Non-profit of the Month: December 2008 - Living Water International



At youth group, we saw a video produced by Advent Conspiracy which is embedded above.

Definitely have been thinking about spending a little less for Christmas because of the current economic uncertainties. And after the video, what's really important is the people in our lives. And after watching the video, am going to be giving to Living Water International.

Here in the USA, we drink bottled water, fizzy water, water from the Brita filter, water from various home filter systems and water from the tap. We think nothing of it. Elsewhere, people get sick and die from the water.

Give money, get clean water, save lives.

How about it?

Here is the "about us" page at LWI.
Excerpt:
Our Mission:
Living Water International exists to demonstrate the love of God by helping communities acquire desperately needed clean water, and to experience "living water" - the gospel of Jesus Christ - which alone satisfies the deepest thirst.

LWI is a leading implementer of participatory, community-based water solutions in developing nations. In its 16-year history, LWI has completed nearly 6,500 community water projects in 25 countries, which provide safe, clean water to 9.5 million people every day.

It all began in 1990, when a group from Houston, Texas traveled to Kenya and saw the desperate need for clean drinking water. They returned to Houston and founded a 501(c)3 non-profit. The fledgling organization equipped and trained a team of Kenyan drillers, and LWI Kenya began operations the next year under the direction of a national board.
Please give to this organization or other organizations doing similar kind of work.

Sports: An NCAA Football Playoff Scenario

ESPN has placed on the web a playoff simulator.

Enjoy!

Here is what I plugged in ...



And this is what the simulator produced ...

Life: Don't eat left over food that has sat in the car for more than one hour on a hot day

Since I'm in a confessional mood having acknowledged I was duped by free credit report.com I have to confess a really stupid thing I did that landed me in the hospital.

Southern California weather can be hot and it was recently and I had left over food in my car. Well, I ate it later on and in a matter of hours I was experiencing extreme abdominal cramps. I was balled up like a shrimp on the bathroom floor waiting to either vomit or have diarrhea. After 90 minutes of this, I realized this was NOT good and called my brother to take me to the hospital. Alas, this was 2:30AM Monday morning a few weeks back.

My wonderful brother and sister-in-law came to get me and managed to drag me into the car as I was in so much pain I could barely walk. We drove to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center emergency room where I went in 2004 and 2005 for a bowel obstruction. In 2004, I had surgery for it. In 2005, the MDs decided to see if it would resolve without surgery.

Given my medical history, they were on the lookout for the obstruction. There is little to no dignity in the hospital and when you are sick you really don't care. I can't remember when (4:30 or 5 AM?), but I had 3 bloody diarrhea episodes. From the blood tests and the CAT scan, they concluded I had inflammation of the descending colon. I was admitted into the hospital and was feed by IV to rehydrate me from all the fluid I lost from the diarrheas. On Tuesday, they decided to add IV Flagyl and Levaquin. They cut me loose on Thursday with a prescription for 4 more days of the antibiotics but in tablet form.

My digestive system is still kind of jumpy these days but that is to be expected given the trauma to the colon and the after effects of 7 days of double antibiotic treatment. Key thing I was told to watch for was any bloody stools or off the charts abdominal cramps.

The GI MD thinks it was probably just a very bad case of food poisoning but has scheduled me for a colonoscopy for 2009 to see what is inside my lower GI. The concern is that there is some other issue going on. They aren't likely given my fairly speedy recovery from the episode but they want to check it out nonetheless. Current recommendation is a colonoscopy at age 50 if there isn't a reason to look sooner. So in my case, they felt it was time to look. The list of things they are looking for and hope NOT to find is pretty long.

2009 ... colonoscopy blogging? Ick!

Business: FreeCreditReport.Com is not free

We have all seen the ads on TV or heard them on the radio for FreeCreditReport.Com.

Well, I tried it and indeed got my credit report. What I didn't realize but now looking back, there was "fine print" everywhere that it wasn't really free.

Right there on their home page is this:
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
When you order your free report here, you will begin your free trial membership in Triple AdvantageSM Credit Monitoring. If you don't cancel your membership within the 7-day trial period**, you will be billed $14.95 for each month that you continue your membership.
I noticed the other day a $14.95 charge by "#CIC*TRIPLE ADVANTAGE" on my credit card and wondered what was that?

A quick search on the internet revealed that many people did what I did.

The articles described how people had a very hard time getting the service cancelled.

In my case, I've seen one billing but for others who don't check their statements carefully, they wind up paying for this service for several months without realizing it.

What is the definition of fraud?
Definition of Fraud

All multifarious means which human ingenuity can devise, and which are resorted to by one individual to get an advantage over another by false suggestions or suppression of the truth. It includes all surprises, tricks, cunning or dissembling, and any unfair way which another is cheated.

Source: Black’s Law Dictionary, 5th ed., by Henry Campbell Black, West Publishing Co., St. Paul, Minnesota, 1979.
Experian is the company behind FreeCreditReport.Com and what they are doing is on the edge of fraud. They will always say that disclaimers are on the web site so they aren't being dishonest. But that truth is hidden amidst a cute radio and TV ad campaign scaring people about surprises in your credit score all the while calling their service FREE credit report.com ... does this skate right up to the edge of the line of "false suggestions or suppression of the truth?"

What do you think?

Today, I hope to NOT have to spend too much time on the phone calling Experian to cancel the service. I'll also be calling the credit card company to say I have cancelled the service and no more of these charges should appear on my card.

I feel like such a dope!

Liveblogging:
8:20 made call to the FreeCreditReport.com and on hold
8:23 got live person, Z, who looked up my file
8:24 Z reads script to keep me as a customer
8:25 Z offers a limited membership for $4.95/month
8:26 puts me on hold to cancel my membership
8:28 back on the line and am told I will receive an email that confirms cancelation of my membership.

8:29 calling Bank America Visa credit card company and going through the various voice menus
8:31 got live human and explained the situation and was given a number to call if the charge reappears. While logging my complaint in the computer, rep offers a credit card balance tranfer which I decline
8:34 my concerns about Triple Advantage Credit Monitoring are logged in and the call ends.

Culture: the things you can see on Youtube - mouse obstacle course!



The music is the Wide World of Sports Fanfare (I think?) followed by the Olympics Fanfare by John Williams!

Music: Freeway Philharmonic

Just saw a delightful and moving documentary, Freeway Philharmonic, about freelance classical musicians.

The film follows 7 musicians in their lives in and out of music.

Its a tough way to make a living but their passion for music compels them to be on the road stitching together playing and teaching gigs all over California.

As a orchestra concert goer, the film gave me a greater appreciation for the craft and the commitment they have.

Life: Private Monica Brown Saving

Heard on the radio the story of Army Medic Monica Brown and her actions to help save two soldiers after their convey was ambushed in remote Afghanistan. Below is the video clip of the 60 Minutes feature story about Private Brown.


Watch CBS Videos Online

Technology: AOL Hometown has been shut down

I signed onto AOL back in 1994 and hosted my 1993 and 1997 road trips on their FTP space. I recently discovered the pages were gone!

Some searching uncovered this message:
Hometown Has Been Shutdown

Posted on Nov 6th 2008 1:30PM by Kelly Wilson

Dear AOL Hometown user,

We're sorry to inform you that as of Oct. 31, 2008, AOL® Hometown was shut down permanently. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Sincerely,

The AOL Hometown Team
More web searching revealed many irrate AOL Hometown users and various reports of attempts to recover the pages.

At the moment, I'm attempting to off-load my photos and html scripts by FTP.

Connect to the server ftp.hometown.aol.com. With your FTP program enter your user name and password. Off-load your files.

I'm finding the process to be extremely slow. I'm not sure if it is the FTP program I'm using or the bandwidth to the ftp servers at AOL are just slow.

Another option I found by web surfing is to use Way Back Machine. I was able to recover my HTML scripts but very few of my photos.

All the best to fellow AOL Hometown users in recovering your pages.

Technology is a tough business. AOL was once the king of the hill. Now, it is probably on its last legs. Don't think AOL execs will be going to Capitol Hill for a bail out!

Faith: Viral Christianity?


Image from: http://feralpastor.blogspot.com/2008/11/viral-christianity.html

As one of the Fan lab alumni, I think about viruses and how they do what they do. It is that kind of function and structure process thinking that I learned in graduate school that I carry into my continuing life as a medical researcher now studying vitamin D.

As a Jesus follower, I am drawn to the metaphor that it may offer: what viral - minimal - Christianity might look like?

Tim and I kicked around some ideas at the Fan lab reunion BBQ at the beach a while back. Since then, I've periodically let my mind wander at the possibilities of weaving "a story" using the simple retrovirus above as the hooks to hang the story.

Admittedly, analogies and metaphors do have limits but they can be helpful in stirring up thoughts.

And so here are some ideas to consider ...

From the diagram there are 5 components: RNA, gag, pol, env, lipid bilayer.

The RNA is the message. The very core of the virus. No RNA; no nothing. And so at the core of viral Christianity is the radical idea that God wants a relationship with us as individuals and as a community of faith. Think of John 3:16? I wonder how many people see that sign at a football game and know what the verse says? Well, hopefully, the viral Christian community lives in such a way that someone will grasp that wonderful message.

One of the genes coded in the RNA is gag. Gag is the protein that helps form the inner core structure of the virus. Ultimately, what separates Christianity from other world views, religious systems and organized communities is the person of Jesus. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus is what provides the shape of Christianity. Jesus teachings, moral example and righteous life must shape our communities if we claim him as Lord. Jesus and the Cross is the theological and existential focal point of grace, love, justice and forgiveness. His resurrection is the vindication of his mission and message and opens the door for us to have new life.

Another gene coded in the RNA is pol. Pol is the protein that replicates viral RNA and integrates the coded information into the host. Sounds very much like the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit embeds into us new coded information. This changes us. If Christianity has no capacity to change us and societies then what is it good for? And so the Spirit works to transform us and replicate this new genetic information in us.

The third gene coded in the RNA is env. Env protein pokes out of the particle and allows the particle to latch onto a cell. The particle gets into a cell because env acts as a key that opens the door to that cell. Thus, the particle of viral Christianity has love on its surface. It is love that catches people's attention. It is love that opens the door to their hearts. St. Paul said, if I have not love, I'm nothing; I'm just making noise. St. John tells us, we love because God first loved us.

The last item is the lipid bilayer. The "skin" of the viral particle is the host's lipid bilayer which is the "skin" of all our cells. And so the message of God, the core structure of Christ, the replicative and integrative power of the Spirit and the key of love is all wrapped up in human skin. Imagine that: something so valuable and beautiful and powerful wrapped up in us, in our communities of faith. Again, referencing St. Paul, treasures in jars of clay.

What do you think?

Culture: Battlestar Galactica - the final episodes

Am late to the phenom.

The humans and the rebel Cylons form an uneasy truce, four of the final five Cylons are revealed and they arrive at earth ... only to find it is a wrecked planet.

And so that sets the stage for the final episodes to begin airing in 2009.

Click here for the teaser video.

Politics: Trying to get beyond "right" and "left"

The benefits of a two party system is that the USA doesn't wind up with kooky coalition governments where a stronger parties have to bring in extremist parties to assemble a government.

The other side of a strong two party system is that some people don't feel truly at home with either party and join one or the other reluctantly or opt out entirely.

This sense of disconnection with the two major parties is most strongly felt by those with religious convictions.

For example, those on the evangelical and Christian left who have strong economic redistributionist views like the Democrats but feel alienated from that party because they are pro-life.

Meanwhile, Christian conservatives who sign on with the Republicans because of the pro-life issue and Protestant work ethic feel alienated when the party is so pro-business it hurts the average citizen.

In response to these kinds of concerns, some authors have published "manifestos." From the left, there is Jim Wallis and his book "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It."

I recently heard a radio interview with an author from the right, Rod Dreher whose book is "Crunchy Cons: How Birkenstocked Burkeans, gun-loving organic gardeners, evangelical free-range farmers, hip homeschooling mamas, right-wing nature lovers, and their diverse tribe of countercultural conservatives plan to save America (or at least the Republican Party)."

Am going to have to look into this Dreher chap a bit more. He sounded interesting on the interview.

World: Mumbai hit with terrorism

New York, Washington DC, Bali, Madrid, London ... now Mumbai.

The attack was brazen and the results horrible.

It sounds like the security forces of India are starting to regain control of the situation but their appears to be still some hostages as of this moment.

In reading the news item, I didn't remember that the city had already been hit with bombings of commuter trains in 2006.

Whether we admit it or not, there is a radical segment of Islam that has declared war on humanity that does not hold to their vision of the world.

UPDATE: Here is a timeline of the events from Wednesday to Friday.

Culture: 24 - Redemption


image source: http://www.vintagedepotdirect.com/media/BK40.jpg

Jack is back!

Redemption - to offer something in exchange for something else.

In old days, when I was a kid, my parents would collect books of "Blue Chip Stamps" and exchange (redeem) them for various household items and toys.

In the story, Mr. Benton sacrificed his life in the minefield in exchange to help his boys escape. Jack gave up his freedom in exchange to get the boys into the embassy.

Thus, Mr. Benton and Jack were "Jesus figures" in this story.

Wonder if some theology student has written a Gospel according to 24?

Well, God can be found in unexpected places?!

There is after all a Gospels According to the Simpsons!

Economics: The Current Financial Mess



Russell Roberts an economist at George Mason University explains how we got into the mess and the problems with the way the Feds are trying to fix it.

LA Scene: LA Phil with Ades

Went to see the LA Phil last night.

The Marseillais Hymn was instantly recognizable and the combined forces of the LA Philharmonic and Master Chorale was quite powerful. What I didn't realize was how blood curdling the lyrics were!

This was followed by the volatile Royal Hunt and Storm by Berlioz.

Ades then went on to take the microphone to explain why he chose these pieces to lead into his work, America: a prophecy.

He set his music as a wraparound to words from Mayan poetry.

Lyrically and musically, it didn't do much for me. It represented some of the excesses of contemporary art and music: attempts to shock for the purpose of shocking.

In its defense, in the program notes, it made the point about how the coming of the Europeans to the Americas had multiple perspectives. For the natives, it meant the destruction of their societies as they were defeated by the Europeans who came from the east. But at another level, those societies had very brutal elements tied to human sacrifices and so the Europeans destroyed that and liberated the masses oppressed by their rulers. Of course, the Europeans also did bad things. But then again, the Americas have now grown to be powerful on the world stage and have brought much to the world. Thus, the Americas of 1000-2000 is a complex story. Ades also pointed out that 9/11, the singular event of the new millenia, was once again the East, in this case Middle Eastern terrorists, coming to the Americas.

On this level, I have some sympathy to the consequences of post-modern thought. Indeed, there are multiple realities to historical/cultural events which seems to be the mantra of post-moderns. But, of course, these perspectives only have meaning because the narrative has objective elements that can be used by the person making the analysis which runs against some post-modern claims against the possibility of such knowledge.

If we hold to the traditional definition of knowledge as justified true belief, we would have to say that Ades' effort to provide a narrative about the drama of the American story from 1000-2000 is defensible as his facts are correct.

Thus, I suppose, a true hard core post-modern perspective is self-defeating in that any attempt at weaving a narrative would be nothing more than whisting in a wind storm and would be attempted only for the purpose of pleasure or shock and not for illumination.

The second half of the show had Berlioz music from an opera he never completed. It has the spooky elements consistent with its title about a secretive jury.

The final work was then introduced by Ades as his attempt to paint with musical notes the Ark of Genesis carrying humanity through which he tied to our earth today carrying all of humanity through the universe.

This work was quite a bit easier to listen to than his first work and allowed me and the 2/3 full auditorium to leave feeling a bit better compared to the disquiet of our entry into intermission.

UPDATE: For a music professional's perspective, check out Swed from the LA Times.

Non-profit of the Month: November 2008 - Santa Monica Symphony

Yes, one can sit at home and listen to KUSC or pop in a CD of classic music.

But unless you have a trunk load of money the sound coming from the FM radio in your car or the boom box at home isn't anywhere near the quality of sound of a live performance.

Alas, running an orchestra is an expensive proposition. Thus, community based ensembles have serious financial challenges.

The kick-off of the Santa Monica Symphony's 2008-2009 season was a special affair with KUSC's Rich Caparella making the opening remarks before introducing the Mayor of Santa Monica, Herb Katz. Mayor Katz explained how the SMS is funded by a mixture of sources but that 75% comes from the participating public. Mayor Katz then turned the show over to music director Allen Robert Gross. Maestro Gross encouraged those in the audience who could donate to do so. He also shared that music fans in the Southern California area may have heard that the economic troubles has hit the Pasadena Symphony hard forcing the cancellation of part of their season and possibly the entire season.

I'm not in the business of crowd estimates but I'd venture that there were over 500 in the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium for the event. It was a delight to see the range of ethnic faces in the audience. Also, it warms my heart so see young and old couples make a date night of a concert.

The program for the night included a mix of crowd pleasing 19th century works.

It began with an operatic work, Siegfried's Rhine Journey from Gotterdammerung. This was followed by the delightful Violin Concerto by Bruch. Katia Popov was the soloist. The final movement of the concerto really makes you sit up and take notice and as the last notes faded into the ether, the audience rose up in applause. After the intermission, Good Friday Spell from Parsifal got the audience ready for wonderful emotional roller coaster ride of Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet.

After the show, I made it a point to send a donation to the SMS. They started in 1945 and may they see 2045 and beyond!

Please consider supporting the local orchestra or school based orchestra near you! Let's keep "old school" music alive in the 21st Century!

Sports: UCLA basketball is on the air

Expectations continue to be high at UCLA. After 3 Final Fours, the fans are getting spoiled!

Today, my Sport's Illustrated came in and they put UCLA as #3 behind UNC and UConn.

UCLA is playing their 2nd game of the season and have a mere 2 point lead at the half.

The first half was unimpressive. The team lost some key players from last year's team and they seemed sluggish against a serious mid-major in the Miami of Ohio Red Hawks. The expectation is that the freshmen will be impact players. But I am generally skeptical about freshman press clippings.

Hopefully, they will get their defensive intensity in the 2nd half.

But so far, they don't look like a #3 level team.

UPDATE: UCLA barely won the game. Seniors Collison and Shipp came up big late in the game to save the Bruin's bacon. Hopefully, the freshman will continue to grow and realize they are now no longer big fish in a small pond of high school ball but small fish in the big lake of college ball. Also, the front line play of UCLA must improve or they will come nowhere near the lofty final fours of the last few years. GO BRUINS!

Science: HIV in the news also Vitamin D in the news

Vitamin D and breast cancer.

Often times a news item's headline will suggest one thing then as you read the opening paragraphs will suggests another and then you realize, the story is a bit more complicated.

Anyway, the large scale study seemed to show no difference between the women who took vitamin D and those who didn't.

HOWEVER, the amount they took might not have been enough. Excerpt:
For one thing, the dose of vitamin D supplementation used in the trial, 400 IUs, was relatively low. In the years since the study began in 1993, nutritionists have learned much more about the critical role that vitamin D plays in a wide range of cellular functions, and many now recommend up to 2,000 IUs daily for adults. Most people get very little vitamin D from their diet - the richest sources of the vitamin are dairy products and green leafy vegetables - so supplementation is the only way to reach recommended levels. "Four hundred IUs is just not a lot," says Dr. Larry Norton, a breast-cancer specialist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. "The supplementation wasn't adequate to raise blood levels enough in susceptible individuals to have a biological impact." Indeed, the women in the study who began with the highest blood levels of vitamin D's most active breakdown product, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, showed no change in their levels even after taking the 400 IUs daily.
Personally, I've been taking 1000 IU a day.

Meanwhile, an HIV story of someone who might have been cured of the virus that causes AIDS.

The patient had both AIDS and leukemia. Leukemia is sometimes treated with bone marrow transplant. In this case, the doctors looked for bone marrow donors with a particular genetic feature: a defect in CCR5. Think of CCR5 as the doorway that lets HIV into the cell. In a small number of people, this doorway doesn't work so the virus can't get in. Excerpt:
Roughly one in 1,000 Europeans and Americans have inherited the mutation from both parents, and Huetter set out to find one such person among donors that matched the patient's marrow type. Out of a pool of 80 suitable donors, the 61st person tested carried the proper mutation.

Before the transplant, the patient endured powerful drugs and radiation to kill off his own infected bone marrow cells and disable his immune system — a treatment fatal to between 20 and 30 percent of recipients.

He was also taken off the potent drugs used to treat his AIDS. Huetter's team feared that the drugs might interfere with the new marrow cells' survival. They risked lowering his defenses in the hopes that the new, mutated cells would reject the virus on their own.

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases in the U.S., said the procedure was too costly and too dangerous to employ as a firstline cure. But he said it could inspire researchers to pursue gene therapy as a means to block or suppress HIV.

Multimedia message

Crowds at the polls in my neighborhood! Have 2 more corners to go! Have a great day and God bless the USA!

UPDATE: I cast my ballot a tad after 9AM! I was in line about 75 minutes!



UPDATE: As I drove to youth group this evening, the numbers, as expected, were going toward Obama. At 6:30 PM, Ohio was called for Obama and the hoped for "inside straight" by McCain was over.

Any casual reader of this blog knows I was a McCain supporter. Nonetheless, I extend my congratulations to President-elect Obama. As a proud citizen of America, I have never doubted that an ethnic minority could and would someday be elected president and so on this historic day, my prayers are for God's wisdom to be upon him and the team he will bring to Washington, good health and blessings upon him and his family and a spirit of good will to move within both sides of the political aisle.

Devotional Thoughts: A prayer for the next president

With this post, this blog will go silent on politics until the election is decided. Enough is enough ... for now! 8-)

1 Timothy 2:1-4

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Lord, have mercy on our nation. Help us to see our sins and make restitution. Work within our nation that we may have peace even if we disagree. Work in our world to bring peace to earth through those who follow you living a life that lifts Jesus, the Prince of Peace for all the world to see.

May you strengthen what is good within us. Help us as people and as a nation to seek justice, to show mercy and to be humble. Help us to trust you and not wealth or other worldly power sources. Help us as people and as a nation to seek to do good and have the courage to oppose evil.

Lord, for all our weaknesses, you have blessed America. You made this land bountiful. You have brought people from all over the world to be part of this great nation. And though we don't get along perfectly, we do try. Thank you that America has been a beacon for freedom and generosity. May it continue to be a force for good in this world.

Lord, whomever wins the election to be president, may you bless him. Give him wisdom to make good decisions. Give him strength to bear the heavy burden of the office. Give him good advisors who will help him see issues with clarity and devise plans that help the people whom he was elected to serve. Give those who voted for the man who does not become president the willingness to have good will toward the man who assumes the office. Give those who supported the winner, humility and a desire to work for all the people not just those who agree with their views.

Father, thank you that Gov. Palin, Sen. Obama, Sen. Biden and Sen. McCain have shown their willingness to serve. Thank you that they are gifted in many ways. Yet, they are, in truth, mere mortals with all the weaknesses and flaws that is our humble situation. Whatever the outcome, help them be good parents, spouses and friends to those who are in their lives. Whatever role you have for them beyond Nov. 4 in the life of our nation, may they be faithful to doing their best to serve the people. Amen.

Politics: A few closing thoughts regarding the presidential election

While many people figured Sen. Clinton would easily win the Democratic nomination way back when all this started, I felt that she had none of the charm and all the baggage of President Clinton. As such, I felt it wasn't going to be easy for her to win the nomination.

And then we all saw the meteoric rise of Sen. Obama.

Sen. Obama became the blank slate upon which the American public have written their hopes on. His eloquence in speech, disciplined campaign and nice biography was a political "perfect storm" for this election cycle.

And that is the problem in my book: Obama is a blank slate.

With McCain, what you see is what you get!

His record and the confidence he inspires on foreign affairs shouldn't be discounted because we feel overwhelmed by the current economic conditions.

In regards to the economic situation, both candidates have backed government interventions. However, as a general principle, McCain is more skeptical of government having too strong a role in economic matters.

And so what do we get with Sen. Obama?

What do we really know about him?

He was a community organizer. But what did the organizations he worked for do?

By all accounts they helped fund some somewhat radical education ideas. If he had worked work for something like Habitat for Humanity or some other cause that was a bit more mainstream, I think his support would be tremendous.

He was an Illinois state senator. But what did he do?

He voted along party lines almost all the time and indeed he voted "present" on a number of occasions.

He is a first term US senator. Again, what has he done in the Senate?

Again, he voted almost always along the party line. Also, most of the time he has been in the Senate, he has been running for president!

In a sense, his experience argument is that he is qualified to be president because he has run a successful campaign for president!

So what do we really know about him?

The whole "spread the wealth around" controversy is a window into how Obama views economic issues.

The USA does indeed engage in some wealth redistribution.

In America, we have a progressive income tax structure. The rich pay a higher percent than the vast middle and some in the lower incomes don't have any income tax to pay. Thus, the rich pay more taxes so the poor collect welfare - wealth transfer.

The young pay social security taxes and the retirees collect - wealth transfer.

This "socialism lite" is an accepted part of our free market economy.

As a society, we have decided some kind of safety net should exist. I applaud this.

However, should we us the tax system to have more "spreading the wealth" around or use it to encourage small businesses?

McCain acknowledges he isn't an expert on economic issues! However, his inclinations are more with the people rather than with government and thus he embraced "Joe the plumber" as a symbol of their differing views on government's role in economic matters.

The way the Obama campaign trashed and belittled "Joe the plumber" was very troubling to me. This incident gave the public a window into the Obama mindset and to me it was not an appealing picture.

The Russia incursion into Georgia was the one time in that foreign policy poked its nose into the campaign.

Sen. Obama's initial reaction was a vague morally neutral statement. Sen. McCain clearly came out in support of Georgia.

McCain made the tough decision to call for the troop surge and changed the strategy in Iraq. This kind of clarity despite public opinion being against it is an important trait in a commander-in-chief.

McCain also understands diplomacy. He was one of the strongest supporters of renewing contacts with Vietnam. McCain, the Vietnam war veteran and POW tortured by the Vietnamese, was able to see the bigger picture and sought to heal that divide.

A McCain presidency will probably only be able to do a few things on the economic front where agreement can be found. Instead, he will spend a certain amount of energy putting the brakes on an ambitious and potentially over-reaching Democratic Congress. But in the realm of foreign affairs, whoever is president will have to make tough calls and in the final analysis, who do you want answering that red telephone when it rings?

In this election cycle, the life issue hasn't been a major topic of discussion. However, it is quite clear that McCain has the stronger pro-life record. It really troubled me when Sen. Obama ducked the question from Rick Warren about protecting the rights of the unborn with the comment, it is above my pay grade. It seemed odd that Sen. Obama would say, I don't want may daughters to be punished with an unexpected pregnancy.

Finally, as important as electing a president is, in the end, we are only electing a president. When I hear rhetoric like, we are the change we have been looking for and we are going to bring fundamental change to America, I cringe. It is one thing to be confident and bold but it is another thing to offer such high flying rhetoric that defines hubris.

Instead, I'll be using my ink-a-vote pen for Sen. McCain.

His decisiveness and vision of America's role in the world make him the stronger candidate for commander-in-chief.

His record of public service where he has taken on both sides stands above Sen. Obama's rhetoric of change and record of party line voting.

McCain is pro-life.

And finally, no one who runs for president has any shortage of ego!

However, the flowery language of the Obama campaign stand is sharp contrast to the plain spoken words and lifetime of service that that is Sen. McCain's record.

From the stirring conclusion of his acceptance speech:
I'm not running for president because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need.

My country saved me and I cannot forget it. And I will fight for her for as long as I draw breath, so help me God.

My friends, if you find faults with our country, make it a better one.

If you're disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and work to correct them. Enlist in our Armed Forces. Become a teacher. Enter the ministry. Run for public office. Feed a hungry child. Teach an illiterate adult to read. Comfort the afflicted. Defend the rights of the oppressed.

Our country will be the better, and you will be the happier, because nothing brings greater happiness in life than to serve a cause greater than yourself.

I'm going to fight for my cause every day as your president. I'm going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank him, that I'm an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on Earth. With hard word, strong faith, and a little courage, great things are always within our reach.

Fight with me. Fight with me.

Fight for what's right for our country. Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.

Fight for our children's future. Fight for justice and opportunity for all.

Stand up to defend our country from its enemies. Stand up for each other, for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America.

Stand up, stand up, stand up, and fight.

Nothing is inevitable here. We're Americans, and we never give up.

We never quit.

We never hide from history. We make history.

Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America.

Politics: The Electoral College Maps

As you may (should!) know, the president of the USA is officially elected by the Electoral College.

So what are some scenarios?

Playing with the maps over at RCP ...

The 269-269 tie.



McCain pulls off a Harry Truman.



Obama landslide.



Map as of 9:36AM Saturday, November 1 based on the latest polling numbers.



Why I support the Electoral College?

Because it forces candidates to appeal to a wider range of voters.

If all the candidate has to do is run up the popular vote totals, then they would spend all their time in the big media markets (NY, LA, Chicago, SF, DC, and other big metro areas) and ignore the rest.

Why would a candidate try to squeeze out an extra 10,000 votes in Nevada when they could try to get an extra 100,000 votes in California? Why hold rallies and run TV ads in Missouri to eek out an additional 20,000 votes when you can get at 200,000 in nearby Chicago?

If you think the battle over the swing states makes the country divided, imagine if BOTH parties ONLY pander to the big media markets on the East and West Coasts? Would that be a better state of affairs?

America is not a homogenous country and the electoral college system forces the candidates to compete in different region thus making candidates broaden their appeal.

Culture: The You Tube Era - a pro McCain message by an Iraq war vet

Fox News points to a You Tube video that got 11 million hits.

Non-profit of the month: October, 2008 - Teach Overseas and Avenues

This month, I've gone to two fund-raising dinners to support two wonderful organizations.

When I think of what it means to try to live out the Christian faith, I think of the command by Jesus, "Love your neighbor."

In our modern global village world, that will mean not only what happens on the streets of Los Angeles but also in a classroom in Central Asia.

Teach Overseas has been sending capable and winsome English teachers to countries in Asia and Europe since 1981. America's place in the world may draw mixed reviews among those in other nations but Americans who want to serve others by teaching English are most welcome.

A handful of friends I've known over the years have worked through Teach Overseas and they have the highest praise for the experience. Teach Overseas knows that going to a far away place in a completely different culture is not an easy thing. Thus, they have a careful selection process, rigorous training and team approach to supporting the teachers when they are far from home all contribute to the sterling reputation and many success stories of this terrific organization.

Be sure to check out their video describing their work.

The other fund raising dinner I went to was for an organization that brings "Love your neighbor" to women who have unexpected pregnancies.

Avenues Pregnancy Clinic has been offering pregnancy tests, counseling and practical support to women since 1988.

Last night, the main speaker was Hugh Hewitt who had been traveling with Dennis Prager and Michael Medved and giving speeches about this year's political campaign. But he wanted to keep his appointment with speaking to the supporters of Avenues because it was more important.

He shared that the personal direct hands-on love that the volunteers and staff at Avenues and other pregnancy clinics who support the choice for life does more for the cause for life than political action. He pointed out that more abortions are done in California than anywhere else in the USA and that was why the work of Avenues and other like-minded organizations was so important. Thus, the Avenues leadership has taken the bold step of leasing an office in Hollywood right across from Los Angeles City College.

Many of the women who are faced with unintended pregnancies are in the 18-25 age group and so the location right across from the college puts a needed voice for life right in the midst of those who need to hear it the most. Avenues director Dan Steiner pointed out that within several blocks of LACC, there is also a Planned Parenthood office and an abortion clinic.

These two organizations are sending people to meet people where they are at. These loving servants are being the hands and feet of Jesus on the streets of LA and in the classrooms of the world. They are the face and words of the love of Christ.

Business: Immigrants starting businesses - like using worm poop as plant food!



America is the land of opportunity!

At the moment, people are nervous about the American economy but there is a dynamism that I think will help us bounce back!

Politics: RR's Cal Ballot Recommendations

I'll be preparing short posts on the November 2008 California Ballot Propositions.

Here below is my YES/NO rundown with links to my posts as they become available.

1A - No
2 - Yes
3 - Yes
4 - Yes
5 - No
6 - No
7 - No
8 - Yes
9 - No
10 - No
11 - Yes
12 - Yes

Update: In case you are curious, the California Democratic Party says:
Yes: 1A, 2, 3, 5, 12
No: 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11
No position: 10

The California Republican Party says:
Yes: 4, 6, 8, 9, 12
No: 1A, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10
No position: 11

Politics: Yes on Prop 3

This bond measure was placed on the ballot by the initiative process. In California, bonds usually get on the ballot by legislative action. However, sometimes the legislature isn't able to get enough consensus to get an item on the ballot. Thus, generally, I'd be against a bond by initiative. However, in this case, the cause is a good one: $980 million for children's hospitals.

The SD Union-Tribune and Sacramento Bee came out against it mainly because of the current budget mess in California.

Here is an excerpt from the SDUT:

California has a structural deficit of at least $6 billion a year. Not when the state is already on track by 2011 to spend more than 6 percent of its budget just paying off past bonds – much higher than is prudent and far above most of the other 49 states.

Unfortunately, bond propositions often sail to victory based on advertising campaigns that make it seem like they have no downside. Instead, voters should think of these bonds as the equivalent of the state's mortgage. California can barely make its payments now. Making those payments even bigger just doesn't make sense.

The SF Chron, SJ Mercury and LA Times have come out in favor of this bond.

The SF Chronicle summed up its decision to support it this way:

The hospitals are coming back to voters on Nov. 4 with Proposition 3, an initiative that asks for an additional $980 million in general-obligation bonds to complete the work that began with the passage of Proposition 61. The proponents of Prop. 3 make a compelling case that an escalation in construction costs and a surge in the number of Medi-Cal patients have combined to make it impossible to finish the projects that are in the planning or construction stage.

I'll be voting yes on prop 3.

Politics: No on Prop 6

Prop 6 is an initiative statue to require that the state government allocate at least $965 million a year for law enforcement.

When I examine propositions, I visit five of the major newspapers (San Diego Union-Tribune, Los Angeles Times, San Jose Mercury News, San Francisco Chronicle and Sacramento Bee) of California to see what they have to say. On this proposition, they all are opposed.

The Sac Bee says:

This initiative writes into law new crimes, increases penalties for old crimes, and mandates more spending for police, sheriffs, district attorneys, probation and parole. But it provides not a single penny of new funding to pay for it.

The Legislative Analyst's Office estimates this measure will cost close to $500 million in new general fund spending in its first year with an increase of tens of millions of dollars annually in subsequent years. It will require another $500 million in capital expenditures to build new prisons to house new felons kept in prison longer.

It means less money for schools, health care, parks, roads or any of the other state's important priorities. We can't afford it.

The SF Chronicle described its concerns this way:

While Californians who are concerned about crime might be tempted to approve any shopping list of toughened penalties put before them, they should consider that the current laws are overcrowding prisons to the point that the state is at the risk of a federal takeover of the system. Also, the intervention and prevention programs funded by this measure may or may not prove to be the most efficient and effective use of our scarce resources.

I'll be voting No on prop 6.

Politics: No on Prop 9

This proposition makes various adjustments to the criminal justice system.

All 5 newspapers I checked (SD Union-Trib, SF Chron, Sac Bee, Mercury and LAT) came out against it.

Here is SD Union-Tribune's analysis:

California's prison system is in such a dysfunctional state that many lawmakers and top corrections officials assume it is only a matter of time before a federal judge will finally follow through on his threat to take over the 33 prisons and their 170,000 inmates. A combination of overcrowding and a perverse management arrangement – one in which the prison guard union shares oversight authority with the state executives who are supposed to be the guards' bosses – has created a money-hemorrhaging department that the polarized Legislature seems unable or unwilling to fix.

But prison woes aren't limited to the state system. Twenty of California's 58 counties – including the largest ones with the bulk of the 80,000 inmates under county supervision – are being monitored by federal courts because of overcrowding.

Plainly, elected lawmakers at the county and state levels need to figure out a better approach. Our corrections system is broken.

Given this reality, the last thing California needs is a sweeping initiative amending the state constitution, handcuffing lawmakers and micromanaging the criminal justice system in a way that would ensure prison overcrowding would worsen – at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars a year. But that is just what awaits voters on Nov. 4 in the form of Proposition 9.

I'll be voting no on prop 9.

Politics: One journalist laments the media bias

Read the whole thing. HT: RCP. Excerpts:

No, what I object to (and I think most other Americans do as well) is the lack of equivalent hardball coverage of the other side -- or worse, actively serving as attack dogs for the presidential ticket of Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Joe Biden, D-Del.

If the current polls are correct, we are about to elect as president of the United States a man who is essentially a cipher, who has left almost no paper trail, seems to have few friends (that at least will talk) and has entire years missing out of his biography.

That isn't Sen. Obama's fault: His job is to put his best face forward. No, it is the traditional media's fault, for it alone (unlike the alternative media) has had the resources to cover this story properly, and has systematically refused to do so.

Why, for example to quote the lawyer for Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., haven't we seen an interview with Sen. Obama's grad school drug dealer -- when we know all about Mrs. McCain's addiction? Are Bill Ayers and Tony Rezko that hard to interview? All those phony voter registrations that hard to scrutinize? And why are Sen. Biden's endless gaffes almost always covered up, or rationalized, by the traditional media?

The absolute nadir (though I hate to commit to that, as we still have two weeks before the election) came with Joe the Plumber.

Middle America, even when they didn't agree with Joe, looked on in horror as the press took apart the private life of an average person who had the temerity to ask a tough question of a presidential candidate. So much for the standing up for the little man. So much for speaking truth to power. So much for comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable, and all of those other catchphrases we journalists used to believe we lived by.

Politics: Jonathan Alter (MSNBC/Newsweek)'s Scenario of How McCain Wins

According to Alter it will be racism.

Alter's key paragraph raises racism and tosses in stupidity.

In the end, the problem was the LIVs. That's short for "low-information voters," the three fifths of the electorate that shows up once every four years to vote for president but mostly hates politics. These are the 75 million folks who didn't vote in the primaries. They don't read newsmagazines or newspapers, don't watch any cable news and don't cast their ballots early. Their allegiance to a candidate is as easily shed as a T shirt. Several million moved to Obama through September and October; they'd heard he handled himself well in the debates. Then, in the last week, the LIVs swung back to the default choice: John McCain. Some had good reasons other than the color of Obama's skin to desert him; many more did not. In October, a study by the Associated Press estimated that Obama's race would cost him 6 percent. The percentage was smaller, but still enough to give the presidency to McCain.

Alter goes on to provide some state-by-state aspects to how McCain could win.

Obama could carry Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) in Ohio but lose the state because McCain does well everywhere else in the state.

Discussing Florida, Alter says: It was erosion in the critical I-4 corridor near Tampa and in the Panhandle, where the astonishing Republican margins among whites could be attributed only to race.

Regarding Virginia, Alter tosses out this idea: The transformation of the northern part of the state couldn't overcome a huge McCain margin among whites farther south. They weren't the racists of their parents' generation, but they weren't quite ready to vote for the unthinkable, either.

Alter doesn't toss the race card in explaining why New Hampshire (they have an independent streak) and Colorado (enough of the frontier minded are swayed by Palin's Alaska connection) goes to McCain.

Alter points out that the youth vote might not turn out: History held: young people once again voted in lower percentages than their elders. Waiting for them turned out to be like waiting for Godot.

My belief is that in the end the number of people who vote against Obama for race reasons will be cancelled out by those who vote for him for race reasons.

In end, some swing voters might conclude that Obama gives a good speech but they want something more tangible.

Some swing voters might think about the world situation and decide that it is better to go with the tested warrior as commander-in-chief. Thanks, Joe the Veep nominee for wondering aloud that the world would "test" President Obama with a crisis.

Some swing voters might be concerned at how the Obama people scoffed at Joe the Plumber while the McCain people embraced him.

In other words, McCain could win on the merits of the case.

Not in the mind of so many in the media ... Obama can only lose because of racism.

Politics: Yes on Prop 11

This initiative provides a new mechanism for redistricting for state offices. Unfortunately, it doesn't cover Congressional districts.

Redistricting is currently done by the state legislators. In other words, the districts are drawn by the very people who would benefit from those districts!

All 5 California newspapers (SF Chron, LA Times, Sac Bee, SD Union-Trib and Mercury) have endorsed this proposition.

The Sac Bee presents the problem and how prop 11 tries to solve it. Excerpt:

Every 10 years, the state lawmakers who have mismanaged California's finances and governance get a reward for their hard work. They get to design their own legislative districts.

It's one of the Capitol's most egregious conflicts of interest, and it needs to end. Proposition 11 would end it.

Under the current system, leaders of both parties meet in back rooms and carve up the state after each 10-year census. By dividing up communities based on party prerogatives, they ensure safe seats for incumbents or designated heirs, creating legislative districts that resemble a mix of distorted Rorschach blotches.
...........
The initiative allows citizens (those who are not lobbyists or former legislators) to apply for the panel. After screening them, the state auditor would then recommend 60 finalists. The four legislative leaders could then strike 24 applicants deemed biased or unqualified. From the remaining 36, the auditor would then randomly pick eight commission members (three Democrats, three Republicans and two others) and those eight would select the other six members of the panel.

Its time to change how this bit of business in done in Sacramento. Vote yes on 11.

Politics: Yes on Prop 12

Prop 12 was put on the ballot by the state legislature to issue $900 million in bonds to fund the Cal-Vet program to assist veterans to buy homes and farms.

The Sac Bee is opposed:

In better economic times, it might make sense to keep adding this benefit to the ones that veterans already receive, but not now. If veterans were unable to pay back these loans, it would leave state taxpayers on the hook for some of the $59 million in annual debt service these bonds will incur.

In addition, as of July of this year, there was still about $102 million remaining from past bond issues for veterans, so there's no urgent need to pass a new bond issue.

The SF Chronicle is supporting this proposition. Excerpt:

Californians have voted 26 times to continue funding this program, which helps build communities while providing a deserved benefit to men and women who have served their country in the armed forces. The Legislative Analyst's Office pointed out that all of that previous bond debt and operating costs have been covered by the veterans' mortgage payments.

There are 4 bonds this November 2008: 1A, 3, 10 and 12.

I think 1A and 10 are too big a reach and we aren't ready for them.

This propositions seems doable. I'm leaning toward voting yes on prop 12.

Politics: No on Prop 10

Prop 10 calls for $5 billion in bonds for renewable energy and alternative fuel cars.

Of the 5 California newspapers I checked (SF Chron, LA Times, SJ Mercury, SD Union-Trib and Sac Bee), they all came against this ballot measure.

The Mercury News summed up their concern this way:

Proposition 10 proposes to pay off bonds using the state's general fund - $10 billion over 30 years - primarily to underwrite the cost for individuals and businesses to buy low-emission trucks and cars. That's not a smart use of taxpayer money when the state's already sagging with debt and short of money to build schools, roads, transit systems and water projects. One-quarter of the bonds would go toward research, development and construction of solar, wind and other alternative sources of electricity. But $2.9 billion of the $5 billion in spending - 58 percent - would be in rebates to owners of low-carbon emission vehicles, mainly those fueled by natural gas. Natural gas is at best a transitional fuel to run vehicles. Taxpayers would be paying the interest on bonds long after the cars that got rebates ended up in junkyards. The rebates would include $2,000 for high mileage cars, like the Prius, even though buyers already are lining up to buy them.

With the Cal budget a mess and showing no signs of getting organized in the near future, floating more bond debt is something I'm reluctant to support.

As in prop 7, the move towards alternative energy is going to happen but the question is how much should the government push it with subsidies and to what degree free market forces be allowed to work.

On this latter concern, I'm somewhat libertarian: when the technology is more mature it will become more affordable.

Thus, I'm voting no on prop 10.

Politics: No on Prop 7

This initiative calls for California to use 20% of its power from renewable sources by 2010 and 40% by 2020 and 50% by 2025.

Sound great?

As for as I know, the technology is not cost effective yet.

All 5 newspapers I consulted (LA Times, SF Chron, SJ Mercury, Sac Bee and SD Union-Trib) came out against it.

The SD Union-Tribune called for a no vote with these points:

Proposition 7's key flaw is how it imposes absurd, unrealistic new deadlines for a massive shift away from present energy sources by 2025 - changes that would put a radical burden on Californians and Californians alone. It also inexplicably shuts out many smaller alternative-energy suppliers and mandates the use of long-term contracts that would make price competition among suppliers nearly impossible.

No wonder the initiative is not supported by any significant organization. No wonder its opponents include the League of Conservation Voters, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Environmental Defense Fund, the California Taxpayers Association, the Consumers Coalition of California and both the Democratic and Republican parties.

Vote no on prop 7.

Politics: No on Prop 5

Prop 5 calls for $460 million in spending on drug rehab programs along with various adjustment to the laws pertaining to persons convicted of drug-related crimes.

All 5 California newspapers (SF Chron, LA Times, Sac Bee, SJ Mercury and SD Union-Trib) I checked came out against this measure.

The SF Chronicle put it this way:

... none of this new money could be used for drug testing - one of the most critical components of a drug-treatment program. Judges also would lose one of their most valuable tools in confronting an addict who was balking at going into treatment: the threat of a short jail stint. Under Prop. 5, jail sanctions could be imposed only after multiple failures and multiple hearings.
.......
The formula in Proposition 5 would make a good pilot program in one or two counties to see how it would work. It's important to note that many of the judges and prosecutors who deal with these types of cases every day are convinced of its flaws. To bring it statewide would represent an unacceptable risk.

Sounds like a no vote is called for on this proposition.

Politics: No on Prop 1A

This measure is a bond placed on the ballot by the California legislature to support the building of high-speed rail between northern and southern California.

The LA Times has come out in favor of the project. Excerpt:

There's something undeniably alluring about a bullet train -- the technology is so powerful, the speed so breathtaking, it makes quotidian trips seem exotic. Perhaps that's why proponents of Proposition 1a, which would authorize $9.95 billion in bonds for a high-speed rail line connecting Northern and Southern California, think it would be wildly successful. They predict the line could draw 117 million riders a year by 2030, compared with 3 million now taking the high-speed Amtrak train in the densely populated Boston-Washington corridor. And they say it will turn a billion-dollar profit by then even as it keeps ticket prices remarkably low.

As a technophile, I confess to seeing the allure of such a project.

However, the LA Times is honest enough to admit it might be pie-in-the-sky. Excerpt:

The projections by the measure's opponents, led by the libertarian Reason Foundation in Los Angeles, are much less sanguine and more persuasive. If voters approve Proposition 1a, it seems close to a lead-pipe cinch that the California High-Speed Rail Authority will ask for many billions more in the coming decades, and the Legislature will have to scrape up many millions of dollars in operating subsidies.

The Sacramento Bee has reluctantly come out against the proposition. Excerpt:

Since this proposition was placed on the ballot by lawmakers, it meets one of our tests. Yet until California fixes its chronic budget deficits, it can't afford to increase its debt for projects that, while desirable, are not of vital necessity. In addition, the rail system that supporters are touting may not be as high-speed as advertised. Potential conflicts with freight service lines could make trains slower than those found in Europe or Japan.

This is a tough call. The state needs clean alternatives to air travel and freeway travel, and the Central Valley needs the economic development that could result. But if it passed, this proposition would take $647 million annually from the general fund that, without a tax increase, would have to come from other services. That's money the state can't promise.

In better economic times, I'd vote yes. But under the current circumstances, I think we should hold off. I counsel a no vote on prop 1A.

Politics: Yes on Prop 4

Prop 4 is an initiative constitutional amendment regarding parental notification for abortions for minors.

The SF Chronicle is against it.

More than a decade ago, the California Supreme Court clearly affirmed that a young woman's right to an abortion was protected by the state constitution's strong privacy rights. Proposition 4 represents yet another attempt to undermine that right. The practical effect of this measure would be to put many young women at risk by delaying abortion procedures, and thus making them more medically complicated.

The San Diego Union-Tribune has come out in favor of prop 4.

If a patient alleges a clear pattern of parental abuse, a physician may notify not her parents but any of several adult family members that she wants an abortion and alleges parental abuse.

The abuse must also be reported to Child Protective Services. Vociferous critics of notification retort that a CPS investigation would alert parents to the abuse allegation, and prompt more abuse.

Under what other circumstances would these critics contend that the suspected abuse of a child by her parents should not be reported to authorities? Particularly to authorities who are trained not to worsen a child's situation and can, if necessary, move the child to a safer place?

The main stated objection to parental notification laws pertaining to abortion for minors is that there are circumstances where that could be detrimental to the minor. This is a legitimate concern and this proposition addresses that by providing alternatives to parental notification.

The unstated objection to parental notification is that some opponents believe abortion should be accessible at all times in all circumstances and any restriction is unacceptable.

I recommend a Yes vote on Prop 4.

Politics: Yes on Prop 2

Prop 2 is an initiative statute to change regulations on how farm animals are housed.

The LA Times has come out against it. Excerpt:

According to a University of California Agricultural Issues Center report, cage-free eggs are about 20% more expensive to produce and cost about 25% more to buy. There is a growing demand, but it is still small -- about 5% of all eggs nationally are produced by cage-free hens. So California eggs would become more expensive, and many consumers would simply buy the cheaper eggs laid by hens living in cramped conditions in neighboring states or in Mexico. As a result, we fear the result of Proposition 2's passage would not be better treatment of hens but merely the export of their mistreatment. We recommend a no vote.

The SJ Mercury News urges a yes vote. Excerpt:

But egg ranchers would have until 2015 to convert to the new system, which should give them ample time to adapt to new practices. By that time, American consumers will probably be demanding that all of their eggs come from cage-free hens, which could give California an edge over its competition.

I personally buy cage-free eggs most of the time.

The libertarian in me says free market forces will eventually force all eggs produced to be cage-free and that I should vote no and allow market forces to go to work.

However, I'm not a hard core libertarian!

This proposition seems to be a reasonable push towards the goal of better treatment of farm animals.

Please consider voting yes on prop 2.

Politics: Yes on Prop 8

Prop 8 is an initiative constitution amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman.

When I examine propositions, I visit five of the major newspapers (San Diego Union-Tribune, Los Angeles Times, San Jose Mercury News, San Francisco Chronicle and Sacramento Bee) of California to see what they have to say in addition to my own consideration, conversation with others and checking out other sources with opinions on the matter.

All 5 newspaper editorial boards are in agreement. On this proposition, they all are opposed and I believe they are all wrong.

The San Diego Union-Tribune argues this way:

With gay marriage a fait accompli, society has not crumbled. The long-standing institution of marriage is not in crisis. Californians have taken this change in stride. Indeed, there appears to be a marked shift in public opinion toward acceptance of gay marriage.

Words have to have meaning.

This is not like choosing Coke or Pepsi; a matter of taste.

Redefining a societal institution is a serious matter.

Marriage has been understood to be between one man and one woman for eons and is the foundation of civilization.

Koukl offers this explanation (emphasis mine):

Marriage begins a family. The purpose of family is to produce the next generation. Therefore, family is designed by nature for children. This description alone is consistent with our deepest intuitions, which is why every culture since the birth of time has recognized this. No other characterization fits what societies have been doing for millennia.

Families may fail to produce children, either by choice or by accident, but they are about children, nonetheless. That’s why marriages have always been between men and women; they are the only ones, in the natural state, who have kids.

Government has no interest in affirming any other kind of relationship. It privileges and sustains marriage in order to protect the future of civilization.

Same-sex marriage is radically revisionist. It severs family from its roots, eviscerates marriage of any normative content, and robs children of a mother and a father. This must not happen.

I urge a Yes vote on Prop 8.

Politics: Nov 2008 Cal Ballot Measures

There are 12 propositions for Californians to decide.

Will try to walk through all 12 before election day.

There are a bunch of bonds.
1A - $9.95 billion for high speed rail
3 - $980 million for children's hospitals
10 - $5 billion for alternative energy
12 - $900 million for veterans home and farm loans

All great causes but the question is can California afford all these things?

The California budget was busted this past year and with the current economic climate, one wonders if we should be moving forward on these.

Here is an item from the Sacramento Bee from May discussing the budget crisis. Excerpt:

California's credit rating is already among the lowest of state governments. When the state took out an $11 billion loan from Wall Street during the 2003 budget crisis, taxpayers wound up paying the loan with interest - plus an $84 million fee for the cost of borrowing from investment firms.

So what is the current California bond rating?

Go here.

In short, $53 billion in bonds have been approved but not sold yet, $52 billion have been sold and need to be repaid and the ratings are as follows:
Fitch A+
Moody A1
S&P A+

According to Wikipedia these ratings indicate "upper medium grade" and "Safe investment, unless unforeseen events should occur in the economy at large or in that particular field of business."

A Google search leads to the Federal Census site and if you click here and scroll to data sheet number 430 you get a pdf listing the bond rating for all states as of 2006.

If I'm reading this right, California is 49th with only Louisiana with a lower credit rating.

Whoa!

Politics: Media double standard

Politics isn't a pillow fight and so people are going to get their shots in.

But the overwhelming double standard has gotten so out of control.

Here is is an opinion piece that talks about it.

Excerpts:

I thought liberals were supposed to be good-hearted, open-minded and non-judgmental.

Tell that to the angry Left's favorite pinata, Sarah Palin. As far as liberals are concerned, Palin can do no right just as Barack Obama and Joe Biden can do no wrong. In fact, Biden is catching more passes than an NFL wide receiver.
........
I also thought the Democratic Party was supposed to go to bat for the little guy, the everyday Joe the Plumber.

Tell that to Joe Wurzelbacher, the Ohio resident who got his 15 minutes -- and 40 lashes -- because he dared question Obama about his tax plan.
........
The latest media template is that the vice presidential nominee is a drag on the GOP ticket. Pundits detect a backlash, not just among Democrats who love to hate Sarah Palin but also among women, independents and seniors. They cite polls showing Palin with an unfavorable rating of 50 percent.

So what? We're in the post-Clinton, post-Bush era of polarization where any politician with a pulse -- Sorry, Joe Biden -- will be loved by half the country and hated by the other half.

It's surreal. Before McCain put Palin on the ticket, he was getting 200 people at campaign rallies, and now, when he appears when Palin, he gets 20,000.
.........
Then there is the faux-scandal that the Republican National Committee shelled out $150,000 in the past several weeks on Palin and her family for campaign wardrobe, accessories, makeup, etc.

Many Americans don't see why it's a story. Fellow hockey mom Page Growney of New Canaan, Conn., asked The Associated Press, "What did you want to see her in, a turtleneck from L.L. Bean?"

Still, we're told, this tempest in a Gucci bag has some Republicans worrying that shopping sprees at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue might undermine Palin's everywoman image. To think, just last month, the criticism was that Sarah the Moose Hunter wasn't sufficiently sophisticated or glamorous. Now her wardrobe signals the hockey mom is high-maintenance.

Just how many more caricatures -- some of them contradictory -- can we expect the left to throw at Sarah Palin before time runs out on this election?

Culture: Do rich people pay taxes?

Being a typical middle-class person, I hear a lot of people complain that the rich don't pay any taxes.

Biden says, it is the patriotic duty of rich people to pay more taxes.

Obama told "Joe the plumber" that he should pay more taxes to spread the wealth around.

So, do the rich pay taxes?

They indeed do pay taxes. The long arms of the IRS isn't letting them get away!

But, in the internet, many argue about whether or not the rich pay their "fair" share of taxes.

Fair of course is a pretty subjective term!

But take a look at these numbers and see what you think ...

Found this item from the Tax Policy Center.

That item is a little outdated (from 2000) and I'm curious if the numbers are still in the same ballpark. But it would appear that $65 of every $100 collected by the Federal government comes from the wealthiest 20% of the population. What I don't know from that table is whether these people make 65% of the money in the US economy.

This item is for 2004 put out by the Tax Foundation. Again the wealthy do pay more but whether they pay "enough" is something people will disagree on.

This item breaks it down by % of income earned in parallel with % of taxes paid for 2005. Here, scroll to page 2 for chart, it said the top 10% who make 46% of the income pay 70% of the taxes. HT: Tax Prof Blog. But of course, this only appears to cover only income tax. We do pay sales taxes, property taxes, social security taxes, etc.

Sports: Pac10 going bowling

Looks like USC is headed for another BCS bowl game. They have an outside shot at the championship game if the teams ahead of them stumble.

I don't think any other Pac10 team has a shot at a BCS game aside from outright winning the Pac10 title.

So where do the rest of the Pac10 go?

From what I found:
Holiday Bowl (San Diego) - #2 Pac10
Sun Bowl (El Paso) - #3 Pac10
Las Vegas Bowl (Las Vegas of course!) - #4 Pac10
Emerald Bowl (San Francisco) - #5 Pac10
Hawaii Bowl (Honolulu) - #6 Pac10
Poinsettia Bowl (San Diego) - #7 Pac10

UCLA is currently in 7th place. But to be bowl eligible, they have to have 6 wins. They are currently 3-4 with 5 games to go.

Go Bruins!

UPDATE: From reading bowl web sites, it looks like Las Vegas and Emerald alternate access to the 4th and 5th place teams while Hawaii and Poinsettia will alternate the 6th and 7th finisher from year-to-year. It is not clear what their options are if those teams aren't bowl eligible. I suppose they can invite any bowl eligible team that hasn't been picked up by other bowls with conference tie ins?

Politics: Al Smith Dinner with Obama and McCain





Pretty funny stuff!

Here is an ABC news item about the famed charity dinner with what appears to be complete clips of Senators Obama and McCain in their stand up routines. The youtube clips seem to be incomplete but the sound quality appears a tad better.

Enjoy!

Sports: Spring is a little closer when you play in October

That was the sentiment in the Dodger Trolley as we trundled out the stadium.

Congrats to Philadelphia. They got the key hits and some great fielding to take game 5.

Thanks to the Dodgers for a great run in the last 1/3 and winning their first post-season series since 1988.

Will be back in the stands in 2009!

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Drat! Finally here t3 down 3-0 already. :-(

UPDATE: Turns out that I had no cell phone email transmission signal at Dodger's Stadium. 8-( I sent the two photos from the stadium as I was riding away on the Dodger Trolley.

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Almost there! At Union Station. Go blue!

Sports: Game 5, 5:22pm

Going tonight!

My first time at Dodger's Stadium for a playoff game!

The fans will be passionate but let's keep it safe and sane.

For some perspective on the game, check out Weisman's latest:

Don't make this game into something it's not. Don't even give one night the potential to destroy what was accomplished over an entire season. Tonight's game is not about character. It's simply about hoping to experience that joy of victory at least one more time before the sun sets on 2008 and, like 28 other teams, you try to do better next year.

UPDATE: Will try to cell-phone blog tonight! Will see if it works?!

Politics: Don't count your chickens before they hatch (Obama supporters) and don't give up yet (McCain supporters)

This political season has been full of surprises.

Clearly with the economic troubles and the Republicans having held the White House for two terms, the mood was going to be against any Republican candidate.

By rights, any generic Democrat running for the Presidency should easily have a 10% or bigger lead.

Aside from some blips in the polling (right around the conventions where both sides got a bounce) and the initial onslaught of the financial crisis (when Obama's lead got much larger), Obama's lead has been around 4-8%.

He really should be leading 10 to 15% under normal circumstances.

Some say it is latent racism in the polled voters. Some fear a Bradley Effect will shrink the margin even more when voters actually cast their ballots.

I don't know if there is a way for pollsters to guage such an effect. America has changed over the decades. Sure there will be some people who will NOT vote for Obama simply because of race and some will vote FOR Obama simply because of race so I figure its a wash.

Another thing I would imagine the brain trust at camp Obama is concerned about is whether the young voters will actually turn out. Historically, young voters are the least reliable.

In the end, it might be close because for all of Obama's rhetorical skills, what has he really done?

Clinton jabbed, Obama's claim to fame is a speech he gave in 2004. As the Democrat primary season wore on, Clinton began to win some of the contests as even the Democrats themselves began to show some "buyer's remorse" wondering are we really sure we want to put Obama at the top of the ticket?

If partisans experienced "buyers remorse," I would imagine independent voters might too.

Of course, if more bad news breaks and lands at the doorstep at the Bush White House, it will be a landslide. In 1980, Reagan and Carter were close until the very end when it became clear the Iranian hostage situation was not going to be resolved and voters decided to "take a chance" on an "inexperienced" two-term governor of California and Reagan won easily.

Are the voters ready to pull the lever, fill the bubble, push the touch screen for Obama who hasn't even finished one term as Senator?

I think that is why the race is still close.

UPDATE: Oct 12-14 Gallup Poll numbers show Obama up 7 BUT if you look closer, it could be as high as 8 or as low as 3 depending on which turnout model they use. HT: HH

The "black magic" of polling is the turnout model. Simply put, 55 people you ask may say they will vote for Jane and 45 will vote for Joe. But who actually shows up at the ballot box to vote?! So pollsters develop turnout models and depending on the assumptions of those models that 7 point lead could be actually only 3.

So Obama supporters, as Han Solo said, "Don't get cocky kid!"

And McCain supporters, remember, "It ain't over 'till it's over!"

Sports: Dodgers on the edge down 3-1

Second guessing the manager is an inevitable feature of being a sports fan.

Going to Wade after he pitched 2 innings last night had me concerned.

But the missed opportunity of the bottom of the sixth really looms largest: two runs came in and the bases were loaded with no outs and they got no more runs that inning.

Time to unleash every cliche in the book for the Dodgers in game 5 where Billingsley who got shelled in game 2 goes up against ace Hamels.

I want to believe! Think Blue! Go Dodgers!

Sports: Just like that, the Dodgers are down 2-0 in the NLCS

Game 1 slipped away on two bad pitches.

Game 2 got away in a couple of bad innings.

Game 3 is pretty much must win.

Weisman sets the stage with some perspective in defense of Kemp who has struggled at the plate, some observations about the pitching situation and some other observations of games 1 and 2.

He concludes:

There should be a beautiful sunset tonight. When the game starts, the scoreboard will say 0-0. Let's have some fun.

I have tickets to game 5!

Here's hoping we leave Dodger's Stadium that night sending the team back on the road amid cheers of victory!

UPDATE: Dodgers 7 Philadelphia 2! See you at Dodgers Stadium for Game 5!

Science: Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2008

Woo hoo!

The GFP discoverers were honored with the prize.

Go to any research seminar in the life sciences and you are bound to see something with Green Fluorescent Protein.

Heck, even some of my research projects have used it!

Politics: A Positive Commentary Piece about Gov. Palin in Liberal University Paper!

Wow!

A pleasant surprise in the Daily Bruin the other day. As you might guess, UCLA is a pretty typical left leaning campus and its newspaper trends that way.

Well, a refreshing op-ed piece appeared.

Excerpts:

Sarah Palin got the Republican juices flowing in a way that John McCain simply couldn’t have, adding youthful exuberance and an enticing personality that sent a tingle down the spine of Middle America. But after the initial surge of enthusiasm, there were signs that Palin would fade into oblivion as a one-hit wonder.
.....
Why does the left hate her so much? Because Sarah Palin’s very existence is repugnant and frankly dangerous to the Democratic Party. The ascent of a red-blooded, pro-life woman to national office would deeply wound the party that capitalized on the women’s liberation movement.

Yes, Sarah Palin caused a paroxysm on the left. It was inconceivable – a woman running for national office who wasn’t part of the highbrow feminist literati. Is that allowed? Heck yeah it is! Doesn’t anyone remember Margaret Thatcher?
......
Palin’s performance not only surpassed expectations – it was brilliant. With the survival of the McCain campaign on her shoulders, and the media onslaught weighing her down, Palin’s courage was inspiring. She proved the case for McCain and put his vision in perspective for “Joe Six-Pack,” all the while exuding the confidence and capability of a veteran politician.

I could just see the media’s skeptical smile degenerate into a blank stare as they watched her knock Hillary Clinton off her pedestal as the reigning female political protagonist.

Palin should not have to answer whether she’s ready to be president on Inauguration Day. Obama has dodged that question, even though he is running on the top of the ticket, and his competence is still in question.

But even if she were required to, this red-blooded American woman has the instincts, the guts, the charisma and, despite what anyone says, the most executive experience of any candidate in the election.

Hooray!

Aging Parents - Random things from this season of life, part I

A handful of years ago, I entered the phase of life of helping out in looking after aging parents.  At this moment in 2024, my dad passed on...