Good Point

Jim Yeager posted this over at Skippy the bush kangaroo ... and it really is a Good Point.

By Jim Yeager

Good Point...

Robert Parry thinks that if anyone ought to be angry these days, it's not those McCain-Palin supporters who seem all too itching to get their lynch mob on, it's the people who voted for Al Gore eight years ago:

...many of those Americans not only had their vote effectively nullified -- and their political judgment ignored -- but they have suffered real economic damage. some are out of work while others are opening statements on their retirement funds this month to find they have lost much of their life savings.

Yet, these Americans have been relatively restrained. They aren't going to rallies and shouting death threats about the republican ticket. nor are Barack Obama and Joe Biden whipping up crowds with accusations that their opponents are disloyal.

No, the anger is disproportionately among the republicans. Mccain and Palin have turned their rallies -- starting with the republican national convention through joint appearances this past week -- into anti-Obama hate-fests, leading to taunts of "terrorist," "socialist," "traitor" -- as well as racial epithets, the repeated invocation of his middle name "Hussein," and suggestions on how to eliminate him...

There's just nothing anyone can do about the way these people "think" (and those quote marks really do have to be there). their kind has been among us since the puritans reached Plymouth, and they always will be among us. Had the republican party not started making overtures to them forty-odd years ago, maybe they'd still be on the fringes of our society, where they belong, today, or their baser instincts would remain largely subdued.

Of course, it didn't help any that the gop went out of its way to tear apart our manufacturing base at the same time -- a lot of these hysterics and numbskulls at those McCain rallies might have had decent-paying jobs today, and be that less inclined to act like rabid animals in public.

But these are republicans. For decades, if something has smacked of progress, then the republicans have tried to stand in its way. You name it, they've tried to obstruct it -- Social Security, Medicare, clean food and water, people who aren't white being allowed to vote, environmental protection, corporate regulation, and so on. so what better allies in their quest for power could they have asked for than the most reactionary elements in our country?

Tactically, it was a brilliant move, no question. we wouldn't have had to endure eight years of Reagan and later eight more of awol without it.
Trouble for the gop is, a majority of Americans planning to vote in a few weeks seem to have figured that out. Maybe the ongoing economic meltdown has much to do with it, too.

Or maybe... maybe... most of us are just tired of -- and just capable enough of grasping reason to be tired of -- hearing republicans falsely cry wolf over and over again year after year when we've got serious concerns to attend to. Maybe...

Grave of 1st Ellis Island immigrant gets marker

The grave of an Irish woman who was the first immigrant to pass through Ellis Island has been marked with a Celtic cross.

Clergy members joined Annie Moore's descendants and admirers Saturday in a Queens Cemetery. She died 80 years ago, but her unmarked grave was discovered only two years ago.

Moore was 17 when she arrived in New York from County Cork in 1892. The Irish consul general in New York says she is a symbol for the hundreds of thousands of Irish who settled in New York.

Ellis Island was the gateway to America for more than 12 million immigrants. As many as 5,000 people a day passed through the processing center at its peak in the early 1900s.

He's just a big, hairy Cinderella

When Beau came to Polkton, he could hardly stand up. Now he's a handsome, lovable champion.

In this story, Cinderella is a boy.

His name is Beau and he is an Estrela mountain dog who came to North Carolina a year and a half ago, sick and starving.

His Fairy Godmother, you might say, is Robin Eatman, who runs a chicken farm outside Polkton in Union County.

Eatman, who is 51, had been looking for a dog after the favorite of her three dogs, a beagle named Petie, died at Christmas 2006. She researched dogs and decided on an Estrela mountain dog, a rare breed from Portugal used by shepherds in the Estrela Mountains to keep wild animals from their sheep.

Not long afterward, in June 2007, she said she heard that Beau was being abused in Missouri and needed rescuing.

“There's a quote in the movie ‘Seabiscuit' about not putting down a horse because it can't race any more,” Eatman said. “And you don't deny a dog a chance to live.”

Janet Stanton, who lives in Iowa and whose daughter runs an animal transport service, helped drive Beau to North Carolina. She said she was horrified at how skinny and sick he was, and telephoned Eatman to warn her.

“He was the sweetest thing,” Stanton said. “We didn't know what was wrong with him. We just knew he was in terrible shape.”

He was a year old, a big, hairy dog, and to look at him, you might not have realized how skinny he was. But when Eatman patted his head, it was as if she could feel every bone. His muscles were atrophied, she said, and his legs wobbled. He was so weak, she said, he leaned against her legs to walk.

She fed him, took him to vets, gave him medicine and weight-gain pills. Beau slowly got better.

“What took us all by storm was his temperament,” Eatman said. “After all he had been put through, he was so gentle and trusting. He did all we asked of him.”

In the beginning, Eatman walked him about 50 yards every day. As he became stronger, she rode an ATV around her Misty Mountain Farm and Beau ran alongside, working up to a couple of miles a day.

His body filled out, his coat turned silky and shiny.

A beautiful friend

Eatman was able to locate Beau's breeder, and got his pedigree papers. His father, she discovered, was Portuguese; his mother, French.

She took a course on how to show dogs, and last December, only six months after he arrived in such pitiful shape, Beau championed at his first show. He has been to four other shows since then, and has won 22 ribbons including Champion and Best of Breed.

Now she has bigger plans for him. Last week she flew to Portugal hoping to find another Estrela to be Beau's mate.

He has more than lived up to his full name, Meu Beau Ami, a combination of Portuguese and French that translates to:

My Beautiful Friend.

It keeps growing ...

Carolina Naturally is read in 130 countries.
Not bad, not bad at all.
Must be doing something right.

Thanks.

Debt Counter Busted

Even this blog's Debt Counter has run out of places for digits ...

and the debt keeps growing!

UPDATE: Got the Debt Counter working again. Almost wish it wasn't though.

12 New Stomach-Turning Revelations About Sarah Palin

Palin has taken to smearing Obama. But it's her own record that continues to yield alarming information, undermining her skills and credibility.

Read the latest here.

The Athiest and the bear

An atheist was taking a walk through the woods. "What majestic trees!
What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!" he said to himself. As he continued walking alongside the river he heard a rustling in the bushes. Turning to look, he saw a 7 foot grizzly charging towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path. Looking over his shoulder he saw that the bear was closing in on him. His heart was pumping frantically and he tried to run even faster. He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw the bear raising his paw to take a swipe at him.

At that instant the atheist cried out: "Oh my God.... !" Time stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent. It was then that a bright light shone upon the man and a voice came out of the sky saying: "You deny my existence for all of these years, teach others I don't
exist and even credit creation to a cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament?
Am I to count you as a believer?"

The atheist looked directly into the light and said: "It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a
Christian now, but perhaps, could you make the BEAR a Christian?"

"Very well," said the voice.

The light went out, and the sounds of the forest resumed. And then the bear lowered his paw, bowed his head and spoke: "Lord, bless this food which I am about to receive and for which I am truly thankful, Amen. "

Daily Funny

A man and his ever-nagging wife went on vacation to Jerusalem. While they were there, the wife passed away.

The undertaker told the husband, "You can have her shipped home for $5,000, or you can bury her here, in the Holy Land, for $150."

The man thought about it and told him he would just have her shipped home.

The undertaker asked, "Why would you spend $5,000 to ship your wife home, when it would be wonderful to be buried here and you would spend only $150?"

The man replied, "Long ago a man died here, was buried here, and three days later he rose from the dead. I just can't take that chance."

A True Love Story

This 80 year old woman was arrested for shop lifting. When she went before the judge in Cincinnati he asked her, "What did you steal?" She replied, "A can of peaches."

The judge then asked her why she had stolen the can of peaches and she replied that she was hungry.

The judge then asked her how many peaches were in the can. She replied 6.

The judge then said, "I will then give you 6 days in jail."

Before the judge could actually pronounce the punishment, the woman's husband spoke up and asked the judge if he could say something.

The judge said, "What is it?"

The husband said, "She also stole a can of peas."

Can you pass a third grade test?

Can you pass a third grade test?*
*repugicans need not attempt

The 25 Most Important Questions in the History of the Universe

• 1. What Makes No. 2 Pencils So Darn Special?
• 2. Who’s That AOL Guy Who Eerily Knows When You’ve Got Mail?
• 3. Where Does Nougat Come From?
• 4. Is There One Move That’s More Likely to Win a Game of Rock-Paper-Scissors?
• 5. Which Came First, the Can Opener or the Can?
• 6. How Does a Word Become a Curse Word?
• 7. Can a Pregnant Woman Drive in the Carpool Lane?
• 8. Why Do Battery Letters Skip from A to C? Was There Ever a B-Cell Battery?
• 9. What Does McDonald’s Have in Common with the CIA?
• 10. Why Does Hawaii Have Interstate Highways?
• 11. Why Do Most Snooze Buttons Only Give You Nine More Minutes of Sleep?
• 12. Why Do We Call Them Grandfather Clocks?
• 13. Was Turkey a Bird or a Country First?
• 14. How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck if a Woodchuck Could Chuck Wood?
• 15. We Know Nothing Better Has Come Along Since then, But Who Invented Sliced Bread Anyway?
• 16. Why Is It Called "Blackmail?"
• 17. Is It Possible to Own Property on the Moon?
• 18. Why Can’t You Tickle yourself?
• 19. Human Meat Isn’t Appetizing, But is It Healthy?
• 20. Can You Actually Sense Weather with an Injured body Part?
• 21. Why Won’t Pineapple and Jell-O® Be Friends?
• 22. What are Sea-Monkeys®, Anyway?
• 23. How Many Pounds of Chimpanzee are Needed to Defeat the Average Human?
• 24. Why are Grape-Nuts® Neither Grapes Nor Nuts?

• 25. How Many Licks Does It Take to Get to the Center of a Tootsie Pop?

Believe it or not, the answers to these questions are here.

And I Quote

Life Quotes

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain

Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go. Oscar Wilde

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change Charles Darwin

Some people walk in the rain. Others just get wet. Roger Miller

It is a sad thing to look at happiness only through another's eyes Marquerite Blessington

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. George Bernard Shaw

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us. Helen Keller

Most people would rather be certain they're miserable, than risk being happy. Robert Anthony

Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. Harold Whitman

Nobody really cares if you're miserable, so you might as well be happy. Cynthia Nelms

If you're going through hell, keep going. Winston Churchill

We can throw stones, complain about them, stumble on them, climb over them, or build with them. William Arthur Ward

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever Gandhi

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these. George Washington Carver

It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness. Charles Spurgeon

Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens. Circumstances and situations do color life but you have been given the mind to choose what the color shall be. John Homer Miller

The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions, and not our circumstances. Martha Washington

We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us. Charles Bukowski

My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I'm happy. I can't figure it out. What am I doing right? Charles M Schulz

Close your eyes and go back.....

....Before the Internet or PC or the MAC......
....Before semi-automatics and crack....
....Before Play station, SEGA, Super Nintendo, even before Atari...
....Before cell phones, CD's, DVD's, voicemail and e-mail....
....way back....
....way.....way.....way back.....

I'm talkin' bout hide and seek at dusk
Red light, Green light
Red Rover....Red Rover.....
Playing kickball & dodge ball until the first...no...second...no...third streetlight came on
Ring around the Rosie
London Bridge
Hot potato
Hop Scotch
Jump rope
Kick the can
Duck....duck....GOOSE!!!
YOU'RE IT!!
Parents stood on the front porch and yelled (or whistled) for you to come home -
no pagers or cell phones
Mother May I?
Hula Hoops
Seeing shapes in the clouds
Endless summer days and hot summer nights (no A/C) with the windows open
The sound of crickets
Running through the sprinkler
Happy Meals
Cereal boxes with that GREAT prize in the bottom
Cracker jacks with the same thing
Popsicles with 2 sticks you could break and share with a friend

...but wait.....there's more....

Watchin' Saturday Morning cartoons (you had 3 channels to choose from)
Fat Albert, Road Runner, Smurfs, Picture Pages, G-Force & He-Man, Schoolhouse Rock….
Going even farther back…. Roy Rogers, Wild Bill Hicock, Sky King, Hopalong Cassidy….
…The Adventures of Superman, Bonanza (in color), Ozzie and Harriet
Watchin' Sunday morning oldies (Abbott & Costello, Three Stooges) Wonder Woman & Super Man Underoos,
FONZIE.....AYYYYYYYY
Playing Dukes of Hazard
Catchin' lightning bugs in a jar
Christmas morning
Your first day of school
Bedtime Prayers and Goodnight Kisses
Climbing trees
Swinging as high as you could to try and reach the sky
Getting an Ice Cream off the Good Humor Truck
A million mosquito bites and sticky fingers
Jumpin' down the steps
Jumpin' on the bed
Pillow fights
Sleep overs
A 13" black and white TV in your room meant you were RICH
Runnin' till you were out of breath
Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt
Being tired from PLAYING
WORK: meant taking out the garbage or doing the dishes
Your first crush
Your first kiss (I mean the one that you kept your mouth CLOSED and your eyes OPEN)

Rainy days at school meant playing "Heads up 7UP" or "hangman" in the classroom, Remember that?

Oh, I'm not finished yet....

Kool-Aid was the drink of the summer
So was a swig from the hose
Giving your friends a ride on your handlebars
Playing Wiffle Ball in the back yard
Wearing your new shoes on the first day of school
Class Field Trips with soggy sandwiches
When nearly everyone's mom was at home when the kids got there.
When a quarter seemed like a fair allowance, and another quarter a MIRACLE
When ANY parent could discipline ANY kid, or feed him, or use him to carry Groceries... And nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it.
When your parents took you to McDonalds and you were COOL
When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited you at home.

Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because of drive by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! And some of us are still afraid of em!

Didn't that feel good? Just to go back and say, "Yeah, I remember that!"
Well, let's keep going!! Let's go back to the time when...

Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-mo"
Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "do over!"
"Race issues" meant arguing about who ran the fastest.
Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in "Monopoly"
Catching fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening
It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends.
Being old, referred to anyone over 20. (CRAP! I'm officially old!)

The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was cooties.
Nobody was prettier than Mom
Scrapes and bruises were kissed by mom or grandma and made better
It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the "big people" rides at the amusement park.
Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true.
Abilities were discoverd because of a "double-dog-dare"
Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles.
The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.
Water balloons were the ultimate, ultimate weapon.
Older siblings were your worst tormentors, but also your fiercest protector

If you can remember most or all of these, then you have LIVED!!!
Pass this on to anyone who may need a break from their "grown up" life......
I DOUBLE DOG DARE YA!!!!!!

Mexican marijuana cartels sully our forests and parks

National forests and parks - long popular with Mexican marijuana-growing cartels - have become home to some of the most polluted pockets of wilderness in America because of the toxic chemicals needed to eke lucrative harvests from rocky mountainsides, federal officials said.

The grow sites have taken hold from the West Coast's Cascade Mountains, as well as on federal lands in Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Seven hundred grow sites were discovered on U.S. Forest Service land in California alone in 2007 and 2008 - and authorities say the 1,800-square-mile Sequoia National Forest is the hardest hit.

Weed and bug sprays, some long banned in the U.S., have been smuggled to the marijuana farms. Plant growth hormones have been dumped into streams, and the water has then been diverted for miles in PVC pipes.

Rat poison has been sprinkled over the landscape to keep animals away from tender plants. And many sites are strewn with the carcasses of deer and bears poached by workers during the five-month growing season that is now ending.

"What's going on on public lands is a crisis at every level," said Forest Service agent Ron Pugh. "These are America's most precious resources, and they are being devastated by an unprecedented commercial enterprise conducted by armed foreign nationals. It is a huge mess."

The first documented marijuana cartels were discovered in Sequoia National Park in 1998. Then, officials say, tighter border controls after Sept. 11, 2001, forced industrial-scale growers to move their operations into the United States.

Millions of dollars are spent every year to find and uproot marijuana-growing operations on state and federal lands, but federal officials say no money is budgeted to clean up the environmental mess left behind after helicopters carry off the plants. They are encouraged that Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who last year secured funding for eradication, has inquired about the pollution problems.

In the meantime, the only cleanup is done by volunteers. On Tuesday, the nonprofit High Sierra Trail Crew, founded to improve access to public lands, plans to take 30 people deep into the Sequoia National Forest to carry out miles of drip irrigation pipe, tons of human garbage, volatile propane canisters, and bags and bottles of herbicides and pesticides.

"If the people of California knew what was going on out there, they'd be up in arms about this," said Shane Krogen, the nonprofit's executive director. "Helicopters full of dope are like body counts in the Vietnam War. What does it really mean?"

Last year, law enforcement agents uprooted nearly five million plants in California, nearly a half million in Kentucky and 276,000 in Washington state as the development of hybrid plants has expanded the range of climates marijuana can tolerate.

"People light up a joint, and they have no idea the amount of environmental damage associated with it," said Cicely Muldoon, deputy regional director of the Pacific West Region of the National Park Service.

As of Sept. 2, more than 2.2 million plants had been uprooted statewide. The largest single bust in the nation this year netted 482,000 plants in the remote Sierra of Tulare County, the forest service said.

Some popular parks also have suffered damage. In 2007, rangers found more than 20,000 plants in Yosemite National Park and 43,000 plants in Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park, where 159 grow sites have been discovered over the past 10 years.

Agent Patrick Foy of the California Department of Fish and Game estimated that 1.5 pounds of fertilizers and pesticides is used for every 11.5 plants.

"I've seen the pesticide residue on the plants," Foy said. "You ain't just smoking pot, bud. You're smoking some heavy-duty pesticides from Mexico."

Scott Wanek, the western regional chief ranger for the National Park Service, said he believes the eradication efforts have touched only a small portion of the marijuana farms and that the environmental impact is much greater than anyone knows.

"Think about Sequoia," Wanek said. "The impact goes well beyond the acreage planted. They create huge networks of trail systems, and the chemicals that get into watersheds are potentially very far-reaching - all the way to drinking water for the downstream communities. We are trying to study that now."

*****
There is a reason it's called DOPE you know!

Hey Sarah Palin

With subtitles for the lyrically challenged no less (read: repugicans).

Out of the mouths of children ...

The youth of America are renewing my hope for mankind this election year.

As of this moment ...

4181 Brave men and women are never coming home from Iraq.

Support OUR Troops ... Bring them Home Now!

Man wins $200K in Powerball twice in same year

For a Kansas City man, 2008 has been a great year when it comes to playing the Missouri Lottery. Arthur Watkins, 53, has won slightly more than $400,000 in two Powerball drawings within a four-month period.

Missouri Lottery officials said Thursday that Watkins selected the Powerball number to win $200,003 in the Sept. 24 drawing. He matched five white-ball numbers in the in the May 21 game to pick up $200,000.

Watkins bought both winners at the Longview Apple Market in Kansas City.

*****

I guess I need to make a trip to Longview Apple Market myself!

NC mom gets life for setting up robbery death

A 20-year-old mother has been sentenced to life in prison for setting up what prosecutors called the cold-blooded robbery and killing of a man for $120.

The Star-News of Wilmington reports a jury found LaKendra Grady guilty Friday of first-degree murder, robbery and burglary.

Authorities say Grady was a gang member who let Pervis Owens sleep in her house in January 2006, then had three men come over to rob the man who had once bought diapers for her children.

Prosecutors say Owens awoke to three guns pointed to his head and was shot in the back. A video caught Grady demanding Owens' cell phone as he bled.

The shooter was sentenced to life in prison, another teen faces at least 14 years behind bars after testifying and the third teen is awaiting sentencing.

An Open Letter to John McCain

Frank Schaeffer writes:

Senator John McCain: If your campaign does not stop equating Sen. Barack Obama with terrorism, questioning his patriotism and portraying Mr. Obama as "not one of us," I accuse you of deliberately feeding the most unhinged elements of our society the red meat of hate, and therefore of potentially instigating violence.

At a Sarah Palin rally, someone called out, "Kill him!" At one of your rallies, someone called out, "Terrorist!" Neither was answered or denounced by you or your running mate, as the crowd laughed and cheered. At your campaign event Wednesday in Bethlehem, Pa., the crowd was seething with hatred for the Democratic nominee - an attitude encouraged in speeches there by you, your running mate, your wife and the local Republican chairman.

Shame!

John McCain and Sarah Palin, you are playing with fire, and you know it. You are unleashing the monster of American hatred and prejudice, to the peril of all of us. You are doing this in wartime. You are doing this as our economy collapses. You are doing this in a country with a history of assassinations.

Change the atmosphere of your campaign. Talk about the issues at hand. Make your case. But stop stirring up the lunatic fringe of haters, or risk suffering the judgment of history and the loathing of the American people - forever.

We will hold you responsible.

Read the rest An Open Letter to John McCain

Frank Schaeffer is the author of Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back.

The Lion Awakes

Jimmy Cliff doing Reggae proud!

Peace Mon!

ELO: A 'garage band' in 1975

So, what do you think will this 'garage band' make it or not?!

Homeless man dies after being set ablaze in LA

"That ye do unto the least of my brethren ye do also unto me."

A homeless man died after being set on fire on a street where he had lived for many years, police and local merchants said Friday.

Police were called to Third Street west of downtown Thursday evening and found the man, who apparently had been drenched with what may have been gasoline and set ablaze. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Deputy Chief Sergio Diaz said a man in his 20s was seen running from the scene. Scorch marks stained a wall Friday where the man was burned.

The victim remained unidentified, Detective Brian Carr said. Investigators canvassed the neighborhood Friday looking for evidence, witnesses and information about the victim.

Shopkeepers said the man was a fixture in the neighborhood, and residents were shocked to hear about his violent death.

Every day, the man drank a Dr Pepper, ate a bag of chips and smoked cigarettes, said Young Kim, who owns a nearby dry cleaner.

The homeless man had been in the area for at least 20 years but never bothered anyone or begged for money, Kim said. People gave him food, clothes and spare change.

"This is a terrible shame. He didn't deserve this. It's so cruel," said Jose Antonio Gonzalez, who owns a vitamin shop near where the man was found.

Gonzalez said some longtime residents called the man Johnny and believed he had fought in the Vietnam War and had a wealthy family somewhere. Gonzalez didn't know whether the stories were true.

"He didn't seem to have mental problems. He understood and spoke well. I don't know why he lived on the street," Kim said.

A witness, Thomas Lopez, told KCAL-TV he saw a teenager walk by the homeless man and pour something on him. Moments later the man was on fire.

"To actually see this guy on fire, it was unbelievable. Who would do such a thing?" Lopez said. "I took my shirt off and started putting him out."

The man, who paramedics thought was about 50 years old, had burns over 90 percent of his body, Fire Department spokeswoman d'Lisa Davies said.

Andy Bales, chief executive of the Union Rescue Mission on downtown's Skid Row, said the incident was "part of a long history of people attacking vulnerable homeless individuals in Los Angeles."

"They think the person is less than human because they happen to be homeless. I don't know how you could do that to another human being," Bales said.

*****

A society is judged by the manner in which it treats the least among it ... and right now our society isn't fairing all that well and such events as this aren't going to win any points anytime soon!

Russian cops hassling bathtub chopper driver

Who says the Russians don't have a sense of humor?

Russian biker busted for driving a non street legal bathtub.

Scenes from the life of traffic cops from Russia and other post Soviet countries.

Palin Abuses Power

repugican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin abused her power as Alaska’s governor by trying to get her ex-brother-in-law fired from the state police, a state investigator’s report concluded Friday.

Alaska governor Sarah Palin is under investigation for the firing of her public safety commissioner.

“Governor Palin knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda,” the report states.

The 'forgotten war'

US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 540

Vietnam veterans against McPain

Vietnam veterans name McPain a collaborator and 'the Manchurian Candidate'

They should know.

"Keep The N*gger Out Of Office”

kerry posted this over at Bartblog

After a week of McCain supporters being incited to shout “kill him!” and “terrorist!” and “treason!“, a man in Louisiana was arrested for threatening to kill election officials. The Smoking Gun has his arrest report and mug shots. It seems his voter registration card was delayed, and he was insistent that he would bring his shotgun to their office and kill them if they didn’t hurry up because he needed to “keep the n*gger out of office.”Look at the photo.

Does America really want to be THAT ONE?

http://www.americablog.com/2008/10/keep-ngger-out-of-office.html

*****

OK, I am officially thoroughly disgusted now! This along with the piece Richard Metzger wrote that I posted three posts back leaves no doubt any anyone's mind that repugicans is the proper term.

Market Nose Dives

The Market opened to today with a nose dive - falling to below 8000.

Thank your repugican 'friends' for this ... it's not every day you get to see all your efforts to provide for yourself and your family evaporate before your eyes!

Nobel Peace Prize

Martti Ahtisaari, the former Finnish president and United Nations envoy, has been awarded this year’s Nobel Peace prize for his work as a mediator in international conflicts.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it had chosen Mr. Ahtisaari, 71, for his “important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts”-

More at (Finanical Times) ft.com

If It Walks Like A Duck and Talks Like a Duck Dept: The McCain-Palin Mob

Richard Metzger posted this over at BoingBoing and is spot on ...

By Richard Metzger

The things that has always alarmed me most about the right wing Republican/conservative/FOX News-watching types is how they wear their own IGNORANCE as a badge of honor! I can't get my head around the notion of how unashamed they are of their own ignorance. It used to be that abject stupidity was something to be embarrassed about. Is it somehow now HIP these days to be a total dumbass? Did I miss the memo?

It's even worse when Republican politicians stoop to cultivate the least intelligent amongst us. Why is it that the Republican party seems to consist solely of the top 5% of America's wealth holders and the lower third of the IQ spectrum with NO ONE in between?

Here is what Blogger Interrupted saw at a McCain-Palin rally in Strongsville, Ohio:

The fact that my videos of McCain-Palin supporters are blowing up online tells me a lot.

First, the media should be ashamed of themselves for not covering this until now. The McCain-Palin supporters in my videos are not new, they are not exceptional, they are not hiding. This is who they are. It has been brewing for months, and not one mainstream media outlet has taken the time to expose them. Not one. And that is dangerous. If America is about to decide on its president based on this level of hate and ignorance, without a single question being asked as to why, then America is in for a rude awakening.

There are some seriously ignorant people on display in these videos (and no, not just the governor of Alaska). These people are clearly SO DUMB that they'd believe any darn thing you told them! Be afraid, be very afraid... McCain-Palin Mob in Ohio (video) part 1 | McCain-Palin Mob in Ohio (video)part 2

'Do Nothing..."

A point of order ...

The repugicans are howling about the 'do nothing Democrats in control of congress' as a election stunt to attempt to fool the American people (Hint: it's not working).

Its only been in the last year and a half that the Democrats have had a majority in Congress.

But only razor's edge on in the Senate where the Republicans have blocked nearly every single bill except a very few 'must pass' bills - filibustering nearly 100 times - a world record ... just as we said they would after the 2006 elections where they lost their majority due to their greed, corruption, scandals and just plain unfitness for the job.

Their plan to stall until this election cycle has ruined the nation and literally the world economically and it has backfired on them in that they will loose even more 'seats' in congress as a result.

We have always known repugicans aren't very bright - they have just removed any doubt anyone may have harbored in the back of their mind in the last year and a half.

Virginia shark's pup a 'virgin birth'

Scientists have confirmed the second case of a "virgin birth" in a shark.

In a study reported Friday in the Journal of Fish Biology, scientists said DNA testing proved that a pup carried by a female Atlantic blacktip shark in the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center contained no genetic material from a male.

The first documented case of asexual reproduction, or parthenogenesis, among sharks involved a pup born to a hammerhead at an Omaha, Nebraska zoo.

"This first case was no fluke," Demian Chapman, a shark scientist and lead author of the second study, said in a statement. "It is quite possible that this is something female sharks of many species can do on occasion."

The aquarium sharks that reproduced without mates each carried only one pup, while some shark species can produce litters numbering in the dozen or more. The scientists cautioned that the rare asexual births should not be viewed as a possible solution to declining global shark populations.

"It is very unlikely that a small number of female survivors could build their numbers up very quickly by undergoing virgin birth," Chapman said.

The medical mystery began 16 months ago after the death of the Atlantic blacktip shark named Tidbit at the Virginia Beach aquarium. No male blacktip sharks were present during her eight years at the aquarium.

In May 2007, the 5-foot, 94-pound shark died of stress-related complications related to her unknown pregnancy after undergoing a yearly checkup. The 10-inch shark pup was found during a necropsy of Tidbit, surprising aquarium officials. They initially thought the embryonic pup was either a product of a virgin birth or a cross between the blacktip and a male of another shark species - which has never been documented, Chapman said.

Tidbit's pup was nearly full term, and likely would have been quickly eaten by "really big sand tiger sharks" that were in the tank, Chapman said in a telephone interview from Florida.

That is what happened to the tiny hammerhead pup in the Omaha case.

"By the time they could realize what they were looking at, something munched the baby," he said of aquarium workers. The remains of the pup were used for the DNA testing.

Virgin birth has been proven in some bony fish, amphibians, reptiles and birds, and has been suspected among sharks in the wild. The scientists who studied the Virginia and Nebraska sharks said the newly formed pups acquired one set of chromosomes when the mother's chromosomes split during egg development, then united anew.

Absent the chromosomes present in the male sperm, the offspring of an asexual conception have reduced genetic diversity and, the scientists said, may be at a disadvantage for surviving in the wild. A pup, for instance, can be more susceptible to congenital disorders and diseases.

The scientists said their findings offer "intriguing questions" about how frequently automictic parthenogenesis occurs in the wild.

"It is possible that parthenogenesis could become more common in these sharks if population densities become so low that females have trouble finding mates," said Mahmood Shivji, one of the scientists and director of the Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University in Florida.

The DNA fingerprinting techniques used by the scientists are identical to those used in human paternity testing.

Chapman, who is with the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at Stony Brook, was assisted in the study by Beth Firchau of the Virginia Aquarium.

Chapman and Shivji were on the team that made the first discovery of virgin birth involving the Nebraska shark.

Dark chocolate: Half a bar per week to keep at bay the risk of heart attack

The ladies I know will love this ...

Dark chocolate: Half a bar per week to keep at bay the risk of heart attack. Though the news is still good for them: 6.7 grams of chocolate per day represent the ideal amount for a protective effect against inflammation and subsequent cardiovascular disease.

A new effect, demonstrated for the first time in a population study by the Research Laboratories of the Catholic University in Campobasso, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute of Milan.

The findings, published in the last issue of the Journal of Nutrition, official journal of the American Society of Nutrition, come from one of the largest epidemiological studies ever conducted in Europe, the Molisani Project, which has enrolled 20,000 inhabitants of the Molise region so far. By studying the participants recruited, researchers focused on the complex mechanism of inflammation. It is known how a chronic inflammatory state represents a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease, from myocardial infarction to stroke, just to mention the major diseases. Keeping the inflammation process under control has become a major issue for prevention programs and C reactive protein turned out to be one of the most promising markers, detectable by a simple blood test.

More Here

'It could have been worse'

There was an old country sheriff who always said, “It could have been worse.” No matter what happened, the old sheriff always had the same answer: “It could have been worse.”

One day, two deputies in the Sheriff’s Office answered an emergency call at a farmhouse. When they walked in, they found the nude bodies of a man and a woman in the bedroom. They had been shot to death.

When they went to the living room, they found the body of a man with a gun at his side.

“No doubt about it,” one deputy said to the other. “This was a double murder and suicide. This guy came home and found his wife in bed with somebody else and shot them both. Then he shot himself.”

“You’re right,” the other deputy replied. “Double murder and suicide. But I’ll bet you when the sheriff gets here he’s going to say ‘it could have been worse.’”

“No way. How could it be worse? There are three people in the house, and all of them have been shot to death. It couldn’t be worse. You’re on.”

About that time, the old sheriff arrived at the scene. He walked into the bedroom and saw the two nude bodies. He then walked into the living room and saw the man on the floor with the gun by his side.

“No doubt about it,” the sheriff said, shaking his head. “It was a double murder and suicide. This guy came home and found his wife in bed with somebody else and shot them both. Then he shot himself.”

After hesitating for a moment, the old sheriff looked his deputies squarely in the eyes. “But, you know,” he said, “it could have been worse.”

The deputy who had lost the bet jumped up and shouted, “Sheriff, how could it have been worse? There are three people in this farmhouse, and all three of them are dead. It couldn’t have been worse.”

“Yes it could,” the sheriff retorted. “You see that guy there on the floor? If he had come home yesterday, that would be me in there in that bed!

A Slice of Philosophy

Discover Wildlife ... Have Kids!

Judge dismisses blonde's lawsuit over brown dye

From the "This is a joke, right!" Department:

A Connecticut judge has given the brush-off to a blond woman's lawsuit claiming L'Oreal Inc. ruined her social life when she accidentally dyed her hair brunette with one of its products.

Charlotte Feeney of Stratford says she can never return to her natural blond hue, a shock that left her so traumatized she needed anti-depressants.

She says she suffered headaches and anxiety, missed the attention that blonds receive and had to stay home and wear hats most of the time.

A Superior Court judge dismissed Feeney's 2005 lawsuit Monday, saying she never proved her allegation that L'Oreal put brown hair dye in a box labeled as blond. The company also had disputed the claim.

'Crucible' instructor accused of witchcraft

From the "They walk among us" Department: Annex Section:

A man assigned "The Crucible" in an adult education English class doused his teacher with a nonflammable liquid and threatened to burn her as a witch, police said.

Darin Najor, 20, ran from the classroom after the attack Sept. 11 and was sent for psychiatric evaluation after telling police "he was trying to kill the witch by pouring holy water over her head," Detective Ken Denmark said.

He was arrested Monday and scheduled for arraignment this month on misdemeanor charges of assault and battery.

The day before the dousing, Najor had asked the teacher whether she believed in witchcraft, police said. She told him she did not, calling Arthur Miller's play based on the 1692 Salem witch trials a metaphor for unjust persecution.

"The suspect threw his homework papers on the floor and declared it was all blasphemy," Denmark said. "The next day he came up behind her chanting what sounded like religious verses while she was working at her desk."

*****

Can you say 'One flew over the CooKoo's Nest'.

Either that or he is a member of Sarah Palin's church ... oh, wait that is the same thing - never mind.

Eighteen Hundred

It's all under control.

There is no need to panic.

You will be returned to your mind shortly.

Have Danish and a cup of tea while you wait.

That is all ...

Man tries to steal a bike - In front of a Cop

From the "They walk among us" Department:

A Fargo man has been arrested for stealing a bike - right in front of a police officer. Authorities said an officer was filling out a report in his patrol car when he looked up and saw 25-year-old man pull a bike from a bike rack and get ready to pedal away.

The bike rack was on the side of the police station.

The man said the bike was his, but authorities said the bike was placed there in safe-keeping for a man who was being detoxified.

News Blurb

New York-based Citigroup said this evening it will not seek to stop a merger of Wachovia and Wells Fargo.

Read the rest in the Charlotte Observer.

10 Facts You Need to Know

Graduating from Beer to Whiskey?

Beer is the people’s drink.

Whiskey on the other hand is seen as a hard drink. It is a drinker’s drink. The sole preserve of men. It’s serious. It is the opposite end of the spectrum to fruit-based neon-coloured liquids sporting little paper umbrellas.

So when you are ready to graduate from beer to whiskey, there are some things you need to know.

Read more from Graduating from Beer to Whisky: 10 Facts You Need to Know

Racist shoots man wearing Obama shirt

Excerpt:

The gunman confronted him and glared at the shirt, which carries an image of Obama.
The man then launched into a tirade of racist slurs, shouting 'I f-ing hate niggers.'

The terrified Mr Egwuatu zipped up his jacket to cover up Obama and walked to his car.

But the repugican, who was white, (really I would have never guessed that one?) followed Mr Egwuatu and after pulling open the passenger door pointed the gun at him.

When Egwuatu turned the engine on, the repugican fired the gas pistol three times, hitting the civil servant in the face, hand and shoulder.

*****
Mr. Egwuatu survived. But, repugican racism is alive and kicking and still runs rampant!

Full Story

Alaskan Independence Party sponsored By Iran

The Jed report comments on the Salon article about the Alaskan Independence Party, which Todd Palin joined and Sarah Palin supports:

David Talbot reports on what would have been the crowning achievement of Alaskan Independence Party founder Joe Vogler had he not been first killed in a plastic explosives deal gone bad:

Vogler's greatest moment of glory was to be his 1993 appearance before the United Nations to denounce United States "tyranny" before the entire world and to demand Alaska's freedom. The Alaska secessionist had persuaded the government of Iran to sponsor his anti-American harangue.

That's right ... Iran. The Islamic dictatorship. The taker of American hostages. The rogue nation that McCain and Palin have excoriated Obama for suggesting we diplomatically engage. That Iran.

The following year, Todd and Sarah Palin attended the AIP convention, and Todd Palin joined the party shortly thereafter. oooo

The Jed Report

And now, they want you to believe they are the best thing for America since sliced bread?!

Judge sentences rap crap fan to listen to Bach, Beethoven

A defendant had a hard time facing the music. Andrew Vactor was facing a $150 fine for playing rap crap too loudly on his car stereo in July.

But a judge offered to reduce that to $35 if Vactor spent 20 hours listening to classical music by the likes of Bach, Beethoven and Chopin.

Vactor, 24, lasted only about 15 minutes, a probation officer said.

It wasn't the music, Vactor said, he just needed to be at practice with the rest of the Urbana University basketball team.

"I didn't have the time to deal with that," he said. "I just decided to pay the fine."

Champaign County Municipal Court Judge Susan Fornof-Lippencott says the idea was to force Vactor to listen to something he might not prefer, just as other people had no choice but to listen to his loud rap crap.

"I think a lot of people don't like to be forced to listen to music," she said.

*****

She should have made it $150.00 AND listen to real music.

John Lennon's drawings to be on exhibit in NYC

When it comes to members of the Beatles, even doodles are a treasure.John Lennon's doodles and drawings - some erotic - will be on display at a downtown Manhattan gallery starting Thursday evening, on what would have been Lennon's 68th birthday.

More than 100 Lennon works at the Openhouse Gallery in SoHo form a show called "Imagine Peace."
A controversial series of lithographs called "Bag One" - depicting scenes from Lennon's and Yoko Ono's honeymoon - was once seized by Britain's Scotland Yard while in another exhibit.

The show in NYC runs through Sunday.

Happy Birthday, John

McPain calls Americans 'My fellow prisoners'

Freudian Slip? Or Just McPain losing it again ...



No wonder his handlers are nervous - the 'oldtimers' is setting in fast.

A Slice of Philosophy

It is always dullest before the yawn.

Conservatives Call Obama’s Correct Pronunciation Of Pakistan ‘Exotic’ And ‘Annoying’

Once again they prove their ignorance and stupidity ... but hey isn't that their 'darling boy' general Betray-us using the correct pronunciation as well.



So, now speaking in correct English is not proper?! And they wonder why the rest of us refer to them as Neanderthals and Troglodytes - sheeesh!

Read the rest at Think Progress

Lehman Brothers CEO Punched In The Face

Dick Fuld testified before the House Oversight Committee yesterday, blaming everyone but himself for Lehman's collapse, an attitude that prompted Ward to confirm reports that he'd been punched in the face and to side with the attacker:

“From two very senior sources – one incredibly senior source – that he went to the gym after … Lehman was announced as going under. He was on a treadmill with a heart monitor on. Someone was in the corner, pumping iron and he walked over and he knocked him out cold. And frankly after having watched this, I’d have done the same too.”

(Click Photo for full story)

Foo Fighters tell McCain to stop using song

Yet another band is complaining about John McCain's use of their song to promote his campaign.

This time, it's the Foo Fighters.

The rockers sent out a missive telling the Republican presidential candidate to stop using "My Hero."

They said they learned it was being use through news reports.

"The saddest thing about this is that `My Hero' was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential," the band said in a statement.

"To have it appropriated without our knowledge and used in a manner that perverts the original sentiment of the lyric just tarnishes the song."

The band noted it's not the first time McCain has been told to stop using a song.

John Mellencamp, Heart and Jackson Browne have also complained - Browne even filed a lawsuit.

Body found in suitcase contained 50 heroin packets

An autopsy has revealed that a man found dead in a suitcase in a suburban park was a drug "mule" who had 50 packets of heroin in his body and probably died when one or two of them broke open.

Investigators expressed surprise that the man's body had not been cut open for the drugs. The heroin would have been worth an estimated $100,000 on the streets, Westchester County police spokesman Kieran O'Leary said Tuesday.

The man, estimated to be 50 to 60 years old, has not been identified. Investigators aren't sure who put him in the suitcase found last Thursday in Tibbetts Brook Park in Yonkers, just north of New York City.

But it probably wasn't the drug dealers who were expecting the man's shipment, because they likely would have cut his body open for the drugs, O'Leary said.

"We've seen that on occasions in the past," O'Leary said. "How he got to the park with the drugs still inside him is still a piece of the puzzle."

Detective Lt. Christopher Calabrese theorized that other mules, not wanting the dealers to cut open the corpse, bought the suitcase and dumped the body before the dealers came to collect the drugs.

"I'm very surprised this guy's not been cut open," he said.

Detectives believe the man traveled from the Dominican Republic.

While the man's cause of death had not been confirmed, one or two of the packets inside him were broken, O'Leary said. There was no outward sign of violence or trauma.

The man probably died a day or two before he was found, the spokesman said.

The body was discovered when a parks worker went to remove the abandoned black canvas suitcase near the park's entrance and the victim's leg popped out.

Jockey's daughter gets prison for fatal crash

The daughter of Hall of Fame jockey Jose Santos was sentenced to three to nine years in prison for vehicular homicide, drunken driving and other charges.

Sophia Santos was sentenced Wednesday in Long Island's Nassau County Court. She pleaded guilty last month.

Prosecutors said Santos had a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit in November 2007 when she ran a red light and plowed into a car at an intersection in Levittown, N.Y.

The accident killed Virginia Casazza Urgo and injured three others.

Santos's father rode Funny Cide to victories in the 2003 Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.

'Perfect storm' could give Democrats 'magic 60' in Senate

In the face of an economy in crisis and a deeply unpopular president, some analysts believe the situation is ripe to give Democrats a 60-seat filibuster-proof majority in the Senate in November.

It's "the perfect storm," said Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report. "You've got Republican voters angry at Republicans, many Americans just petrified about the future...wanting change. And right now change appears to be coming in the form of Democrats."

Of the 35 Senate seats on the line this year, 23 are held by Republicans. Five Republican senators are retiring: Pete Domenici of New Mexico, Wayne Allard of Colorado, John Warner of Virginia, Larry Craig of Idaho and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.

Democrats control the Senate. Although it's split evenly with 49 Democrats and 49 Republicans, two independents -- Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut -- caucus with the Democrats.

Winning a filibuster-proof majority of 60 Senate seats, commonly called the "magic 60," would virtually prevent Republicans from blocking legislation on the Senate floor.

The last time either party had this ability was in the 95th Congress of 1977-1979, when Democrats held 61 seats during President Jimmy Carter's administration. Carter faced concerns similar to those today -- economic instability, inflation and a 7.5 percent unemployment rate.

Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, said Democrats have a good shot at reaching a 60-seat majority in November, a possibility he all but ruled out earlier this year.

"The fundamentals of this election year could not be more Democratic," Sabato said. "You've got a terrible economy, a deeply unpopular president and an unpopular war. You put those elements together and it's going to produce a Democratic victory. ... The only question is, what size?"

A recent survey found that Americans blame Republicans by a 2 to 1 ratio over Democrats for the financial meltdown.

Forty-seven percent of those questioned found Republicans more responsible for the problems facing the financial institutions; 24 percent said Democrats were more responsible.

Although Democrats say it's too early to predict whether they will get 60 Senate seats, they acknowledge that the focus on the economy has given them a bounce across the map.

"The economy was already the No. 1 issue in voter's minds," said Matthew Miller, communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. "What the crisis did was focus attention like a laser on the fact that Republican economic policies have crippled the economy."

But, the next question is: Will Democrats need 60 or 61 seats to effectively block the Republican Party?

Some believe Democrats may actually need 61 seats in order to have a majority because of the "Lieberman factor."

"Not every Democrat will be with them on every measure and every bill," Rothenberg said.

Lieberman turned independent after being defeated in Connecticut's 2006 Democratic primary, but later went on to win the general election. He has been at odds with the Democratic Party -- particularly for his support of Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain and the Iraq War.

"Maybe Americans will say it isn't Republicans' fault," Rothenberg said. "It's possible that Republican prospects could improve over the next month, but if they don't this year will be as bad as 2006 for the Republicans and worse in Senate races."

In 2006, Republicans lost six seats in the Senate and 30 seats in the House, shifting the majority to the Democratic Party.

Rothenberg and Sabato agree that Virginia, New Mexico, Colorado and New Hampshire are all but a lock for Democrats. With Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens on trial on corruption charges, Alaska could go to Democrats as well.

"Minnesota, Mississippi, and Kentucky are the three states most likely to determine whether Democrats get to 60," Rothenberg said, adding the unexpectedly tight race in North Carolina between incumbent Republican Elizabeth Dole and state Sen. Kay Hagan could turn out detrimental for Republicans as well.

Scientists win Nobel for green jellyfish protein

Three U.S.-based scientists won a Nobel Prize on Wednesday for turning a glowing green protein from jellyfish into a revolutionary way to watch the tiniest details of life within cells and living creatures.

Osamu Shimomura, a Japanese citizen who works in the United States, and Americans Martin Chalfie and Roger Tsien shared the chemistry prize for discovering and developing green fluorescent protein, or GFP.

When exposed to ultraviolet light, the protein glows green. It can act as a marker on otherwise invisible proteins within cells to trace them as they go about their business. It can tag individual cells in tissue. And it can show when and where particular genes turn on and off.

Researchers worldwide now use GFP to track development of brain cells, the growth of tumors and the spread of cancer cells. It has let them study nerve cell damage from Alzheimer's disease and see how insulin-producing beta cells arise in the pancreas of a growing embryo, for example.

In awarding the prize, the Royal Swedish Academy compared the impact of GFP on science to the invention of the microscope. For the past decade, the academy said, the protein has been "a guiding star " for scientists.

GFP's chemical cousins produce other colors, which let scientists follow multiple cells or proteins simultaneously.

"This is a technology that has literally transformed medical research," said Dr. John Frangioni, an associate professor of medicine and radiology at Harvard Medical School. "For the first time, scientists could study both genes and proteins in living cells and in living animals."

Last year, in what the Nobel citation called a "spectacular experiment," Harvard researchers announced that they had tagged brain cells in mice with some 90 colors. The technique is called "Brainbow."

GFP was first discovered by Shimomura at Princeton University. He'd been seeking the protein that lets a certain kind of jellyfish glow green around its edge. In the summer of 1961, he and a colleague processed tissue from about 10,000 jellyfish they'd collected near the island town of Friday Harbor, Wash. The next year, they reported the finding of GFP.

Some 30 years later, Chalfie showed that the GFP gene could make individual nerve cells in a tiny worm glow bright green.

Tsien's work provided GFP-like proteins that extended the scientific palette to a variety of colors. Tsien "really made it a tool that was extremely useful to lots of people," Chalfie told reporters.

Shimomura, 80, now works at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass., and the Boston University Medical School. Chalfie, 61, is a professor at Columbia University in New York, while Tsien, 56, is a professor at the University of California, San Diego, and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

The trio will split the $1.4 million award.

Chalfie said he slept through the Nobel committee's phone calls early Wednesday because he'd accidentally adjusted his telephone to ring very softly. He found out about the prize only when he checked the Nobel Web site to see who had won.

"It's not something out of the blue, but you never know when it's going to come or if it's going to come, so it's always a big surprise when it actually happens," Chalfie said.

Shimomura told reporters that he, too, was surprised.

"My accomplishment was just the discovery of a protein. ... But I am happy," he said.

Speaking to reporters by telephone, Tsien thanked scientists worldwide. When they do "good things with GFP and its progeny," Tsien said he can "bask in the warmth of that glow a little bit too."

Gunnar von Heijne, the chairman of the chemistry prize committee, demonstrated the award-winning research to reporters by shining ultraviolet light on a tube with E. coli bacteria containing GFP. The tube glowed green.

Von Heijne said that kind of result "gets scientists' hearts beating three times faster than normal."

The winners of the Nobel Prizes in medicine and physics were presented earlier this week. The prizes for literature, peace and economics are due to be announced Thursday, Friday and Monday.

Three Americans, three Japanese, two French and one German researcher have won Nobel Prizes so far this year.

The awards include the money, a diploma and an invitation to the prize ceremonies in Stockholm and Oslo on Dec. 10, the anniversary of prize founder Alfred Nobel's death in 1896.

*****

It seems to be the year of 'Threes' this year ... with every prize announced thus far having three winners sharing it.

NYC National Debt Clock runs out of digits

In a sign of the times, the National Debt Clock in New York City has run out of digits to record the growing figure.

As a short-term fix, the digital dollar sign on the billboard-style clock near Times Square has been switched to a figure - the "1" in $10 trillion. It's marking the federal government's current debt at about $10.2 trillion.

The Durst Organization says it plans to update the sign next year by adding two digits. That will make it capable of tracking debt up to a quadrillion dollars.

The late Manhattan real estate developer Seymour Durst put the sign up in 1989 to call attention to what was then a $2.7 trillion debt.

As of this moment ...

4180 Brave men and women are dead in Iraq.

Zero out of three with one to go

Third debate and team McPain/Pale-lyn is 0 for 3.

Last night's debate was not a barn burner for either campaign but Obama did do what he had to.
He presented his views and visions for our nation in a coherent manner albeit some points were not as sharp as they could have been.
Mcpain - even according to his own party's analysts - did not do what he had to do ... win the debate running away ... he lost it while not presenting his views and visions for our country in a coherent manner.
Granted he was less snarky this time but still out of touch and could not string together two thoughts on the same question in a row the entire night.
It was like watching a child lost in the wilderness.
It is getting to the point where I don't know who is more pathetic, McPain or Pale-lyn.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The third Friday in October of each year is National Mammography Day. This year it falls on October 17th. So stay informed, stay healthy, and browse the links below to help a great cause.

Worldwide, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer and the fifth most common cause of cancer deaths. It is the most common cancer in women in the United States.