May 10, 2008

Bad American

The American Postion: Hands Over Ears; Eyes Closed; Mind Empty

This is another topic I’ve been meaning to write about.

This column in CommonDreams

Spurred this post in response from Siouxrose, whose posts I have always appreciated reading:

Siouxrose May 9th, 2008 6:13 pm

What’s really tragic about this is that INTELLIGENT PEOPLE are often clueless. I have friends who are attorneys and heads of businesses and when I see them and we have lunch together and I start going down the checklist of WHAT’S GOING ON they think I am speaking in deluded hyperboles. The LIES have so saturated so many arteries of the MSM that people have TAKEN them to be true. Many do not have the time or inclination to seek our alternative media.

My best female friend refuses to read the majority of commondreams articles I forward her. Others have also asked me to stop! There is an aspect to the “New Age” spirituality camp that makes existence into a merely personal matter, as if each person has the OPTION to choose their “reality,” and which perceptions they intend to focus upon. A woman I otherwise admired asked me to PLEASE NOT SPEAK of these things (newsworthy events), and for Iraq blithely dismissed the agony of its citizens as “just some karma playing out.” This idea that we are FREE to enjoy OUR lives and OWN no responsibiity to others is a dangerous extension of an advertising/PR concept that has managed to sell to the lowest common denominator: the single digit consumer. How to re-weave the WEB of humanity will become the great challenge. However, communities that have been hit by dangerous weather events often DO work together. It may take hits of this and other nature to rouse the necessary compassion to rebuild the body politic, one far more HUMANE.

There are so many points in this excellent post.

First, is the ignorance organic or willful? That’s a big question. And what Siouxtrose is dealing with here are supposedly intelligent people who are supposed to know what is going on.

I’ve been of the opinion that most people aren’t really as clueless as they seem - they know in their gut there is something very wrong. But they are scared of speaking the truth for fear of losing their jobs or friends or landing up on some no fly list.

The true kool aid drinkers - the Limbaugh listeners, we’re not considering here. They have enthusiastically drank the kool aid and they like it just fine.

I found Siouxrose’s comment about friends refusing to read articles she sends them to be revealing. This has also happened to me. In my case, the people in question have pretty much given up all hope of any positive change and just want to have a little fun before they die. The longer I live the more I can understand and sympathize with that position. It just isn’t in me to do that.

But her comment on new agers is very telling. As I have written before, many people get into new age practice and philosophy as an escape from the real world. They also believe they can tap into some kind of ‘force’ like power in which they can somehow psychically separate themselves from the real world and work on their own perfection while everything around them goes to hell.

The comment from one of Siouxrose’s friends about the situation in Iraq as “some karma that is just playing out” is sadly too common. For many people, new age philosophy (increasingly an upper class affectation) is a convenient excuse to do nothing. It is the flip side of fundamentalist Christianity, which also does nothing to save the planet because the Lord will take care of everything come Armageddon time, which is always drawing near.

And of course, the average American, as she correctly surmises, doesn’t want to know because they don’t want to have to face the truth about the nation that they pledge allegiance too. AND they don’t want to be reminded of how powerless they are or cowardly, to stand up and speak out. They wish to live in their own private bubble until they die.

It can make those of us who are aware feeling quite mad. Many other CommonDreams posters feel like alien beings walking among the remnants of the body snatchers as if they had been transported into some kind of weird science fiction movie or Twilight Zone episode.

In any case, we still have CommonDreams, other lefty sites and the Internet to communicate with each other. At some point in the future, I expect the Internet to be a lot more carefully policed than it is even now.

And when that happens I’m sure there will be many who will try to save themselves and their sanity by repeatedly typing:

This is a free country

This is

by kegbot1 at5:52 PM under censored!, contemporary americana, what's left of the left, who we are (Comments)

word of mouth

word of mouth blog

It’s a great day to be outside!

And speaking of riding your bike (or walking or running), I just got back from the grand opening of the latest addition to the Lorain County Metro Parks system, the Black River Steel Mill Trail! I’ve been eagerly awaiting its opening (and trying to catch glimpses any way I can), so today was much anticipated, and [...]’

by Rona at5:40 PM under parks, uncategorized (Comments)

jack/zen

jackzen

Post-need planet

I continue to do a fair amount of “strategic” planning with non-profits, many of who still approach it from a deficiency view. This is the view that looks at a community as networks of needs. It’s a view that gives lip service to the community’s assets, seeing them as somewhere between been non-existent and irrelevant to the organization.

When people dare to venture beyond the constrained space of needs, they discover assets and the invitations that bring about new kinds of access to them. Most importantly, they discover the profound difference between a dream and a need. A dream is a declaration of possibility; a need is a declaration of problem. Two completely different lenses, and destinies.

by Jack Ricchiuto at5:24 PM under appreciative living (Comments)

Buckeye State Blog - Pamphleteers of the Revolution

Buckeye State Blog

Redfern Appoints His Delegates, Dann No Longer A Democrat

Blue Bexley is reporting that Chris Redfern has appointed Dave Reagan and William Craig Bashein as his two picks to be un-pledged delegates.

Dave Reagan is president of SEIU District 1199, while William Craig Bashein is a Cleveland area lawyer.

Both, like Redfern, will remain uncommitted.

Glass City Jungle is reporting that Marc Dann has been successfully striped of his Democratic endorsement, making him officially an independent.

by dpotts at5:19 PM (Comments)

Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Your Boyfriend

Something smells funny...

Most have heard that smell is closely tied to memory, but did you know there is also a part of smell that leads to a little more bedroom action? I've long heard the propensity for men to be attracted to women wearing certain scents; for example, vanilla (does my new Vanilla Cupcake body wash from Sephora make you randy?). But did you know that people were... FAKING it?

Human Pheromones exist to "woo" the opposite sex by simulating a mix of mammal-ready "vomodors" and androstadierones found in humans, bottled into a handy perfume/cologne. The scent promises (nee, guarantees) to stimulate all that naughtiness. I found this site about human pheromones, specifically the Pheromones Institute, and I became seriously interested in the fascination of smell in regard to sex, lust, and general over-friendliness to the opposite sex. Wikipedia defines "pheromones" as "to bear hormones." I wouldn't be surprised if products such as these contained some blend of steroids that seeped into bloodstreams and just made you feel manlier. Oooooohh. (I made that sound with my best Hans-and-Fran muscle face). In addition, there is no concluded study that verifies these pheromone-based products actually change behaviors to be more sexual (or perverse).

For a great laugh at all the losers you made fun of in the club with shiny shirts and popped colors, the testimonial page highlights those as despicable horn-dogs with nothing better going for them than trumping their buddies in the amount of times they get some hot action. Ironically, by using the "other head," they lost all skills to count the number of times they were a douchbag.

Is this desperation in dating at its worst? Or is it completely typical of the sexed-up male psyche to believe that "more means more"?

Stick around to crack up at lines like this: cheaper than inviting your mate at lunch and much worth it. Seriously.

So, if I want to go bang some hot chick, will the pheromones for men attract hot, sexy women work to ME? Then I have a few celebrities in which I would like to stalk... er, call.

Has anyone ever tried this stuff? What is your experience? Did it work?

When it comes down to my personal study on odor, I don't really care to smell a man's sweat, balls, boxers or otherwise. I'm more turned on by the picture of my boyfriend's penis I keep in my purse.

by Mel N Ello P at5:05 PM under say hello to my little friends

REALNEO for all - Regional Economics Action Links North East Ohio

RealNEO

Dear GCP - visit Las Vegas

Reading along in the Sustainable Industries Website I found this link for the earthnow EXPO.

4:58 PM under economy, sustainable development

Cleveland Ohio Funguide Weblog

Cleveland Ohio Funguide

Cedar Point Opens Today!

You know it’s summertime when Cedar Point opens - and that day is today!

Cedar Point - The Rollercoast!

The “Rollercoaster Capital of The World” opened at 10 AM and is open until 10 PM. Tomorrow (Mother’s Day) Cedar Point will be open from 10 AM until 7 PM. Although the park is now open daily, operating hours are shorter Monday - Thursday until May 22, 2008.

Their outdoor waterpark Soak City opens for business on May 24, 2008.

Tickets for Cedar Point are available online and at the front gate. Admission is $42.95 for those ages 3-61 - 48 inches and taller, $15.95 for age 3 and over under 48 inches tall and seniors 62 and older.
Children ages 2 and under are free.

If you’re looking for something to do in the evening, Starlight admission is another option. Starlight admission begins after 5 PM when Cedar Point closes at 10 PM or later. It begins after 4 PM when Cedar Point closes earlier than 10 PM. This ticket is $25.95 and is available every day.

Discount coupons for Cedar Point admission are usually available on Pepsi Cans and through businesses located all over Northern Ohio.

Ohio Daily Blog - A Community Blog On Ohio Politics And Public Affairs -

Ohio Daily Blog

Notes from the ODP State Convention

This morning's Executive Committee Meeting included the approval of two new superdelegates (Dave Reagan, William Craig Bashein), a resolution effectively kicking Marc Dann out of the party, a teaser on Matthew Barrett's replacement, and more.

Details available at Blue Bexley.

by BlueBexley at4:43 PM (Comments)

Bad American

Michigan Seizes Child for Lemonade Mistake at Ballpark

Today’s Contemporary Americana!

I had been meaning to write about this so today’s the day.

Brian Dickerson in the Freep

And if you ask Christopher Ratte and his wife how they lost custody of their 7-year-old son, the short version is that nobody in the Ratte family watches much television.

The way police and child protection workers figure it, Ratte should have known that what a Comerica Park vendor handed over when Ratte ordered a lemonade for his boy three Saturdays ago contained alcohol, and Ratte’s ignorance justified placing young Leo in foster care until his dad got up to speed on the commercial beverage industry.

Even if, in hindsight, that decision seems a bit, um, idiotic.

snip

The 47-year-old academic says he wasn’t even aware alcoholic lemonade existed when he and Leo stopped at a concession stand on the way to their seats in Section 114.

“I’d never drunk it, never purchased it, never heard of it,” Ratte of Ann Arbor told me sheepishly last week. “And it’s certainly not what I expected when I ordered a lemonade for my 7-year-old.”

But it wasn’t until the top of the ninth inning that a Comerica Park security guard noticed the bottle in young Leo’s hand.

“You know this is an alcoholic beverage?” the guard asked the professor.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Ratte replied. He asked for the bottle, but the security guard snatched it before Ratte could examine the label.

OK let’s stop there. One of the very worst problems we face in America is that most Americans lead such meaningless lives devoid of any spiritual or natural fulfillment that they cannot handle being put in positions of authority. There are millions of little Napoleons in uniform with badges and some with guns running around this country just waiting to stamp down on some poor schmuck that runs afoul of the millions of laws in this country that tie us all down.

So we have this lowlife security guard at Comerica Park who sees his big chance to nail someone and he takes it. A simian simpleton could see the dad made a mistake and let it go with a warning. But not in 2008 America. We now train authority figures to have a Gestapo-like adherence to the letter of every law and every violation must be stamped out ruthlessly.

An hour later, Ratte was being interviewed by a Detroit police officer at Children’s Hospital, where a physician at the Comerica Park clinic had dispatched Leo — by ambulance! — after a cursory exam.

Leo betrayed no symptoms of inebriation. But the physician and a police officer from the Comerica substation suggested the ER visit after the boy admitted he was feeling a little nauseated.

The Comerica cop estimated that Leo had drunk about 12 ounces of the hard lemonade, which is 5% alcohol. But an ER resident who drew Leo’s blood less than 90 minutes after he and his father were escorted from their seats detected no trace of alcohol.

“Completely normal appearing,” the resident wrote in his report, “… he is cleared to go home.”

But it would be two days before the state of Michigan allowed Ratte’s wife, U-M architecture professor Claire Zimmerman, to take their son home, and nearly a week before Ratte was permitted to move back into his own house.

And if you think nothing so ludicrous could happen to your family, maybe you should pay a little less attention to who’s getting booted from “Dancing with the Stars” and a little more to how the state agency responsible for protecting Michigan’s children is going about its work.

Yes indeed. Here we have two upper middle class white educated couple being treated like this. So imagine what would have happened if the parents were poorer, minority, or unable to use the University of Michigan’s legal department to bail them out of this mess? Yes, it can happen to you. Don’t believe me - get thee to an airport. And remember it’s to protect the children!

And you if you really think you can tear the average ‘Murkan from his/her trash TV, you’ve got another thing coming buddy.

Now I’m not a big fan of CPS in general but they’ve been taking a lot of heat for this incident. In truth, once a court order is made, CPS basically has to act like robots - they must enforce the order.

Almost everyone Chris Ratte met the night they took Leo away conceded the state was probably overreacting.

The sympathetic cop who interviewed Ratte and his son at the hospital said she was convinced what happened had been an accident, but that her supervisor was insisting the matter be referred to Child Protective Services.

And there you have it. The officer at the scene who had a real sense that this was an honest mistake and not a crime was overruled by her ’supervisor’ who, in reality, is the one who really escalated this incident out of control. Of course it’s easy if you’re sitting at a desk and you’re only real concern is covering your ass, to flop the case over to CPS. Once that happened, what happened next was probably inevitable.

And Ratte thought the two child protection workers who came to take Leo away seemed more annoyed with the police than with him. “This is so unnecessary,” one told Ratte before driving away with his son.

But there was really nothing any of them could do, they all said. They were just adhering to protocol, following orders.

And so what had begun as an outing to the ballpark ended with Leo crying himself to sleep in front of a television inside the Child Protective Services building, and Ratte and his wife standing on the sidewalk outside, wondering when they’d see their little boy again.

Again, it was a decision made at the supervisory level at CPS that compounded the idiocy made at the police department level.

Now there are a lot of letters at the end of the story defending the caseworkers and that’s understandable as far as it goes. There may be no ‘quota’ as they say, for the amount of children seized. BUT, you cannot deny that every child taken is recorded and used as a justification for the budgets of the office and the supervisors. If they don’t seize a certain number of children, perhaps the next budget go around in Lansing, they won’t get so much money. Careers and nice suburban houses are on the line here. So you know what happens.

You can read the rest of this sad and sorry case. Ratte naively believes CPS will learn from this case. They will not. There is a vested interest in seizing children under any pretext. It’s a corollary of the Iron Law of Institution - the institution will do anything necessary to preserve itself - even at the expense of its core principles.

And you know as well as I do how many clear cut cases of child abuse fall right through the cracks of many state CPS investigators. But let some dad mistakenly give a kid a hard lemonade at a ball game and the whole system swings rapidly into gear to take the kid. Seriously, what is going on here?

I liked the response to Dickerson’s column here:

Freep reader reaction

In response to Brian Dickerson’s April 28 column, “Hard lemonade, hard price; Dad’s oversight at Tigers game lands son in foster care”: What hath God wrought, here in the People’s Republic of Michigan? What’s next for Christopher Ratte? Will he be sent away to be rehabilitated? Will the Ministry of Truth seek to delete the Detroit Free Press’ reportage of this episode?

Fortunately, the Ministry of Love reunited Mr. Ratte with his family, rather than submitting him to a purge. The party must have been satisfied he had not committed a thought crime.

When one reads this story, hard on the heels of the previous day’s exposé of the flawed prosecution process for sex offenders in Oakland County, it is clear that in its zeal to protect our children, our state and local law enforcement agencies have gone completely haywire.

Unquestionably, our children are the most powerless and vulnerable of our citizenry, the least able to defend or speak for themselves. Their protection is simply paramount. Nonetheless, whither sanity, reason and justice along the way?

After the Free Press reported the structural failure of the foster care system in Michigan, it would appear that overkill is the state’s solution to that problem. It is not enough that the state ran roughshod on Mr. Ratte; his son, the very victim they sought to protect, must have been traumatized to no end. Meanwhile, how many other children who are truly in grave danger of one form or another are left unprotected by Child Protective Services?

The entire child welfare system, from state agencies to the courts to the law enforcement agencies, is overworked and underfunded. Nonetheless, knee-jerk Orwellian overreaction is not the answer. We must have a thoughtful dialogue on this issue, starting in Lansing.

Lawrence D. Hadley

Can’t add anything more to that except this:

In reality, the state assumes ownership of your children once they are born. You are merely the legal custodians under the law. If any any time, one of the minions of the state feels you are no longer a fit parent for any reason, the state can and will, with guns drawn if necessary, take your child. Yes, there are legitimate cases where kids need to be seized for their own safety - absolutely. But more and more we hear about stories like the Ratte’s. And we wonder what the real aim of all these laws are.

So be ultra-careful at all times when you’re out in public with your children. You never know who is watching - and itching - to be a good German.

by kegbot1 at4:21 PM under contemporary americana, police state (Comments)

Glass City Jungle

Marc Dann stripped of endorsement of Ohio Democratic Party…

I don’t have the exact vote count, only that all but one member of the Executive Committee of the Ohio Democratic Party voted in support of stripping Marc Dann of the endorsement he received from the Ohio Democratic Party.

Which is what the Chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party had stated would be his plan back on Monday:

“Pending Saturday’s events, he’ll be holding office as an independent who was elected as a Democrat,” Redfern said. “We will distance ourselves both figuratively and literally from Marc Dann until he makes the right decision, which is to step down.”

by LisaRenee at4:07 PM under media, ohio, party! (Comments)

Tony Coffman

The cafeteria

I spent the morning in the cafeteria reading a book and working on some ideas.

There was a tornado drill - it was kind of cute to watch the little kids duck and cover in the hallways.

by Tony at4:01 PM under home (Comments)

Glass City Jungle

Company hired by mall says there is no black mold or airborne asbestos at Southwyck…

Was it disappearing black mold? According to the Blade, No signs of mold, asbestos are found at Southwyck the mall hired:

Watterson Environmental Group of Sylvania, “an independent third party inspector,” attorney Kenneth C. Baker said in a statement, “to evaluate the city of Toledo’s allegations that unsafe conditions exist in the Mall.”

Mr. Baker of Eastman & Smith Ltd., which represents the mall, said the inspector looked at areas of the mall that the city of Toledo identified.

The result was “no visible evidence of suspect mold growth on the interior, exposed surfaces of the skylights of the mall,” he said.
(more…)

by LisaRenee at3:56 PM under media, the mayor, toledo (Comments)

Brewed Fresh Daily

Does anybody see the irony in this?

Cozy is probably a nicer word than nepotism.

Because city information-technology employees could not locate the e-mails, the city has hired Visual Evidence/E-Discovery, a downtown Cleveland firm.

The company president, Daniel Copfer Sr., is the brother of Ron Copfer, a political insider who owns Fathom IT Consulting. Fathom is finishing a $321,000 upgrade to the City Council’s systems, including the system that the e-mails cannot be recovered from.

The search on all the computers will cost about $25,000, said Katherine Samsa, a spokeswoman for Council President Martin J. Sweeney.

Cleveland Councilman Joe Santiago turns over computer over bar permit - cleveland.com

ShareThis

by Douglas Craver at3:36 PM under cleveland, tech, yr govt @ work

Cleveland Cavaliers News

Cavs News

Cavaliers vs Celtics Game 3 Bullets

Expect to see a different Lebron James tonight when the Cavaliers face the Celtics for game 3 of the East semi finals.

Lebron James set records of ineffectiveness the past two games.

He shot 8-for-42 and his19-percent average is the worst for the first two games of a series by a player with 30 attempts since Joe Fulks shot 17.6 percent in 1948 with the Philadelphia Warriors.

And it is the worst of any two consecutive playoff games by a player attempting 40 shots since Tom Heinsohn was … [visit site to read more]

The Watchtower of Destruction: The Ferrett's Journal

Special Bonus Help Round!

If you were a fan of Home on the Strange, you'll be happy to know that yes, I'm starting up a new nerdcore webcomic. This is a much more stripped-down comic sans the big storylines, just allowing me to riff on nerd culture whenever I see fit. But I'm a little blocked here, and I need your help.

As anyone who knows me knows, I'm terrible with character names. (I joke that half the reason I wanted to team up with

yuki_onna for My Name Is Might Have Been is because I knew I'd get great names like "Bombay Sapphire" and "Ignatius Slim.") And I have three characters that I can't think of a good name for.

The first is a blatant shill for me, a tall guy with a goatee and glasses. He's going to be my voice for speaking on various nerd issues. But I'm not calling him Ferrett.

The second is his wife, a slender Asian. She is the sarcastic straight man to his eternal snarking, and generally gets the better of him. (I am, as I did from HotS, cribbing quite a bit from my own personal life - though thanks to

roniliquidity's co-writing, Tom and Karla evolved far beyond what Gini and me are.)

The third is not-Ferrett's buddy, who is the guy he goes shopping for DVDs with - basically, a third character to talk about his wife with.

This isn't the first time I've asked for name help - author Cherie Priest suggested the name "Andy Tanner," and shortly after she received a huge Tor book contract, clearly as a result of suggesting a name for a second-tier webcomic strip. This is the fame and fortune that awaits you should you choose a proper name.

Also, if you're an artist and this sounds like something you'd have fun with, let me know. Unlike HotS, I'm hoping to work with multiple artists on the new project. In fact, I've got a bit of a plan for that, but that's something for another time.

2:55 PM

Writes Like She Talks

WritesLikeSheTalks

Taking lemons, making lemonade

In this column, John Temple of RedBlueAmerica.com, Rocky Mountain News and Scripps, gives some excellent advice in general and for folks in journalism in his commencement speech to the University of Colorado’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Here are a few pieces worth noting:

My central point was that we’ve moved from an era of great companies and corporations dominating the media landscape to an era where power is shifting to the creative and talented individual, just as power is shifting to the individual consumer.

“You yourself are the most important brand,” I told the students.

As a blogger who has made it to other venues, I find that to be 100% true.

Why RBA had to fold its first incarnation:

It’s an idea I believed in, and continue to believe in. But just as the students are measured with grades, businesses must constantly measure themselves. Redblueamerica.com was supported by a venture fund established by the newspaper division of the company I work for, E.W. Scripps. The fund’s board faced many competing proposals and couldn’t continue to support them all. So as you might expect, it came down to which it believed promised the best return on investment.

I guess I should be happy to know that Wide Open closed for different reasons and The Point appears to be doing well.

Perhaps the best part of the column:

The headline on a recent column in The Wall Street Journal said it all: “If at first you don’t succeed, you’re in excellent company.” The piece went on to describe rejection experienced by many greats, from J.K. Rowling to Walt Disney. You don’t need to worry. I’m not putting myself or my colleagues on this project anywhere near their company.

But I do believe we share a quality that I was trying to inspire in the students. That is what’s known as self-efficacy. Melinda Beck described it in her column as “the unshakable belief some people have that they have what it takes to succeed.”

That doesn’t mean such people don’t experience doubt. But it does mean they keep trying, they keep challenging themselves.

Because of just knowing about the RBA moderator job and not getting an offer to do it, over the last several months, I’ve challenged myself over and over and over again. And those challenges brought me to getting credentialied to cover the Cleveland debate, and be on CNN and the BBC and speak at five conferences in the next three months and cover WAM!2008 and many, many other experiences I can’t begin to recall.

On the journalism front, Wendy Hoke and I have applied for a fellowship to do an unique journalism project that we’ve developed and about which I know the people who’ve seen the beta and heard about it are extremely excited. And Wendy and I are determined to move forward on it. Because we have that “unshakable belief” that we can make it succeed.

Temple closes with this, but I would swap two words around. He wrote, “Our experience has made me feel even more strongly that one of the great benefits of this era in media history is that there has never been more opportunity - and risk.”

But I would say that there’s never been more risk - and opportunity.

by Jill Miller Zimon at2:37 PM under blogging, media, tech, wide open, writing (Comments)

word of mouth

word of mouth blog

Get On Your Bikes and Ride!

Here’s an easy way for Mayor Krasienko to promote healthy lifestyles in Lorain - ride his bike to work next week. No massages needed. Milwaukee is doing it. Iowa City is doing it. Even Detroit is biking to work. Issue a press release and get on your bike Tony. It’s free and shows leadership. And [...]

by Roman at2:26 PM under announcements, ari k, bike to work, environment (Comments)

Blog of Mass Destruction

"Connected" and "Working the System"

Remember the Vicki Iseman, John McCain, NY Times article a while back that wingnut screechers got so worked up over? The Times piece explained how McCain helped Iseman's lobbying client Paxson Communications receive special treatment from the FCC in a request for more single market media control. We found out from that story that the Straight Talker was not above some Straight Influence Peddling.

Well now there's another influence peddling story about another one of McCain's powerful friends in yet another NY Times piece…..

In building his empire, Mr. (Donald) Diamond said he had struggled with local elected officials over land use and zoning issues just like any other developer. “They are a pain in the ‘you-know-what,’ ” he said.

But associates say he revels in his ability to “work the system,” as his friend and sometimes partner, Stanley Abrams, put it: “Nobody is as connected as Donald.”

Powerful and rich people play by a different set of rules than, you know, the rest of us. They can "work the system" because they are "connected". Here's why a powerful rich person like John McCain's close friend, Donald Diamond, raises so much money for politicians, like John McCain…..

Mr. Diamond is close to most of Arizona’s Congressional delegation and is candid about his expectations as a fund-raiser. “I want my money back, for Christ’s sake. Do you know how many cocktail parties I have to go to?”

Hey, if you have to attend numerous boring, belabored, bullsh*t fundraisers and cocktail parties,….it sure better pay off in the long run….."I want my money back, for Christ's sake"…..no one could confuse a statement like that with, you know, pay to play……or anything like that, right?

Donald Diamond's experience "working the system" that he is so "connected" to, including in this case John McCain, is similar to the Vicki Iseman/Paxson Communications influence peddling experience which also traveled through the office of John McCain.

When Mr. Diamond wanted to buy land at the base, Fort Ord, Mr. McCain assigned an aide who set up a meeting at the Pentagon and later stepped in again to help speed up the sale,

In California, the McCain aide’s assistance with the Army helped Mr. Diamond complete a purchase in 1999 that he soon turned over for a $20 million profit. And Mr. McCain’s letter of recommendation reinforced Mr. Diamond’s selling point about his McCain connections as he pursued — and won in 2005 — a potentially much more lucrative deal to develop a resort hotel and luxury housing. Link

John McCain doesn't see anything wrong with this kind of influence and access peddling. While the Arizona senator insists he has never done anything wrong in any of his dealings, perhaps with the exclusion of the Keating 5 caper that McCain was deeply involved in, the stories of influence peddling and access selling combined with Diamond's very clear, "I want my money back, for Christ's sake", paint a different picture.

McCain has always accepted the status quo "pay to play" system. He doesn't buck that system, he adapts and morphs to fit it.

I realize that what a candidate's pastor says is the most significant issue to consider in determining the leader of the free world…..more significant than any such thing like access and influence peddling. I realize that. Still, there's a pattern forming here with McCain, a trendline……it's starting to look like McCain is just another, run-of-the-mill, GOP, sleaze artist…..willing to help those who help him.

We need a president who "works the system" for all of Americans, not just the powerful, rich and "connected".

Read the entire NY Times piece.

by The Reverend at2:14 PM under 2008 election, corruption, gop, john mccain, uncategorized (Comments)

The Nashville Minute -AkronNewsNow.com Blogs XML Feed

The Nashville Minute

Eddy Arnold Tribute

I blogged about this on Thursday, country legend Eddy Arnold passed away at the age of 89.andnbsp; The Nashville Minute would like to honor this pioneer of country music and thanks to Sony BMG, we have exclusive audio of Eddy Arnold.

2:00 PM

Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Weblog

Cuyahoga County Planning Commission

University Circle Wi-Fi

On Thursday, OneCommunity announced the official launch of a wireless Internet cloud covering most of University Circle and parts of Cleveland Heights and East Cleveland. They also rolled out Linked Communities, a new web portal for the University Circle area.

by Kevin Leeson at1:57 PM under cleveland east side, cleveland heights, east cleveland, utility, websites

Steel Valley Outdoors

Explore the Outdoors this Summer

The Ohio Department of Natural resources kicks off the Explore the outdoors Kids’ program today at Alum Creek State park in Central Ohio. Among the stats they are combating:

Kids today spend twice as much time each year in front of a screen than they do at school.
60 percent of kids 2-5 have NO access to outdoor play.
State Parks have experienced a 10-20 percent drop in visitation.

Download an activity guide for your kids and complete eight of the ten activities at a posted state park or preserve. Codes are posted at these locations. Enter the codes into your book and your child will get a signed certificate from Governor Strickland.

Random Posts

by admin at1:52 PM under camping, cycle, explore the outdoors, fishing, hiking, odnr, ohio (Comments)

Have Coffee Will Write

Jeff Hess - Have Coffee Will Write

RACE BAITING IN THE CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS…

As She Who Writes Like She Talks rightly reminds people, I’m a rabid supporter of the First Amendment of our Constitution and believe that the response to hateful or offensive speech must always be more speech. So I was pleased last evening to get an email calling for my signature on a letter to the [...]

by Jeff Hess at1:51 PM under being a jew, cleveland, election 2008 (Comments)

FROM MY DAD…

I could never bring myself to forward all the email jokes, cartoons and other Internet comedy that land in my inbox. But then I started posting the ones my dad sends me. Judging from my comments and emails, my dad has become one of my greatest blogging assets. So for your morning blog brain bump [...]

by Jeff Hess at1:30 PM under from my dad (Comments)

Mindful Ramblings

Treading Water

I'm always glad when a semester is over, but this time, there's no peaceful break following it up. I have 9 days off before I start my whirlwind summer job and the second that slows down, I'm packing up and moving to Chicago. 9 days would be a pretty nice vacation, except it's not. Going to look for apartments next week, and trying to get some poems (and maybe a manuscript and/or a chapbook) in the mail before I start work so that I don't forget about being a poet.

There's a super exciting Barn Owl Review event tonight (check out the details over at Mary's), but for the sake of my sanity, I'm punking out. Speaking of BOR--my dear interview volunteers, I haven't forgotten you and I will be getting in touch this coming week before I start work. Bernadette Geyer is on-deck. She's been so patient and hopefully her interview will be posted by the end of next week.

So, as I mentioned above, I'm going to look for apartments next week. I'm only going to be in Chicago for a day and a half, but hopefully that's enough time to find something that A) is in my price-range and B) is not in a scary neighborhood so that I can put down a deposit. I think my stress level will drop significantly if I know I have someplace safe to live come August. I'm also a little stressed about whether or not I'm going to be in a studio or a 1 bedroom. I guess it doesn't really matter at this point, but if I'm in a studio, nephew/roommate is going to have to tap into his frat house experience and build me a loft for my bed. I'm sure I'll have photos and updates for you next week.

And as promised, here is my schedule for the summer. I know I'll be near some of my blogging buddies, and would love to see a familiar face while I'm out on the road.

May 23-26: Cleveland
May 28-31: Erie, PA
June 12-14: Winston-Salem, NC
June 20-22: Kansas City, MO
June 26-29: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
July 3-6: Naperville, IL
July 10-13: Lake in the Hills, IL
July 17-20: Des Moines, Iowa
July 24-27: Columbus, OH
August 7-10: Toledo, OH
August 29-Sept. 1: Indianapolis

Well, I think that's all. Owls, have fun tonight! Sorry I'm lame.

by Sara at1:29 PM under bor, chicago, moving, updates

The Franchise King Blog

The Franchise King

Franchise Contest Update! Almost 50 Franchise Entries So Far

The Coolest Franchise Website Contest is still in progress, and so far, almost 50 contest entries have been received.

There are thousands of franchise companies out there, and some of them may have Cool Websites. Are there franchise company websites that have not been entered into the contest yet? There are prizes...

Go to the Contest Website

by Joel Libava at1:15 PM under contests, food and drink, franchise-ish, new franchises, rankings, small business, sports, tech, web, weblogs, wow

Cleveland Online: News, Sports, Opinion, Reviews, Local, Community, Restaurants, Businesses, Blog

Cleveland Online

A selection of wine for Mother’s Day

I found an article at NY Daily News by Rachel Wharton giving a list of wines for Mother’s Day courtesy of Gary Vaynerchuk, the Manhattan author of “101 Wines Guaranteed to Inspire, Delight, and Bring Thunder to Your World.

Check it out. I don’t know if they are available in Cleveland, but maybe they will give you some ideas for other wines to buy.

ALFA OMEGA SAUVIGNON BLANC, 2007; $34

Vaynerchuk doesn’t usually recommend California Sauvignon Blancs over those from France, New Zealand or Chile, but with this one (ranked number 55), he’s “eating a little humble pie.” It’s perfect for Sunday morning, he says, because it’s “a really great springtime wine” that’s “very brunchable.”

DUTSCHKE SUN-RAISINED SHIRAZ; $45 FOR 375 ML

An amazing, original red dessert wine that’s “perfect with chocolate,” says Vaynerchuk, who labels it “raisin juice” in his book, where it tops out at number 16. “And if one-third of moms are as passionate about chocolate as my mom,” he says, this a great choice.

ERIC TEXIER COTES DU RHONE-VILLAGES, CHUSCLAN, 2005; $19

Coming in at number 42, this is an “extra-smooth” red that’s “very elegant and classy,” says Vaynerchuk, therefore a perfect choice for Mom. It’s also a good red for people who think they only like whites.

PASO CREEK MERLOT, 2005; $16

Can’t spend too much? This Merlot, at number 56, is for you. “This is a school-night wine,” says Vaynerchuk. In other words, something reasonably priced yet amazingly flavored. You can crack it open, he says, “and just leave it on the counter.” Don’t let the movie “Sideways” discourage you on this grape, says Vaynerchuk: “Merlot is back.”

RAO’S PROSECCO VSAQ EXTRA DRY, NV; $15

“Moms should be celebrated all the time,” says Vaynerchuk. That’s why an oh-so-celebratory sparkling white is a go-to bottle on Sunday. This Prosecco from Italy - ranked number 48 - is a little cheaper than Champagne, plus it’s got extra cachet as it’s produced for the East Harlem restaurant Rao’s.

Technorati Tags: 101 wines, Cleveland, Gary Vaynerchuk, May 11, Mother's Day, Wine

by Jason at1:14 PM under 101 wines, cleveland, food, gary vaynerchuk, holidays, may 11, mother's day, wine (Comments)

Brewed Fresh Daily

BFD Learning Moment: Internships for teachers

…[T]he Community Foundation’s Frederick County Business Roundtable for Education Fund will help to support FCBRE’s activities and major goals which include student internships, teacher externships, mentoring and tutoring for students, as well as teacher training and staff development, among other proposed initiatives.

“This multi-pronged approach to addressing workforce needs has proven successful in other places across the country,” Markoe said. “With the tremendous growth of Frederick County and the current assessment that future workforce needs must include education in specific areas, The Frederick County Business Roundtable for Education Fund is essential in helping to get the ball rolling toward addressing those needs.”

New Frederick County Business Roundtable for Education Fund Opens at Community Foundation

Teachers to train outside classrooms: Schools partner with businesses to create unique summer learning opportunity

Learn more: National Institute for Excellence in Teaching

ShareThis

by Ed Morrison at1:03 PM under economic development, education, internships, teachers

Working With Words

Death of the Novel Foretold

Author Tom Wolfe tells an interviewer for National Review TV that "the novel is dying a horrible death--it really is." But it's not preventing him from working on his fourth novel, due out next year. Its subject is immigration. You can watch the video here. To review an earlier item on Wolfe, go here.

by John Ettorre at12:33 PM

Brewed Fresh Daily

The Next NEO: Biomedical manufacturing

A May 28 executive forum sponsored by the economic development groups MAGNET and BioEnterprise will focus on area manufacturers that diversified to participate in the growing biomedical industry.

Manufacturing for the Medical Market will be held from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn Conference Center, 1100 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland. Cost is $25. Register at 216-432-5159 or send an e-mail to katharine.boone@magnetwork.org.

Medical market is topic of forum

ShareThis

by Ed Morrison at12:21 PM under bioscience, economic development, manufacturing

erie.effusion

Asterisk - Or the KSU Ceramic Dept Dream Team Reunion 1992

Last nite i had the dee-light of attending lovely
show starring two of my favorite KSU alumni
from the early 90's - Tom Bartel & Candy Depew
exhibited their recent wares at ASTERISK Gallery
this month and the artwalk was in full swing last nite !

more greatimages on my FLICKR - GO !!!

good times, great taste of disco in the
basement and MS. Pac-Man wrist hangover
from the FLying MonKey Bar - my new fav place

by bginley at11:31 AM

Sara Holbrook's Blog Spot

Sarah Holbrook

Stephanie Lufkin

STEPHANIE LYN "STEPHIE" LUFKIN, age 7. First Grade Student at Normandy Elementary School, Bay Village. Precious princess and cherished daughter of Katie (nee Traynor) and Douglas; loving sister of Scotty and Sara; adored granddaughter of Sara Holbrook and Michael Salinger, Thomas Traynor and Rosemary Breehl, Joe and Lyn Lufkin of Tampa, FL.; sweet niece of Kelly "Tee-Tee" and Brian Weist, Dave and Cyndi Lufkin, Darcy and Doug Zehe, Cheryl and Dan Belic, Tom Lufkin and Max and Frank Salinger; awesome cousin to Benny, Danny, Tommy, Mason, Conor, Angela and Big Money Nick; best-est friend to Miss Clare Matthews and deeply loved by all who knew her. Seven years ago Stephie danced her way into our hearts and cart-wheeled through life. Passed away, Thursday, May 8, 2008. Funeral Services, Bay Presbyterian Church (Lake and Columbia Roads) TUESDAY May 13th at 11:00 AM. Interment Lakewood Park Cemetery. Friends may call in the McGORRAY BROS. FUNERAL HOME OF WESTLAKE, 25620 CENTER RIDGE RD. (Just West of Columbia) MONDAY from 2-4 and 6-9 PM and TUESDAY MORNING AT BAY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (In The Great Hall) from 10:00 AM TILL TIME OF SERVICES. In lieu of flowers, family suggests memorials to The Stephanie Lufkin Memorial Fund at Charter One Bank, 411 Dover Center Rd, Bay VillageOH 44140. www.cleveland.com/obits

by sara holbrook at10:44 AM

ExileJedi

Mike Pirnat's Exile Jedi

Yesterday's Tweets

Since last time:

13:21 @vja2 Badger badger badger badger badger... Razor razor!
13:31 Quite relieved to learn that I don't actually need periodontal surgery at this time. *whew*
19:02 How much snot could a snot sucker suck, if a snot sucker could suck snot?

Bytes shoveled by LoudTwitter

10:05 AM

The Great Whatever

reading tonight & good news

Reading with Nin Andrews, Major Ragain, Toni Thayer, Emily Dressler, Mary Biddinger and others at the former Poets and Writers League at E. 25th and Superior (www.the-lit.org). In honor of Mary's new Barn Owl Review and the "Muse."

In the good news department: 2 poems accepted to Harpur Palate.

I swear the blog will return to musings instead of diary entries soon. Promise.

by Amy at9:50 AM

King's Right Site

Steaming Load Award - Juan "Let Me Drive You To The Welfare Office, Chico" McCain

From Politically Incorrect Gazette

Steaming Load #1: Juan "Let Me Drive You To The Welfare Office, Chico" McCain sells America out to Colonistas.

Juan McCain, the steaming butt bullet whom the ‘independents’ and other Demoncrat lefties hand-picked for the Elephant Clan nomination, sold us out, again, this week. He’s setting up a Spanish language outpost in cyberspace where he can tell Colonistas all the things he doesn’t want us to know about an El Presidente Juan McCain immigration policy. On the off chance that his web site doesn’t convince them, he just announced his plan to address the convention of the top reconquista group who infests this land conceived in liberty - La Raza.

Tammy Bruce posted this prose on her must-read blog:

McCain reaches out to Latinos for votes

He acknowledged that his party's image has taken a beating among Latinos as a result of the "tenor" of the illegal-immigration debate during the primaries. McCain said he couldn't gauge the political impact of Arpaio's roundups of illegal immigrants and other criminals in largely Hispanic neighborhoods. But he ultimately blamed U.S. government inaction for forcing local officials to enforce the law...McCain never fully abandoned his support for other reforms, saying that the government needs to demonstrate that it can fix the border mess before it can expect the American public to consider allowing in temporary workers and implementing other proposals that are seen as benefits for immigrants.

"I believe that the majority of Hispanics share our view that the border must be secured, and the border must be secured first," McCain said. "But they also want us to have an attitude, which I think most Americans do, that these are God's children and they must be taken care of, or the issue must be addressed, in a humane and compassionate fashion. And I will continue to carry that message with the priority that we must secure our borders first." [...]

Elias Bermudez, founder of the Phoenix-based advocacy group Immigrants Without Borders, is a McCain supporter who believes that, as president, McCain and his Democratic allies on Capitol Hill could deliver landmark immigration-reform legislation within the first 100 days of his administration.

Aspiring El Presidente McCain has already shown a willingness, an eagerness, to jettison the conservative wing of the Elephant Clan party. He doesn’t want, or need, them holding his feet to the fire. His future, his future El Presidente legacy, will be achieved with the help of the liberals he’s courted all his political life.

Juan McCain might be your idea of a good time - are you paying attention KING? - but he’s damn sure not mine. If some butthole is determined to take a giant dump on my citizenship, I’d rather get the ‘gift’ from one of my enemies (O’Dumbo or Comrade Hillary), than a flaming liberal rat bastard who is pretending to be my friend...

Perpetrated by: Hambo

--------------------------------------------------------

When I first read this I put on my stepper's - was off to the PIG bunker for a little talk with Hambo. Then Porcus & Spyke the Wonder Tyke reminded me WHY Hambo is kept locked in a steel reinforced dungeon - so I came to my senses.

Don't worry fellow PIGster's - PIGster King did not turn into a Victimhood sissy and hire Femi-Nazi Gloria Allhead to represent my wounded Juan McSpain loving ego. No, I did the right thing. First I sent a side of freshly slaughtered beef to Hambo as an offering before I responded by email. Hambo just loves red meat! Then I began pecking away...

I feel Hambo's pain of watching our country become victimized by the years of liberalization through indoctrination from the left wing, tree hugging, panty wearing, etc... liberals of this country. Trust me - I try to kick a liberal in their "Jimmy Carter" every chance I get!

This liberal indoctrination begins with children through the use of the brown shirt educrats poisoning their minds at a young age. Much like the Hitler Youth Movement.

I agree with McSpain that it is not the states job, and IS the Fed's job to secure the border. But this does not mean the states should let every re-fried red bean illegally enter our country through the Swiss Cheese like borders. I agree and salute people like the fine American - Sheriff Arpaio - who feels that if the feds are not doing their jobs - the states and local authorities need to start making them do their jobs. I bet they would listen if he dropped off every border jumper on the steps of the White House or the Bush Ranch.

If it were up to me the border fence would be powered with enough electricity it would turn the little mule jockeys into an instant bean burrito. Left in my hands - I would have the border patrolled by swarms of Killer Bees, instead of Border Agents.

Border Agents would be dispatched tracking down the slimy ones that snuck through. Any illegals they catch would get sent back via a huge human sling shot. Instead of a weekly radio broadcast I would order this combined with PIG's "Land Mine Lotto" and create state sponsored reality series.

Maybe we could have a Mexican Rodeo. That's it - we can grab a couple horses and have a good old fashion cattle drive using border jumping Mexicans instead of cattle.

If I were President any Korrectnik protesting these measures - the ACLU, MSM and other liberal lick-asses would get anally stun gunned. This silly show would also be broadcast on live TV. Immigrants entering the country legally, assimilate and learn English would be rewarded by giving them the honor of using the stun gun on these ass hats.

As much as I would love to drink Tequila and have some mariachi mama talking dirty to me in Spanish while I give her an Italian/American sausage - I still want the illegal border jumping banditos out of the country.

The border jumpers are like an incurable infection on our country - almost like our Herpes. We can never get rid of them - but with treatment - they can be controlled!

But about Juan McSpain...

I agree, listening to Juan McSpain talk about immigration is like getting a colonoscopy with a hand held video camera - it hurts! How can a person be against Sanctuary Cities - then say if elected he would not go after them?!?!

Given our choices from current version of the Three Stooges- HillaKlan, O'Dipweed & Juan McSpain... I have only one vote to give. The first two are a head dive to hell!

As for conservatism... it died with Reagan. Our elected GOP officials have ruined any chance of us seeing that again. So we are left with choosing the slowest descent.

Unfortunately - Hambo, Porcus, or any of us other American loving PIGster's are not the candidates for Prez... I know - a sad day for our country!

by King at9:23 AM under general, immigration, mccain, pig, steaming loads

De Magno Opere

Your St. John Moment of the Day

This whole age-ism argument thing going on is somewhat valid.

Not in the sense that he's older than dirt, nor in the sense that he's forgetful, or cranky, or yells at clouds casting shadows on his ranch in Sedona (very rare - the clouds - not the yelling).

More of a concern along the lines that St. John has delayed releasing his medical records at least twice.

by Michael at9:00 AM under election 2008, mccain

Shouting Into the Void

Been a bit of chatter about the Dollar gains versus the Euro, while the price of oil continues to go up.

Which would mean these charts make no sense.

Dollar get weaker:

Oil go up:

Yes, demand is outstripping supply (hence the "need" for ethanol - or a sound alternative transportation/energy policy), but mostly this is the result of the high debt/bad currency/commodity bubble trap we've been falling into for some 20-plus years.

Made worse by pandering politicians promising the moon, the stars, and no sacrifice for having both to go along with that Hummer in the driveway, and that big house in the exburbs.

The problem now is that momentary increases in the value of the Dollar are so minimal compared to value of oil futures, that there won't be the same amount of reflexive action that is seen with other commodities (gold being a convenient alternative to a terribly overvalued fiat currency - oil being the lifeblood of modern civilization).

Although I get the feeling the Chinese side of the demand equation is about to get worse, which might not necessarily be bad for the United States.

by Michael at8:19 AM under economics

after_enlightenment

since when is chronic depression not a "real" mental health issue

i had a client this week, that i have had a nmber of times over the past couple of years, who suffers from depression and suicidal ideation. this time, the discharge plan was a little different and i ended up calling MHS-an agency that works specifially with a homeless population- for his follow up services and lo and be-hold, they tell me that they only open cases with real mental health concerns, such as schizophrenia or bi-polar disorders

i cant share my irateness about this, it is so great....

however, i do know the program manager for the MHS outreach services, and i think i will contact her and ask for further clarification into this

depression is in and of its self-even with out its polarized mania states- a serious, life debililitating condition that needs appropriate care and it makes me sad that a primary mental health agency that i work with has so little regard for the issue

i intend on letting this agency know how i feel about it, and have attatched a link if anyone else is interested in learning more about this agency or in encouraging them to also take chronic depressive disorders as well.

Song of the day:

by molly at8:13 AM

Plunderbund

The Pill turns 48. Happy Birthday!

I meant to write about this earlier today (Friday) but my one hour flight turned into a twelve hour ordeal (thanks Delta!) so I just walked in the door and I’m a few hours late for the ‘happy birthday birth control’ post. Anyway- On May 9th, 1960 the FDA officially approved “the pill” for use as [...]

by Joseph at7:31 AM under plunderbund (Comments)