The Influence Of Nitrous Oxide On Free Radicals

When I first heard of the shooting deaths of three people, two of them faculty members and one staff member, and the wounding of three others at the University of Alabama Huntsville at the hands of neurobiology professor Amy Bishop, I had a visceral reaction which amounted pretty much to, "well, if I shot some street thug who tried to rip me off for fifty or sixty dollars, I can imagine what I might do to somebody that tried to rip me off of rights to a patent from research that might make me hundreds of thousands, or millions, of dollars". And, bluntly, speaking, by denying her tenure, whatever other reasons they might have had for doing so, it pretty much amounted to property theft. Which, I have to admit I considered ironic, seeing as how Bishop has been described as a fairly obnoxious Obama supporter, in addition to being, according to at least one of her students, a socialist (though the student insists she kept this out of the classroom).

The more time dragged on, the more came out. Now, it seems Bishop might have been involved in a plot to kill a professor at Harvard, where she was a student, with a pipe bomb sent by mail to the house of the professor, who was in a position to decide favorably or unfavorably on her work, and with whom she had a history or disputes. Yet, it should always be noted that Bishop was never charged, and in point of fact, though this is seldom pointed out, she went on to become an instructor of medicine at Harvard for a brief period of time.

Nevertheless, she and her husband was investigated thoroughly, which led to a compelling discovery-

During a search of Bishop's computer, authorities found a draft of a novel that Bishop was writing about a female scientist who had killed her brother and was hoping to make amends by becoming a great scientist, according to a person who was briefed on the investigation and spoke to the Globe on the condition of anonymity.


Which serves as a segue to a political angle, lately revealed, involving Massachusetts Representative William Delahunt, who in 1986 was the prosecutor in Quincy Massachusetts, when Bishop, then nineteen, was charged with killing her eighteen year old brother Seth, with whom she had also, according to some sources, had an argument. Yet, the incident was labeled an accident, even though she shot at her brother three times with a shotgun she was, according to the official report, "learning how to load", hitting him one time in the left chest area and severing his aorta.

Most of the report vanished shortly after it was filed, so the nature of the argument, if there was one, remains a mystery, but it is fairly well established that she was released the same day she was taken into custody, and never charged, even though the day she left her house immediately following her brother's killing, she tried to rob an auto dealer with the same gun with which she shot her brother, demanding he supply her with a car, claiming that her husband was after her.

Delahunt, so the story goes, ordered her release, yet he claims to have no recollection of the incident. However, it seems that he might have been influenced by the fact that Bishop's mother was active in local politics, and perhaps more importantly set on the local police board.

By the time it's all over with, she might well turn out to be a Kennedy love child, for all we know, but whatever the case might be, there is no doubt that something is fishy, and by all rights this woman should never have been granted a position at the University of Alabama Huntsville.

Admittedly hearsay accounts describe the family life of the Bishops as dark and foreboding, with no open indications of love, or any kind of closeness.

In the meantime, I think overlooked in this controversy is the matter of university policy in deciding tenure, and also the matter of patents. Tenure is the Holy Grail of university professors, and once given, it is rarely taken away. It seems to be more about politics than actual merit in the majority of cases. I think the system is in dire need of reform. Tenure should perhaps be granted automatically when a professor is employed past a set period of time, maybe four years, and it should not be so difficult to revoke as it now is, though such an action should not be undertaken lightly. There is also the matter of patents. If a professor is denied tenure, he or she should be able to take his or her research wherever they go, or alternately, they should be able to retain the rights to their work, including royalties.

All that being said, Bishops denial of tenure might well have had some valid grounds. She had only published about one paper a year during her association with the university, whereas the average is something along the lines of at least three or four papers a year, if not more. She was a hard person to get to know, by most accounts, being very withdrawn and unsociable. Her class was, according to many of her students, much too hard, and in fact she did not so much teach as read out of the book. Following is statements taken from the first of five pages of the website Rate My Professor:

Dr. Bishop does not put what she says will be on the test on the test!!!!! If you study what she tells you to study, you will fail, simple as that. From experience I'm a 4.0 student with a 100 in lab, and a C in her lectures class, if that doesn't tell you that somethings up, I don't know what will!! Take Dr. Adcock, she help you learn the material

Dr Bishop is an excellent teacher! She is very helpful and nice. She does everything to help students do well. She even offers extra classes! The students who show up and work think she is a good teacher.

Hard class to pass.. Requires a GREAT deal of studying!

Professor is helpful but the class is super hard! She has classes for extra help since there are so many students in the class.

This class was great. Bishop makes the class interesting by talking about her research and her friends research. That speaker she had for class was hard to understand but smart. She expects alot and you need to come to every class and study. She is hot but she tries to hide it.And she is a socalist but she only talks about it after class.

By and large, the reviews seem to run at least two-to-one positive. She was not without her accomplishments, having procured funding for the study of Nitrous Oxide on cells, and inventing the neurister, or neuristor, along with something that has been described as a portable petrie dish for the study of germs and bacteria. Following is an explanation of her work from her University Profile page, now deleted but thankfully archived.

1. Induced Adaptive Resistance to NO in the CNS.
Neurons release and utilize low levels of the free radical, nitric oxide (NO), for cellular signaling and neurotransmission. At high levels (can be >1mM), typically released during CNS injury and disease, NO is toxic. We have found that when motor neurons, both the NSC34 motor neuron cell line and primary motor neurons, are exposed to low doses of NO (~25nM) they become resistant (as assayed by significantly decreased DNA damage and apoptosis) to normally toxic levels of NO (~300nM-1mM). We have dubbed this phenomenon, induced adaptive resistance (IAR). IAR is dependent on the heme metabolizing enzyme, heme oxygenase 1 (HO1), as demonstrated by the loss of resistance upon the incubation of motor neurons with an HO1 inhibitor, and by the absence of resistance in motor neurons isolated from HO1 null mice. IAR extends to peroxide which is a product of the metabolism of superoxide, a free radical also released during CNS disease and injury. One proposed cause of NO-mediated cell death is extensive protein nitration by peroxynitrite, a molecule formed by the combination of superoxide with NO. IAR cells have significantly decreased levels of protein nitration in response to toxic levels of NO as compared to non adapted cells. In addition, motor neurons isolated from HO1 null mice have elevated levels of nitrated proteins in response to toxic levels of NO as compared to cells isolated from wildtype animals. Taken together this data indicates that, in an HO1-dependent manner, IAR protects cell from free radical damage. Elucidation of the mechanisms IAR will allow us to mitigate free radical mediated damage seen in many CNS diseases and injury. The space flight environment (high radiation / low gravity) stresses cells and, in the case of high radiation, also leads to the production of free radicals, thereby underscoring the importance of understanding IAR.

She has typically been accompanied in her work by her husband, the Chief research scientist of Cherokee Lab Systems, who she has worked with on innumerable projects, and who has also been detained and questioned by police, though not yet charged with any crime, nor is he speaking about events of the last few weeks, on advice of attorney.

Following are pdfs of two of her papers, here and here.

From the looks of things, she was urging her daughters to follow in her footsteps-though hopefully unarmed.

Testing

The trouble is not in your set. This is only a test.

Faith Can Keep You In Chains

The pseudo-science that is the religion of man-made Global Climate Change has been dealt yet another severe blow, this time by one of its major proponents-Phil Jones, former director of the University of East Anglia Climate Research Unit. Among his most damning statements-

*There has been no significant warming over the last fifteen years.

Actually, if you take everything he says at face value, there has been absolutely no warming over the last fifteen years. He goes on to state that-

*There were two other recent periods of warming. One of these occurred from 1910 until 1940. The other was from 1975 until 1998.

That is an overlap of three years. What it amounts to is, the "no significant warming over the last fifteen years", what did occur, actually lasted only from three years, from 1995 until 1998. It stands to reason, therefore, that there has actually been no warming for the last twelve years, and in point of fact, there may have been some slight cooling.

But that's far from all of it. He goes on to state that there may have been a period of warming that occurred during Medieval times, from roughly 800 until 1300 AD. This is astonishing, as Jones with this statement has actually broke ranks with the stated position of Global Climate Change proponents, who state that this period of warming was confined to the northernmost countries, such as Scandinavia. According to Jones, this is in fact far from settled, and there is some evidence to suggest that it might have indeed been a global phenomenon.

Why is this significant? Because of the now notorious hockey stick graphs which have been used to measure the rate of alleged climate change over the centuries. Following is how this has been represented.



Following is how the trend actually looks when the totality of warming patterns is taken into account, including the Medieval period.



(Thanks for the graphs goes to Bluegrass Pundit.)

Note how the graph at the bottom stays relatively flat near the right end in comparison with the snake oil piece at the top the Climate Change proponents have been trying to sell us. In fact, it shows evidence of a cooling trend.

Ann Althouse perhaps says it best. This movement is not a science, it is a religion, one in which there is no room or tolerance for such heresies as skepticism and-well, science.

Amazingly, Jones, now feeling the heat, has veered from declaring that he never had any intention of sharing his research with skeptics in compliance with Freedom of Information requests, to excusing his laxity in this matter due to shoddy record keeping.

Meanwhile, the United Nations IPCC is now under the gun, again, this time for exaggerating the rate of the rise of ocean level in the Netherlands, including in their estimates areas that are in fact not under sea level, but instead are merely prone to flooding.

Since all this has come out, other, more independent minded scientists are speaking out, no longer evidently in such grave fear that their funding will be cut off due to political pressure from the Left, among other worries. Some have noted that many of the stations constructed to measure temperatures in pursuit of this fiasco seem to have purposely been built in places best suited to elicit the highest temperature readings possible. Such as, for example, next to airports, which are subject to the influence of jet heat exhaust. In at least one case, a station was constructed next to a waste incinerator.

This be, ironically, the tip of the iceberg. This might well turn out to be one of the greatest hoaxes, one of the greatest scams, ever perpetrated on the public at large by political elites mainly of the Left. If that does turn out to be the case, heads should roll.

Literally.

Death Of A Titan

World famous fashion designer Alexander McQueen is dead, and although there has been no official statement as of yet, he apparently committed suicide by hanging himself in his London flat. At first glance, it is difficult to believe, as this was a man who over the last few years had established himself as a titan of the fashion industry.

The fact that he killed himself is not what is so remarkable. People of wealth and renown are as susceptible to deep dark periods of depression as the rest of us. His mother had just recently died, and his former patron and discoverer had herself committed suicide three years previously. Like they say, it's lonely at the top, and maybe the man just felt like he had no one or nothing left to live for. Grief and despair will put that kind of head trip on you, particularly if you are suffering from some form of clinical depression, which is still a greatly misunderstood but very real illness.

Still, his chosen method of self-execution is jaw dropping for a man of his stature. This is admittedly my own opinion, but the way in which a person kills himself tells a lot about him, or her as the case may be.

People who die by way of ingestion or injection of drugs, perhaps in combination with alcohol, or who die by cutting their wrists, are basically longing for a kind of peace they feel will never come their way.

Those who jump from a large edifice or engage in some other form of suicide are obviously, to me, wanting to make a statement. They perhaps have an exaggerated flair for the dramatic, as do those who simply put a gun to their head, though in that later case they are desirous of a quick and relatively painless solution to whatever problem vexes them.

But hanging? That is some intense self-loathing at work. This is a person who feels he has brought all his problems on himself, and is so burdened with guilt and despair over the idea, solving the problems are irrelevant. Such a person probably feels they do not deserve anything better than a macabre end.

Assuming this is really how Alexander McQueen died, and that he was not murdered, or the victim of some form of auto-erotic asphyxiation sex game gone horribly wrong, what could possibly have driven him to this point?

Perhaps it is not for us to say, but his death has taken the industry by total surprise. This would seem to suggest that if he had any such problems or hang-ups, he did a pretty good job of keeping it to himself. On the other hand, this was a man who had a client list that included such notables as Lady Gaga, Matthew Lambert, Beyonce Knowles, and other high-list members of the entertainment world who are so self-obsessed, they wouldn't have noticed if McQueen was bleeding out of his eyes so long as he didn't bleed on them.

He was a visionary, as seen in the following photos from the March 2010 issue of Vogue Magazine which envisioned a potential fashion of the future, from the website Million Looks and featuring model Freja Beha Erichsen.









Art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, but it looks to me like the world lost an artist. Artists share their gift with the world, and in some cases, that is all they are able to give of themselves. Perhaps McQueen, following the death of his mother and feeling all alone in the world, felt he had nothing left to offer and nothing left to achieve. That can be a hard, bitter pill to swallow in its own right.

Nice Place For A Tea Party? Welcome To The Jack Murtha Airport

Thanks for the use of pictures from the Wordpress blog of Josh Blackman goes to Josh Blackman, a legal blogger who currently blogs at Josh Blackman, and who has kindly given me permission to use his work.

The next Tea Party Convention should strive to accommodate more of the regular folks who are the life blood of the movement, as opposed to the recent affair in Tennessee which charged admission, and which was attended by a relative handful of Tea party leading personalities of the day, such as Sarah Palin and Andrew Breitbart. This is something the media has gleefully latched onto as evidence that there might well be a divide building up between the rank-and-file and an apparent cadre of elites.

Of course, every movement will produce its leaders, which will inevitably rise to the top as spokespersons for any mass of people. That is to be expected, though of course it is also to be monitored.

There should nevertheless be occasion for a wider convergence of the movement faithful, and naturally there should be a facility to accommodate them. It need not be all in one place. It can easily be a synchronized meeting across the country, facilitated through satellite link-ups with media coverage. It is probably unrealistic to expect the entire country of Tea Party faithful to converge in one spot. However, one place in particular stands out in my mind. But first, a word about the founder.

Jack Murtha is dead, and there are those that will grieve his passing. I will not, like a great many others, though there are many who are, going by their past assessments of the man, whistling past the graveyard as we speak.

I started out doing a hit piece on Murtha, but changed my mind because, like all of us, he wasn't all bad, though he was doubtless one of the most crooked, corrupt politicians to infest the planet. This was widely recognized even by most of his present day defenders.

He won election to his office in the early seventies, when he was supported by conservative Democrat Henry "Scoop" Jackson of Washington. He built a career as a supporter of the armed forces, including the men and women who serve, whose interests he was always a staunch champion of. At the same time, this former Vietnam War hero was among the largest contributors to the Pentagon budget of his and arguably of any day.

However, he had his run-ins with the law, even going back to the eighties and the Federal ABSCAM probe, which ended in him named as an unindicted co-conspirator. He maintained his seat through the support of various conservative causes. For example, he was Pro-Life, which was practically a requirement for election to the office from his Western Pennsylvania district.

At first, he was a staunch supporter of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but when things went south, he moderated his position to a remarkable degree, turning against the Iraq War, which he considered to have been ill-planned and executed. He called for an end to the war, and became wildly popular in Democratic circles, even among those factions of the party which previously viewed him with a great deal of suspicion.

In what was possibly his most controversial move, he denounced a group of Marines who had participated in what has been termed a massacre, in a place in Iraq called Haditha, going to the extent of pronouncing their guilt in public media interviews, even on network and cable news programs, before the men were actually even charged with a crime. He inferred in his statements that he had inside sources to this effect. This still would have been improper conduct by a public official, but what made matters worse was the fact that he actually seemed to be relying on published magazine articles as his source.

As it turned out, this was all mainly a political ploy meant to shore up support for a run for the Majority Leadership position in the House of Representatives, for which he seemingly had the support of future and present House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Unfortunately for Murtha, the majority of support went to Maryland Representative Steny Hoyer.

Murtha seemed to drop out of the spotlight, though he remained in charge of the powerful House Armed Services Committee, and resurfaced briefly during the 2008 presidential primaries, when he proclaimed that a large segment of the voters of his district were racists. This statement was used against him in his own re-election campaign of that year, but Murtha nevertheless prevailed.

He died just a few days ago as a result of complications from gall bladder surgery, when one of his intestines was accidentally cut, which resulted in the onset of Sepsis.

Murtha will be remembered for many things-opposition to the Iraq War, the Haditha Marines, advocacy for the armed forces etc., but his most lasting legacy will certainly be his penchant for bringing the pork home to his district, perhaps the most obvious example of which would be The John Murtha Johnstown Airport.

This large, sprawling complex is served by one airline, which conducts three daily flights from Johnstown to Washington DC. The average occupancy of any given flight is well under fifteen passengers. For the most part, the place, though well maintained and sufficiently staffed, is veritably void of public customers. In fact, it is probably not an exaggeration to state that the majority of public presence at The John Murtha Johnstown Airport would probably be due to attendance at Sassy's-a public restaurant at the airport which is a popular breakfast spot among the locals.

It would be easy to see why this would be a sufficient place for a tea party. It has ample grounds, both outside and inside, and more than adequate facilities, including public restrooms, as well as the aforementioned Sassy's Restaurant.

Not only is the open grounds considerable, as it is basically in the middle of nowhere, but there are ample parking grounds. And of course, it goes without saying it is accessible by air.

It would seem to me that this would be an ideal place for such a large gathering, due not only to the available space, but due to the symbolic value for a movement that exists mainly as a protest against ever-increasing government, taxes, and public debt.

There might be two options. One, the facility might be leased or rented for an event or, failing that, it might be taken in the context of civil disobedience. After all, this airport was built on the backs of the taxpayers, at great expense and for seemingly minimal legitimate purpose at best.


The Control Tower. Note the expansive surroundings.


Outside the terminal


And, inside the terminal.


An uncharacteristically busy day at the Murtha Airport.

It would be poetic justice were The John Murtha Johnstown Airport to become the setting for the largest Tea Party gathering in the country thus far.

MUAHAHAHAHAAAA

We Walk

Happy Imbolc

Imbolc-The Page Of Swords

Imbolc is the time to recognize and celebrate the fragile beginnings of the promise of spring, when grasses, plants, and vegetation begins to regrow, though still at an intermediate stage of development, much like the sun increases it's presence over the earth through lengthening of days. It is a time for protecting, for nurturing, the promise of tomorrow. Many light multiple candles in order to herald the increasing length of days. It is a time for optimism.

Admittedly, we don't have much to be optimistic about. We are always deluged with bad news, even during better times, because that's what sells print and advertising time, but these days the harsh news is ever more sobering, and while a recent retrograde Mars might well be adding to the harsher manifestations of pessimism on some deep level, it's only a planet. While it may have contributed to the recent horrible spate of bad winter weather, when the snow thaws, it's not going to leave behind a brighter sense of purpose and optimism.

Yet, throughout all the tragedy and turmoil afflicting us, there is always a ray of hope somewhere. Some people though are at opposite ends as to how best to achieve that hope, whether it is a liberal approach of greater government involvement in the economy and things like health care, or whether you prefer the tea-party approach of less government interference and emphasis on individual liberties over special interests or identity politics.

Although I was wary of the Tea-Party movement when they first got started, I make no secret of where I stand on the political end of the spectrum. Government is a servant of the people, ideally, but when you give that servant ever growing power and authority, it becomes a usurper. That is just the natural order of things. Even the most well-meaning and benevolent of tyrants is still, at the end of the day, a tyrant. Herod the Great was actually quite liberal for his day, while Augustus, for all his greatness in some regards, would cut throats with the best of them if he felt compelled to do so.

And that's just the case. When you give government too much power you make it too easy for them to enslave you. No matter how well-intentioned one generation of rulers might be, there is always the next, and the next, and the next. Once you have given them your authority, that is it. Your options are over. One day you have a relatively beneficent Augustus. The next thing you know, Caligula takes the throne, and you have paved the way for what comes next.

I guess that's all there is to say. You can give up your freedom and liberty any day. Once you give it up, you can't just ask for it back.

Haitian Banana Bread

I was surprised to learn how varied Haitian cuisine is. This on-line Haitian cookbook features quite a wide variety of meat, coups, salads, vegetable dishes, snacks, desserts and drinks. Here's a delicious sounding recipe for Haitian Banana Bread. Perfect for this or next Imbolc, or anytime.

* 9 Tbs. butter, softened
* 1/4 tsp. salt
* 1/4 c. seedless Raisins
* 2 large ripe bananas (1 lb.)
* 2 c. all purpose flour
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* 1 Tbs. baking powder
* 1/2 c. Sugar
* 1 egg
* 3/4 c. unsalted nuts(optional)
* 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, preferably fresh

edit Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Reserve 1/4 cup of the most perfectly shaped nuts for the garnish. Chop the rest of the nuts coarsely and toss them with the Raisins and 1 Tbs. of the flour. Sift the remaining flour with the baking powder, nutmeg and salt.
3. In a small bowl, mash the bananas to a smooth puree. Stir in the vanilla and set aside.
4. In a deep bowl, cream the remaining butter and the Sugar together.
5. Add the egg, and when it is well blended beat in the flour and the bananas alternately, adding about one third of each mixture at a time, and continue to beat until the batter is smooth. Gently but thoroughly stir in the chopped nuts and Raisins.
6. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and arrange the reserved nuts attractively on the top. Bake the bread in the middle of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out on a wire cake rack. Serve the banana bread either warm or cool.

Catcher In The Rye

Since the death of JD Salinger has been in the news, and I've learned more about his lone novel The Catcher In The Rye, I've become intrigued enough I've put it near to the top of my to do list. It might seem odd that I have written this post, having never read the book, but I feel richer for even having read about it. I can only imagine what actually reading the thing will be like.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the book or its premise, its about a young boy who feels alienated from the world. To him, most authority figures and for that matter most others are phonies. He has a number of misadventures which I won't go into, but suffice it to say, he lives in a world of his own, but which might be every bit as valid as the one through which people stumble blindly.

This book has been the focus of a lot of trouble and has functioned like a prism for a lot of alienated people. Bear in mind, this is not a children's book, it is a book about a teenager, written from the perspective of an adult who seems to have reached down deep into his own inner child in order to find the right voice with which to write it. It's a book about a boy, but written by a man who has not concealed the facts of childhood with the self-serving illusory memories most adults cloak themselves with.

If there was ever a perfect book to read for Imbolc, I have a strong feeling this might be it.

Salinger never wanted this book made into a movie while he lived, as he had a bad experience with Hollywood in regards to one of his more popular short stories, or novellas. However, he did express that, after he was gone, he would not be adverse to the book being adapted to film for the benefit of his family.

Personally, I almost dread the prospect. If they do it right, it could be great. Knowing Hollywood though, they'll screw it up by interjecting a lot of pc moralizing about hookers with hearts of gold who are just looking for the opportunity to break away from the chains imposed on them by a self-righteous, unforgiving and abusive culture, or gay teachers who would be great people if only they had equal rights, among other things.

They should film the screenplay from the exact perspective of the young protagonist, Holden Caulfield, as written in the book, and they should resist the urge to place it in the present day. Keep it in the late forties, the time era in which it was written. Do it right or don't do it at all.

Here is a link dedicated to the life and works of JD Salinger. Worth a look.

Killer Moon

I've been under the impression that T-Bone Burnett was a country artist, maybe even Bluegrass, but damn if this doesn't sound Lennonesque

Obama has decided to end the Ares rockets program which was to be the precursor to NASA's next stage of manned moon landings, instead charging NASA with the mission of improving their technology with an eye toward a future of greater, more far-reaching missions, to Mars and beyond. Meanwhile, he is turning the sub-orbital space programs over to the private sector, designating a six billion dollar grant to help develop the fledgling private enterprise.

I don't know how I feel about this. In a sense, it almost sounds like a worthwhile move. We've pretty much taken the space shuttle programs to the limits as far as their value to us goes, and we do need to move on, but I think ending the moon landings is a big, big mistake.

In a sense, the space program is still in it's fledgling state. Going to the moon, let's face it, was the equivalent of a human toddler walking upright for the first time, while yet holding on to something to steady his balance. We have a hella long way to go yet. We've learned and accomplished much, but there is still much more to learn and accomplish.

By the way, the following picture is of the last Wolf Moon. I never noticed this before, but look just above the wolf's snout. Damn if it doesn't look like a perfectly drawn human face in profile.

PETA Hates Children And Animals, And Everything In Between

Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow, so six more weeks of bad weather, but if the folks of PETA have their way, Phil will be put out to pasture, quite literally, and replaced with a robot of some kind that might or might not look like a Groundhog. PETA needs to sticking to what they do best-appealing to the lowest common denominator of mankind through the use of naked actresses and porn stars. Phil is by most accounts treated better than most children are treated. To PETA, Phil is just another wild beast who should be let loose in the wild, or a nature preserve, where he would probably never adjust. Sometimes I don't think these people really think things through, but then again, this is a group once headed by a man who couldn't even concede it was all right to exterminate rats. Or to kill head lice. These people are nuts.

The Princess Effect

It's a general weakness of mankind that we tend to treat what we consider "beautiful" or "attractive" people better than those less fortunate, and the wider the difference in looks, the bigger the difference in the way we interact with them. A recent scientific study suggests that this has affected attractive people in unforeseeable ways, by causing them to be more aggressive. There was actually a controversy over this, not due to the actual study, but because of a misunderstanding when it was reported that blondes tend to be more violent and aggressive. This might have been a mistake, but more likely it was a way to gain attention for the article in question.

Despite the controversy, the study makes sense. At first glance, you might think the opposite would be the case, but on the other hand, we tend to treat unattractive people with more consistency. Attractive people, both male and females, get more mixed reviews. Some people love them, some people through jealousy and resentment (and this is including other attractive people) hate them, while a good many feign indifference.

It's easy to see how this could set up internal conflicts, particularly when this starts at an early age in adolescence.

Therefore, parents, let this be a lesson to you. Treat your ugly children exactly the same as you treat your attractive children. They have a right to grow up to be assholes just like the rest of us.

302

A short Israeli horror film that demonstrates how when fear seeps inside your head it can transform the slightest worries into aspects of pure horror.

As if people don't have enough stupidity to contend with, there is currently a debate on-going about the benefits of circumcision. It turn out there are health benefits. It reduces the risk of penile cancer and urinary tract infections, in addition to reducing the chances of contracting some STD, such as HIV. Don't circumcise and you increase the risk of all of these diseases and other infections of the penis, and what do you have to show for it? An ugly piece of useless loose skin covering the head of your dick serving absolutely no function whatsoever.

Most people that do get their children circumsised do so for health reasons, not religious ones, but I tend to think the motivations for discouraging circumsision are wholly anti-religious, and most notably anti-Jewish bias.

Ancient Hebrews probably discovered the health benefits millenia ago, and it became a tradition, then a law. I don't know how they made this discovery. I have some ideas, but they are irrelevant to this post, so I won't go there. The main point is, the foreskin is a useless anachronistic piece of skin whose sole purpose is probably to protect the penis in the womb from bacteria in the amniotic fluid of the mother. Once you're out of there, its served its purpose. Cut that ugly motherfucker off, if you still have one, and if your sons still have one, shame on you.

Genital mutilation? Bullshit, nothing says genital mutilation quite like getting penile cancer and having your whole fucking dick cut off.

Oh, by the way, circumcision also reduces the risk of transmission of the Papaloma virus to female sex partners, which should be enough to tell you that not only is the foreskin useless, it's fucking nasty.

Rip Torn

They say you're never too old to try new things and so, true to the spirit of Imbolc, perhaps we should nurture the budding new career of Rip Torn as a drunken would-be bank robber, but then again, maybe that's not such a good idea.

This is not Torn's first brush with the law. Here is his mug shot from a previous DUI arrest.



In the present case, he actually broke into a Connecticut bank after hours, setting off an alarm, and was arrested, dog drunk and carrying a gun. I don't know, maybe Torn will try to make the argument, when he sobers up, that he was studying for a role-not that that would make any difference, but it might sound better than the probably truth. I tend to think this might be a case of dementia at work. Maybe he was reliving an old role, or an old childhood fantasy. Maybe the alcohol brought it all out in the open. But obviously, the main thing that needs to be protected and nurtured is anybody Torn might come into contact with the next time he goes off on one of his drunken rampages.

Asiz Ansari is a hilarious up-and-coming stand-up comedian, and also a star of NBC's Parks And Recreation. Thanks to him, it is now a major goal of mine to go at least once to a ColdStone ice cream store. Not so much to buy the ice cream as to leave a tip.

Bizzaro World Fears Of The Roberts Court

Anybody that is familiar with this blog should know by now that I have no compunctions about linking to blogs that I don't agree with. I purposely looked for variety in my blog roll, actually, and in all my sidebar links. Hell, I link to LaRaza for crying out loud.

In general, though, when I do so I prefer blogs that at least use some measure of rationality in their posts and ideas or, failing that, a sense of humor.

A case in point is this post by the blog Reason Gone Mad. While I am fine with the Supreme Courts recent Citizens United decision, this blog takes a humorous look at what it considers the possible unforeseen circumstances, on down the line, with potential future rulings.

Example-

June 14, 2010 – Wrapping up its 2009-2010 term, the Roberts’ Court has ruled that Goldman Sachs, as a corporate person, is within its constitutional rights to adopt human babies. The company celebrated the ruling by holding an elaborate birthday party for its recently adopted daughter, Goldy McSachs, at which Proctor & Gamble did magic tricks and General Electric came dressed as a clown.

Check it out. If you don't feel like laughing with him, do what I do, just laugh at him.

Ten Americans were arrested for trying to take Haitian children across the border to the Dominican Republic.

I don't know what the fuck is going on here, but if these people are literally selling Haitian babies for ten thousand dollars, that's pretty fucked up, if I do say so myself. A clue here might be that many of these kids, allegedly, still have living parents and relatives. They might still honestly think they are helping the kids, but that's not their call to make. It flies in the face of human decency to not monitor closely a situation like this, where children stand to possibly be taken advantage of by human traffickers who will use these kids as slaves, either for menial labor or sexual purposes.

The fact that these are Christians, from a Baptist Church in Idaho, is no guarantee against potential abuse. When they were apprehended at the border to the Dominican Republic with more than thirty children, it was only natural under the circumstances this would raise eyebrows.

On the other hand, there is another issue that needs to be raised, and that is the propensity of Haitian officials for corruption and bribery. There have been widespread reports of needed emergency goods being held up until "fees" are paid. If they will extort money for goods meant for emergency purposes, even needed food, clothing and medicines, then it stands to reason they will do the same when it comes to somebody wanting to adopt children. In some cases, the idea that human trafficking might be involved would probably only serve to raise the going rate.

I don't trust anybody when it comes to stories like this.

Mancrunch-Your Ad Sucks

The Super Bowl is a group oriented event. It's a time for friends and family. Fathers and sons, and more often anymore females of the family, get together to watch the game and root for their chosen team. I probably won't watch it, because I'm sick of it. It's turned into a spectacle. At halftime some asshat gets out to promote his latest CD, complete with dancers, jugglers, and fire-eaters, and if most people are like me, they take this opportunity to fix sandwiches for the second half.

But even the game has gotten monotonous. No one plays football anymore, it's a race to see who can score the most points, period. A real football game is the opposite, an attempt to prevent your opponent from scoring. That sounds like a distinction without a difference, but it is more pronounced than it sounds. The best games in history usually involve a total of less than twenty points scored by both sides in the entirety of the game.

Now, if a player just holds the ball over the goal line, it's a touchdown, even if his body otherwise never gets near the goal line. This is supposed to increase the excitement level, but all it does is detract from the intended spirit of the game, which is supposed to be more of a blend of offense and defense than is the standard of today.

For mainly this reason, although I'll be rooting for New Orleans in their first Super Bowl appearance, I probably won't be watching. Many others will, however, and advertisers will shell out massive amounts of money for a premium advertising spot. Many others will try, but there will not be enough space for all of them, so many will be turned away. Such as the following one-



Naturally, CBS is receiving complaints for their decision to not accept this ad, and even more for accepting an ad starring college football player Tim Tebow and his mother in a spot from Focus On The Family which is pro-life, or anti-abortion, in orientation. The gist of the ad is that Tebow's mom was strongly advised by doctors to abort Tebow, but she refused to do so. He went on to become a two-time Heissmann Trophy winner. No mean feat, that.

Bear in mind, this is not an ad that is advocating for the outlaw of abortion. This is simply a public service spot urging people to make their own private decisions on behalf of life, to not terminate a pregnancy, with young Tebow presented as an example of why, in their opinion, all life is sacred and important, possibly more than we can know.

The challenge for the pro-abortion rights crowd then becomes simple and obvious. Make an ad that encourages expectant mothers to get abortions, for their own financial and emotional well-being perhaps. Don't advocate for more laws, just follow the Tebow model, encourage abortion as a matter of private choice and initiative. After all, how many babies are going to grow up to be Tim Tebow? He is the exception to the rule. When a doctor advises a woman to terminate a pregnancy, it is far more often than not for sound medical reasons, and listening to any other kind of advice can actually be ill-advised in the vast majority of cases. You can even make the case that the Tebow ad is actually quite irresponsible, as his case is such a rarity.

If you do it in a tasteful manner, maybe you can one day sponsor your own Super Bowl ad. But the minute you bring a political, or for that matter a commercial aspect to the ad, you're almost certainly guaranteeing a rejection.

Again, this is a family oriented event, at least so far as its place on broadcast television goes. No one wants to see political advocacy here, and the programmers at CBS realize this.

The above ad I linked is just silly, and comes across more as an in-your-face stunt than it does a serious advertisement. It wouldn't bother me, but surely these people can understand why most wouldn't want to have to deal with something like this in front of their children during the Super Bowl. Or maybe they just don't care. If they did, they would have presented a tasteful ad with a reasonable appeal to the homosexual community to utilize Mancrunch as a gay dating service, much the way standard dating sites do. How many times do you see these on-line dating sites utilizing advertising that portrays heavy make-out sessions among their clients? You don't. You probably never will, because one, they know it would be offensive and two, they want to be taken seriously.

CBS has the right to make what they consider the proper business decision with their projected audience in mind. Anybody that wants to play in that league should understand the ground rules going in and be willing to abide by them. Otherwise, they really have no grounds for complaint.

A Day To Remember

Seems fitting to remember this event that happened the day before Imbolc, fifty years ago today, February 1st, when four black college students in Greenboro North Carolina refused to not be served at the whites only lunch counter at Woolworth's.

Good thing Obama wasn't in this group, he probably would have bowed to the waiter.

He still would.

If At First You Ram Your Fool Head Against A Wall Of Solid Ice

I used to hate people that said when you fall of a bike you have to dust yourself off and get right back on. I still do. Then along comes Shaun White, and I'm thinking, well what's a fucking bike crash.

New York City-Top Of The Heap

New York City official stats suggest their crime rate is as low as it's been since the late nineteen sixties. You know, back in the days it was the most dangerous city in the US. Bear in mind this is a city that has lost a great deal of its population. Okay, so granted that, officially, the stats are down, though I find it suspicious that these stats were released just a couple of weeks or so before the big New Year's bash.

Back in the old days, many urban areas were suspected of inflating crime stats, and others, in order to qualify for more federal funds. Now you have to wonder if some cities, like New York, don't go the opposite route to attract more tourism and business.

Then again, maybe there is some merit to the claims of lowered crime, seeing as how if you defend yourself from assault, you might well be charged with a crime yourself. If you defend yourself with a gun, you might as well hang it up. You're toast.

Add to this the very real possibility that if you "rat out" some thug for assault, you very likely risk further recriminations in the city that never sleeps. Who could sleep easy under those conditions.

A post from Rob Taylor of Red Alerts details the story of Cyan Brown, who killed a thug-a former rapist and gang member-with a knife, and was for her trouble charged with manslaughter. Now I don't know, maybe, just maybe, the charge was justified. On the other hand, this is a sixteen year old girl who just happened to tab a guy after she bumped into him and he and his friends objected. After the stabbing, his friends left him to die and gave pursuit of Cyan and his friends.

Some crimes just can't be swept under the rug, but thanks to Mayor Bloomberg's "get tough" policy, maybe this will make sixteen year old girls think twice about protecting themselves from known rapists. They should just suck it up and take the abuse. Don't ask, don't tell. New York needs all the good press it can get.

By the way, did you ever wonder exactly how many actual native New Yorkers make it down to the big New Year's bash. I'm thinking not many.

Dealing With Bullies

Hey kids, this is the truth-fighting solves NOTHING! If you are having trouble with a bully, the following video shows exactly the best way to deal with them-laugh at them. Mercilessly. Brutally. And publicly. Make other people laugh at them. Make them laugh at themselves, or make them cry.

Then hope they don't kick your ass.

Damn Lies (And Delicious Thighs)

Howard Zinn recently died. In case you weren't aware, Zinn was a historian of sorts who wrote a book titled The People's History of The United States. It is really a simple concept. Deciding that the vast majority of the history taught to impressionable young schoolchildren was damned lies, he decided to redress the balance by writing a book of more damned lies from the opposite end of the spectrum. A current series on The History Channel chronicles this book, and is produced by another great lover of history, truth, and justice-Matt Damon.

Zinn hated Columbus, and in this article he rips him a new one for the way he treated the American Indians with whom he came in contact during his initial overseas voyages.

That Columbus was a real ass. Before he came along, the Indians of Hispaniola lived idyllic lives, noble savages all, running naked, communing with nature, castrating young males of other Indian tribes to fatten them up for the harvest-that sort of thing. Then along came Columbus and ruined all that.

After the embarrassing fiasco of the East Anglia e-mail scandal, many of us felt the Global Climate Change movement was certainly dead. But, not so fast. It seems like the proponents of Global Warming have a new advocate, who will surely get things back on track.

Osama Bin Laden must be under the mistaken impression that he is widely hated by the American and European Left, but he is trying to make amends by jumping on the Global Warming Bandwagon, stating that the developed nations of the world are responsible for the crises. Citing America as the chief offender, his stated remedy for the situation is to grind the American economy to a standstill. Nations should, he declares, cease trading in the dollar.

Now that Bin Laden has become a de facto member of the Democratic Party, he has his work cut out for him. After all, it's a well-known fact that the Himalayan glaciers are melting at such a rate they will be gone by 2035, according to a report from the United Nations IPCC, which drew their scientific conclusions from in-depth studies of a popular magazine for climbers citing interviews with mountaineers, and a college dissertation by a geography student which interviewed Swiss mountain guides.

The IPCC, along with Al Gore, Lindsey Graham, Barak Obama, etc., and now Osama Bin Laden, certainly have their work cut out for them. If they fail to come up with a solution to this Global Climate Change crisis, how are they ever going to face up to the challenge of the planet devouring menace Galactus in the increasingly likely event he returns to our hapless world. Here he is during his last visit to our quadrant of the galaxy, as captured on film for the documentary Fantastic Four-Rise Of The Silver Surfer.

Offside

Peace in our world remains an elusive dream, as fragile as it ever was, what with the North and South Koreans shooting at each other, China angry at the US over missile sales to Taiwan, and of course, the Middle East. Just one wrong move can set things spiraling out of control, as this Israeli short film deftly illustrates.

State Of The Ruin

If you were fortunate enough to have missed, or skipped, the President's State of The Union address, have no fear, you can now read, courtesy of The Crank Files, a section by section analysis by Beamish that will pretty much sum it up succinctly.

An example-

Again, we are tested. And again, we must answer history's call.

One year ago, I took office amid two wars, an economy rocked by a severe recession, a financial system on the verge of collapse and a government deeply in debt. Experts from across the political spectrum warned that if we did not act, we might face a second depression. So we acted -- immediately and aggressively. And one year later, the worst of the storm has passed.

Well, except for the part about America still being in two wars, an economy in worse recession, a financial system about to be raped by new tax proposals, and a government going into debt five to six times faster than before you took office, I'd say the storm is still raging.

But I've never smoked crack, so what do I know?

This calls for a caption contest. What a tool.

Keep Your Head

Nothing but a fan vid, but a pretty good one, especially for a teenager. Pretending can be fun, sharing it with the world through YouTube-priceless.

The Pepsi Challenge

This is interesting. You get to vote on the Pepsi Refresh Project for the best ideas, the winner in each month receiving millions of dollars in funding from Pepsi. Some pretty cool ideas, though I think some of them have morphed beyond the stated goal of funding for community projects. Check it out.

Send It On

The Sting

I honestly don't know what to make of this, though if it is true that James O'Keefe, conservative filmmaker and investigator, actually attempted to bug the phones at the office of Senator Mary Landrieu, it was undoubtedly a boneheaded move on part.

I still think there is a lot more to the story than we are being told. One of his alleged co-conspirators is Robert Flanagan, the son of US Attorney for Western Louisiana James J Flanagan. Another individual is rumored to be the operator of some kind of obscure private "spy school".

Andrew Breitbart, who has long been a supporter of O'Keefe, has denied all knowledge of O'Keefe's actions, which could, if he is tried and convicted, earn him a lengthy prison sentence on federal charges.

Personally, I think he was set up. That doesn't excuse his actions, but it damn sure mitigates them, especially if he was led to believe by an authoritative source that his recent attempts to apparently uncover damaging information about Landrieu's official activities were legal, if unethical.

It becomes a matter of concern when you consider that this might have been a set-up that goes all the way up to the Justice Department and the very FBI who busted O'Keefe and his crew. Why were they investigating him to begin with? Who tipped them off? Is it possible that they weren't exactly so much tipped off as they were in on this from the beginning?

ACORN is still facing potential legal problems, to say nothing of losing it's considerable federal funding, over a series of undercover film exposes conducted by O'Keefe in which he shows the depths to which ACORN personnel were willing to sink, advising him and a partner, both of them in disguise (he as pimp, she as prostitute) as to how best to go about importing Salvadoran underage girls to work as prostitutes in a proposed brothel in such a way as to avoid tax and legal problems. One of the videos which resulted from the investigation of an ACORN office in Baltimore, follows below.




It goes without saying that ACORN has friends in high places who would like to see their present problems go away as much as they would. What better way to do that than to manipulate a scheme aimed at tarnishing, preferably outright destroying, the reputation of the man who caused them their problems to begin with?

Shamefully, everybody on the right seems eager to hang O'Keefe out to dry, despite the fact that he performed an obvious service, one of incalculable merit to the country. Now, even Breitbart seems determined to distance himself from O'Keefe.

I am not impressed by claims that Landrieu's person and offices is sacrosanct. This is not ancient Rome, where a Senator's person is considered inviolable. At least, this certainly should not be the case. How is she different from the myriads of people targeted in undercover investigations by journalists over the years, such as 60 Minutes? This is a woman who is a known whore, only getting on board the latest health care reform scam after she was promised that her state would be the beneficiary of extra federal funds, to the tune of 100,000 dollars, in an affair that has been dubbed The Louisiana Purchase. Are we supposed to accept that she should be immune from investigation by a citizen journalist? Why? While we are at it, is she above the law as well? Well, that would seem to be the case, as the last I heard, vote-buying is illegal. But then again, that seems to be yet another example of a law that applies only to private citizens, yet is business as usual in Washington.

That's all right, Landrieu's time is coming soon, as are many, many others.

And to those who like to insinuate that the actions of the ACORN employees in the film above has been taken out of context, or that it might be one example of a few employees who are not reflective of the organization as a whole, I would suggest that you watch it once more, very carefully, this video taken surreptitiously at an ACORN office in Baltimore.

Then watch the following one, which was taken at an ACORN office in San Bernardino California, which in many ways is even more disturbing, the female employee here going into vivid detail as to how she set her allegedly abusive husband up to kill him by making the rounds at several abuse shelters in order to establish a defense.

Also, O'Keefe informs her he plans on using the proceeds of his business as seed money to run for Congress, which doesn't seem to elicit any kind of surprise from her. Then again, this is a woman advising him, just as in the video above, as to how best establish a business utilizing underage prostitutes in such a way as to avoid any potential legal hassles.



I'll come right out and say it, I know to my own satisfaction that O'Keefe was set up, and if the truth ever does manage to come out, it might well serve to replace the current Tea Party movement with another movement that hearkens back to the days of the founding of the country, and one which I would actually prefer in some ways.

The Tar-And-Feather movement.

Delaware-Changes In Attitudes

Scott Brown's victory in the Massachusetts Senate race has been called a shot heard round the world, and that is probably not an exaggeration. It was certainly heard in Delaware, where Vice-President Bidens son Joe, the states Attorney General, has declined to run for his father's old Senate seat. The prevailing wisdom here is he knows his chances of winning would be slim in the current political climate. This leaves the way clear for Representative Mike Castle who, as the most popular politician in the state, would be a shoe-in to win the seat.

Not so fast though. The Tea Party movement, which has a strong presence in Delaware, isn't exactly enamored of Castle's past vote in favor of Cap And Trade, so there might be a primary challenge, which, if successful, depending on who comes out on top and on who the Democrats nominate, might well put the race up in the air.

Can't somebody please take Castle off to the side and have a nice long talk with him? He can think of it as a Come to Jesus moment, or a trip to the woodshed, or a simple heartfelt change of position. He wouldn't be the first politician in the world to change his mind.

This is a Senate seat we're talking about here.

Brangelina Forever, Unfortunately

Somebody who is undoubtedly associated with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie leaked a story to a British tabloid to the effect that the pair were splitting up, which served it's ultimate purpose. Attention was once again focused on the couple by way of this story, which is for now one of the top listed features in Google News. Brad and Angelina have denied the report, which yet served its purpose. Everybody is thinking about Brangelina again.

After all, why should people focus so much attention on important world affairs, including a disaster which might well have already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives amidst further incalculable suffering, when they could just as easily be thinking about the insignificant and self-centered lives of two vain, vapid, and pretentious Hollywood movie stars?

I don't know, but I think one or both of them were involved in the Haitian Relief Telethon. Evidently they were disappointed to discover they could not exactly be the center of attention this time around.

Naturally, you can almost count the days until this Dumbnamic Duo announce they are soon to adopt some Haitian orphans whose presence in the same general vicinity as the two will probably be limited to those times the cameras are flashing and rolling, as is probably the case with the remainder of both the adopted brood as well as those naturally conceived by them.

The remainder of the children's time is probably spent in the company of household staff and assistants whose places they are being groomed to take over at some future date.

I know that sounds a little harsh, but I think it's spot on. The leaked report in question is an old Hollywood trick. Leak reports to the tabloids, then issue a denial or confirmation. Sometimes it comes back to bite them on the ass, for example when Michael Jackson's staff, on Jackson's directions, encouraged one tabloid to refer to one of Jackson's photographed exploits as "bizarre". So successful was the story, it led to a run of them, and they helped wreck Jackson's life.

Naturally, many of the most obvious offenders like to play the victims of the tabloids, when in reality the only people truly victimized is society at large, which can't escape the odious aspects of the addictive natures of those who shell out millions of dollars a year to read this garbage, which is everywhere you go, down every supermarket checkout lane and every prime time entertainment news program.

There has to be an all-encompassing emptiness in the lives of those who obsess over this pair and others like them, a vacuum that is every bit as pronounced as the people they focus their adulation around. And make no mistake, they encourage this kind of idolatry. For example, the picture above is of a sculpture they had installed in the ceiling of their master bedroom, made out of crushed wine glasses which contains their DNA. This is an indication that these two have an exaggerated sense of their own self-importance, but at least it's a private bit of pretentiousness. Unfortunately, it doesn't stop there.



The same sculptor created this monstrosity as a public display in honor of "National Breast Feeding Month". It appeared in Oklahoma City in September, and from there was shipped to England. It features Angelina Jolie breastfeeding two of her infants. I guess the significance of this is it implies that most mothers would never engage in breastfeeding without Angelina's recommendation. I would point out that there has never actually been a photograph of her breastfeeding anybody, and I personally feel the only child she has ever actually breast-fed is Brad Pitt.

Oh, but we're not finished yet. The same sculptor was a busy, busy man, so busy in fact, he tried his hand at architecture.



I am not really clear on this, but I think this house is in New Orleans, or it may be in Oklahoma, or possibly LA, but the point is, the name of it is Brangelina House. The good news is, you can buy it yourself for $500,000. Unfortunately, you have to sign an agreement to the effect that Brangelina are the "honorary owners" of the residence. What this means is anytime they are in town, you have to pretty much give them the run of the place. It would be interesting to see how this plays out, whether they would actually push a person out of their home to accommodate them, and for how long they would do so. Are they entitled to move their kids in on a permanent basis, or even staff?

But the main point is, these works were obviously commissioned by the two, who it must be obvious by now think rather highly of themselves. Is it beyond reason then to suspect that the rumors of their split up were planted in order to grab the attention of a public with nothing better to do than lives their lives vicariously through the public lives of this ego-centric pair?

The really sad thing is, while granted they are both attractive and talented people, in another era they would be considered quite average B-list or maybe even c-list performers.

My Recommended Charities For Haiti, And-A Joke

I don't know how many people watched the Telethon for Haiti that permeated broadcast television Friday night, I do know I didn't. Even though I won't make any judgments as to the sincerity of any individual performer or the many actors who manned the phones to take pledge calls, I will have to admit that, in general, I have to consider much of this just so much self-promotion, and in some cases nothing more than an excuse to promote leftist politics. Case in point-the preening little narcissist John Edwards, fresh off current revelations that yes he did father a "love child" with Rielle Hunter behind the back of his cancer stricken wife (who, admittedly, is a world class bitch). When Edwards went to Haiti to "help", it was obviously a way to repair his beyond damaged reputation. The fact that he went there accompanied by Marxist actor and Chavez/Castro supporter Sean Penn speaks volumes. As an aside I should point out that it has not been so long ago that Edwards tried to package himself as a centrist Democrat. If that in itself doesn't make you wary of all such self-styled moderates within the Democratic Party, nothing will.

Mainly, however, I fear that the telethon will do more harm than good, mainly because of the expense involved in putting the thing on, which can not help but drain many of the resources from the many good and well-meaning people who called in to make their pledges, the vast majority of whom would more than likely feel no need to hear Bruce Springsteen butcher We Shall Overcome in order to do so. Nor would the prospect of speaking on the phone to Jack Nicholson or Julia Roberts induce most to give more. For those who were so influenced, I hate to break it to you, but they probably forgot your name the minute you got off the phone with them, unless you said something really, REALLY inappropriate.

Even in the best of circumstances, even if this did inspire more people to give than would ordinarily have given, and even if it encouraged many to give twice as much, the fact remains, the production expenses will eat up a great deal of it. And then there's the important question-who gets the money.

Two of the projected recipients raise some red flags. Yele, which is the charity of Haitian musician Wyclef Jean has been accused of financial improprieties, yet was a recipient, even though Jean has been accused of using a large portion of the funds of his Haitian charity, Yele, for his own personal use. When I first heard of this, I considered the possibility that this might be an unfair attempt by other charities to harm a competitor, because let's face it, Big Charity is a business in it's own right, just one that isn't legally allowed to make a profit. That's the only difference. The bigger a charity is, the more in the way of wages, salaries, bonuses, and overhead it has to pay out. I was of the mind then that perhaps Wyclef Jean's charity was unfairly targeted and maligned by supporters of other charities, many of whom are run by people who are every bit the shark as your most ruthless corporate CEO.

Even Rush Limbaugh defended Wyclif Jean, probably for this very reason, but as it turns out, where there's smoke, often there really is fire. Wyclef Jean hung his staff out to dry, hired a new set of accountants, and appeared as a featured performer at the same Telethon of which his charity remains a major beneficiary.

Another odious recipient is The Red Cross, the penultimate example of a Byzantine, bureaucratic charity that eats up a large percentage of it's donations in overhead, salaries, and bonuses. They were also a subject of controversy in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks for refusing to utilize money received ostensibly to benefit 9/11 survivors families, instead transferring funds for projected future needs against the expressed wishes of the majority of contributors to 9/11 relief.

A good rule of thumb is, the intended recipients of charity relief should receive at the very least one third of the money a private charity takes in ostensibly for their benefit. I would prefer to see that number go to well over half the charities intake. The point to all this is, before you give to any charity, you should attempt to research exactly how effective they are. Charities such as the aforementioned Yele should be given a wide berth, and the Red Cross deserves a similar degree of skepticism. There are some charities I could recommend for Haitian relief, but even so I still suggest you look into them yourselves before you send them anything. All I can do is point out the directions, you still have to watch your step along the way.

As for which charities, I'll get into that soon, but first-a joke!

French President Sarkozy, having studied up on the sad, tragic history of France's past with Haiti, decided France should make a contribution to the relief efforts. But he was in a bind, as the state of the French economy was far from ideal. Still, human decency and compassion compelled him to make a pledge on behalf of the great people of France.

When his wife learned what he had done, she almost literally hit the roof and, in a rage, ordered her chauffeur to rush her to the airport in an attempt to put a stop to what she considered a foolishly insane promise.

She arrived just in time to see Sarkozy readying to board his private jet, tugging a luggage rack on wheels with four different suitcases, one atop the other. She shouted at him to stop. Turning, he saw her approaching hurriedly. Handing his luggage to an attendant, he ordered him to take it up the ramp.

"What did you promise those people?" she demanded. "Money? Medicine? Clothing? What?"

"None of that, my dear," he reassured her in a calm but firm voice. "I simply pledged to the Haitian President that I would donate, on behalf of France, a years supply of personal grooming supplies. You know-soap, shampoo, tampons, deodorant, that kind of thing."

"Is that a year's supply worth for Haiti, or for France?" she demanded, obviously seething.

"France," he replied sheepishly.

"You idiot!" she screamed. "What are the people of France to do for the next year?"

"Oh, for God's sake, Carla, the companies will just increase production, and the donation will be replaced probably before they are ever missed. You must have faith in my decisions. After all, I am your husband, and need I remind you, the President of France. I must set an example."

This untypical determination on the part of her husband actually shamed Carla, and the First Lady of France lowered her head, suddenly humbled in the face of her husband's magnanimous gesture and strong determination.

"I apologize deeply my husband," she said apologetically. "I don't know what came over me. I only want what is best for you, and for our country. I love you."

"As I do you, my dear," Sarkozy replied. "Now go back to the Presidential palace and wait. I shall return in a few days, I promise."

With that, Carla left, and Sarkozy boarded the plane, where he was greeted by the pilot.

"That was very brave of you, Mr. President," the pilot said admiringly.

"Yes, well, let's just please be on our way before she changes her mind." Sarkozy said as he then pointed in the direction of the four piece luggage set that now rested by his seat. "Besides, I want to give this to the Haitians as soon as possible."

(Okay you can stop laughing now, joke over)

As for what charities I can recommend, well not many, but there are some.

The first one that comes to mind is The Salvation Army, which I learned from The Fat Guy, has actually established a significant presence in Haiti over the course of a good many years. As such, they presumably already have the means to distribute any donations they receive in an effective manner.

Samaritan's Purse is one I had never heard of before. It comes recommended by Lemuel Calhoun of the blog Hillbilly White Trash who assures us that they put every dime they give to good use. Of course, there are expenses involved with any charitable organization.

Jason of The Wild Hunt Blog recommends that you make use of the website Charity Navigator, which functions as a kind of Better Business Bureau of the Charity world. Jason especially recommends the group Doctors Without Borders.

I have to admit, I find their recommendation of The Red Cross dubious, but I will grant them this one error, because in fact, I do concede The Red Cross does good work. I just feel they, and a good many others, could do a lot better.

Charity Navigator also gives good advice on what to avoid. Telemarketers and on-line requests for aid should be ignored, and in some cases it might be appropriate to report them to the proper authorities. They also strongly urge that you do not give money directly to the Haitian government nor to any officials of that corrupt entity.

Finally, I feel that I should point out that there are many good local and regional charities throughout the United States that by reason of their limited range fly under the radar and remain generally unknown. However, that is not a reflection of the actual work they do, much of which can be considerable.

Agape Flights,for example, is an organization which flies in supplies of donations received through the auspices of several different churches in the Kentucky area as listed on WAVE Channel 3. They are geared mainly towards supplying food, medicine and other supplies to Haitian earthquake victims and survivors.

There is an emphasis in some local drives in Kentucky on peanut butter, which is a high source of needed protein. Presumably, there is not a significant level of the peanut allergy phenomenon which is so prevalent in the States, and which may have an environmental origin of some sort.

I am sure there are many other worthwhile charities you can find on your own in your local areas. It is good to give, but if you feel moved to do so, why not give by way of those who can utilize your donations to the greatest effect, and with the utmost efficiency? It's the right thing to do when you really want to make a difference.

That Hugo-He Has All The Answers

First, Pat Robertson blamed it on God's anger over a pact with the devil. Then, Danny Glover blamed it on Gaea's anger over the collapse of the Copenhagen Summit. But Hugo Chavez ain't having any of that superstitious nonsense. He has determined the true culprit responsible for the Haitian earthquake, and all the resultant devastation is-wait for it-

The United States, who he claims did all this by testing a new, super secret earthquake machine. Why did they do this? They are planning to use it against Iran, naturally.

After all, would the Russian North Fleet tell him something like that if it wasn't true?

Air America Crashes, Burns

Air America has officially ceased live broadcasting and announced it is filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. HuffPo readers react. Of course, they whine, complain, and get all defensive while they offer one cheap excuse after another for the program's failures. Some of them are so far removed from reality they crow about the success of Rachel Maddow and Al Franken, among others.

I would point out that Rachel Maddow has been on MSNBC for years, and I sure wouldn't be too quick to credit Al Franken's Minnesota Senate victory to Air America. Crooked lawyers, corrupt Democratic Party state officials, the SEIU and ACORN get the lion's share of the credit for that travesty, all aided and abetted by a strong third party Senate candidacy. If the truth were known, more people were negatively than positively influenced by Franken's Air America association.

Air America has been for years a giant zeppelin spewing hot air and steadily approaching ground level. The Hindenburg explosion could not have been more obvious. The most absurd excuse I've yet heard for Air America's problems-and bear in mind I heard this one years ago-is the notion that liberal listeners just work too hard to be able to find the time to patronize a radio program. More than just an implication, the stated charge here is that Rush Limbaugh listeners are for the most part uneducated, illiterate, unemployed trailer trash hicks who don't have anything more constructive to do with their time than listen to Rush Limbaugh and call in to spew their "right wing hate", what times they aren't guzzling booze and fucking their sisters in the bed of their pick-up trucks.

My question to that risible proposition would be, do liberals work twenty-four fucking hours a day? Are radio station programmers too inept to pick an appropriate time slot? Or is this yet another part of one of those right-wing corporate conspiracies we're always hearing so much about?