Wed Feb 28, 3:32 AM ET
LONDON - Prince Charles suggested Tuesday on a visit to the United Arab Emirates that banning McDonald's fast food was crucial for improving people's diets, a British news agency reported.
Charles made the comments while visiting the Imperial College London Diabetes Center in Abu Dhabi for the launch of a public health campaign, The Press Association reported.
"Have you got anywhere with McDonald's? Have you tried getting it banned? That's the key," Charles was quoted as asking one of the center's nutritionists.
A McDonald's spokesman, Nick Hindle, called the remark disappointing. He said other members of the royal family "have probably got a more up-to-date picture of us," alluding to reports that Charles' son, Prince Harry, was spotted eating a chicken burger at McDonald's in 2005.
"This appears to be an off-the-cuff remark, in our opinion," Hindle said. "It does not reflect our menu or where we are as a business."
The Oak Brook, Illinois-based McDonald's Corp. took steps last year to display nutrition facts on its packaging and vary its menu to counter charges that its food is unhealthy and contributes to obesity. There are 25 McDonald's franchises in the United Arab Emirates.
Charles, who is first in line to the British throne, is an active advocate of organic food and in 1986 set up a farm on his Highgrove Estate that does not use artificial pesticides or fertilizers.
The prince was in the United Arab Emirates with his wife, Camilla, as part of a tour of Gulf countries.
The United Arab Emirates has the world's second highest number of diabetes cases per capita, with more than 20 percent of those aged 20 to 79 already diagnosed with the illness, while 40 percent of the population are at risk.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Oolagah Santa Bait
TULSA, OK – Nearly five months after passing a city ordinance making it against the law for undocumented immigrants to work within Oologah city limits, not a single fine has been levied against area employers nor a single undocumented worker identified.
While supporters of Oologah Mayor Jerry Holland claim this absence of activity shows that the controversial ordinance “is working,” detractors of such laws speculate that the only conclusion that can be drawn is that there was never any real problem to begin with.
In fact, it wasn’t any ICE bust of a business or any other immigration raid that prompted Holland to push the ordinance through, but rather his personal observations that a newly constructed house near his own “was built with labor from south of the border.”
Holland has not commented on how he surmised that the workers he saw were in the U.S. illegally, leading to criticism that the Oologah ordinance – like many similar measures being passed by municipalities and states throughout the country – is in actuality based on thinly veiled racism and cultural stereotyping.
The Oologah ordinance allows virtually anyone to file an unsubstantiated complaint of “suspected, unlawful undocumented workers working at a location.” Police are then dispatched to look into the complaint, and employers found in violation of the ordinance are subject to a $250 fine per each “illegal” worker.
The community of approximately 1100, with 72 percent white and between one and two percent Latino residents (2004 estimates) has become a beacon for critics of laws and ordinances many see as unnecessary and specifically aimed at those of Hispanic/Latino heritage.
A key area of concern is the word “suspected” with respect to potential targets of such investigations. “What constitutes suspicion of being undocumented?” one observer wondered. “Is dark skin enough, or do you have to have a Spanish accent to be considered a threat?”
Furthermore, Oologah police are not immigration agents and presumably are not trained in the complexities of immigration status, legally acceptable documentation, as well as myriad other related issues in what is a matter of federal, not local, jurisdiction.
La Semana del Sur interviewed a nearby builder who said Latinos, all of whom were hired in full compliance with federal law, make up roughly 75 percent of his workforce.
“And I plan to hire even more [Latinos] in the future,” the builder said. “My Spanish-speaking employees simply have a stronger work ethic and are more reliable than some of the U.S.-born people I’ve hired.”
Even though all of the contractor’s workers are legal, having provided proof of their eligibility to work upon being hired, forcing employers to carry such documentation on job sites or risk being fined or dragged into court places a tremendous logistical burden on small business owners.
According to a labor activist interviewed for this article, such extra hassles are likely to discourage most employers from hiring any Latino – legal residency notwithstanding – in order to avoid potential problems with local authorities. The scenario described is only one of many possibilities arising from Mayor Holland’s crusade that have critics referring to Oologah as “a racist oasis.” (La Semana del Sur)
While supporters of Oologah Mayor Jerry Holland claim this absence of activity shows that the controversial ordinance “is working,” detractors of such laws speculate that the only conclusion that can be drawn is that there was never any real problem to begin with.
In fact, it wasn’t any ICE bust of a business or any other immigration raid that prompted Holland to push the ordinance through, but rather his personal observations that a newly constructed house near his own “was built with labor from south of the border.”
Holland has not commented on how he surmised that the workers he saw were in the U.S. illegally, leading to criticism that the Oologah ordinance – like many similar measures being passed by municipalities and states throughout the country – is in actuality based on thinly veiled racism and cultural stereotyping.
The Oologah ordinance allows virtually anyone to file an unsubstantiated complaint of “suspected, unlawful undocumented workers working at a location.” Police are then dispatched to look into the complaint, and employers found in violation of the ordinance are subject to a $250 fine per each “illegal” worker.
The community of approximately 1100, with 72 percent white and between one and two percent Latino residents (2004 estimates) has become a beacon for critics of laws and ordinances many see as unnecessary and specifically aimed at those of Hispanic/Latino heritage.
A key area of concern is the word “suspected” with respect to potential targets of such investigations. “What constitutes suspicion of being undocumented?” one observer wondered. “Is dark skin enough, or do you have to have a Spanish accent to be considered a threat?”
Furthermore, Oologah police are not immigration agents and presumably are not trained in the complexities of immigration status, legally acceptable documentation, as well as myriad other related issues in what is a matter of federal, not local, jurisdiction.
La Semana del Sur interviewed a nearby builder who said Latinos, all of whom were hired in full compliance with federal law, make up roughly 75 percent of his workforce.
“And I plan to hire even more [Latinos] in the future,” the builder said. “My Spanish-speaking employees simply have a stronger work ethic and are more reliable than some of the U.S.-born people I’ve hired.”
Even though all of the contractor’s workers are legal, having provided proof of their eligibility to work upon being hired, forcing employers to carry such documentation on job sites or risk being fined or dragged into court places a tremendous logistical burden on small business owners.
According to a labor activist interviewed for this article, such extra hassles are likely to discourage most employers from hiring any Latino – legal residency notwithstanding – in order to avoid potential problems with local authorities. The scenario described is only one of many possibilities arising from Mayor Holland’s crusade that have critics referring to Oologah as “a racist oasis.” (La Semana del Sur)
Girls gone wild?
Tuesday Feb 27, 2:11 PM ET
A sorority at Depauw University is being accused of discrimination after officers of the Delta Zeta sorority asked 23 members to leave the group.
The members who were asked to leave have something in common -- they are minorities or could be considered overweight, 6News' Cheryl Jackson reported.
The women were asked to move out of the house at the end of January. The evicted members said it happened because they didn't fit a certain physical image.
"It is noted that most all the minorities are gone, but it's not probably a racist issue now. It's more just image in general," said Elizabeth Haneline, one of the evicted members. "Most of us just didn't fit into their mold."
"I think it's kind of disturbing that a sorority, which is an institution there to promote womanhood, would do something like this to their initiated members," said Rachel Pappas, who left the sorority in protest of the move.
The national office of the sorority interviewed 35 of its members and found 23 of those members insufficiently committed to the organization, Jackson reported.
"Honestly, I don't think that they think that I'm pretty enough. I don't know about skinny enough," said Haneline, who is of Asian descent.
"It's weight mostly. I have no problem admitting that I'm not a skinny girl. That doesn't bother me," said Megan Sikes, another evicted member. "I'm a bit unconventional. I'm kind of more of the punk, alternative kid."
The girls who remain in the sorority are not being blamed for the decision because the sorority's national office made the determination of who should stay and who should go.
"When you look at the women who were asked to stay versus those who were asked to leave, really all that we're left with is to look at them and think it had to be, at least partly, about image," said Erin Swisshelm, who resigned in protest.
Cynthia Babington, the dean of students at Depauw, said she backs up the students who were asked to leave the sorority.
"Our main objective from the start was to support the students," Babington said.
The sorority's national organization told CNN's Paula Zahn that Delta Zeta doesn't discriminate and took the action because some of Depauw's members were not committed to aggressive recruiting.
"In a conversation that we had with each woman, I personally participated in those conversations, looked these women in the eye and said, 'Do you commit to the recruitment plan to remain active?' The decision was based on the women's decision on commitment," said Cindy Menges, Delta Zeta's executive director.
University officials sent a letter reprimanding the national sorority for disrupting students' lives just a week before exams. The school is still investigating and could ask the sorority to leave campus.
A sorority at Depauw University is being accused of discrimination after officers of the Delta Zeta sorority asked 23 members to leave the group.
The members who were asked to leave have something in common -- they are minorities or could be considered overweight, 6News' Cheryl Jackson reported.
The women were asked to move out of the house at the end of January. The evicted members said it happened because they didn't fit a certain physical image.
"It is noted that most all the minorities are gone, but it's not probably a racist issue now. It's more just image in general," said Elizabeth Haneline, one of the evicted members. "Most of us just didn't fit into their mold."
"I think it's kind of disturbing that a sorority, which is an institution there to promote womanhood, would do something like this to their initiated members," said Rachel Pappas, who left the sorority in protest of the move.
The national office of the sorority interviewed 35 of its members and found 23 of those members insufficiently committed to the organization, Jackson reported.
"Honestly, I don't think that they think that I'm pretty enough. I don't know about skinny enough," said Haneline, who is of Asian descent.
"It's weight mostly. I have no problem admitting that I'm not a skinny girl. That doesn't bother me," said Megan Sikes, another evicted member. "I'm a bit unconventional. I'm kind of more of the punk, alternative kid."
The girls who remain in the sorority are not being blamed for the decision because the sorority's national office made the determination of who should stay and who should go.
"When you look at the women who were asked to stay versus those who were asked to leave, really all that we're left with is to look at them and think it had to be, at least partly, about image," said Erin Swisshelm, who resigned in protest.
Cynthia Babington, the dean of students at Depauw, said she backs up the students who were asked to leave the sorority.
"Our main objective from the start was to support the students," Babington said.
The sorority's national organization told CNN's Paula Zahn that Delta Zeta doesn't discriminate and took the action because some of Depauw's members were not committed to aggressive recruiting.
"In a conversation that we had with each woman, I personally participated in those conversations, looked these women in the eye and said, 'Do you commit to the recruitment plan to remain active?' The decision was based on the women's decision on commitment," said Cindy Menges, Delta Zeta's executive director.
University officials sent a letter reprimanding the national sorority for disrupting students' lives just a week before exams. The school is still investigating and could ask the sorority to leave campus.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Getting REAL complicated, REAL quick
By SINAN SALAHEDDIN, Associated Press Writer 24 minutes ago
BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. and Iraqi forces staged raids in Baghdad's main Shiite militant stronghold Tuesday as part of politically sensitive forays into areas loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Troops have held back on broad sweeps through the teeming Sadr City slums since a major security operation began earlier this month, targeting militant factions and sectarian death squads that have ruled Baghdad's streets.
Al-Sadr withdrew his powerful Mahdi Army militia from checkpoints and bases under intense government pressure to let the neighbor-by-neighbor security sweeps move ahead. But Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and others have opposed extensive U.S.-led patrols through Sadr City, fearing a violent backlash could derail the security effort.
The pre-dawn raids appeared to highlight a strategy of pinpoint strikes in Sadr City rather than the flood of soldiers sent into some Sunni districts.
At least 16 people were arrested after U.S.-Iraqi commandos — using concussion grenades — stormed six homes, police said.
"My sons and wife were very terrified," complained Muhand Mihbas, 30, who said his brother and six cousins were taken in the sweeps. "Does the security plan mean arresting innocent people and scaring civilians at night?"
At a news conference, the Pentagon's No. 2 commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, declined to comment on whether there were special tactics for Sadr City. "We will go after anyone who we feel is working against the government of Iraq," he said.
"We will keep at this until the people feel safe in their neighborhoods," Odierno added.
U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell told Al-Arabiya television that forces "will increase our operations in the coming days," but noted that the security crackdown in the capital should continue until at least October.
Bombings continued to hit across central Baghdad on Tuesday.
At the popular Kabab Abu Ali restaurant, a bomb left in a plastic bag exploded during the busy lunch hours, killing at least three people and injuring 13. About the same time, a suicide bomber struck an area filled with restaurants and ice cream parlors. At least five people were killed and 13 injured, police said.
Earlier, a bomb-rigged car exploded in a parking lot, killing at least two people, police said.
Battles and violence also raged in other parts of Iraq.
In the Wassit province, southeast of Baghdad, Iraqi forces engaged in intense fighting with suspected Sunni insurgents along a key highway, police said. Near the northern city of Mosul, a suicide bomber struck a factory, killing at least four people.
A separate suicide car bombing in Mosul killed at least six policemen and injured 38 police and civilians, said police said police Col. Aidan al-Jubouri.
Iraqi authorities, meanwhile, have arrested a suspect in the attempted assassination of Shiite Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi, an aide said.
The aide said the arrest was made after reviewing security camera video from Monday's blast, which ripped through an awards ceremony at the ministry of public works and killed at least 10 people. Abdul-Mahdi received leg injuries and was briefly hospitalized.
The aide declined to give any further details about the arrest or the suspect. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.
The bomb was planted under a chair in the first row of the meeting hall — about six feet from the vice president, the aide said. Police initially thought the bomb was hidden under a speakers' podium.
"Investigations are being done to figure out how the attack was planned," Abdul-Mahdi told Furat television. Abdul-Mahdi is one of two vice presidents. The other, Tariq al-Hashemi, is Sunni.
Iraq's president, Jalal Talabani, remained in a Jordan hospital.
Talabani, from Iraq's Kurdish north, was taken to Amman after falling unconscious Sunday. He regained consciousness and his aides blamed the episode on fatigue and exhaustion.
His private physician, Dr. Yedkar Hikmat, would give no timetable on his discharge, saying only that rumors Talabani had heart problems were "categorically wrong."
In the southern Qadisiya province, meanwhile, Iraqi security forces said they captured 157 suspects linked to a shadowy armed cell called the Soldiers of Heaven, or Jund al-Samaa.
The group was involved in a fierce gunbattle last month with Iraqi forces who accused it of planning to kill Shiite clerics and others in the belief it would hasten the return of the "Hidden Imam" — a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad who disappeared as a child in the 9th century. Shiites believe he will return one day to bring justice.
BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. and Iraqi forces staged raids in Baghdad's main Shiite militant stronghold Tuesday as part of politically sensitive forays into areas loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Troops have held back on broad sweeps through the teeming Sadr City slums since a major security operation began earlier this month, targeting militant factions and sectarian death squads that have ruled Baghdad's streets.
Al-Sadr withdrew his powerful Mahdi Army militia from checkpoints and bases under intense government pressure to let the neighbor-by-neighbor security sweeps move ahead. But Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and others have opposed extensive U.S.-led patrols through Sadr City, fearing a violent backlash could derail the security effort.
The pre-dawn raids appeared to highlight a strategy of pinpoint strikes in Sadr City rather than the flood of soldiers sent into some Sunni districts.
At least 16 people were arrested after U.S.-Iraqi commandos — using concussion grenades — stormed six homes, police said.
"My sons and wife were very terrified," complained Muhand Mihbas, 30, who said his brother and six cousins were taken in the sweeps. "Does the security plan mean arresting innocent people and scaring civilians at night?"
At a news conference, the Pentagon's No. 2 commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, declined to comment on whether there were special tactics for Sadr City. "We will go after anyone who we feel is working against the government of Iraq," he said.
"We will keep at this until the people feel safe in their neighborhoods," Odierno added.
U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell told Al-Arabiya television that forces "will increase our operations in the coming days," but noted that the security crackdown in the capital should continue until at least October.
Bombings continued to hit across central Baghdad on Tuesday.
At the popular Kabab Abu Ali restaurant, a bomb left in a plastic bag exploded during the busy lunch hours, killing at least three people and injuring 13. About the same time, a suicide bomber struck an area filled with restaurants and ice cream parlors. At least five people were killed and 13 injured, police said.
Earlier, a bomb-rigged car exploded in a parking lot, killing at least two people, police said.
Battles and violence also raged in other parts of Iraq.
In the Wassit province, southeast of Baghdad, Iraqi forces engaged in intense fighting with suspected Sunni insurgents along a key highway, police said. Near the northern city of Mosul, a suicide bomber struck a factory, killing at least four people.
A separate suicide car bombing in Mosul killed at least six policemen and injured 38 police and civilians, said police said police Col. Aidan al-Jubouri.
Iraqi authorities, meanwhile, have arrested a suspect in the attempted assassination of Shiite Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi, an aide said.
The aide said the arrest was made after reviewing security camera video from Monday's blast, which ripped through an awards ceremony at the ministry of public works and killed at least 10 people. Abdul-Mahdi received leg injuries and was briefly hospitalized.
The aide declined to give any further details about the arrest or the suspect. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.
The bomb was planted under a chair in the first row of the meeting hall — about six feet from the vice president, the aide said. Police initially thought the bomb was hidden under a speakers' podium.
"Investigations are being done to figure out how the attack was planned," Abdul-Mahdi told Furat television. Abdul-Mahdi is one of two vice presidents. The other, Tariq al-Hashemi, is Sunni.
Iraq's president, Jalal Talabani, remained in a Jordan hospital.
Talabani, from Iraq's Kurdish north, was taken to Amman after falling unconscious Sunday. He regained consciousness and his aides blamed the episode on fatigue and exhaustion.
His private physician, Dr. Yedkar Hikmat, would give no timetable on his discharge, saying only that rumors Talabani had heart problems were "categorically wrong."
In the southern Qadisiya province, meanwhile, Iraqi security forces said they captured 157 suspects linked to a shadowy armed cell called the Soldiers of Heaven, or Jund al-Samaa.
The group was involved in a fierce gunbattle last month with Iraqi forces who accused it of planning to kill Shiite clerics and others in the belief it would hasten the return of the "Hidden Imam" — a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad who disappeared as a child in the 9th century. Shiites believe he will return one day to bring justice.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection
It will be March 24th and 25th from 10am till 3pm each day, at the Fairgrounds. Items accepted include:
Oil
Antifreeze
Pesticides
Batteries
Household Cleaners
Smoke Alarms
Bullets (50 caliber and smaller)
Acids and Caustics
Flammable household liquids
Special Paints (oil-based, aerosol & hobby paints)
Which, of course, begs the PAINFULLY obvious question: What do we do with the really BIG bullets?
Oil
Antifreeze
Pesticides
Batteries
Household Cleaners
Smoke Alarms
Bullets (50 caliber and smaller)
Acids and Caustics
Flammable household liquids
Special Paints (oil-based, aerosol & hobby paints)
Which, of course, begs the PAINFULLY obvious question: What do we do with the really BIG bullets?
Bates BUMPED
Sometime in the recent last week, Tulsa County Repugs held some sort of convention to decide on a unifying platform. It turns out a much debated item got the BIG bump, annexation. Bates, of course, is the big hot shot citizen supporting the City's effort to add their sales tax at the Fairgrounds.
Of course, Glenpool had to throw a wrench into the proceedings by offering up some rural property, without municipal tax. Boy howdy, this really put the damper on what WAS a sure thing.
Dan Hicks argues that annexation goes against the Repug conservative platform. It's nothing but a tax increase, says GENIUS Dan. Bates, I guess you can't really pick and choose which conservative values you want, if you wanna toe the party line, right? It's either all or nothing.
Bates is kinda a fish outta water in the crappy town. First of all, the man's a GENIUS, certifiable. MIT grad, software engineer, etc etc etc. The Right Stuff. He's all for the Repug's conservative social values, such as anti-abortion, religion in the classroom, and anti-happy camper rights. But, he's outta line with some very intelligent urban planning proposals, annexation, and other socialist commie initiatives normally common in such places as Boston, San Francisco, and Portland.
I really don't know what to really make of the local Repugs repudiating annexation. But, I imagine Bates got BUMPED, the wallet for his political capital is just a bit thinner. Just goes to show ya, NO geniuses allowed in this crap ass town.
Of course, Glenpool had to throw a wrench into the proceedings by offering up some rural property, without municipal tax. Boy howdy, this really put the damper on what WAS a sure thing.
Dan Hicks argues that annexation goes against the Repug conservative platform. It's nothing but a tax increase, says GENIUS Dan. Bates, I guess you can't really pick and choose which conservative values you want, if you wanna toe the party line, right? It's either all or nothing.
Bates is kinda a fish outta water in the crappy town. First of all, the man's a GENIUS, certifiable. MIT grad, software engineer, etc etc etc. The Right Stuff. He's all for the Repug's conservative social values, such as anti-abortion, religion in the classroom, and anti-happy camper rights. But, he's outta line with some very intelligent urban planning proposals, annexation, and other socialist commie initiatives normally common in such places as Boston, San Francisco, and Portland.
I really don't know what to really make of the local Repugs repudiating annexation. But, I imagine Bates got BUMPED, the wallet for his political capital is just a bit thinner. Just goes to show ya, NO geniuses allowed in this crap ass town.
Loopholes Loopholes Loopholes
TPD Officer Craig Murray: "You must be over 21 to go into a bar, but you only have to be 18 to serve alcohol in a bar."
VA to black people: My bad
By LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writer 6 minutes ago
RICHMOND, Va. - Meeting on the grounds of the former Confederate Capitol, the Virginia General Assembly voted unanimously Saturday to express "profound regret" for the state's role in slavery.
The resolution passed the House 96-0 and cleared the 40-member Senate on a unanimous voice vote. It does not require Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's approval.
The measure also expressed regret for "the exploitation of Native Americans."
The resolution was introduced as Virginia begins its celebration of the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, where the first Africans arrived in 1619. Richmond, home to a popular boulevard lined with statues of Confederate heroes, later became another point of arrival for Africans and a slave-trade hub.
The resolution says government-sanctioned slavery "ranks as the most horrendous of all depredations of human rights and violations of our founding ideals in our nation's history, and the abolition of slavery was followed by systematic discrimination, enforced segregation, and other insidious institutions and practices toward Americans of African descent that were rooted in racism, racial bias, and racial misunderstanding."
RICHMOND, Va. - Meeting on the grounds of the former Confederate Capitol, the Virginia General Assembly voted unanimously Saturday to express "profound regret" for the state's role in slavery.
The resolution passed the House 96-0 and cleared the 40-member Senate on a unanimous voice vote. It does not require Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's approval.
The measure also expressed regret for "the exploitation of Native Americans."
The resolution was introduced as Virginia begins its celebration of the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, where the first Africans arrived in 1619. Richmond, home to a popular boulevard lined with statues of Confederate heroes, later became another point of arrival for Africans and a slave-trade hub.
The resolution says government-sanctioned slavery "ranks as the most horrendous of all depredations of human rights and violations of our founding ideals in our nation's history, and the abolition of slavery was followed by systematic discrimination, enforced segregation, and other insidious institutions and practices toward Americans of African descent that were rooted in racism, racial bias, and racial misunderstanding."
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Mommy to Chief wannabes: You SUCK
"I appreciate these three internal candidates, Deputy Chief Bill Wells, Maj. Rob Turner and Maj. Paul Williams, stepping forward to offer their service in this capacity," Taylor said Friday in a prepared statement.
"But our city is faced with serious issues regarding public safety and these issues demand new and innovative solutions," she said. "After listening to hours of input and reviewing hundreds of e-mails from Tulsa citizens, I must seek the person who will bring needed systematic change to the department."
"Frankly, those three people are all on the force today and we have significant crime issues," Taylor said. "So, we need an outside look. We need innovation."
"But our city is faced with serious issues regarding public safety and these issues demand new and innovative solutions," she said. "After listening to hours of input and reviewing hundreds of e-mails from Tulsa citizens, I must seek the person who will bring needed systematic change to the department."
"Frankly, those three people are all on the force today and we have significant crime issues," Taylor said. "So, we need an outside look. We need innovation."
Iraqi civilian death toll? No BIG deal.
By NANCY BENAC, Associated Press Writer 1 minute ago
WASHINGTON - Americans are keenly aware of how many U.S. forces have lost their lives in Iraq, according to a new AP-Ipsos poll. But they woefully underestimate the number of Iraqi civilians who have been killed.
Iraqi civilian deaths are estimated at more than 54,000 and could be much higher; some unofficial estimates range into the hundreds of thousands. The U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq reports more than 34,000 deaths in 2006 alone.
Among those polled for the AP survey, however, the median estimate of Iraqi deaths was 9,890. The median is the point at which half the estimates were higher and half lower.
Christopher Gelpi, a Duke University political scientist who tracks public opinion on war casualties, said a better understanding of the Iraqi death toll probably wouldn't change already negative public attitudes toward the war much. People in democracies generally don't shy away from inflicting civilian casualties, he said, and they may be even more tolerant of them in situations such as Iraq, where many of the civilian deaths are caused by other Iraqis.
"You have to look at who's doing the killing," said Neal Crawford, a restaurant manager in Suttons Bay, Mich., who guessed that about 10,000 Iraqis had been killed. "If these people are dying because a roadside bomb goes off or if there's an insurgent attack in a marketplace, it's an unfortunate circumstance of war — people die."
WASHINGTON - Americans are keenly aware of how many U.S. forces have lost their lives in Iraq, according to a new AP-Ipsos poll. But they woefully underestimate the number of Iraqi civilians who have been killed.
Iraqi civilian deaths are estimated at more than 54,000 and could be much higher; some unofficial estimates range into the hundreds of thousands. The U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq reports more than 34,000 deaths in 2006 alone.
Among those polled for the AP survey, however, the median estimate of Iraqi deaths was 9,890. The median is the point at which half the estimates were higher and half lower.
Christopher Gelpi, a Duke University political scientist who tracks public opinion on war casualties, said a better understanding of the Iraqi death toll probably wouldn't change already negative public attitudes toward the war much. People in democracies generally don't shy away from inflicting civilian casualties, he said, and they may be even more tolerant of them in situations such as Iraq, where many of the civilian deaths are caused by other Iraqis.
"You have to look at who's doing the killing," said Neal Crawford, a restaurant manager in Suttons Bay, Mich., who guessed that about 10,000 Iraqis had been killed. "If these people are dying because a roadside bomb goes off or if there's an insurgent attack in a marketplace, it's an unfortunate circumstance of war — people die."
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Heard it here first
Heard it on the street, literally: Brett Swab will be running for DA again.
UPDATE: 3 March---Heard at the TPD Awards Banquet: So, now DA Tim thinks Santa DISSED him by rolling TIM 4 DA sign during the last campaign. Yo, brothaa! What the HELL was Santa suppose to say to the driver, Swab's KID, of a BIG 1,500 lbs. SUV, rolling fast, and FURIOUS, up his SIX?
If the citizens were pissed at the "TIM 4 DA" sign, rolling in traffic, "impeding," it's NOT your fault. NOT Santa's fault. It's THEIR fault. And, EVEN if Santa was trying to diss you, guess what, GENIUS? It TOTALLY back-fired. YOU won, right?
With quick thinking on the saddle, Santa not only managed to diffuse the tense situation. Santa SCAMMED $5 from the bad boy, rolling on concrete, laughing his friggin' ass OFF!
Boy howdy, talk 'bout looking at the gift horse in da MOUTH. HOW RUDE. NO X-Mas prez for you!
UPDATE: 3 March---Heard at the TPD Awards Banquet: So, now DA Tim thinks Santa DISSED him by rolling TIM 4 DA sign during the last campaign. Yo, brothaa! What the HELL was Santa suppose to say to the driver, Swab's KID, of a BIG 1,500 lbs. SUV, rolling fast, and FURIOUS, up his SIX?
If the citizens were pissed at the "TIM 4 DA" sign, rolling in traffic, "impeding," it's NOT your fault. NOT Santa's fault. It's THEIR fault. And, EVEN if Santa was trying to diss you, guess what, GENIUS? It TOTALLY back-fired. YOU won, right?
With quick thinking on the saddle, Santa not only managed to diffuse the tense situation. Santa SCAMMED $5 from the bad boy, rolling on concrete, laughing his friggin' ass OFF!
Boy howdy, talk 'bout looking at the gift horse in da MOUTH. HOW RUDE. NO X-Mas prez for you!
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Snakes on the plane. Dopers in the peleton.
I want to predict cycling as a major pro sport tanks by July '08. But, it will go on, as long as sponsors are willing to pay some guy to go off the front on a TdF stage for the gratuitous photo opp, and we are all willing to watch.
It is as if we WANT to be the the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed NAIVE kid, suspending reality for a few brief moments to marvel at the off-the-back underdog have a REALLY great day, go off the front, and totally DESTROY the field. And, when the news comes out that the man got busted for elevated levels of something prohibited by the rules, we act SO surprised. Yeah, right. GET REAL, people.
I don't have the EASY answers for doping in pro sports. It happens in EVERY sport. Football, baseball, hockey, whatever, you name it. Dope is in the locker rooms, the team bus, and the hotel rooms, like cute groupies willing to fling their bras and panties at the stars. So, why the hypocricy? Why fight it?
Bike racing at ANY level is risky business. Instant death can occur while careening down the side of an 11% grade for X number of miles. Similarly, death by testicular cancer, caused by performance-enhancing drug use, can occur to the BIG shot pro who risked EVERYTHING to make seven-time Tour d'France history. So, why are we so ready to accept the death by crash, NOT the death by testicle cancer?
But, in the end, no matter what happens to individual dopers caught after any given race, Amstel Gold, Fleche Wallone, you name it, NO way you can beat watching some 200 guys in flashy spandex rolling past holsteins, wheat in the wind, and the cobbles of the French countryside, never mind while sipping red wine on the Italian Riveria.
VIVE Le Tour! VIVE Le Biceccleta!
It is as if we WANT to be the the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed NAIVE kid, suspending reality for a few brief moments to marvel at the off-the-back underdog have a REALLY great day, go off the front, and totally DESTROY the field. And, when the news comes out that the man got busted for elevated levels of something prohibited by the rules, we act SO surprised. Yeah, right. GET REAL, people.
I don't have the EASY answers for doping in pro sports. It happens in EVERY sport. Football, baseball, hockey, whatever, you name it. Dope is in the locker rooms, the team bus, and the hotel rooms, like cute groupies willing to fling their bras and panties at the stars. So, why the hypocricy? Why fight it?
Bike racing at ANY level is risky business. Instant death can occur while careening down the side of an 11% grade for X number of miles. Similarly, death by testicular cancer, caused by performance-enhancing drug use, can occur to the BIG shot pro who risked EVERYTHING to make seven-time Tour d'France history. So, why are we so ready to accept the death by crash, NOT the death by testicle cancer?
But, in the end, no matter what happens to individual dopers caught after any given race, Amstel Gold, Fleche Wallone, you name it, NO way you can beat watching some 200 guys in flashy spandex rolling past holsteins, wheat in the wind, and the cobbles of the French countryside, never mind while sipping red wine on the Italian Riveria.
VIVE Le Tour! VIVE Le Biceccleta!
Santa Bait
Bixby wants crooks to see video cameras
By SUSAN HYLTON World Staff Writer
2/17/2007
BIXBY -- This suburban community leads the pack among area cities that use video cameras to deter crime in public places.
The city has had cameras in place at major intersections along Memorial Drive for two years. And now it has used an $85,000 Vision 2025 allocation for neighborhoods to install surveillance cameras in its parks.
"We want them to know they're there," Police Chief Anthony Stephens said. "We hope that citizens will feel a little safer, too. We can't always have an officer here all the time."
Cameras have been placed in Washington Irving Memorial Park and Arboretum, Charley Young Park and the new Bentley Park Sports Complex.
The cameras are discreet and could be mistaken for a light pole. But large signs are posted nearby to let people know they are under surveillance.
Stephens said he doesn't think the cameras are too intrusive.
"I believe we're using it more for a deterrent," he said.
Video from the cameras will be captured via closed-circuit television at the police station. No one will monitor the images all the time, but the video will be archived for 45 days in the event police need to review it.
City Manager Micky Webb said the park cameras will help deter vandalism and protect the city's new park facilities.
Thousands of dollars were spent on the restrooms and amphitheater in Washington Irving Park. More than $4 million is being spent for renovations at the Bentley Sports Complex.
Stephens said park restrooms have been destroyed in the past, and repairs are costly.
He said his department would not be as effective without the cameras. "It's like having another police officer 24 hours a day."
Direct Communications of Tulsa is installing the system. Company President Steve Vandervort said camera sales have doubled in the past three years.
His company has 300 cameras at Bixby Public Schools and more than 600 cameras in Jenks' school system.
"It's a real deterrent," he said, noting that people are more aware of their actions when they know cameras are on.
Legislation to use the cameras at intersections to write tickets for red-light runners has not caught on, but officials believe the cameras are preventing other crimes.
It would be impossible for a fleeing robbery suspect to enter or exit Bixby without being captured on video, Webb said.
"The bad guys, I'm confident, know we have it," he said.
Having an extra set of eyes at the intersections has been a great help in accident investigations, Stephens said.
The cameras' videos have been used as evidence for probable cause against larceny suspects and in a domestic violence case when the suspect left his residence. There also is some degree of comfort in Bixby that authorities will be more prepared for an Amber Alert.
Tulsa traffic safety coordinator Craig Murray said Tulsa has real-time video cameras at some intersections, but they are not for law enforcement. The cameras are designed to monitor traffic flow so that the timing sequence of traffic lights can be adjusted.
But if officials ever do have the ability to use them to write tickets, Murray said, the foot is in the door, technology-wise.
"It's just taking it a step further," he said.
Glenpool City Manager John Rogers said officials there plan to support the use of cameras in parks in the near future.
"It's a safety issue really," he said.
By SUSAN HYLTON World Staff Writer
2/17/2007
BIXBY -- This suburban community leads the pack among area cities that use video cameras to deter crime in public places.
The city has had cameras in place at major intersections along Memorial Drive for two years. And now it has used an $85,000 Vision 2025 allocation for neighborhoods to install surveillance cameras in its parks.
"We want them to know they're there," Police Chief Anthony Stephens said. "We hope that citizens will feel a little safer, too. We can't always have an officer here all the time."
Cameras have been placed in Washington Irving Memorial Park and Arboretum, Charley Young Park and the new Bentley Park Sports Complex.
The cameras are discreet and could be mistaken for a light pole. But large signs are posted nearby to let people know they are under surveillance.
Stephens said he doesn't think the cameras are too intrusive.
"I believe we're using it more for a deterrent," he said.
Video from the cameras will be captured via closed-circuit television at the police station. No one will monitor the images all the time, but the video will be archived for 45 days in the event police need to review it.
City Manager Micky Webb said the park cameras will help deter vandalism and protect the city's new park facilities.
Thousands of dollars were spent on the restrooms and amphitheater in Washington Irving Park. More than $4 million is being spent for renovations at the Bentley Sports Complex.
Stephens said park restrooms have been destroyed in the past, and repairs are costly.
He said his department would not be as effective without the cameras. "It's like having another police officer 24 hours a day."
Direct Communications of Tulsa is installing the system. Company President Steve Vandervort said camera sales have doubled in the past three years.
His company has 300 cameras at Bixby Public Schools and more than 600 cameras in Jenks' school system.
"It's a real deterrent," he said, noting that people are more aware of their actions when they know cameras are on.
Legislation to use the cameras at intersections to write tickets for red-light runners has not caught on, but officials believe the cameras are preventing other crimes.
It would be impossible for a fleeing robbery suspect to enter or exit Bixby without being captured on video, Webb said.
"The bad guys, I'm confident, know we have it," he said.
Having an extra set of eyes at the intersections has been a great help in accident investigations, Stephens said.
The cameras' videos have been used as evidence for probable cause against larceny suspects and in a domestic violence case when the suspect left his residence. There also is some degree of comfort in Bixby that authorities will be more prepared for an Amber Alert.
Tulsa traffic safety coordinator Craig Murray said Tulsa has real-time video cameras at some intersections, but they are not for law enforcement. The cameras are designed to monitor traffic flow so that the timing sequence of traffic lights can be adjusted.
But if officials ever do have the ability to use them to write tickets, Murray said, the foot is in the door, technology-wise.
"It's just taking it a step further," he said.
Glenpool City Manager John Rogers said officials there plan to support the use of cameras in parks in the near future.
"It's a safety issue really," he said.
Santa Live!
Upon the off-record suggestion of Tulsa Municipal Court, aka traffic court, Judge Gerald Hofmeister to consider another venue for bicycle advocacy, Santa will be performing a medley of stand-up sketches, song, and dance at the Looney Bin, 68th and Memorial, Wednesday nights, at 7:30 p.m.
It's really the only joint in this crap-ass town that'll have him. All Santa asks is the patrons be open-minded, courteous, and LAUGH, a lot. In return, he will TRY to keep it as clean as possible for those easily offended and underaged skool girls who managed to sneak in. You know who you are.
Please, DON'T throw anything, unless it's a 20 dollar bill, if you are male, or your undershorts, if you are female. No doubt there will be a number of undercover, off-duty law enforcement personnel in attendence to insure Santa doesn't OUTRAGE public decency or incite rioting when he sings NAKED 4 $1. If successful, Santa will semi-RETIRE and STAY off Memorial during rush. Riverside still FAIR game!
It's really the only joint in this crap-ass town that'll have him. All Santa asks is the patrons be open-minded, courteous, and LAUGH, a lot. In return, he will TRY to keep it as clean as possible for those easily offended and underaged skool girls who managed to sneak in. You know who you are.
Please, DON'T throw anything, unless it's a 20 dollar bill, if you are male, or your undershorts, if you are female. No doubt there will be a number of undercover, off-duty law enforcement personnel in attendence to insure Santa doesn't OUTRAGE public decency or incite rioting when he sings NAKED 4 $1. If successful, Santa will semi-RETIRE and STAY off Memorial during rush. Riverside still FAIR game!
Friday, February 16, 2007
Diem Bien Phu: REDUX
A rare diss of George's Surge is expected to pass this afternoon in the House. It will make it IMPOSSIBLE to 'win,' while leaving guys in-country, making a MOCKERY of bravery, and in HARM's way. Sign your life away on the dotted line, boys and girls.
"This country needs a dramatic change of course in Iraq and it is the responsibility of this Congress to consummate that change," said Rep. John Murtha, former Vietnam Marine, who chairs the House panel that oversees military spending.
Murtha, D-Pa., is preparing legislation that would set strict conditions on combat deployments, including a year rest between combat tours; ultimately, the congressman says, his measure would make it impossible for Bush to maintain his planned deployment of a total of about 160,000 troops for months on end.
Murtha's proposal also might block the funding of military operations inside Iran — a measure intended to send a signal to Bush that he will need Congress' blessing if he is planning another war.
"The president could veto it, but then he wouldn't have any money," Murtha told an anti-war group in an interview broadcast on movecongress.org.
"This country needs a dramatic change of course in Iraq and it is the responsibility of this Congress to consummate that change," said Rep. John Murtha, former Vietnam Marine, who chairs the House panel that oversees military spending.
Murtha, D-Pa., is preparing legislation that would set strict conditions on combat deployments, including a year rest between combat tours; ultimately, the congressman says, his measure would make it impossible for Bush to maintain his planned deployment of a total of about 160,000 troops for months on end.
Murtha's proposal also might block the funding of military operations inside Iran — a measure intended to send a signal to Bush that he will need Congress' blessing if he is planning another war.
"The president could veto it, but then he wouldn't have any money," Murtha told an anti-war group in an interview broadcast on movecongress.org.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Hey, there, big guy, having a few drinks?
SANTA FE, N.M. - New Mexico is taking its fight against drunken driving to men's restrooms around the state. The state has ordered 500 talking urinal cakes that will deliver a recorded anti-DWI message to bar and restaurant patrons who make one last pit stop before getting behind the wheel.
"Hey there, big guy. Having a few drinks?" a female voice says a few seconds after an approaching male sets off a motion sensor in the device. "It's time to call a cab or ask a sober friend for a ride home."
Transportation Department spokesman S.U. Mahesh said the urinal cakes are a way to reach one group that's a target of state safety campaigns. Men commit about three times as many drunken-driving infractions as women.
"Hey there, big guy. Having a few drinks?" a female voice says a few seconds after an approaching male sets off a motion sensor in the device. "It's time to call a cab or ask a sober friend for a ride home."
Transportation Department spokesman S.U. Mahesh said the urinal cakes are a way to reach one group that's a target of state safety campaigns. Men commit about three times as many drunken-driving infractions as women.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Dying to vote
By ELLIOTT MINOR, Associated Press Writer Tue Feb 13, 7:09 AM ET
ALBANY, Ga. - Maceo Snipes served in the Pacific during World War II and returned home to make history: He became the first black person to vote in Taylor County.
But a day after casting his ballot, he was mortally wounded.
"I want somebody held accountable for killing my uncle," said Lulu Montfort, 73, who was 13 when her cousin was killed. "They're probably all dead now, but people need to know that my uncle didn't do anything to deserve death."
After the murder, frightened family members loaded her and her brothers and sisters into the rear of a pickup truck, covered them with a tarpaulin and whisked them away 45 miles to Macon, where some caught a train to Ohio, she said.
"Every person in the state of Georgia needs to know that somebody died for that right to vote — a right we take for granted," she said.
Relatives say the 37-year-old was shot in the back by four white men in 1946 and collapsed in the doorway of his farm house about 90 miles south of Atlanta. He died two days later.
Even though his death certificate lists his cause of death as "gunshot wound by homicide," there's no evidence of a criminal investigation into the killing and no one was arrested.
Now, two civil rights groups are pushing to have the 60-year-old unsolved killing investigated.
State NAACP officials and the Prison & Jail Project, a prison advocacy and civil rights group, plan to present their request for a federal probe to the Taylor County Commission on Tuesday and ask the commissioners to support the effort before mailing their written request to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
"What better way for the county commission to show their support for justice than by joining this initiative," said NAACP President Edward DuBose of nearby Columbus, himself a 21-year Army veteran.
Snipes was shot on July 18, 1946, a day after he voted in the Georgia Democratic Primary. He died on July 20. Fearful relatives buried him at night in an unmarked grave before some family members fled the county, relocating as far north as Ohio. Survivors say they still don't know the location of Snipes' grave.
"It wrecked our family for a long time," said the dead man's 66-year-old cousin, Felix Snipes, who was 6 at the time. "The older generation still doesn't want to talk about it."
The killing was overshadowed by the lynchings five days later of two black couples — also including a WWII veteran — some 90 miles away near Monroe that prompted President Harry Truman to dispatch the FBI to investigate that case, which also remains unsolved.
John Cole Vodicka, head of the Prison & Jail Project, said he has studied the Snipes case and interviewed older residents about the crime. He's convinced that Snipes was killed for simply voting.
"He managed to escape being hurt or killed ... fighting for his country, but when he came home and dared to exercise a right that he had fought to defend, he was killed by citizens of his own country," Vodicka said.
It was rumored that Snipes pulled a knife on his attackers, an allegation his relatives deny.
"One of the real tragedies of this case, in addition to a man being killed because of his skin color, is that the victim is falsely accused of doing something to bring on his demise," Vodicka said.
"As far as we know, all the suspects that were involved are dead," he added. "But we want the truth of what happened. That simply means we want those responsible for his murder named, and we want Maceo Snipes' name cleared."
A coroner's inquest was conducted to determine the cause of Snipes' death, but the case was never presented to a grand jury or a prosecutor, Vodicka said.
Gary Lowe, the county's current coroner, said he had never heard of the Snipes case and that the sheriff and coroner who served at that time had both died.
The current prosecutor, District Attorney Gray Conger of Columbus and Taylor County Sheriff Jeff Watson were away from their offices Monday and not available for comment. A secretary in the sheriff's office said it's unlikely they still have investigative reports from the 1940s.
The county's five commissioners, which include two black members, also were not available for comment Tuesday.
ALBANY, Ga. - Maceo Snipes served in the Pacific during World War II and returned home to make history: He became the first black person to vote in Taylor County.
But a day after casting his ballot, he was mortally wounded.
"I want somebody held accountable for killing my uncle," said Lulu Montfort, 73, who was 13 when her cousin was killed. "They're probably all dead now, but people need to know that my uncle didn't do anything to deserve death."
After the murder, frightened family members loaded her and her brothers and sisters into the rear of a pickup truck, covered them with a tarpaulin and whisked them away 45 miles to Macon, where some caught a train to Ohio, she said.
"Every person in the state of Georgia needs to know that somebody died for that right to vote — a right we take for granted," she said.
Relatives say the 37-year-old was shot in the back by four white men in 1946 and collapsed in the doorway of his farm house about 90 miles south of Atlanta. He died two days later.
Even though his death certificate lists his cause of death as "gunshot wound by homicide," there's no evidence of a criminal investigation into the killing and no one was arrested.
Now, two civil rights groups are pushing to have the 60-year-old unsolved killing investigated.
State NAACP officials and the Prison & Jail Project, a prison advocacy and civil rights group, plan to present their request for a federal probe to the Taylor County Commission on Tuesday and ask the commissioners to support the effort before mailing their written request to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
"What better way for the county commission to show their support for justice than by joining this initiative," said NAACP President Edward DuBose of nearby Columbus, himself a 21-year Army veteran.
Snipes was shot on July 18, 1946, a day after he voted in the Georgia Democratic Primary. He died on July 20. Fearful relatives buried him at night in an unmarked grave before some family members fled the county, relocating as far north as Ohio. Survivors say they still don't know the location of Snipes' grave.
"It wrecked our family for a long time," said the dead man's 66-year-old cousin, Felix Snipes, who was 6 at the time. "The older generation still doesn't want to talk about it."
The killing was overshadowed by the lynchings five days later of two black couples — also including a WWII veteran — some 90 miles away near Monroe that prompted President Harry Truman to dispatch the FBI to investigate that case, which also remains unsolved.
John Cole Vodicka, head of the Prison & Jail Project, said he has studied the Snipes case and interviewed older residents about the crime. He's convinced that Snipes was killed for simply voting.
"He managed to escape being hurt or killed ... fighting for his country, but when he came home and dared to exercise a right that he had fought to defend, he was killed by citizens of his own country," Vodicka said.
It was rumored that Snipes pulled a knife on his attackers, an allegation his relatives deny.
"One of the real tragedies of this case, in addition to a man being killed because of his skin color, is that the victim is falsely accused of doing something to bring on his demise," Vodicka said.
"As far as we know, all the suspects that were involved are dead," he added. "But we want the truth of what happened. That simply means we want those responsible for his murder named, and we want Maceo Snipes' name cleared."
A coroner's inquest was conducted to determine the cause of Snipes' death, but the case was never presented to a grand jury or a prosecutor, Vodicka said.
Gary Lowe, the county's current coroner, said he had never heard of the Snipes case and that the sheriff and coroner who served at that time had both died.
The current prosecutor, District Attorney Gray Conger of Columbus and Taylor County Sheriff Jeff Watson were away from their offices Monday and not available for comment. A secretary in the sheriff's office said it's unlikely they still have investigative reports from the 1940s.
The county's five commissioners, which include two black members, also were not available for comment Tuesday.
Monday, February 12, 2007
DC Not So Confidential
By Linda Feldmann, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor Mon Feb 12, 3:00 AM ET
WASHINGTON - The trial of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, now at a pause point as the defense prepares to mount its case, is about many things.
Literally, the trial is about whether Vice President Cheney's ex-chief of staff committed perjury and obstruction of justice during a federal investigation into the exposure of a CIA agent's identity. After 11 days of prosecution testimony, some of which appeared damaging to Mr. Libby, the task of the defense team is to sow reasonable doubt in the minds of jurors.
But what has captured the fascination of the press and observers of the Bush administration is how this case has pulled back the curtain on the inner workings of a White House known for being secretive and on the ways of elite Washington - much of it less than flattering. And even if the perjury trial of a former aide may seem to be a sideshow to the weightier issues of the day, the context of the Libby trial remains central: the runup to the Iraq war and its aftermath when the rationale for the war came under question.
"This trial stands for something much bigger than what it is," says Paul Rothstein, a law professor at Georgetown University. "In the public mind, it stands for, 'Was Bush lying about the war, and was he willing to destroy a woman's career to cover up a lie about the war?' Viewed that way, it's a big case. The case doesn't actually go that far, but that's how it will be read if Libby is convicted."
No one, including Libby, is on trial for revealing the identity of Valerie Plame, the woman in question, as a CIA operative. Her status became a point of interest inside the Bush administration when her husband, former US Ambassador Joseph Wilson, came out as a critic of the administration's use of intelligence in building its case for war. At issue in Libby's case is whether he lied in sworn testimony over how he learned Ms. Plame's identity.
The prosecution's final witness, Tim Russert, anchor of NBC's "Meet the Press," provided perhaps the most damaging testimony. Libby had asserted that he learned Plame's identity from Mr. Russert, but Russert denies that the topic ever came up in a phone conversation they had in July 2003. In cross-examination, Libby's chief defense lawyer tried to challenge Russert's memory and impugn his impartiality.
When the defense begins its case Monday, the first witnesses will be other journalists, who will be questioned with an eye toward casting doubt on the ability of prosecution witnesses to remember years-old conversations accurately.
At the heart of Libby's defense is the argument that, as a top White House aide with a full plate, he could not be expected to remember who told him what, when. After Libby stated under oath that he had learned Plame's identity from Russert, it has subsequently come out that he learned the information a month earlier from fellow officials.
The prosecution's argument is that Libby had fingered Russert to avoid implicating administration colleagues. Why Russert would then have not contradicted him is the next question. Perhaps, the reasoning goes, Libby assumed Russert would refuse to testify, in the tradition of journalists refusing to divulge in public the identity of sources and content of conversations with them.
During the days of testimony so far, the public has been treated to a rare behind-the-scenes look at life in the White House. Ari Fleischer, who was White House press secretary during the period in question and who received legal immunity for his testimony, described his dismay when it became clear that the president had made an unsupported statement in his State of the Union address: that Iraq was seeking to acquire uranium from Africa.
Cathie Martin, a former press aide to Mr. Cheney, also expressed frustration over her office's inability to correct a falsehood in the press - that it was Cheney's office that had sent Ambassador Wilson on a mission to Africa to check on the uranium allegation. And in an ironic moment, she laid out the options her office considered in trying to refute that allegation - including the possibility of leaking the information to select journalists.
Perhaps the most startling sign of backroom intrigue at the White House came in the opening arguments of the defense: that Libby was being hung out to dry to protect a more-prominent (read: valuable) White House figure, Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove.
How all this looks to the American people, a majority of whom already hold the Bush White House in low esteem, is an open question. But to some longtime observers of the ways of Washington, there's a danger that the public will come away with new disgust over how the press interacts with the White House, especially in the realm of "leaks."
"It must look sleazy and underhanded," says Stephen Hess, a Brookings Institution scholar. "It's hard but necessary to also tell them [the public] that an awful lot of important information gets conveyed this way."
WASHINGTON - The trial of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, now at a pause point as the defense prepares to mount its case, is about many things.
Literally, the trial is about whether Vice President Cheney's ex-chief of staff committed perjury and obstruction of justice during a federal investigation into the exposure of a CIA agent's identity. After 11 days of prosecution testimony, some of which appeared damaging to Mr. Libby, the task of the defense team is to sow reasonable doubt in the minds of jurors.
But what has captured the fascination of the press and observers of the Bush administration is how this case has pulled back the curtain on the inner workings of a White House known for being secretive and on the ways of elite Washington - much of it less than flattering. And even if the perjury trial of a former aide may seem to be a sideshow to the weightier issues of the day, the context of the Libby trial remains central: the runup to the Iraq war and its aftermath when the rationale for the war came under question.
"This trial stands for something much bigger than what it is," says Paul Rothstein, a law professor at Georgetown University. "In the public mind, it stands for, 'Was Bush lying about the war, and was he willing to destroy a woman's career to cover up a lie about the war?' Viewed that way, it's a big case. The case doesn't actually go that far, but that's how it will be read if Libby is convicted."
No one, including Libby, is on trial for revealing the identity of Valerie Plame, the woman in question, as a CIA operative. Her status became a point of interest inside the Bush administration when her husband, former US Ambassador Joseph Wilson, came out as a critic of the administration's use of intelligence in building its case for war. At issue in Libby's case is whether he lied in sworn testimony over how he learned Ms. Plame's identity.
The prosecution's final witness, Tim Russert, anchor of NBC's "Meet the Press," provided perhaps the most damaging testimony. Libby had asserted that he learned Plame's identity from Mr. Russert, but Russert denies that the topic ever came up in a phone conversation they had in July 2003. In cross-examination, Libby's chief defense lawyer tried to challenge Russert's memory and impugn his impartiality.
When the defense begins its case Monday, the first witnesses will be other journalists, who will be questioned with an eye toward casting doubt on the ability of prosecution witnesses to remember years-old conversations accurately.
At the heart of Libby's defense is the argument that, as a top White House aide with a full plate, he could not be expected to remember who told him what, when. After Libby stated under oath that he had learned Plame's identity from Russert, it has subsequently come out that he learned the information a month earlier from fellow officials.
The prosecution's argument is that Libby had fingered Russert to avoid implicating administration colleagues. Why Russert would then have not contradicted him is the next question. Perhaps, the reasoning goes, Libby assumed Russert would refuse to testify, in the tradition of journalists refusing to divulge in public the identity of sources and content of conversations with them.
During the days of testimony so far, the public has been treated to a rare behind-the-scenes look at life in the White House. Ari Fleischer, who was White House press secretary during the period in question and who received legal immunity for his testimony, described his dismay when it became clear that the president had made an unsupported statement in his State of the Union address: that Iraq was seeking to acquire uranium from Africa.
Cathie Martin, a former press aide to Mr. Cheney, also expressed frustration over her office's inability to correct a falsehood in the press - that it was Cheney's office that had sent Ambassador Wilson on a mission to Africa to check on the uranium allegation. And in an ironic moment, she laid out the options her office considered in trying to refute that allegation - including the possibility of leaking the information to select journalists.
Perhaps the most startling sign of backroom intrigue at the White House came in the opening arguments of the defense: that Libby was being hung out to dry to protect a more-prominent (read: valuable) White House figure, Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove.
How all this looks to the American people, a majority of whom already hold the Bush White House in low esteem, is an open question. But to some longtime observers of the ways of Washington, there's a danger that the public will come away with new disgust over how the press interacts with the White House, especially in the realm of "leaks."
"It must look sleazy and underhanded," says Stephen Hess, a Brookings Institution scholar. "It's hard but necessary to also tell them [the public] that an awful lot of important information gets conveyed this way."
Valentine's Day Massacre
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) -- It's probably the last thing most people think about when buying roses -- by the time the bright, velvety flowers reach your Valentine, they will have been sprayed, rinsed and dipped in a battery of potentially lethal chemicals.
Most of the toxic assault takes place in the waterlogged savannah surrounding the capital of Colombia, the world's second-largest cut-flower producer after the Netherlands. It produces 62 percent of all flowers sold in the United States.
With 110,000 employees -- many of them single mothers -- and annual exports of $1 billion, the industry provides an important alternative to growing coca, source crop of the Andean nation's better known illegal export: Cocaine. But these economic gains come at a cost to workers' health and Colombia's environment, according to consumer advocates.
The U.S. requires imported flowers to be bug-free, but unlike edible fruits and vegetables they are not tested for chemical residues.
The tropical climate that drew U.S. flower growers to Colombia and neighboring Ecuador is a haven for pests. So growers facing stiff competition from emerging flower industries in Africa and China apply pesticides and fungicides, some of which have been linked to elevated rates of cancer and neurological disorders and other problems.
Colombia's flower exporters association responded by launching Florverde, which has certified 86 of its 200 members for taking steps to improve worker safety and welfare. Florverde says its members have reduced pesticide use by 38 percent since 1998, to an average of 213 pounds of active ingredient per 2.4 acres per year.
"Every day we're making more progress," said Florverde director Juan Carlos Isaza. "The value of Florverde is that these best practices have now been standardized and are being adopted by the industry."
Nevertheless, 36 percent of the toxic chemicals applied by Florverde farms in 2005 were listed as extremely or highly toxic by the World Health Organization, Isaza acknowledged.
A survey of 84 farms between 2000 and 2002, partly financed by Asocolflores, the exporters' association, found only 16.7 percent respected pesticide manufacturer recommendations to prevent workers for 24 hours from re-entering greenhouses sprayed with the most toxic of pesticides.
Carmen Orjuela began suffering dizzy spells and repeated falls in 1997, while working at a flower farm outside Bogota. During the peak season before Valentine's Day, she said her employer forced workers to enter greenhouses only a half-hour after they had been fumigated.
"Those who refused were told they could leave -- that 20 people were outside waiting to take their job," said Orjuela, who quit in 2004.
Orjuela's employer, Flores de la Sabana, denied ever disregarding manufacturer-recommended re-entry times, but a 2005 toxicology study from Colombia's National University obtained by The Associated Press confirmed that Orjuela's illness was "directly related to an important exposure to potentially toxic chemical substances." A government arbiter finally ordered the company to pay her a pension equal to the $200 monthly minimum wage earned by most workers.
Government oversight is relatively strict in the United States -- in California, each flower farm's pesticide use is available for review on the Internet. But there are no reliable statistics about chemicals used by Colombia's 600-plus flower farms, in part because only a third belong to Asocolflores, which does keep good records.
Although the industry has made huge strides thanks to Florverde, accidents continue to happen.
On Nov. 25, 2003, some 200 workers at Flores Aposentos, outside Bogota, were hospitalized after fainting and developing sores inside their mouths. Authorities determined this mass poisoning could have been caused by any number of pesticide-handling violations, but fined the company just $5,770.
Causal links between chemicals and individual illnesses are hard to prove because chronic pesticide exposure has not been studied in enough detail. But the Harvard School of Public Health examined 72 children ages 7-8 in a flower-growing region of Ecuador whose mothers were exposed to pesticides during pregnancy and found they had developmental delays of up to four years on aptitude tests.
"Every time we look, we're finding out these pesticides are more dangerous than we ever thought before and more toxic at lower levels," said Philippe Grandjean, who led the Harvard study published last year.
Producers say they would love to go organic, especially given the high costs of pesticides. But their risks include infestations and stiff competition from emerging flower growers in Africa and China.
"The biggest hurdle to going organic is that once you're there you have to be prepared to lose your crop," said John Amaya, president of the Miami-based flower unit of Dole Food Co., Colombia's largest flower grower.
Still, U.S. consumers bought $16 million in organic flowers in 2005, and demand is growing by 50 percent a year, according to the Organic Trade Association.
That growth has been helped by VeriFlora, a certification and labeling program launched by U.S. consumers, growers and retailers including Whole Foods Market Inc. Some 32 farms in Colombia and Ecuador have earned the VeriFlora label, which requires a transition to organic production and unlike Florverde bans more than 100 chemicals outright.
"Unfortunately, existing programs have deficiencies that would not fly in the American marketplace," said Linda Brown, vice president of Scientific Certification Systems, which runs the VeriFlora program.
Gerald Prolman, CEO of San Francisco-based Organic Bouquet.com, counts on VeriFlora-certified growers for much of his supply.
"If producers want to distinguish their flowers from the glut of cheap, chemically produced ones in the world right now they need to ensure that their farms have fully incorporated socially and environmentally responsible practices that consumers demand and are willing to pay more for," he said.
Most of the toxic assault takes place in the waterlogged savannah surrounding the capital of Colombia, the world's second-largest cut-flower producer after the Netherlands. It produces 62 percent of all flowers sold in the United States.
With 110,000 employees -- many of them single mothers -- and annual exports of $1 billion, the industry provides an important alternative to growing coca, source crop of the Andean nation's better known illegal export: Cocaine. But these economic gains come at a cost to workers' health and Colombia's environment, according to consumer advocates.
The U.S. requires imported flowers to be bug-free, but unlike edible fruits and vegetables they are not tested for chemical residues.
The tropical climate that drew U.S. flower growers to Colombia and neighboring Ecuador is a haven for pests. So growers facing stiff competition from emerging flower industries in Africa and China apply pesticides and fungicides, some of which have been linked to elevated rates of cancer and neurological disorders and other problems.
Colombia's flower exporters association responded by launching Florverde, which has certified 86 of its 200 members for taking steps to improve worker safety and welfare. Florverde says its members have reduced pesticide use by 38 percent since 1998, to an average of 213 pounds of active ingredient per 2.4 acres per year.
"Every day we're making more progress," said Florverde director Juan Carlos Isaza. "The value of Florverde is that these best practices have now been standardized and are being adopted by the industry."
Nevertheless, 36 percent of the toxic chemicals applied by Florverde farms in 2005 were listed as extremely or highly toxic by the World Health Organization, Isaza acknowledged.
A survey of 84 farms between 2000 and 2002, partly financed by Asocolflores, the exporters' association, found only 16.7 percent respected pesticide manufacturer recommendations to prevent workers for 24 hours from re-entering greenhouses sprayed with the most toxic of pesticides.
Carmen Orjuela began suffering dizzy spells and repeated falls in 1997, while working at a flower farm outside Bogota. During the peak season before Valentine's Day, she said her employer forced workers to enter greenhouses only a half-hour after they had been fumigated.
"Those who refused were told they could leave -- that 20 people were outside waiting to take their job," said Orjuela, who quit in 2004.
Orjuela's employer, Flores de la Sabana, denied ever disregarding manufacturer-recommended re-entry times, but a 2005 toxicology study from Colombia's National University obtained by The Associated Press confirmed that Orjuela's illness was "directly related to an important exposure to potentially toxic chemical substances." A government arbiter finally ordered the company to pay her a pension equal to the $200 monthly minimum wage earned by most workers.
Government oversight is relatively strict in the United States -- in California, each flower farm's pesticide use is available for review on the Internet. But there are no reliable statistics about chemicals used by Colombia's 600-plus flower farms, in part because only a third belong to Asocolflores, which does keep good records.
Although the industry has made huge strides thanks to Florverde, accidents continue to happen.
On Nov. 25, 2003, some 200 workers at Flores Aposentos, outside Bogota, were hospitalized after fainting and developing sores inside their mouths. Authorities determined this mass poisoning could have been caused by any number of pesticide-handling violations, but fined the company just $5,770.
Causal links between chemicals and individual illnesses are hard to prove because chronic pesticide exposure has not been studied in enough detail. But the Harvard School of Public Health examined 72 children ages 7-8 in a flower-growing region of Ecuador whose mothers were exposed to pesticides during pregnancy and found they had developmental delays of up to four years on aptitude tests.
"Every time we look, we're finding out these pesticides are more dangerous than we ever thought before and more toxic at lower levels," said Philippe Grandjean, who led the Harvard study published last year.
Producers say they would love to go organic, especially given the high costs of pesticides. But their risks include infestations and stiff competition from emerging flower growers in Africa and China.
"The biggest hurdle to going organic is that once you're there you have to be prepared to lose your crop," said John Amaya, president of the Miami-based flower unit of Dole Food Co., Colombia's largest flower grower.
Still, U.S. consumers bought $16 million in organic flowers in 2005, and demand is growing by 50 percent a year, according to the Organic Trade Association.
That growth has been helped by VeriFlora, a certification and labeling program launched by U.S. consumers, growers and retailers including Whole Foods Market Inc. Some 32 farms in Colombia and Ecuador have earned the VeriFlora label, which requires a transition to organic production and unlike Florverde bans more than 100 chemicals outright.
"Unfortunately, existing programs have deficiencies that would not fly in the American marketplace," said Linda Brown, vice president of Scientific Certification Systems, which runs the VeriFlora program.
Gerald Prolman, CEO of San Francisco-based Organic Bouquet.com, counts on VeriFlora-certified growers for much of his supply.
"If producers want to distinguish their flowers from the glut of cheap, chemically produced ones in the world right now they need to ensure that their farms have fully incorporated socially and environmentally responsible practices that consumers demand and are willing to pay more for," he said.
Free food for models
Mon Feb 12, 11:54 AM ET
LONDON, Feb 12 (Reuters Life!) - Size zero models in town for London Fashion Week now have one less excuse to skip a meal.
A restaurant popular with celebrities and fashionistas in the British capital is offering free food to skinny models who have come under attack for promoting a stick-thin image which critics says encourages eating disorders in young women.
Bumpkin restaurant in trendy Notting Hill is offering models with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 18 the opportunity to gorge on fish pies, lamb burgers, king prawns and scallops.
"If I could recommend a dish to a size zero model, it would be a charter pie containing leeks, chicken and bacon; it's enough to keep you warm and energised all day," Bumpkin general manager Dariush Nejad said in a statement on Monday.
The issue of size zero or "skinny models" has dogged fashion shows around the world after two anorexic Latin American models died last year and has been under the international spotlight during the spring fashion season in New York, Milan, Paris and London, which began on Sunday.
Madrid last year banned models with a BMI below 18 from taking part in fashion shows. BMI is a measure expressed as a ratio of weight to height. A BMI limit of 18 means a 5-foot-8 inch model must weigh at least 120 pounds (54 kg).
Models with a BMI of less than 18 who visit Bumpkin for lunch or dinner will be invited to select any food off the menu, simply by showing their modeling card which states if they are size zero, the restaurant said.
The restaurant boasts of its popularity with the London glitterati, saying recent visitors included fashion designer Stella McCartney, filmmaker Guy Ritchie, popstar Simon le Bon and his wife Yasmin.
LONDON, Feb 12 (Reuters Life!) - Size zero models in town for London Fashion Week now have one less excuse to skip a meal.
A restaurant popular with celebrities and fashionistas in the British capital is offering free food to skinny models who have come under attack for promoting a stick-thin image which critics says encourages eating disorders in young women.
Bumpkin restaurant in trendy Notting Hill is offering models with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 18 the opportunity to gorge on fish pies, lamb burgers, king prawns and scallops.
"If I could recommend a dish to a size zero model, it would be a charter pie containing leeks, chicken and bacon; it's enough to keep you warm and energised all day," Bumpkin general manager Dariush Nejad said in a statement on Monday.
The issue of size zero or "skinny models" has dogged fashion shows around the world after two anorexic Latin American models died last year and has been under the international spotlight during the spring fashion season in New York, Milan, Paris and London, which began on Sunday.
Madrid last year banned models with a BMI below 18 from taking part in fashion shows. BMI is a measure expressed as a ratio of weight to height. A BMI limit of 18 means a 5-foot-8 inch model must weigh at least 120 pounds (54 kg).
Models with a BMI of less than 18 who visit Bumpkin for lunch or dinner will be invited to select any food off the menu, simply by showing their modeling card which states if they are size zero, the restaurant said.
The restaurant boasts of its popularity with the London glitterati, saying recent visitors included fashion designer Stella McCartney, filmmaker Guy Ritchie, popstar Simon le Bon and his wife Yasmin.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
WHAT I tellya?!
Granada America has optioned the film rights to a New York Times article on Lisa Nowak, 43, who was arrested Monday and charged with attempted murder.
Granada America is the U.S.-based production entity of ITV, one of Europe's largest broadcasters and producers. The company produced the reality series "Hell's Kitchen" and "Nanny 911" as well as the Lifetime channel movie "The Fantasia Barrino Story."
The company has produced made-for-TV films based on other real-life personalities, optioned a Times article written by reporter John Schwartz, who will serve as a researcher on the project.
"The chronicle of Lisa Marie Nowak has had a global impact and contains almost every dramatic element possible," Granada America CEO David Gyngell said Friday. "One could not imagine a more compelling story."
Lisa Marie has Heidi Fleiss, Martha Stewart, AND Anna Nicole Smith WRITTEN all over her, fo' shure! Keep yer chin up, lighten up, and you will go FAR! DAMN, I wish I was her. I LOVE you! If I can't be you, willya at least MARRY me?!!
UPDATE---12 February 2007: Well, CRAP. If there is NO movie, there should be. I, for one, would certainly pay to view. Can't go wrong with an earthbound, diaper-wearing, love-struck spaced-out lady hellbent on getting her man, especially a Valentine's Day opening.
Granada America is the U.S.-based production entity of ITV, one of Europe's largest broadcasters and producers. The company produced the reality series "Hell's Kitchen" and "Nanny 911" as well as the Lifetime channel movie "The Fantasia Barrino Story."
The company has produced made-for-TV films based on other real-life personalities, optioned a Times article written by reporter John Schwartz, who will serve as a researcher on the project.
"The chronicle of Lisa Marie Nowak has had a global impact and contains almost every dramatic element possible," Granada America CEO David Gyngell said Friday. "One could not imagine a more compelling story."
Lisa Marie has Heidi Fleiss, Martha Stewart, AND Anna Nicole Smith WRITTEN all over her, fo' shure! Keep yer chin up, lighten up, and you will go FAR! DAMN, I wish I was her. I LOVE you! If I can't be you, willya at least MARRY me?!!
UPDATE---12 February 2007: Well, CRAP. If there is NO movie, there should be. I, for one, would certainly pay to view. Can't go wrong with an earthbound, diaper-wearing, love-struck spaced-out lady hellbent on getting her man, especially a Valentine's Day opening.
State of the art SEGREGATION
Well, CRUD. Santa has no REAL complaints about the new proposals for new bike and ped trails along the Arky. So far, it all looks good on paper. Private money: check; seperated, protected alignments: check; no heavy commercial developments: check.
One tiny detail: Ya think rollerbladers will stay OFF the bike alignment? Naaaaaaaaaaah. Shoulda made improvements to SLOW down Riverside Drive traffic for newbie bicyclists to SHARE the road with motor vehicles. But, then again, SHARE THE ROAD is nothing but a DIRTY four-letter word for genius traffic engineers OBSESSED with that all-important Level of Service(LOS).
Screw ya. We gonna SUE ya!
One tiny detail: Ya think rollerbladers will stay OFF the bike alignment? Naaaaaaaaaaah. Shoulda made improvements to SLOW down Riverside Drive traffic for newbie bicyclists to SHARE the road with motor vehicles. But, then again, SHARE THE ROAD is nothing but a DIRTY four-letter word for genius traffic engineers OBSESSED with that all-important Level of Service(LOS).
Screw ya. We gonna SUE ya!
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Christiansen to Council: Fuel budget is BUSTED. Get off yer FAT ass. PEDAL.
(Tulsa, OK) -- City of Tulsa spending on fuel is a budget buster. At the current rate, there will be at least a half-million dollar difference between what's budgeted for gasoline and diesel and what's spent. City councilor Bill Christiansen is calling for a special committee to see what can be done to reduce consumption and save money in the fuel budget. He admits the city can't do much about pump prices, but suspects energy policies calling for reduced fuel use each year and buying more fuel efficient vehicles aren't being followed...in his words...the policies are just being 'winked at' in some city departments. Action on Christiansen's committee proposal is set for tonight.
Ayatollah to America: Let's ROCK, baby!
TEHRAN, Iran - If the United States were to attack Iran, the country would respond by striking U.S. interests all over the world, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Thursday.
Speaking to a gathering of Iranian air force commanders, Khamenei said: "The enemy knows well that any invasion would be followed by a comprehensive reaction to the invaders and their interests all over the world."
Speaking to a gathering of Iranian air force commanders, Khamenei said: "The enemy knows well that any invasion would be followed by a comprehensive reaction to the invaders and their interests all over the world."
Astronaut under pressure
Should we be SURPRISED about the Nowak affair? When STS-121 went up, I remember her biography caught my eye for some reason. Didn't know why at the time. Maybe she was kinda cute.
The pressures on male astronauts are incredible enough. But, the first-ever arrest in the astronaut corps shouldn't be surprising to happen to a female for going off the handle. The woman LOST it, completely.
50 clams the court will be fairly lenient on her, with all the publicity coming out about her personal life. She's someone a jury of 12 can understand. An over-worked, middle-aged mother in personal turmoil. But, attempted MURDER is a HUGE hit.
Suddenly, it seems our hero fly boys and girls are just like the rest of us. Maybe the problem is NOT really with them. The real problem? Our out-of-this-world expectations.
She'll plead guilty to a lesser charge, with some time, and probation. Not like some common, run-o'mill murderer. Her astronaut days, of course, are over. But, she's got a huge book and movie deal ahead of her. If it were me, I'd capitalize with stand-up, while I line up a low-brow sit-com deal for the redneck crowd, Crash and Burn.
Kinda like Foxworthy meets Martha Steward. Or maybe a late, late night infomercial for Afro-Sheen. If she plays it right, keep her chin up, lighten up, she's got a HUGE HUGE career ahead of her, NoWhacked: The Opera, The Can't-Miss Broadway Musical of the Year, and Must-See TV!
Yep. It BITES to be me.
How come EVERYBODY, from Nick Nolte on down, ALWAYS have really BAD hair days when they get busted? Not me. When I got busted, I looked like Dapper John Gotti. Jarhead, slick chic, and SMILING.
DEFINATELY didn't want to look like you actually did anything WRONG, right? And, what's up with the full-chamoise jacket over the head and face? It's not like you are like INCOGNITO, if you are famous and BUSTED. It looks more like you are GUILTY as SIN. BE the few. The PROUD, people!
FERCHRISTSAKES, people, your mug shot is kinda like your high sckool yearbook pictures. It's like FOREVER. Might as well look GOOD, even though you might be spending like the rest of yo' LIFE in the pokey!
The pressures on male astronauts are incredible enough. But, the first-ever arrest in the astronaut corps shouldn't be surprising to happen to a female for going off the handle. The woman LOST it, completely.
50 clams the court will be fairly lenient on her, with all the publicity coming out about her personal life. She's someone a jury of 12 can understand. An over-worked, middle-aged mother in personal turmoil. But, attempted MURDER is a HUGE hit.
Suddenly, it seems our hero fly boys and girls are just like the rest of us. Maybe the problem is NOT really with them. The real problem? Our out-of-this-world expectations.
She'll plead guilty to a lesser charge, with some time, and probation. Not like some common, run-o'mill murderer. Her astronaut days, of course, are over. But, she's got a huge book and movie deal ahead of her. If it were me, I'd capitalize with stand-up, while I line up a low-brow sit-com deal for the redneck crowd, Crash and Burn.
Kinda like Foxworthy meets Martha Steward. Or maybe a late, late night infomercial for Afro-Sheen. If she plays it right, keep her chin up, lighten up, she's got a HUGE HUGE career ahead of her, NoWhacked: The Opera, The Can't-Miss Broadway Musical of the Year, and Must-See TV!
Yep. It BITES to be me.
How come EVERYBODY, from Nick Nolte on down, ALWAYS have really BAD hair days when they get busted? Not me. When I got busted, I looked like Dapper John Gotti. Jarhead, slick chic, and SMILING.
DEFINATELY didn't want to look like you actually did anything WRONG, right? And, what's up with the full-chamoise jacket over the head and face? It's not like you are like INCOGNITO, if you are famous and BUSTED. It looks more like you are GUILTY as SIN. BE the few. The PROUD, people!
FERCHRISTSAKES, people, your mug shot is kinda like your high sckool yearbook pictures. It's like FOREVER. Might as well look GOOD, even though you might be spending like the rest of yo' LIFE in the pokey!
Watada Mistrial
The next trial date is set for 19 March. Watada should plead GUILTY of all the bogus charges, make a COMPLETE mockery of the military court, and go to Leveanworth just to stick it up command's ASS.
What a concept: Wars would stop if the warriors would just STOP warring. That's what the military is really afraid of.
What a concept: Wars would stop if the warriors would just STOP warring. That's what the military is really afraid of.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
We want our money, DAMMIT.
As expected County Commish Smaligo and Perry are raising a HUGE stink about the City nabbing it share, .03 cents on the dollar, of the sales tax at the Fairgrounds, by annextaxing the whole joint.
Nothin' doin' guys. We want our MONEY, and we will get it.
Nothin' doin' guys. We want our MONEY, and we will get it.
New addition to Santa's SHIT list.
Here's the scoop. The dude running in the front goes off for the weekend and leaves the rest of Tulsa high and dry with CRAPPY brew. All for what? A pointless foot race for which he has NOT even trained for.
It's NOT just any foot race. It's one HUNDRED friggin' miles. Dude crunks out at 60 miles. DNF. So, what does he do later? He sets his blog on comments moderate. DAMN. And, I was having so MUCH fun making snide comments, UNMODERATED.
Dude, you are so on Santa's SHIT list, in a MAJOR way. At least you could have like FINISHED for sticking the rest of us left in town with CRAPPY brew. Don't worry, though.
Santa LOVES you! But, just imagine what Santa does to his FRIENDS. Maybe the FAT Man gives the perp his car keys and a 12-pack of MICKEY'S, after a drunken, fall-down all-nighter? Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.
UPDATE: So, Santa headed out early, WAY early, to get the FRESHEST D-Shot brew. And, he wanted to show the brewmeister some kewl pix he took of this morning wreck on Riverside Drive, that backed up traffic for miles.
Santa help out by directing traffic away from the curb lane. It turns out some dude, probably celling, crashed into a tree at 2300 S Riverside Drive. One vehicle wrecks usually involve distracted driver. Wonder if the officer on the scene checked for cellphone on the loose.
Anyways, when Santa showed for his java at D-shot, the brewmeister orders the FAT Man OUT. ROFLMFAO! Santa gets thrown out! Guess what, genius? NO X-mas presents for you. He's probably just a little cranky because he DNF'd! Suckaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!
Civic duty gone WILD
Beijing's Olympic Gestapo have NO trouble filling volunteer spots. More 320,000 wide-eyed, bushy-tailed zipperheads signed up. The Gestapo needed only 100,000 for BOTH the Summer Games and Paralympics.
The number of applicants from Beijing was about 256,000, of which 181,500 were college students, according to Xinhua. The rest were from outside the capital.
Xinhua said about 4,000 employees of foreign-run businesses in Beijing also volunteered. They are expected to work in transportation and lodging.
"The employees working for foreign enterprises who can speak foreign languages to a high level will be a major source of Olympic volunteers," said Wang Yi'e, an official of the Beijing Volunteer Association.
The search for volunteers in Beijing began in August and was extended last month to areas outside the capital. The first batch of volunteers will be selected this summer, and they are expected to work at this year's test events.
No word yet on how many will be assigned to Spit Patrol. Stay tune.
The number of applicants from Beijing was about 256,000, of which 181,500 were college students, according to Xinhua. The rest were from outside the capital.
Xinhua said about 4,000 employees of foreign-run businesses in Beijing also volunteered. They are expected to work in transportation and lodging.
"The employees working for foreign enterprises who can speak foreign languages to a high level will be a major source of Olympic volunteers," said Wang Yi'e, an official of the Beijing Volunteer Association.
The search for volunteers in Beijing began in August and was extended last month to areas outside the capital. The first batch of volunteers will be selected this summer, and they are expected to work at this year's test events.
No word yet on how many will be assigned to Spit Patrol. Stay tune.
This is getting way out of HAND.
127 hits. Most searching for Sherry Lynne White nude pictures. I appreciate the traffic. But, GIVE IT A REST, people.
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Wild and crazy guy
If you've lived in Tulsa long enough, you'd notice a vintage Ford Model A parked like FOREVER at 3003 S. Harvard, in front of Ranch Acres Car Care. Well, people, guess what? Sum GENIUS wild and crazy guy FINALLY nailed it.
According to TPD Officer Mark Sole, David Paul Mizelle, already late for court on a prior stalking complaint, was speeding north on Harvard Avenue near 31st Street about 10 a.m. Monday, passing cars in the left-turn lane, when his Pontiac clipped another vehicle, causing him to lose control and hit the Model A.
Dude is so busted for allegedly driving under suspension, failure to carry insurance verification, reckless driving, and hit and run. Don't plan on driving a motor vehicle again, like EVER, genius. Better check out Suddenly Sandra Crisp's Community Cycling Project when you get out of prison in like 5 years!
SLOW down, people. Wherever you are going will STILL be there whenever you get there. BTW, judges are ALWAYS fashionally late for court too. So, don't sweat it, people.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Love BITES
NASA astronaut and Navy Captain Lisa Nowak, DOB 10 May 1963, is a married mother of three. Her dossier looks like the stuff of, well, the RIGHT stuff.
B.S. in aerospace engineering, U.S. Naval Academy, 1985; M.S. aeronautical engineering and a degree of aeronautical and astronautical engineer from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, both in 1992. Naval flight officer, June 1987; Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal; Navy Achievement Medal; Mission Specialist, STS-121, July 2006, etc etc etc.
Wearing diapers to avoid urinating en route from Houston to Orlando sometime over the weekend, Capt. Nowak drove 900 miles to confront a woman, Colleen Shipman, who she believed was her rival for the affections of a space shuttle pilot, Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein.
Inside Nowak's vehicle, which was parked at a nearby motel, authorities uncovered a pepper spray package, an unused BB-gun cartridge, latex gloves and e-mails between Shipman and Oefelein. They also found a letter "that indicated how much Mrs. Nowak loved Mr. Oefelein," an opened package for a buck knife, Shipman's home address and hand written directions to the address, the arrest affidavit said.
Dressed in a wig and a trench coat, Nowak boarded an airport bus that Shipman took to her car in an airport parking lot. Shipman told police she noticed someone following her, hurried inside the car and locked the doors, according to the arrest affidavit.
Nowak rapped on the window, tried to open the car door and asked for a ride. Shipman refused but rolled down the car window a few inches when Nowak started crying. Nowak then sprayed a chemical into Shipman's car, the affidavit said.
Shipman drove to the parking lot booth, and the police were called.
During a check of the parking lot, an officer followed Nowak and watched her throw away a bag containing the wig and BB gun. They also found a steel mallet, a 4-inch folding knife, rubber tubing, $600 and garbage bags inside a bag Nowak was carrying when she was arrested, authorities said.
Police said Nowak told them that she only wanted to scare Shipman into talking to her about her relationship with Oefelein and didn't want to harm her physically.
"If you were just going to talk to someone, I don't know that you would need a wig, a trench coat, an air cartridge BB gun and pepper spray," said Sgt. Barbara Jones, a spokeswoman for the Orlando Police Department. "It's just really a very sad case. ... Now she ends up finding herself on the other side of the law with some very serious charges."
Classified possible flight risk bound for Moonbase 21, where Capt. Nowak might have one-eyed relatives, a judge denied bail. Most likely isolated from GP and on suicide watch PC, Capt. Nowak awaits preliminary hearing in an Orlando jail, charged with attempted kidnapping, attempted vehicle burglary with battery, destruction of evidence and battery.
UPDATE--1102: Judge grants conditional $10,000 bail. Capt. Nowak wears GPS tracking at home in Houston.
B E F O R E
A F T E R
B.S. in aerospace engineering, U.S. Naval Academy, 1985; M.S. aeronautical engineering and a degree of aeronautical and astronautical engineer from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, both in 1992. Naval flight officer, June 1987; Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal; Navy Achievement Medal; Mission Specialist, STS-121, July 2006, etc etc etc.
Wearing diapers to avoid urinating en route from Houston to Orlando sometime over the weekend, Capt. Nowak drove 900 miles to confront a woman, Colleen Shipman, who she believed was her rival for the affections of a space shuttle pilot, Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein.
Inside Nowak's vehicle, which was parked at a nearby motel, authorities uncovered a pepper spray package, an unused BB-gun cartridge, latex gloves and e-mails between Shipman and Oefelein. They also found a letter "that indicated how much Mrs. Nowak loved Mr. Oefelein," an opened package for a buck knife, Shipman's home address and hand written directions to the address, the arrest affidavit said.
Dressed in a wig and a trench coat, Nowak boarded an airport bus that Shipman took to her car in an airport parking lot. Shipman told police she noticed someone following her, hurried inside the car and locked the doors, according to the arrest affidavit.
Nowak rapped on the window, tried to open the car door and asked for a ride. Shipman refused but rolled down the car window a few inches when Nowak started crying. Nowak then sprayed a chemical into Shipman's car, the affidavit said.
Shipman drove to the parking lot booth, and the police were called.
During a check of the parking lot, an officer followed Nowak and watched her throw away a bag containing the wig and BB gun. They also found a steel mallet, a 4-inch folding knife, rubber tubing, $600 and garbage bags inside a bag Nowak was carrying when she was arrested, authorities said.
Police said Nowak told them that she only wanted to scare Shipman into talking to her about her relationship with Oefelein and didn't want to harm her physically.
"If you were just going to talk to someone, I don't know that you would need a wig, a trench coat, an air cartridge BB gun and pepper spray," said Sgt. Barbara Jones, a spokeswoman for the Orlando Police Department. "It's just really a very sad case. ... Now she ends up finding herself on the other side of the law with some very serious charges."
Classified possible flight risk bound for Moonbase 21, where Capt. Nowak might have one-eyed relatives, a judge denied bail. Most likely isolated from GP and on suicide watch PC, Capt. Nowak awaits preliminary hearing in an Orlando jail, charged with attempted kidnapping, attempted vehicle burglary with battery, destruction of evidence and battery.
UPDATE--1102: Judge grants conditional $10,000 bail. Capt. Nowak wears GPS tracking at home in Houston.
The Bike Basket
Who won? Who cares? So, I am tuning into cycling.tv to catch the latest race from like LAST year. But, what do I get? Bike Basket. The world's first shopping channel for bikies! Yay. I'm so.....UNDERWHELMED.
But, I must say the blonde is HOT. She's now pitching the SRAM PC3 heart-rate monitor. Nice. I wonder what my heart rate would be while having sex with her. Off the charts, no doubt.
Hey, cycling.tv LOSE Brian, the Welsh dude. Keep the blonde. Brian is slouching and looks like he could care LESS.
But, I must say the blonde is HOT. She's now pitching the SRAM PC3 heart-rate monitor. Nice. I wonder what my heart rate would be while having sex with her. Off the charts, no doubt.
Hey, cycling.tv LOSE Brian, the Welsh dude. Keep the blonde. Brian is slouching and looks like he could care LESS.
Make my day, muthafucker!
According to Tulsa Police, a resident blew away a suspected intruder at the front door with a nicely placed shotgun blast Sunday afternoon before the BIG game. Some idiot banged and knocked at the door, before kicking it, at 1131 S. 146th East Ave. According to reports, that's when the dumb jerk got it in the chest, full of shotgun.
According to State Statutes, the DA will have to make a ruling of self-defense under the State's Make My Day Law for the shooter to get off scott-free. No names have been released. But, it would be a cinch to find the shooter's name from property records.
According to State Statutes, the DA will have to make a ruling of self-defense under the State's Make My Day Law for the shooter to get off scott-free. No names have been released. But, it would be a cinch to find the shooter's name from property records.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Stinger missiles on the loose? Naaaaaaaaaaah
By SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 47 minutes ago
BAGHDAD, Iraq - The four U.S. helicopters that have crashed in
Iraq since Jan. 20 were apparently shot down, the chief American military spokesman said Sunday — the first time the U.S. command has publicly acknowledged that the aircraft were lost to enemy fire.
Maj. Gen. William Caldwell told reporters that the investigations into the crashes of three Army and one private helicopters are incomplete but "it does appear they were all the result of some kind of anti-Iraqi ground fire that did bring those helicopters down."
"There's been an ongoing effort since we've been here to target our helicopters," Caldwell said. "Based on what we have seen, we're already making adjustments in our tactics and techniques and procedures as to how we employ our helicopters."
On Friday, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged that insurgent ground fire in Iraq "has been more effective against our helicopters in the last couple of weeks."
But Pace said it was unclear whether "this is some kind of new tactics or techniques that we need to adjust to."
BAGHDAD, Iraq - The four U.S. helicopters that have crashed in
Iraq since Jan. 20 were apparently shot down, the chief American military spokesman said Sunday — the first time the U.S. command has publicly acknowledged that the aircraft were lost to enemy fire.
Maj. Gen. William Caldwell told reporters that the investigations into the crashes of three Army and one private helicopters are incomplete but "it does appear they were all the result of some kind of anti-Iraqi ground fire that did bring those helicopters down."
"There's been an ongoing effort since we've been here to target our helicopters," Caldwell said. "Based on what we have seen, we're already making adjustments in our tactics and techniques and procedures as to how we employ our helicopters."
On Friday, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged that insurgent ground fire in Iraq "has been more effective against our helicopters in the last couple of weeks."
But Pace said it was unclear whether "this is some kind of new tactics or techniques that we need to adjust to."
Court to OVER-the-top cop: Cussing is FREE speech. GODAMMIT. How many FUCKING times we gotta tell ya, asshole?
By JEFF KAROUB, Associated Press Writer Sat Feb 3, 4:33 AM ET
DETROIT - An officer who arrested a man for cursing in a public meeting violated the man's right to free speech, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court's decision that Montrose Township police officer Stephen Robinson had probable cause to arrest Thomas Leonard in 2002 when Leonard cursed while addressing the township board.
"It cannot be seriously contended that any reasonable peace officer, or citizen, for that matter, would believe that mild profanity while peacefully advocating a political position could constitute a criminal act," the three-judge panel wrote in Friday's decision.
"All our client did was get up at a public meeting and express himself vigorously, and he was arrested for it," said Glen Lenhoff, Leonard's attorney.
At the time, Leonard's wife, Sarah, was suing the township over a towing contract. Thomas Leonard accused the board members in the meeting of cheating his family and saying, "That's why you're in a goddamn lawsuit."
Robinson arrested Leonard, charging him with disorderly conduct and using obscene language. He was held in jail for an hour, and the charges were dismissed a month later.
Leonard sued in 2003, claiming the arrest violated his Fourth Amendment right to freedom from unreasonable seizure and, in a later motion, his First Amendment right to free speech. He sought at least $25,000 in damages.
Ralph Chapa, a partner in the law firm representing Robinson, said his firm is considering an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
A U.S. District Court judge dropped the charges against Robinson in 2005, agreeing with the officer that he had probable cause to arrest Leonard. The case is to go back to the lower court, pending further appeals.
DETROIT - An officer who arrested a man for cursing in a public meeting violated the man's right to free speech, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court's decision that Montrose Township police officer Stephen Robinson had probable cause to arrest Thomas Leonard in 2002 when Leonard cursed while addressing the township board.
"It cannot be seriously contended that any reasonable peace officer, or citizen, for that matter, would believe that mild profanity while peacefully advocating a political position could constitute a criminal act," the three-judge panel wrote in Friday's decision.
"All our client did was get up at a public meeting and express himself vigorously, and he was arrested for it," said Glen Lenhoff, Leonard's attorney.
At the time, Leonard's wife, Sarah, was suing the township over a towing contract. Thomas Leonard accused the board members in the meeting of cheating his family and saying, "That's why you're in a goddamn lawsuit."
Robinson arrested Leonard, charging him with disorderly conduct and using obscene language. He was held in jail for an hour, and the charges were dismissed a month later.
Leonard sued in 2003, claiming the arrest violated his Fourth Amendment right to freedom from unreasonable seizure and, in a later motion, his First Amendment right to free speech. He sought at least $25,000 in damages.
Ralph Chapa, a partner in the law firm representing Robinson, said his firm is considering an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
A U.S. District Court judge dropped the charges against Robinson in 2005, agreeing with the officer that he had probable cause to arrest Leonard. The case is to go back to the lower court, pending further appeals.
Dumb-ass Tulsa ordinances BEGGING for COMPLETE disrespect
27 TRO 1213: SPITTING. It shall be an offense for any person to spit upon sidewalks, crosswalks or other public places.
No dancing in the streets either. 27 TRO 1205: SHOWS OR EXHIBITIONS--It shall be an offense for any person to use or cause to be used any portion of any sidewalk, street or alley for the maintaining or holding of any exhibition, entertainment, musical or dancing show for any purpose whatsoever.
AND, if the cops catch ya waving the American flag while riding a bicycle, you goin' to JAIL, ngigaaas. 37 TRO 1007: CARRYING PACKAGES--No person operating a bicycle shall carry any package, bundle or article which prevents the rider from keeping both hands upon the handlebars.
More dumb-ass Tulsa ordinances:
27 TRO 500--No public displays of six-foot, inflatable replicas of the male genitalia;
27 TRO 1405--No cussing;
37 TRO 1105--No panhandling.
And, there are NO Ivana Trump nude pictures or playboy pictorials on here either. PERVERT.
No dancing in the streets either. 27 TRO 1205: SHOWS OR EXHIBITIONS--It shall be an offense for any person to use or cause to be used any portion of any sidewalk, street or alley for the maintaining or holding of any exhibition, entertainment, musical or dancing show for any purpose whatsoever.
AND, if the cops catch ya waving the American flag while riding a bicycle, you goin' to JAIL, ngigaaas. 37 TRO 1007: CARRYING PACKAGES--No person operating a bicycle shall carry any package, bundle or article which prevents the rider from keeping both hands upon the handlebars.
More dumb-ass Tulsa ordinances:
27 TRO 500--No public displays of six-foot, inflatable replicas of the male genitalia;
27 TRO 1405--No cussing;
37 TRO 1105--No panhandling.
And, there are NO Ivana Trump nude pictures or playboy pictorials on here either. PERVERT.
No fun ALLOWED
By Peter Szekely Fri Feb 2, 5:06 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Employers may be able to stop their workers from fraternizing if it's for fun but not if it's to discuss working conditions, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Friday.
A three-judge panel found that an anti-fraternization policy of the security services firm Guardsmark LLC intruded into federal labor law that gives workers the right to organize and to "engage in other concerted activities."
At issue was the meaning of "fraternize" -- which can refer to mingling fraternally or romantically -- and which definition fit in the context of the company's rule that employees must not "fraternize on duty or off duty, date or become overly friendly with the client's employees or with co-employees."
After looking up "fraternize" in at least a half-dozen dictionaries, the judges declared that "every one of these dictionaries lists fraternal association as the primary definition; social and intimate associations are secondary."
As a result, the court overruled the National Labor Relations Board, the U.S. agency charged with interpreting labor law. The NLRB upheld Guardsmark's policy in June 2005, saying workers would reasonably read it as applying to "personal entanglements" and not to their legal rights.
The court disagreed.
"Indeed, in this sense of 'fraternize,' employees could hardly engage in protected activity without fraternizing with each other," U.S. Appeals Court Judge David Tatel wrote.
Ed Young, an attorney for Guardsmark, said the company was reviewing its options.
Craig Becker, an attorney with the Service Employees International Union whose Oakland, California, local brought the action on behalf of its 350 to 400 San Francisco Bay area members at Guardsmark, hailed the ruling.
"It's about making sure that employers don't say things in such a way so as to intimidate employees," he said.
But does the ruling give an amorously minded worker the right to socialize with a co-worker as long as the conversation sticks to terms and conditions of employment?
"That's a subject for another time," said Becker.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Employers may be able to stop their workers from fraternizing if it's for fun but not if it's to discuss working conditions, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Friday.
A three-judge panel found that an anti-fraternization policy of the security services firm Guardsmark LLC intruded into federal labor law that gives workers the right to organize and to "engage in other concerted activities."
At issue was the meaning of "fraternize" -- which can refer to mingling fraternally or romantically -- and which definition fit in the context of the company's rule that employees must not "fraternize on duty or off duty, date or become overly friendly with the client's employees or with co-employees."
After looking up "fraternize" in at least a half-dozen dictionaries, the judges declared that "every one of these dictionaries lists fraternal association as the primary definition; social and intimate associations are secondary."
As a result, the court overruled the National Labor Relations Board, the U.S. agency charged with interpreting labor law. The NLRB upheld Guardsmark's policy in June 2005, saying workers would reasonably read it as applying to "personal entanglements" and not to their legal rights.
The court disagreed.
"Indeed, in this sense of 'fraternize,' employees could hardly engage in protected activity without fraternizing with each other," U.S. Appeals Court Judge David Tatel wrote.
Ed Young, an attorney for Guardsmark, said the company was reviewing its options.
Craig Becker, an attorney with the Service Employees International Union whose Oakland, California, local brought the action on behalf of its 350 to 400 San Francisco Bay area members at Guardsmark, hailed the ruling.
"It's about making sure that employers don't say things in such a way so as to intimidate employees," he said.
But does the ruling give an amorously minded worker the right to socialize with a co-worker as long as the conversation sticks to terms and conditions of employment?
"That's a subject for another time," said Becker.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Culling the herd
By JIM SUHR, Associated Press Writer Sat Feb 3, 6:38 AM ET
SHILOH, Ill. - After an 84-year-old driver plowed through an elementary school lunchroom this week, killing an 8-year-old boy, his mother pressed lawmakers to bar the elderly from getting behind the wheel.
"We very much support a mandatory limit on the driving age for seniors," Amanda Wesling wrote in a missive directed at driver Grace Keim, who authorities say was en route to a driving class at a senior citizen's center Monday when she struck Ryan Wesling.
Wesling's plea raises new questions about how old is too old to drive, an issue state legislatures continue to grapple with in the wake of similar tragedies in recent years. While many states have enacted or are considering tougher testing for older drivers, they're weighing those changes against the rights of millions of older people to have the independence a license allows.
Among the incidents prompting calls for change:
• In November, an 89-year-old man whose car hurtled through a farmers market in California in 2003, killing 10 people and injuring more than 70 others, received five years of probation because a judge deemed him too ill to go to prison.
• Last August, a sport utility vehicle driven by an 89-year-old man plowed into pedestrians and vendors at an open-air public market in Rochester, N.Y., injuring 10 people.
• In October 2005 in North Dakota, an 87-year-old woman on her way to a doctor appointment smashed her car into the hospital's lobby, injuring five women.
At least two dozen states and the District of Columbia have laws singling out older drivers for special attention, from required road tests to vision examinations, according to the Insurance
Institute for Highway Safety.
In Connecticut, there's a legislative push to require automatic retesting of anyone over 75 who has had more than two wrecks in a calendar year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In New York, a pending measure would halve to two years the renewal period for anyone over 70.
"Different states are doing different things, but they're addressing the issue," said Anne Teigen, a research analyst for the NCSL. Still, she says, legislatures are trying to balance safety concerns against the unwavering fact that older Americans want to drive.
Illinois has some of the nation's toughest restrictions on older drivers, joining New Hampshire in requiring a road test for renewals after age 75. Illinois also is among at least 15 states that have an accelerated renewal schedule for older drivers, requiring renewals every two years from ages 81 to 86, and then every year after that.
Democratic Illinois state Rep. Kurt Granberg says setting an age for drivers to hand over their keys wouldn't be appropriate because "everyone's different." But he says he wouldn't be surprised if Ryan's death prods lawmakers to revisit the state's requirements for older drivers.
Advocacy groups for the elderly urge states not to overreact to each incident, noting that accidents happen in every age group and that taking away an older person's license could rob them of their independence.
"The issue is not age; it has to do with the person's physical and mental limitations, and that goes beyond age," said Beverly Moore of Illinois' AARP.
Older drivers, she says, still tend to be more cautious behind the wheel, and family members can be involved in helping decide when a driver should give up the keys.
Studies have shown that vision, reaction time and other driving skills can diminish as drivers age.
Statistics from the Insurance Institute show that older drivers generally are as safe as other age groups until they reach 75, when they tend to have more accidents. Drivers 85 and older are about as likely to be involved in a fatal crash as those ages 16 to 19, but they're more likely to die than others in car crashes because their bodies are frailer, according to the institute.
Keim's license was up for renewal March 3, her 85th birthday, and her driving record shows no citations, according to state records. Investigators have not said what caused her to drive up a dead-end drive and never stop, hurtling through Shiloh Elementary's cafeteria, killing Ryan and injuring two schoolmates.
While sympathetic to Ryan's family, 67-year-old Joan Juergens considers his death "totally a freak occurrence" that shouldn't require stiffening Illinois' licensing requirements for older drivers.
"I don't think you can broadbrush one age group and say it can't drive anymore. It's unfair," Juergens said.
Others aren't so sure. At 66, Mary Baum says she wouldn't mind state lawmakers taking a fresh look at Illinois' licensing protocol after an elderly aunt of her husband's flunked a drivers license test, then admitted to the family that her vision was failing from age-related macular degeneration.
"Something has to be done," Baum said. "Some are qualified to drive, some are not. And I would not want to be on the road if I'm not."
SHILOH, Ill. - After an 84-year-old driver plowed through an elementary school lunchroom this week, killing an 8-year-old boy, his mother pressed lawmakers to bar the elderly from getting behind the wheel.
"We very much support a mandatory limit on the driving age for seniors," Amanda Wesling wrote in a missive directed at driver Grace Keim, who authorities say was en route to a driving class at a senior citizen's center Monday when she struck Ryan Wesling.
Wesling's plea raises new questions about how old is too old to drive, an issue state legislatures continue to grapple with in the wake of similar tragedies in recent years. While many states have enacted or are considering tougher testing for older drivers, they're weighing those changes against the rights of millions of older people to have the independence a license allows.
Among the incidents prompting calls for change:
• In November, an 89-year-old man whose car hurtled through a farmers market in California in 2003, killing 10 people and injuring more than 70 others, received five years of probation because a judge deemed him too ill to go to prison.
• Last August, a sport utility vehicle driven by an 89-year-old man plowed into pedestrians and vendors at an open-air public market in Rochester, N.Y., injuring 10 people.
• In October 2005 in North Dakota, an 87-year-old woman on her way to a doctor appointment smashed her car into the hospital's lobby, injuring five women.
At least two dozen states and the District of Columbia have laws singling out older drivers for special attention, from required road tests to vision examinations, according to the Insurance
Institute for Highway Safety.
In Connecticut, there's a legislative push to require automatic retesting of anyone over 75 who has had more than two wrecks in a calendar year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In New York, a pending measure would halve to two years the renewal period for anyone over 70.
"Different states are doing different things, but they're addressing the issue," said Anne Teigen, a research analyst for the NCSL. Still, she says, legislatures are trying to balance safety concerns against the unwavering fact that older Americans want to drive.
Illinois has some of the nation's toughest restrictions on older drivers, joining New Hampshire in requiring a road test for renewals after age 75. Illinois also is among at least 15 states that have an accelerated renewal schedule for older drivers, requiring renewals every two years from ages 81 to 86, and then every year after that.
Democratic Illinois state Rep. Kurt Granberg says setting an age for drivers to hand over their keys wouldn't be appropriate because "everyone's different." But he says he wouldn't be surprised if Ryan's death prods lawmakers to revisit the state's requirements for older drivers.
Advocacy groups for the elderly urge states not to overreact to each incident, noting that accidents happen in every age group and that taking away an older person's license could rob them of their independence.
"The issue is not age; it has to do with the person's physical and mental limitations, and that goes beyond age," said Beverly Moore of Illinois' AARP.
Older drivers, she says, still tend to be more cautious behind the wheel, and family members can be involved in helping decide when a driver should give up the keys.
Studies have shown that vision, reaction time and other driving skills can diminish as drivers age.
Statistics from the Insurance Institute show that older drivers generally are as safe as other age groups until they reach 75, when they tend to have more accidents. Drivers 85 and older are about as likely to be involved in a fatal crash as those ages 16 to 19, but they're more likely to die than others in car crashes because their bodies are frailer, according to the institute.
Keim's license was up for renewal March 3, her 85th birthday, and her driving record shows no citations, according to state records. Investigators have not said what caused her to drive up a dead-end drive and never stop, hurtling through Shiloh Elementary's cafeteria, killing Ryan and injuring two schoolmates.
While sympathetic to Ryan's family, 67-year-old Joan Juergens considers his death "totally a freak occurrence" that shouldn't require stiffening Illinois' licensing requirements for older drivers.
"I don't think you can broadbrush one age group and say it can't drive anymore. It's unfair," Juergens said.
Others aren't so sure. At 66, Mary Baum says she wouldn't mind state lawmakers taking a fresh look at Illinois' licensing protocol after an elderly aunt of her husband's flunked a drivers license test, then admitted to the family that her vision was failing from age-related macular degeneration.
"Something has to be done," Baum said. "Some are qualified to drive, some are not. And I would not want to be on the road if I'm not."
Everything you've ALWAYS wanted to know about Yale U., but were AFRAID to ask
By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN, Associated Press Writer Fri Feb 2, 6:51 PM ET
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Sex is not a taboo subject at Yale, home to Sex Week, a biennial celebration that's one of the most provocative campus events in the nation. But a couple's frolic in a shower at one of Yale's undergraduate residential colleges prompted a professor to issue an e-mail of protest, which in turn has sparked debate on the Internet.
With the subject line "Shower Stalls are for Showering," the e-mail begins "OK, well THIS is the most awkward college-wide e-mail I've ever had to send."
Yale officials told The Associated Press on Friday that the e-mail was sent Jan. 30 by Professor Jonathan Holloway, master of Calhoun College, one of 12 residential colleges at the Ivy League university.
About 330 students received the e-mail from Holloway, who runs Calhoun as master. He referred comment to Yale's public affairs department.
His e-mail warns against "intimate activity" in the showers, "especially that kind of activity that leaves the showers in a decidedly less hygienic state.
"Several times since the start of the spring term some Hounies have come across a couple having the time of their lives in a shower stall," the e-mail stated, referring to the nickname for college residents. "Last night, the shower flooded and the bathroom could not be used for over 90 minutes. To the as yet unidentified couple, this may be pleasurable and exciting for you, but it is a violation of community standards. Please stop."
The note, first reported Friday by the New Haven Register, ended with a warning to the frolicking couple: "I really don't want to explore this matter any further, as I respect your individual privacy. But such continued brazen public displays of affection will only invite public embarrassment. I beg of you, let's not go there."
One Calhoun resident made his views clear on another blog, criticalmassblog.com. Dan Gelernter, class of 2009, is co-editor of Critical Mass, aimed at "collegiate conservatives," and called the episode "a new chapter in the story of Yale's continuing descent into the depths of moral degradation."
"It is not merely unfortunate, but pathetic and disgusting that the Master needed to send such a note to us but in the moral vacuum that has been created by Yale intellectuals, students seem to be left without even the most basic guidelines for proper and decent behavior," Gelernter wrote.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Sex is not a taboo subject at Yale, home to Sex Week, a biennial celebration that's one of the most provocative campus events in the nation. But a couple's frolic in a shower at one of Yale's undergraduate residential colleges prompted a professor to issue an e-mail of protest, which in turn has sparked debate on the Internet.
With the subject line "Shower Stalls are for Showering," the e-mail begins "OK, well THIS is the most awkward college-wide e-mail I've ever had to send."
Yale officials told The Associated Press on Friday that the e-mail was sent Jan. 30 by Professor Jonathan Holloway, master of Calhoun College, one of 12 residential colleges at the Ivy League university.
About 330 students received the e-mail from Holloway, who runs Calhoun as master. He referred comment to Yale's public affairs department.
His e-mail warns against "intimate activity" in the showers, "especially that kind of activity that leaves the showers in a decidedly less hygienic state.
"Several times since the start of the spring term some Hounies have come across a couple having the time of their lives in a shower stall," the e-mail stated, referring to the nickname for college residents. "Last night, the shower flooded and the bathroom could not be used for over 90 minutes. To the as yet unidentified couple, this may be pleasurable and exciting for you, but it is a violation of community standards. Please stop."
The note, first reported Friday by the New Haven Register, ended with a warning to the frolicking couple: "I really don't want to explore this matter any further, as I respect your individual privacy. But such continued brazen public displays of affection will only invite public embarrassment. I beg of you, let's not go there."
One Calhoun resident made his views clear on another blog, criticalmassblog.com. Dan Gelernter, class of 2009, is co-editor of Critical Mass, aimed at "collegiate conservatives," and called the episode "a new chapter in the story of Yale's continuing descent into the depths of moral degradation."
"It is not merely unfortunate, but pathetic and disgusting that the Master needed to send such a note to us but in the moral vacuum that has been created by Yale intellectuals, students seem to be left without even the most basic guidelines for proper and decent behavior," Gelernter wrote.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Global warming for real
By Gerard Wynn and Alister Doyle 1 hour, 14 minutes ago
PARIS (Reuters) - The world's top climate scientists said on Friday global warming was man-made, spurring calls for urgent government action to prevent severe and irreversible damage from rising temperatures.
The scientists said it was "very likely" -- or more than 90 percent probable -- that human activities led by burning fossil fuels explained most of the warming in the past 50 years.
That is a toughening from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) last report in 2001, which judged a link as "likely," or 66 percent probable.
The panel of over 2,500 scientists from 130 nations predicted more droughts, heatwaves, rains and a slow gain in sea levels that could last for more than 1,000 years.A 21-page summary of IPCC findings for policy makers outlines wrenching change such as a possible melting of Arctic sea ice in summers by 2100 and says it is "more likely than not" that greenhouse gases have made tropical cyclones more intense.
The report predicts a "best estimate" that temperatures would rise by between 1.8 and 4.0 Celsius (3.2 and 7.8 Fahrenheit) in the 21st century, within a likely range from 1.1 to 6.4 Celsius.
Temperatures rose 0.7 degrees in the 20th century and the 10 hottest years since records began in the 1850s have been since 1994. Greenhouse gases are released mainly by burning fossil fuels in power plants, factories and cars.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Distracted driving
Through it's official blog, Tulsa Police issued an advisory about the insidious practice of DWC, driving while celling. Of course, bicyclists have a HUGE interest in BANNING the practice.
Major scientific studies show the brain patterns of DUI, DWI, and DWC drivers are ALL the same. Why don't we have State Statutes and Tulsa ordinances to address the same issues EQUALLY?
Even though rear-end collisions of motor vehicles hitting bicycles are VERY rare, statistically, they are almost ALWAYS, 99.99%, fatal for the lucky. The other .01% hapless few will probably spend some time in TRACTION, at best, or the rest of their lives will not be the same, at worst.
There are really three parties directly involved in the DWC conspiracy: the driver, the person at the other end, AND the cell provider.
Tulsa Police, thankfully, has issued the advisory to the drivers. The person at the other end must also accept responsiblity for contributory accessory to any CRIMES caused by the distracted driver.
Finally, perhaps more importantly, shouldn't the cell provider be held accountable for aiding and abetting, NOT dropping calls from moving vehicles?
Major scientific studies show the brain patterns of DUI, DWI, and DWC drivers are ALL the same. Why don't we have State Statutes and Tulsa ordinances to address the same issues EQUALLY?
Even though rear-end collisions of motor vehicles hitting bicycles are VERY rare, statistically, they are almost ALWAYS, 99.99%, fatal for the lucky. The other .01% hapless few will probably spend some time in TRACTION, at best, or the rest of their lives will not be the same, at worst.
There are really three parties directly involved in the DWC conspiracy: the driver, the person at the other end, AND the cell provider.
Tulsa Police, thankfully, has issued the advisory to the drivers. The person at the other end must also accept responsiblity for contributory accessory to any CRIMES caused by the distracted driver.
Finally, perhaps more importantly, shouldn't the cell provider be held accountable for aiding and abetting, NOT dropping calls from moving vehicles?
Pimp's fav bureaucrat!
Wed Jan 31, 8:25 AM ET
PARIS - The French already enjoy a 35-hour work week and generous vacation. Now the health minister wants to look into whether workers should be allowed to sleep on the job.
France launched plans this week to spend $9 million this year to improve public awareness about sleeping troubles. About one in three French people suffer from them, the ministry says.
Fifty-six percent of French complain that a poor night's sleep has affected their job performance, according to the ministry.
"Why not a nap at work? It can't be a taboo subject," Health Minister Xavier Bertrand said Monday
PARIS - The French already enjoy a 35-hour work week and generous vacation. Now the health minister wants to look into whether workers should be allowed to sleep on the job.
France launched plans this week to spend $9 million this year to improve public awareness about sleeping troubles. About one in three French people suffer from them, the ministry says.
Fifty-six percent of French complain that a poor night's sleep has affected their job performance, according to the ministry.
"Why not a nap at work? It can't be a taboo subject," Health Minister Xavier Bertrand said Monday
No, there are NO naked pictures of Sherry Lynne White here
There has been a HUGE rush to this blog by PERVERTS looking for nude pictures of former Playboy Playmate and naval officer Sherry Lynne White. Guess what, jackass? You came to the wrong friggin' place. But, now that you are here, I'll throw you pervs a BONE:
DAMN! No more free ride for smokin' in the boys bathroom.
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for an extra six to eight months behind bars for an inmate who is caught smoking in prison, a leading House Republican said Wednesday.
Similarly, Gov. Brad Henry said that "low-level offenders" need to be punished in a way "that protects public safety without giving (inmates) free room and board in a taxpayer-financed prison cell."
The crime agendas announced by Henry, a Democrat, and House Republican leaders Wednesday, in advance of the next legislative session, didn't sound that different.
House Speaker Pro Tem Gus Blackwell, R-Goodwell, said punishment needs to fit the crime as the state strives to cut down on unnecessary prison stays.
Spokesman Paul Sund said, "The governor leans toward adding on to existing facilities rather than going out and building brand-new infrastructure."
Henry's "smart on crime" proposals push drug courts, mental health courts, juvenile courts, drug and alcohol treatment, work programs and restitution.
House Speaker Lance Cargill, R-Harrah, said more attention should be given to faith-based initiatives, allowing groups into prisons and providing help when inmates are released to reduce recidivism.
[Blogger question: Faith-based initiatives, eh? Maybe you geniuses allow Satanic cults into the prisons too?]
Similarly, Gov. Brad Henry said that "low-level offenders" need to be punished in a way "that protects public safety without giving (inmates) free room and board in a taxpayer-financed prison cell."
The crime agendas announced by Henry, a Democrat, and House Republican leaders Wednesday, in advance of the next legislative session, didn't sound that different.
House Speaker Pro Tem Gus Blackwell, R-Goodwell, said punishment needs to fit the crime as the state strives to cut down on unnecessary prison stays.
Spokesman Paul Sund said, "The governor leans toward adding on to existing facilities rather than going out and building brand-new infrastructure."
Henry's "smart on crime" proposals push drug courts, mental health courts, juvenile courts, drug and alcohol treatment, work programs and restitution.
House Speaker Lance Cargill, R-Harrah, said more attention should be given to faith-based initiatives, allowing groups into prisons and providing help when inmates are released to reduce recidivism.
[Blogger question: Faith-based initiatives, eh? Maybe you geniuses allow Satanic cults into the prisons too?]
Geniuses: Grape juice same as red wine. But, Pimp is sticking with VINO!
By Patricia Reaney Wed Jan 31, 12:06 PM ET
LONDON (Reuters) - Grape juice seems to have the same protective effect against heart disease as red wine, French scientists said on Wednesday.
Researchers at the Universite Louis Pasteur de Strasbourg were examining the effect on the heart of Concord grape juice.
"Grape juice can have a similar effect (against heart disease) as red wine but without the alcohol. That is a very important message," said Dr Valerie Schini-Kerth, lead author of the study published in the journal Cardiovascular Research.
Red wine and certain types of grape juice have high levels of polyphenols, which block the production of a protein linked to cardiovascular disease -- the number one killer in many Western countries.
Heart and vascular problems develop when endothelial cells that make up blood vessels do not work properly.
Schini-Kerth and her team found that polyphenols in Concord grape juice activate endothelial cells to produce nitric oxide which helps to protect against cardiovascular disease and to maintain healthy blood vessels and blood pressure.
Polyphenols work the same way in red wine and in grape juice.
"But not every grape juice has the beneficial effect. It has to have a high level of polyphenols," Schini-Kerth said.
The amount of polyphenols in grape juice, as in red wine, depends on the type of grape used and how it is processed.
"We have information on more than 100 different kinds of wine and the amount of polyphenols. What we know is that the most protective ones have the highest levels of polyphenols. That is established," she said.
But Schini-Kerth, whose research was partly funded by Welch Foods Inc which is a leading producer of grape juice, said little information is available on the levels of polyphenols in grape juice.
LONDON (Reuters) - Grape juice seems to have the same protective effect against heart disease as red wine, French scientists said on Wednesday.
Researchers at the Universite Louis Pasteur de Strasbourg were examining the effect on the heart of Concord grape juice.
"Grape juice can have a similar effect (against heart disease) as red wine but without the alcohol. That is a very important message," said Dr Valerie Schini-Kerth, lead author of the study published in the journal Cardiovascular Research.
Red wine and certain types of grape juice have high levels of polyphenols, which block the production of a protein linked to cardiovascular disease -- the number one killer in many Western countries.
Heart and vascular problems develop when endothelial cells that make up blood vessels do not work properly.
Schini-Kerth and her team found that polyphenols in Concord grape juice activate endothelial cells to produce nitric oxide which helps to protect against cardiovascular disease and to maintain healthy blood vessels and blood pressure.
Polyphenols work the same way in red wine and in grape juice.
"But not every grape juice has the beneficial effect. It has to have a high level of polyphenols," Schini-Kerth said.
The amount of polyphenols in grape juice, as in red wine, depends on the type of grape used and how it is processed.
"We have information on more than 100 different kinds of wine and the amount of polyphenols. What we know is that the most protective ones have the highest levels of polyphenols. That is established," she said.
But Schini-Kerth, whose research was partly funded by Welch Foods Inc which is a leading producer of grape juice, said little information is available on the levels of polyphenols in grape juice.
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