Expensive (Your Tax Dollars at ------(redacted)), Very Hush-Hush, High Tech Military Set-Up based upon Nicola Tesla's stolen ideas and plans (look him up... Edison had Nothing on Tesla. But, Tesla somehow doesn't make it into the history books.), Radio Waves, Monkeying with Our Ionosphere (= the ability to "shut down VHF radio, TV and radar signals at will"), Influence the 'auroral electrodynamic circuit' (a Natural source of up to 1 Million Megawatts), Weather Manipulation and Who Knows What.
Oh... it's faraway in Alaska... Outta Sight=Outta Mind? Not!
(Uncle Sam's not too forthcoming with info... Surprise! Surprise!)

Anyway, Google HAARP, if you are a Novice.

Or, just check out the following article for a brief, concise and accurate introduction.

* Oh, what caught my eyes in the afore-mentioned stack of documents...
They included an in-depth explanation of HAARP and some of the experiments done with it along with their expected and actual results. There were graphs and photos and diagrams...

And a fair amount of information that pointed to HAARP activities being the Cause of Hurricane Katrina's Phenomenal Ferocity!

In the words of Sarah Palin (Who?): "I kid you not."

The following article doesn't go into the HAARP Katrina Connection, but it's a good Starting Point/Introduction to the damn thing.

Peace.
L.

(From: http://blog.wired.com/)



New Document Reveals Military Mystery's Powers
By David Hambling December 10, 2007 | 1:35:00 PM

For years, no military program has sparked more fevered speculation from conspiracy theorists than the mysterious High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program, or HAARP. And for years, the Pentagon has been pooh-poohing speculation that the enormous collection of transmitters, radars, and magnetometers in Alaska was some sort of superweapon.

But, it turns out, the conspiracy theorists may not have been entirely off-base, after all.

Since its inception, there's been a huge range of opinion on what HAARP actually does: everything from a giant mind control facility to a space nuke countermeasure to a weather controller to an ionosphere-boiling mad science experiment to the mother of all pork projects has been suggested. But now that the program is actually up an running, military managers say the electronics array has much more benign use. "HAARP's main job is to produce radio waves to probe the ionosphere," an Air Force Research Laboratory officer said in October.

Which is true -- up to a point.

A drive by Clifford Stone on the X-Files-esque uber-site Above Top Secret to use the Freedom of Information Act to turn up UFO-related documents has led to the release of a fascinating report, HAARP: Research and Applications. It's from the Air Force Research Laboratory and Office of Naval Research, and it lays out the uses the military see for HAARP. Turns out the Pentagon wants some military bang for their buck from the program.

HAARP can actually perform a lot of militarily important functions, all involving the interactions of radio waves with the high atmosphere, magnetosphere and ionosphere.




The document points out that "on the higher frequency end (VHF/UHF) transionospheric propagation is a ubiquitous element of numerous civilian and military communication systems, surveillance and remote sensing systems." In other words, messing with the ionosphere means you can shut down VHF radio, TV and radar signals at will. As radio hams know, the reflection and refraction effects of the ionosphere make a huge difference to long-range radio reception, and HAARP provides the only means of influencing that.

Another interesting feature is how HAARP can influence the 'auroral electrodynamic circuit', a natural flow of electricity with ranges from 100,000 to 1 million megawatts ("equivalent to 10 to 100 large power plants"). Messing with the electrical properties of the ionosphere means some of this tremendous flow of power can be changed at the flick of a switch. In effect, the natural flow can be modulated to create a gigantic low-frequency radio transmitter.

Which is extremely interesting to military types. Extremely low frequency, or ELF, waves can be used for submarine communications and for probing the planet; because of the way they propagate, HAARP can cover "a significant fraction of the Earth." The document says that the waves can be used for "seabed exploration" and even locating mines underwater, not to mention "underground target detection."

HAARP can also "induce precipitation of energetic particles" in the ionosphere, which "could impact the operation and lifespan of satellites." While this is mainly about protecting satellites from particles from solar flares or nuclear explosions, the phrasing suggests that it might be able to have a subtle negative impact on satellites as well.

At the High Frequency range, HAARP also has some useful tricks, including being able to "enhance ground-to-ground and satellite-to-ground links that would otherwise be marginal or absent." Its ability to create a radio-reflective layer means it can create new over-the-horizon capabilities for radio and radar systems. It can even act as a HF radar emitter itself.

The third band is optical and near-optical: HAARP can make lights in the sky. While we have looked at the effect of creating high-altitude plasmas before (as possible anti-missile defence), the document notes that it can also produce "airglow with megawatt power…in the IR [infrared] region of the spectrum." This has "significant military implications for IR detection and countermeasures." The picture with this shows the IR glow below a satellite, suggesting that the system may be able to blank out the view of IR satellites selectively. Given that such satellites are the best way of detecting the launch of ICBMs, this is a significant capability.

All in all, it's a set-up that can do a lot more than just basic research. And while this may not seem much compared to weather modification, remember that these are just the capabilities they're willing to make public...

From the Depths of GWB to the Peaks of Obama...

Originally, I intended to send this as an email to Tamra of Lucidnation.
(Check out her Blog... if you Appreciate Timely, Honest, Intelligent, Biting and Hit-the-Nail-on-the-Head Social and Political Commentary.) She had penned another brilliant Blog regarding her perceptions, experiences and feelings from the excruciatingly heart-breaking GWB selection up to last night's Obama Victory.

But, as I was proofreading it, I decided I'd like to share it with all of you.

T:

I can relate.

The election results of 2000 left me utterly shocked and horrified.
("How could so many people be so dumb?")

And, when GWB pulled the smash-and-grab of 2004, I was teetering on suicidal.
("No... Not Again." The whole situation seemed pointless. Sadly, our gullible fellow Americans fell for the flim-flam. Our country was being manipulated by fear-mongers and diving towards disaster.)

"Hmm... If not suicide, then I'd figure out a way to... Well, never mind."

Thankfully, I've a couple of beloved people in my life that I couldn't do such a selfish thing to.

O.K... Nix removing myself. Nix tempting the Secret Service have a go at it.

How to Survive the next 4 years of Yee-Haw Hell?

I clung for dear Life to the only thing left... HOPE.

Yesterday - Hopeful as I was - I emailed my close friends and family to say that, depending upon Tuesday's election outcome...

I'd either be making a spectacle of myself - jumping up-and-down, deliriously happy, embracing total strangers on the street...

Or, I'd be tearfully reviewing one-way airline tickets to the U.K.

News of Barack's (and America's) Landslide Victory spontaneously erupted on the street via the sounds of jubilant screaming from seen and unseen people for blocks all around me... the whooping and hollering multiplied and spread out in all directions. Car horns began to honk in celebratory morse code and wail. ("Whew! Can't really afford that airline ticket right now, anyway.")

"Is it True?" "Did he Really Win?" It seemed to me it was too early to know for sure.

I couldn't deal with getting my Hopes up and having them dashed again. I quickly called my Mother to verify and when she quietly said, "He won." (I could feel and hear the smile radiating from her heart to her face through her voice), grateful tears of joy streamed from my eyes.

Are you going to celebrate with the Obama volunteers? (My Mother had joined the thousands of Obama offices across the country that made phone calls and went to important states to talk with people.)
"There are volunteers who are going to meet at the office, but I wanted to take this historic moment in in peace and quiet at home.", she said. "L., I remember each of the assasinations of John and Robert Kennedy and the assasination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...", she continued, "and the murders of students and the race riots... and I just want to be here by myself." I understood, as well as I could.

I can't know what it is like, exactly, for my Mother and for other Americans who lived during those tumultuous and tragedy-ridden times. I know the news of Barack's victory filled my own Heart with so much joy, it felt like it would burst. I grew up in the South. My first elementary school crush was on a school-mate who happened to not be white. As shy a child as I was in every other way, if I saw one child picking on another based solely upon the color of their skin, I would jump up and intervene on their behalf and berate the bully. I knew - even at that innocent age - the difference between right and wrong, and I knew racism was wrong. Of course, I'd learned about the heart-breaking events of the Civil Rights Movement. I'd seen film that depicted or was historical record of the kind of vile evil that one man can do to another for no other reason than ignorance-based hatred. I mourned for all who had suffered at those times. And, I felt anger at the racial inequalities and injustices that had managed to continue on since then.

Then Tuesday Night Happened. Barack's victory is a Ground-Breaking Moment of Historical Proportions. I know Everything that's wrong about racism or about our country won't change overnight. But, this victory is Change on a Global Scale. And, I Hope, it's Only the Beginning...

I'm thrilled with Obama's win for many reasons and on many levels.
My Best Wishes to Barack and Michelle (and the girls).

None of us is Perfect (though, the thought of Palin in the White House was - in a word - Terrifying.), but I feel that besides being Brilliant, Barack Obama is a Genuine and Compassionate Human Being. And - in spite of the many pitfalls of politics - he has managed to maintain his Integrity.

So, I'm Grateful. So Very Grateful. I Am - Simultaneously - Jubilant and Humble.

Having sworn off organized religion eons ago, I won't say the oft-repeated:

"God Bless (The United States of... ) America."

But, I will say:
"Thank You To... " and "I Love The United States Of America."

The Truest and Greatest Ideals of Our Amazing America are Alive, Well and Kicking A**... Right Here and Right Now and (Hopefully) Forever.

Thank You!
Peace.
L.

In Honor of NASA and the ISS... Today's Word - "Keraunothnetophobia"

Greetings!

Today, Sunday, is a Special Day.
(And not in the 'Sunday Church'-sort of way.)

And a Special Day deserves a Special Word.

So, The Word for Today is...

"Keraunothnetophobia"

It's quite a mouthful, I know.

I chose this word because of a thankfully rare event that is happening Today (Sunday).

It's taken a little over a year - from the inaugural action that made today's event possible - for us to finally reach this momentous occasion (If it hasn't already happened, that is.)

Anticipation has been building... and so has a fair amount of Anxiety.

What - exactly - does "Keraunothnetophobia" mean?

And... What does it have to do with Today?

First, let's begin with the Definition:

Keraunothnetophobia: A Fear Of Falling Man-Made Satellites.

What does it have to do with Today?

Well... Today is the day that the massive, 1400-pound, commercial refrigerator-sized tank of toxic ammonia that was heaved from the International Space Station by astronaut Clayton Anderson - on July 23, 2007 - is expected to re-enter our atmosphere.

(NASA officials have said that they don't expect any of the dangerous debris to actually hit anyone... but their estimate is based on knowing that about 2/3 of the Earth is covered by ocean... basically - it's just a guess and fervent hopeful thinking.)

Hmm... If either You or a Loved one is tragically killed by a scrap of mangled machinery that has has fallen from the sky - which is known to be official property of NASA... Could the deceased's survivors successfully pursue a wrongful death suit against the federal space agency for damages?

A Good Question... I haven't heard it posed or answered elsewhere... yet.

Apparently, neither the United Nations nor any other international body has had the foresight to set into Law some necessary and common sense-based International Anti-Dumping Laws for Human Excursions into Outer Space. Desperately needed are laws prohibiting anyone/any country from dumping toxic and/or radioactive materials.

I find this omission rather odd. It's illegal here (signs are posted around San Francisco) to dump garbage - toxic or non-toxic - on any sidewalk, street, corner, park, etc.. Any perpetrator caught polluting will face paying hefty fines.

But, hey... If happen to find yourself orbiting the Earth whilst doing Spring Cleaning... and you want to get rid of a huge tank of poisonous ammonia... knowing that it will not be completely incinerated in the Earth's atmosphere and that it will - at some point and in some form - crash onto the surface in parts unknown... It could fall into the ocean, but... it could also slam into yours or anyone's home, car or head...

Well, that's perfectly acceptable and even cheered (I recall baseball pitching references being made when Clayton heaved it away.).

Gd, I just hope that any extra-terrestrial beings that - on the off chance - might be observing humanity's actions and weighing its potential/penchant for Doing Good or Doing Harm... possibly to help them to decide whether or not they will introduce themselves or perform a pre-emptive strike on the species... I just hope that they also see plenty of actions that prove that some members of our species are sentient, compassionate and worthy of our Priceless, One and Only, Big Blue Marble called Earth.

I definitely also hope that none of the jettisoned space junk - that's hurtling towards the surface at about 100mph - manages to kill anyone.

Well... there are a few people that we would all be better off without... but, nah.... it's not my department.

Peace... and For your own safety: Take those damn earbuds out of your ears and look up once in a while!
L.


The EAS, or Early Ammonia Servicer... on its way home.

(From: www.space.com/)

Space Station Trash Plunging to Earth

By Tariq Malik
Senior Editor
31 October 2008
6:30 pm ET

A piece of space station trash the size of a refrigerator is poised to plunge through the Earth's atmosphere late Sunday, more than a year after an astronaut tossed it overboard.

NASA and the U.S. Space Surveillance Network are tracking the object - a 1,400-pound (635-kg) tank of toxic ammonia coolant thrown from the International Space Station - to make sure it does not endanger people on Earth. Exactly where the tank will inevitably fall is currently unknown, though it is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere Sunday afternoon or later that evening, NASA officials said.

"This has got a very low likelihood that anybody will be impacted by it," said Mike Suffredini, NASA's space station program manager, in an interview. "But still, it is a large object and pieces will enter and we just need to be cautious."

NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson threw the ammonia tank from the tip of the space station's Canadian-built robotic arm during a July 23, 2007 spacewalk. He also tossed away an unneeded video camera stand overboard as well, but that 212-pound (96-kilogram) item burned up harmlessly in the atmosphere early this year, Suffredini said.

NASA expects up to 15 pieces of the tank to survive the searing hot temperatures of re-entry, ranging in size from about 1.4 ounces (40 grams) to nearly 40 pounds (17.5 kg).

If they reach all the way to land, the largest pieces could slam into the Earth's surface at about 100 mph (161 kph). But a splashdown at sea is also possible, as the planet is two-thirds ocean.

"If anybody found a piece of anything on the ground Monday morning, I would hope they wouldn't get too close to it," Suffredini said.

Known as the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS), the coolant tank is the largest piece of orbital trash ever tossed overboard by hand from the space station. Larger unmanned Russian and European cargo ships are routinely destroyed in the Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean after their space station deliveries, but those disposals are controlled and preplanned.

The recent destruction of the European Space Agency's Jules Verne cargo ship was eagerly observed by scientists hoping to glean new information on how objects behave as they enter Earth's atmosphere. Observers aboard two chase planes caught photographs and video of the double-decker bus-sized spacecraft's demise, but no such campaign is possible with the returning ammonia tank.

The last object to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere with prior notice was a small asteroid the size of a kitchen table that exploded in midair as it flew over Africa on Oct. 7.

It's taken more than year for the ammonia tank to slowly slip down toward Earth due to atmospheric drag. During its time aboard the station, the tank served as a coolant reservoir to boost the outpost's cooling system in the event of leaks. Upgrades to the station last year made the tank obsolete, and engineers were concerned that its structural integrity would not withstand a ride back to Earth aboard a NASA space shuttle.

Instead, they tossed it overboard, or "jettisoned" it in NASA parlance.

Suffredini said that while astronauts have accidentally lost a tool or two during spacewalks, the planned jettison of larger items is done with the utmost care to ensure the trash doesn't hit the station or any other spacecraft as it circles the Earth. Engineers also make sure the risk to people on Earth is low, as well.

"As a matter of course, we don't throw things overboard haphazardly," Suffredini said. "We have a policy that has certain criteria we have to meet before you can throw something overboard."

In the event the tank re-enters over land, NASA advised members of the public to contact their local authorities, or the U.S. Department of State via diplomatic channels if outside the U.S., if they believe they've found its remains.

Sarah Palin vs The Fruit Fly... I'm Cheering For The Fruit Fly

After reading the following quote by Sarah Palin and watching the clip from a speech given in Pittsburgh last Friday...

Two words came to my mind:
(In the voice of a character called Gomer Pyle from an old B/W TV show.)

"Well, Gawwwwlllyy!"

Actually...

Ignorance isn't bliss...

Unless you are ignorant...

But, for the rest of us...

The (thankfully) well-read, educated, independently-thinking people...

To observe the ill-informed actions of and the impasssioned words of the ignorant is...

In two words:

Utterly Excruciating!

Here is Sarah Palin...
(In her choreographed "good 'ol girl" delivery)

attacking the funding of fruit fly research... this time done in the evil empire of Paris, France...

even though the very same sort of fruit fly research which she claims in her speech, with incredulity, makes no sense and doesn't serve 'the public good'...

has only greatly increased the medical community's understanding of the routes from gene to disease...

and which places the little critter on the same page as the more familiar mouse as one of the premier "model organisms for the field of genetics".

In the same speech, Palin - whose youngest son has special needs - says that "early identification of a cognitive or other disorder, especially autism, can make a life-changing difference".

Yes... But, even better than early identification or detection...

How about Prevention? or, dare we hope... Cure?

And... How might we accomplish this tremendously beneficial advance for the public good?

Enter the lowly, maligned, ridiculed fruit fly...

In one study - "... published just one day before Palin's speech— about the genetic cues that steer nerve fibres around during the growth of the fruit fly" — the results suggest that the paper will "have implications for the pathogenesis of Down's syndrome"."

"I kid you not."

Peace.
L.

(From: www.guardian.co.uk/)

Palin and the Fruit Fly:
How the Vice-Presidential Candidate Became a Laughing-Stock Among Scientists"
Adam Rutherford
Monday October 27 2008 21.00 GMT

"Although science hasn't featured prominently in the US election, Sarah Palin may have alienated herself from the entire basic research community. In her first policy speech last Friday, she called for the federal government to fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and focused on alerting people to the misspent money of Congress. Here's what she said:

"You've heard about some of these pet projects, they really don't make a whole lot of sense and sometimes these dollars go to projects that have little or nothing to do with the public good. Things like fruit fly research in Paris, France. I kid you not."



It's difficult to know where to start with this breathtakingly stupid comment. It is possible that she is referring to a specific research project about fruit flies that are a pestilence on olive trees, but bear in mind her folksy smug delivery, which says to me: "Look how ridiculous basic research is." Richard Wolffe, the senior White House correspondent for Newsweek, commented on this, with a generous prefix:

"I'm going to be as restrained and measured as I possibly can about this. But this is the most mindless, ignorant, uninformed comment that we have seen from Governor Palin so far, and there's been a lot of competition for that prize."

I concur. It is genuinely impossible to comprehend the importance of the humble black-bellied sugar lover to humankind. With only four chromosomes but having a version of something like 75% of disease-causing human genes, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is arguably on a par with the mouse as the founding model organism for the field of genetics.

Why do we study this particular irritating fly for humankind's benefit? Well, because we can. Many of the pathways from gene to disease in humans can be easily reproduced in flies, or are similar enough to be incredibly useful models for understanding how diseases evolve. That's how we learn to treat them. Practically, the fruit fly has a lifespan of around four weeks, meaning that we can examine and generate thousands of specimens in a research heartbeat. We can and do experiment on humans, but with great practical difficulty, even in the rare occasions when ethical concerns permit such experiments.

Here's a couple of examples. Palin said in the same speech that "early identification of a cognitive or other disorder, especially autism, can make a life-changing difference". Very true. Autism is an enormously complex spectrum of disorders that we are only just beginning to understand. A team of fruit fly researchers from the University of North Carolina last year showed that a protein called neurexin is a key component in making synapses — the connections between brain cells. They issued a response to Palin's idiotic statement, saying:

"The discovery, made in Drosophila fruit flies, may lead to advances in understanding autism spectrum disorders, as recently, human neurexins have been identified as a genetic risk factor for autism."

So, we don't know what neurexin does in people with autism, but we do know that they are connected genetically. And, thanks to the fly, we now know how neurexin works.

One might have thought that Sarah Palin would take a more active interest in one aspect of scientific research. Palin's youngest son has Down's syndrome, a genetic disorder caused by the presence of an extra chromosome 21. Although a geneticist by training, I am certainly no expert on the pathogenesis of this condition, nor the significance of Drosophila research into Down's syndrome. So, I typed "drosophila trisomy 21" into PubMed, the scholarly biomedical equivalent of Google. There were 109 results, the most recent published just the day before Palin's gaffe. The concluding sentence of that study — about the genetic cues that steer nerve fibres around during the growth of the fruit fly — suggests that the paper will "have implications for the pathogenesis of Down's syndrome".

These two are drops in the ocean of fruit fly research that have clinical relevance. Down's syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, autism, diabetes, ageing research, cancers of all types: that's a minuscule range of diseases that have been and continue to be utterly dependent on the fruit fly. Eight seconds' worth of Googling would have revealed that to Palin. Maybe it's not obvious to the general public how basic research translates into clinically relevant knowledge. But so much of the information we have about the workings of genes and proteins and therefore diseases comes from studying these little critters.

Sarah Palin's comments display an attitude that is blatantly anti-science. Worse, it's lazy, ignorant and gleefully so. Somewhere along the line, the Republicans have endorsed a candidate who is so short-sighted and glib that she inadvertently mocks an indescribably important field of which she might have a personal knowledge. Whatever happens on November 4, the fruit fly's contribution to the public good will always far outweigh that of Sarah Palin, and she would do well to show some respect. I kid you not."

*******************************

And from Christopher Hitchens - A great piece on the subject of Sarah at Slate.com:
"This is what the Republican Party has done to us this year: It has placed within reach of the Oval Office a woman who is a religious fanatic and a proud, boastful ignoramus. Those who despise science and learning are not anti-elitist. They are morally and intellectually slothful people who are secretly envious of the educated and the cultured. And those who prate of spiritual warfare and demons are not just "people of faith" but theocratic bullies. On Nov. 4, anyone who cares for the Constitution has a clear duty to repudiate this wickedness and stupidity."

(From: www.slate.com/Sarah Palin's War on Science:
The GOP ticket's appalling contempt for knowledge and learning.
Posted Monday, Oct. 27, 2008)

Urgent Action Needed for Devastated Haiti In Aftermath of Four Stoms

I just caught a report on that aired on the Jim Lehrer News Hour (on PBS) about the conditions in Haiti - after it was ravaged three hurricanes.

Haiti is considered one of the poorest countries in the world, with a huge percent of the population living in absolute poverty. According to one source, 80% of the population are unemployed subsistence farmers and with no source of natural energy, most of the 8 million people living in Haiti resort to cutting down trees to make charcoal for cooking. This, along with the selling off of and harvesting of Haiti's trees for lumber exported to other countries, resulted in 95% of the country being deforested. (From: www.haitioutreach.org/)

Between September 1st and 7th of 2008, Haiti was devastated by several major storms: Just 14 days after Tropical Storm Gustav made landfall, Haiti was hit by Tropical Storm Hanna, followed by Hurricane Ike. Each of these storms brought heavy rainfall to the deforested and now unstable land. The floods unleashed by the torrential rains gushed, unimpeded, through the deforested hills. In the aftermath, rivers had overflowed their banks, lakes appeard where there previously were none, roads and bridges were washed away along with homes, crops, farm animals and people.

The struggle for survival was difficult and ongoing for many Haitians before these storms and now it is utterly desperate. Some towns and villages are, today, still flooded by hazardous and contaminated water or mud - that makes vehicle travel impossible and travel by foot dangerous. At least one village was discovered to have been been cut-off from aid for two weeks due to the road being washed away.

Do you remeber the devastation of Hurricane Katrina? Well imagine that kind of death and destruction times three. The storm-battered and struggling people of Haiti need the continued attention and assistance of the world.

Peace.
L.

(From: www.un.org/)


Despite the significant presence of international organizations - with plenty of experts and publications to show for it - the people of Gonaïves have yet to see much benefit. MSF urges international organizations and the Haitian government to immediately re-examine their emergency aid response, and to prioritize housing and nutritional support for the youngest of the flood victims.
view text
Photo Credit: Klavs Christensen (www.doctorswithoutborders.org/)

Appeal For Hurricane Relief in Haiti Badly Under-Funded, UN Aid Chief Says
27 October 2008

- Urgent action is required to respond to the "worst disaster in the last 100 years" to strike Haiti, the United Nations relief chief reported today, warning that aid agencies remain far short of the millions they need to help the country recover after four deadly hurricanes this year left 800 people dead and affected another 1 million.

Only 40 per cent of the $107 million flash appeal aimed at assisting the emergency relief effort has been pledged, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes told reporters in New York as he urged donors to contribute more humanitarian aid.

"Even that 40 per cent is nowhere near enough of what we're going to need for the next six months or so for people in Gonaïves, and Gonaïves is not the only place affected by any stretch of the imagination," Mr. Holmes said on his return from a two-day visit to Haiti, which was hammered by four successive storms in as many weeks from mid-August to mid-September.

"We will be putting out a revised appeal in the next couple of weeks to include more early recovery elements and not just the immediate humanitarian elements."

The Under-Secretary-General stressed that further funds will be needed to help Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere even before these storms, transition from relief to reconstruction and development and prevent the tragedy from repeating itself in the future.

Gonaïves, the hardest-hit city, is still a "dramatic and grim site" even six weeks after the last hurricane hit, said Mr. Holmes. Some 30,000 people are still taking refuge in city shelters, which are very often ill-equipped schools, and some of those who have gone back to their homes are camping on roofs and in courtyards.

There is a large new lake just outside Gonaïves, which did not exist before and now covers the bridge and roads leading to the city, and living conditions have been made even more difficult by huge amounts of mud and stagnant water.

"If urgent action is not taken on the disaster risk reduction front, then we're simply going to see more tragedies in the future," warned Mr. Holmes.

He said that this disaster will happen again if immediate work is not done on improving the ability to channel water from the surrounding hills, such as repairing and reinforcing river banks, reforestation of the affected areas so that the water does not flash flood and mudslide, and relocating the residents of the vulnerable districts of Gonaïves.

Mr. Holmes, who is also the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, said that an additional allocation from the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) would be released on top of the $4.3 million allocated over a month ago, bringing CERF funding to $10 million.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) also announced an agreement today to provide Haiti with a $10 million package to help boost the country's agricultural sector, whose harvest was decimated by the recent hurricanes.

Haiti is facing the double challenge of recovering from the series of hurricanes, which left an estimated $500 million in losses, and feeding its people who were already facing food shortages before the latest natural disasters hit the country, according to an FAO press release issued today.

An average 18 per cent annual increase in food prices over each of the past four years – affecting staples such as rice, maize, beans and oil – has resulted in widespread hunger, economic crises, as well as social and political unrest.

FAO has agreed on a rescue package with the Government to boost farming output in the current and upcoming agricultural season by supporting hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers – 80 per cent of the agricultural workforce – many of whom are severely under-nourished.

More than 240,000 farmers will receive an agricultural parcel consisting of vegetable seeds, cereal seeds, manioc, sweet potato and banana plants among other planting inputs.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a UN agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries, is funding the $10.2 million agreement as part of FAO's recently established Initiative on Soaring Food Prices (ISFP).

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Navi Pillay will also make a four-day visit to Haiti next week, when she plans to meet with President René Préval and other representatives of Government and civil society to discuss judicial reforms, and the extent to which economic and social rights are subject to legal jurisdiction.

Join the SFPD: Great Job Security. Get Paid to Assault Civilians.

How's Friday Treating You?
However it's been, it's surely been a Cake Walk compared to the Friday experienced by a young SF musician who goes by the name "Ashtray".

It was a beautiful day here in San Francisco, today.
A little on the Excessively Bright and Sunny-Side for myself... but, I know most people enjoy that sort of thing much more than I.

I worked on my eBay listings and then gathered Jessie the Dog and headed towards the Panhandle Park. When we were leaving, I found a handwritten note - in all caps - that said, "THE COPS BEAT UP MY BROTHER HERE". Curious, but not surprising. I didn't think too much of it at the time and we continued towards the Park. Thankfully, we found plenty of shade under the trees. There were people who were laying out in the sun, others playing with their dogs, joggers, cyclists, a few older and several young people who live outdoors... one of these young men was playing guitar and singing pleasantly.

One of the street kids who knows me approached... "Did you hear what happened?", he asked. "Oh, Gd.", I thought. After living in the Haight-Ashbury for several years and doing a lot of homeless youth outreach work from my own resources, I've come to hate that innocent question and every variation thereof. It has all too often been followed up with the announcement of the sudden, unexpected, tragic and sometimes violent death of a young homeless boy or girl whom I'd known and developed a friendship with. A familiar, yet unwelcome, feeling of dread started to well up inside my chest. "You know Ashtray, right?", the young man continued. I started to scan the faces of the kids I know in my mind. My expression must have told him I wasn't sure. He continued, "He's got dreads and plays the guitar. He usually has a Grateful Dead shirt on. He often sits in front of your house and plays the guitar." "Shit!", I thought. Now I was really feeling bad about not being able to place the name and a face. I don't have the best memory for such things... I blame that getting-thrown-off-a-horse-and-hitting-the-ground-head-first incident that I've mentioned before.

The sweet young man continued, "Well, Ashtray was sitting in the front of Golden Gate Park playing his guitar and this cop came up to him and told him to "Get out of the Park!"." "Ashtray stopped playing and said "No, sir. I don't have to go anywhere. I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm just playing my guitar."" Ashtray was probably frustrated at what was only the latest in a long and endless line of quality-of-life profiling and police harassment. "Suddenly the cop pulls out his night stick, swings and cracks Ashtray hard across the front of his face. Then, when Ashtray was down on the pavement, the cops began stomping him and kicking him really hard. (Apparently, a second cop was present and before long a lot of them showed up.) There's still a pool of Ashtray's blood on the sidewalk.". I was now concerned that Ashtray was dead. "Jeez! This happened in broad daylight?", I was incredulous. The young man nodded and said, "Yeah." "Is Ashtray OK?", I asked. "I don't know. They took him to the hospital. We're going to go see him right now.", and he motioned in the direction of St. Mary's Hospital on Stanyan Street - the closest. I then realized that several other homeless kids had gathered and were joining him. "I hope he's alright.", I said. "Give him my best.".



After this conversation, I no longer wanted to stay in the Park and play with the Dog. I dropped Jessie off at home and grabbed my digital camera. I had already decided to try to find out the name of the dkhead thug officer and to find the pool of Ashtray's blood and photograph it for this Blog.

I didn't find it on the first trip. There's a fair amount of ground to cover in the front of the Park and I hadn't gotten an exact location of where the incident took place.

As I ran a few errands in the neighborhood, I noticed something different. Carefully placed at various points along the sidewalks, taped to the sides of trucks parked along Haight Street and posted to blank sections of walls and storefronts were more and more of the handwritten signs on white paper - like I had found earlier. They said things like: "WHERE IN THE WORLD IS ASHTRAY?" and "WHEN ARE THE COPS GOING TO WAKE UP" with a Peace Sign on top. There was a huge sign on the sidewalk - propped up against the wall - in front of The Red Vic Movie Theater, written in black capital letters, on a piece of cardboard that was at least 3ft. long! It cried out for Justice and an end to Police Brutality. It mentioned starting a Revolution.

Wow... Something unusual is going on here. I mean, this certainly isn't the first case of SFPD brutality... and definitely not the first case of SFPD brutality against an unarmed homeless civilian who was doing nothing more than playing guitar in the Park when he was assaulted by a sociopathic cop.

What's different today is the response of the public. Lots of people are talking about it... Witnesses, residents, tourists... lots of them... and they are all horrified at what happened.

As awful as this assault must have been to Ashtray, at least the dickhead cop who beat him down and then kicked him repeatedly chose to commit this vicious crime in BROAD DAYLIGHT and IN FRONT OF MANY WITNESSES... several of whom VIDEOTAPED THE ATTACK.



Oh, as you can see above, I did go back and I found Ashtray's pool of blood. Several homeless kids were gathered around as if they were standing vigil. Someone had written "HEY YOU!" above the pool with an arrow pointing at it. Other writing encircled the bloodstain. Two SFPD officers - each on a bicycle - rode up to the scene, stopped and just stared for a minute. Someone asked about what happened and one of the kids standing there motioned towards the officers and said, "Why don't you go ask them." I began taking photographs with a flash. I would have taken the officers' photographs - I had a feeling they were trying to intimidate the people standing vigil - but, at this point they quickly left the scene.

I did find out the offensive and offending officer's name: It's OFFICER KELLY (sp?). He's out of Park Station. Caucasian. Average build. The Captain of Park Station is Teresa Bennett.

I can only hope that the witnesses come forward and file formal complaints.

If you witnessed this assault - or any assault by a Police Officer - Please File A Complaint!

I have done this a few times. At the very least, the incident/complaint will be noted in the officer's permanent file. We must document these assaults and identify these brutal rogue cops and press the Police Commission and the Mayor to FIRE THESE VIOLENT THUGS... and hopefully send them to PRISON... where violent thugs belong.

The SFPD should not tolerate cops who brutalize civilians nor allow them to remain in their ranks.

To do so only does damage to the reputation of the SFPD and damages its relationship with the public.

It also damages San Francisco and it's reputation around the world. Residents and tourists witnessed this assault and will undoubtedly return home and tell friends and family about it.

Oh...
What happened to the victim of this violent attack?
Ashtray is now in jail.
Is that fucked up or what?

Officer Kelly, consider yourself persona non gratia... We do.

As for me, I'm carrying my camera with me Everywhere... and I can't wait to catch you and/or your fellow gang members committing acts of brutality and then contact the local (and national) news with the story and photos, you pieces of shit.

Peace... to Everyone but them.
L.

San Francisco Irony: A Brutal Thug Promotes Red Cross Volunteering

Last night I was working my room...
It's an ongoing project of mine...
One that's been going on for several years...
I had my TV on, but I wasn't paying it any attention since unconvincing commercials were occupying the airwaves.

Suddenly, a male voice slithers through the speakers - identifying himself by a name that I instantly recognized and will not forget any time soon - completely shattering the peace and quiet of my environment and my mind.

I stopped what I was doing and sharply caught my breath as a flood of images of an unlawful and violent act I had witnessed flashed across my mind's eye. An act of extreme brutality that was committed by the very same crude creep who was now strolling through the streets of San Francisco in a commercial on my TV screen.

The less-than-human being's name: "Gabriel (Gabreal?) Gallreade".

To my complete surprise and growing disgust, 'Officer Gabriel' - as he was known in the neighborhood where he sadistically served - was appearing in and speaking through the commercial.

I was horrified.

I am horrified.

In the ad, as he's seen strolling around various sunny streets as his conversational voice-over describes his being a resident of The City. He describes the beauty of The City. He offers that, "... we need to work together" to keep our City this way. He then claims to be a long-time volunteer for The Red Cross. He then adds, "Who am I? I'm an officer with the SFPD in Ingleside.".

I fight the urge to hurl something heavy at the brute... I don't want to break my TV.

Obviously, the organization who sponsored the ad doesn't know.

Apparently, 'Officer Gabriel' didn't tell them... I'm not surprised.

It's unbelieveably ironic in fact that...

Here was Gabriel Gallreade, the same brutal, pea-brained and large-fisted p.o.s. whom I had witnessed (a few years ago) with my own eyes start cocking his arm back and punching - with a closed fist - the face of a disabled, intoxicated, homeless kid... whose hands were already 'cuffed behind his back and who was not resisting arrest in the slightest... a kid who had committed the unforgiveable terrorist act of burning a ticket that Officer Gabriel had given him a few minutes earlier.

I left my perch to search for my camera to document this vicious crime. By the time I returned, the police van had arrived and blocked my view... Keeping me from seeing the worst of this brutal beating. When I saw photos that were taken of the kid's face shortly after the event, I was speechless. Apparently, Ofc. Gabriel, making full use of the resources at hand, had beaten the corner (metal and concrete) garbage can to death with the kid's face.

If I can remove myself from the images and memories of the event which are seared into my brain... I can almost find some humor in the horror here...

A long-time SFPD Police Officer whom I had witnessed commit a vicious and brutal physical assault on a non-threatening and handcuffed young man (sadly, he's not the first nor the last to do so) is currently the 'poster boy' campaigning for volunteers for The Red Cross.

Yeah, I'm sure he's a long-time contributor to The Red Cross.

I'm also quite sure that he's sent a fair number of homeless people to the hospital over the years.

There was this other time that I observed him one night as he drove the SFPD Van up onto the sidewalk and - as he snarled out commands over the PA system to "Move on! Get out of there!" - he literally chased another homeless man - who was wheelchair-bound - from under the covered shelter of a closed Goodwill store doorway and out into a driving rainstorm.

... Not exactly the personality or quality of character that you'd think The Red Cross would want to be associated with.

Like I said... they must not know.

I think I'll do my civic duty and enlighten them.

From what I observed and was told over the years, Officer Gabriel seemed to get some perverse enjoyment from harassing and abusing the homeless... kids in particular. People who live outdoors are extremely vulnerable. No doors to lock. No family or good neighboors to look out for them. And in a courtroom... who do you really think a judge or jury is likely to side with... a tattooed homeless youth with profanity written on their hand-sewn clothing, who may be in need of a shower and who has a plethora of unpaid 'Unlawful Camping' Tickets? Or a veteran SFPD police officer who volunteers for The Red Cross? Officer Gabriel is a textbook school-yard bully... only now he's been given a nightstick, a handgun and carte blanche.

Shame on You, Officer Gabriel.

I don't know why you consistently treat homeless people like mud on your boots and I don't care.

I saw what you did.

I know what you are.

And I'll take a lie detector test to prove it.

Shame on the SFPD for not kicking you and other brutal nutjobs off of the force.

You're not a role model. Not for The Red Cross. Not for SFPD cadets.

I can see you as a guard at Gitmo though...


Peace.
L.

Extreme Make-Over: Sarah Palin Edition

As news reports announce Senator Barack Obama opening a double-digit lead over Senator John McCain - two weeks before the November 4th Election - the 'Joe Six-Pack' public persona of Sarah Palin - expertly-crafted by the McCain image machine (formerly of the G.W. Bush machine) - has been caught with toilet paper trailing from her high-end heels.

Breaking News:
It's been discovered that the Republican Party has invested more than $150,000 on clothes, cosmetics, hair and accessories for Sarah Palin and family since she was named as the vice-presidential candidate in August. According to financial records obtained by Politico.com, the high-style spending spree started in September.

$150,000... In One Month?!

Hmmm... It kinda flies in the face of her claim of being an "... average hockey mom" who is the candidate of the "Joe six-packs."

Not only that, questions are arising over the legality of Palin's wardrobe being paid for with McCain campaign donations.

Campaign finance experts cite the Federal Election Commission's opposition to campaign money being used to buy items for personal use.

In response, a campaign spokesperson weakly offered that the clothes would eventually be donated to charity. (That's all well and good, but it still doesn't answer the legality question.)

And, if you haven't noticed the change from August until now (I didn't... but I try not to actively pay any attention to her.)... that's probably because her look hasn't changed as much as the names on the labels and their prices.

After initially refusing to comment on the expensive wardrobe make-over, the McCain/Palin campaign turned to its recurring red herring: the media.

The news of this startling shopping spree comes out even as the Republicans have the gall to attack Senator Obama as a tax-and-spend Democrat.

In Other Good News (the kind that restores my belief that human beings can and will avoid causing their own self-destruction)...

According to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll (of 1,159 registered voters, conducted from Friday to Monday with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points), "... the popularity of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has fallen. Voters are less likely to see the Republican vice presidential nominee in a positive light, and much more likely to report negative feelings, the Wall Street Journal said.

Forty-seven percent view Palin negatively, compared with 38 percent who see her in a positive light.

Fifty-five percent of voters say Palin is not qualified to be president, up from 50 percent two weeks ago."
(From: www.reuters.com/)

Whew!

Why do I have such an aversion to Sarah Palin?

Well, it's nothing personal... it can't be... I've never met her.

For me (and, thankfully, more than enough voting people) the Glaring Issue here isn't wardrobe or any other superficial item.

It is that - for still unidentified and utterly unimagineable reasons - Senator John McCain chose a completely unqualified person for Republican VP nominee.

And, I figure that, once the choice of Palin was announced to the media and the public and the cat was out of the proverbial bag... No matter what - if any - serious concerns or relevant questions that might come up regarding Palin, her qualifications, her past... the Republicans were stuck with her. It would be virtually impossible for McCain to announce (even if he really wanted to) -say at the RN Convention, "Oops! Heh... heh. My bad! Scratch that. How 'bout this one instead?". Though, at that time, I wished he would.

What makes her unqualified?
Where do I begin?

First and Foremost:
The simple fact is that she has no idea of what is required of/the duties expected of the person holding the position of Vice President of these United States?

This wouldn't be a problem for me... if she weren't aiming to try to occupy that position.

In more than one interview, when asked what the Vice President does or what she would do if she were to become Vice President, her responses have consistently made this fact excruciatingly obvious.

Examples:
1.) In an interview on KUSA, an NBC affiliate in Colorado:
Third grader Brandon Garcia wanted to know, "What does the Vice President do?"

Palin's response didn't just overflow with insincere rhetoric... it was patently false:
"[T]hey're in charge of the U.S. Senate so if they want to they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family and his classroom."

2.) In an appearance on Hardball with Chris Matthews:
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R-AK), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: "A vice president has a really great job because not only are they there to support the president's agenda, they're like the team member, the teammate to that president, but also they're in charge of the United States Senate. So if they want to, they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better."

"As Colin Powell said on Sunday's "Meet the Press," the job of the vice president is to stand ready under the Constitution in the tragic circumstances to replace the president. Now, that's one role. The other role is to have only a tie-breaking role as presiding officer of the U.S. Senate. That's it. The Constitution specifically prescribes that. In fact, it says that's all that a person has the right to do."

"She believes somehow that the vice president of the United States has a commanding policy development role... and can lead the U.S. Senate. Where'd she get this from? You've got a candidate who doesn't know the job description."
(From:hardblogger.msnbc.msn.com/)

As Matthews put it succintly in a follow-up interview with McCain campaign spokeswoman, Nancy Pfotenhauer:

Matthews: "Somehow, in all these trips to Washington — through Neiman's, and through Saks, and through everywhere else she stopped off, she never picked up a copy of the Constitution. It is a problem. It is a problem, Nancy, and you know it."

Hello? America? This is a Serious Problem.

Whenever I've been job-hunting, I've researched the duties of the position I was seeking. I would Never interview for a job without knowing what the requirements/duties were. Would you?

The person who is the Vice President is a hair's-breadth away from the Presidency.

And, in the 2008 Race, in John McCain, we have a respectable candidate for President who made a singularly poor choice for a VP running mate.

Sarah Palin not only is unqualified and unprepared to be our Vice President...

She is - without question - unqualified and unprepared to be our President.

It isn't at all Personal.

It is a Simple Fact.

Since the McCain campaign is run by those who ran the G.W. Bush campaign, I can see where the rigid refusal to admit mistakes comes from... they raised it to a satirical art form.

But, a mistake was made. They refused to admit it. They refused to correct it. They named Sarah Palin and - after the announcement - for perpetuity... they saw no other option but to 'stay the course'... relying heavily on damage control teams, red herrings, name-calling and media-bashing along the way.

It's unfortunate, but it is what is.

Maybe they'll learn things from this experience...
Things like Humility... and the value of being able to admit making a mistake and the pride that comes with being Honest and the empowerment felt when you correct a mistake...

... Yeah, I know... But, I can Dream can't I?

Peace.
L.