$400 nets you a computer and one for a needy child

This is the coolest opportunity you're likely to have this year to do some good and get a unique payback. For $400 you can buy a new XO laptop for a needy child and get one for yourself.

TerraPass's Adam Stein writes today about the new XO laptop you've probably seen on television or read about recently. Designed solely for internet use it operates on solar power and is intended to benefit needy children in other countries; even countries where people don't have electricity. I know, I know, you're saying, But what about water damage? And sand or dirt damage? The manufacturers have thought of all that.

But let's just by-pass my sales pitch and go directly to the horses mouth. Click on the title to this post and read Adam's short column. Then click on the link near the bottom of the column and watch a short video blog by David Pogue of the NY Times. He shows you the laptop and demonstrates its near indestructibility. He also explains that for a two week period in November you can buy one and get one for yourself for $400; get a tax break and ensure that a child in a developing nation has access to an education. Such a deal!

While you're at it check out TerraPass. They're the folks who invest in alternative energy. I buy carbon offsets for my car and air travel from them every year (you may have seen the sticker on my car). It's an amazingly inexpensive way to neutralize your carbon use, help protect the planet, and feel good about it. What's not to like?

Lesbian Servicemember Murdered in Afghanistan?

Editor and Publisher Magazine is reporting this week that a woman serving in Afghanistan may have been murdered because she was a lesbian.

"The military first reported that Ciara Durkin, 30, (of Boston MA) who served in the National Guard, had died “in action,” then revealed that she was killed in a “noncombat” incident that was being investigated."

E&P continues, "Her family was told that she had been killed by a single gunshot near a church. They are charging that the military has been dragging its feet in giving them more details. They reject any chance of suicide and suspect friendly fire or murder.


"A new twist emerged today in a Boston Globe article: Her family says she had told them to push for an investigation if anything ever happened to her. She was in a finance unit and may have found some improprieties, according to a story in the Patriot-Ledger, which also disclosed that her family had notified the military about her concerns about her safety three weeks ago."

"The Globe reported that the family wondered if, as a lesbian, she may have been targeted. E&P reports, "She did say to us that she had concerns about things she was seeing when she was over there," her sister, Fiona Canavan, told WGBH-TV in Boston. "She told us if anything happened to her, that we were to investigate it."

Does any of this sound familiar? Does Pat Tillman's name come to mind? I'm not suggesting that Pat Tillman was gay but that our government is perfectly capable of covering up murder in order to avoid scrutiny of its conduct of the war.

If Ciara Durkin was murdered it may have been because she had uncovered wrongdoing or because she was a lesbian. But we must rely on the Dept of Defense's honesty to find out and if the Pat Tillman case is any indication of how things are being done today we will never know. At least Sens. John Kerry and Ted Kennedy have demanded an investigation.

Continuing the E&P report, "The Globe article observed: “(Sen.) Kerry said the Durkin family desperately needs answers to three questions: Why has the Army not responded to the Durkin family's request for an independent autopsy? Why, after not responding to the family's request for an independent autopsy, did the Army fail to contact the Durkin family with the Army's autopsy results? The family was told to be available to receive a phone call between 1 and 3 p.m. on Oct. 1, and the Army never called. Why has the Army refused to make Durkin's will and paperwork available to her family, so they can respect her wishes as they plan her funeral and burial?”

A Boston Patriot Ledger editorial declares, "The initial reports of Ciara Durkin’s death in Afghanistan are a byproduct of the Bush administration’s wrongheaded intent to shape the public perception of this fight and the war in Iraq."

The circumstances of Ciara Durkin's death should be made public and any improprieties dealt with post haste. If the motive in her death was sexual orientation it raises questions regarding the impact of Gen. Peter Pace's homophobic statements and provides further ammunition (pun intended) to kill Don't Ask Don't Tell. If she was killed because of shenanigans she had uncovered it signals the depth of corruption pervading the DOD and begs for a full investigation of our Afghanistan operation.

Ciara Durkin's family and all Americans need and deserve to know who/what caused her death. Anything less will signal that the DOD is more interested in covering its ass than in protecting its own soldiers.

Should We Kill ENDA if Transgendered People Aren't Included?

John Aravosis of Americablog has posted a thoughtful piece regarding ENDA, the legislation that would outlaw job discrimination against gays and lesbians. I commend it to you (click on title above for full piece):

"There's a debate raging in the gay community over an upcoming vote on the most important piece of civil rights legislation to the gay community, ever. We are on the verge of passing, at the federal level, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, legislation that would make it illegal for an employer to fire, not hire, no promote an otherwise qualified employee or job candidate simply because they're gay. Some are now arguing that if transgendered people are not included in ENDA, the gay community should not support its passage.

"Most Americans, including lots of people in the gay community, do not realize that under federal law it is LEGAL to fire someone for being gay. It is also legal in most states. Contrary to popular belief, "discrimination" is not illegal in America, and it's not illegal under the Constitution. It is only illegal (more or less) if your particular class is specified in legislation. If you read the existing civil rights act, you'll see it lists very specific categories that are covered (race, religion, national origin...). It is not a blanket protection against "discrimination." That is why ENDA is needed. And that is why ENDA is not "special rights" or extra rights being granted to gay people and not other Americans - we are not included under the current civil rights laws, and that's unfair. Currently it is legal to fire someone for being gay under federal law and in most states. Don't believe me? Look it up yourself."

My take on the subject? I see the answer to this debate in the knowledge that many people have come to accept gay and lesbian people as equal to themselves while most Americans are unaware of what a transgender person is and/or how that does or does not relate to homosexuality.

Our country has obviously reached critical mass in support of gays and lesbians while it is clearly not yet ready to accept gender identity as a class to protect. Amercans have not been exposed to nearly enough information nor have they been exposed to nearly enough transgender people to make an informed decision regarding their inclusion in ENDA. Meantime we have a good chance of protecting a substantial percentage of Americans from legal job discrimination.

The question is, Do we go forward to protect 10% to 20% of the American population or do we wait until we achieve critical mass in support of transgender people? My preference is that all sexual minorities be included in ENDA and I'm torn knowing that so many people will continue to be fired, not hired, or not promoted on the basis of sexual orientation if we insist on it.

After much consideration I support ENDA exclusive of gender identity while vowing to work very hard to help educate the American public and Congress regarding gender identity issues. A full 10-20% of Americans should not be asked to continue laboring in economic apartheid until the country is brought up to speed on gender identity when having gay and lesbian Americans treated with equality in the work place may have a beneficial effect on the issue. I say pass ENDA and get on with gender identity education in America.

Want to know where the Speaker stands on an issue?

Several people have asked me where Nancy Pelosi stands on a specific issue and I couldn't tell them so I did some research. She has a website at speaker.gov which carries comprehensive information about her roll as Speaker and how she plans to deal with issues. It includes a blog tilted The Gavel .

Today the site carries her statement regarding the president's speech last night. To read it click on the title to this post. Under Latest News you'll see a link to her statement.

Black and White and Re(a)d All Over:

So much for the liberal media scourge. MediaMatters.org, a web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center which comprehensively monitors, analyzes, and corrects conservative misinformation in the U.S. media, has completed a study of syndicated columnists published by nearly every daily newspaper in the country and guess what?

"The results show that in paper after paper, state after state, and region after region, conservative syndicated columnists get more space than their progressive counterparts. As Editor & Publisher paraphrased one syndicate executive noting, "U.S. dailies run more conservative than liberal columns, but some are willing to consider liberal voices.

"Though papers may be "willing to consider" progressive syndicated columnists, this unprecedented study reveals the true extent of the dominance of conservatives:

• Sixty percent of the nation's daily newspapers print more conservative syndicated columnists every week than progressive syndicated columnists. Only 20 percent run more progressives than conservatives, while the remaining 20 percent are evenly balanced.

• In a given week, nationally syndicated progressive columnists are published in newspapers with a combined total circulation of 125 million. Conservative columnists, on the other hand, are published in newspapers with a combined total circulation of more than 152 million.2

• The top 10 columnists as ranked by the number of papers in which they are carried include five conservatives, two centrists, and only three progressives.

• The top 10 columnists as ranked by the total circulation of the papers in which they are published also include five conservatives, two centrists, and only three progressives.

• In 38 states, the conservative voice is greater than the progressive voice -- in other words, conservative columns reach more readers in total than progressive columns. In only 12 states is the progressive voice greater than the conservative voice.

• In three out of the four broad regions of the country -- the West, the South, and the Midwest -- conservative syndicated columnists reach more readers than progressive syndicated columnists. Only in the Northeast do progressives reach more readers, and only by a margin of 2 percent.

• In eight of the nine divisions into which the U.S. Census Bureau divides the country, conservative syndicated columnists reach more readers than progressive syndicated columnists in any given week. Only in the Middle Atlantic division do progressive columnists reach more readers each week."

What more can I say except, I wonder why this hasn't been reported in the MSM? Hmmmm...

Note: you can read the complete study by clicking on the title above.

If The Surge Were A Product This Would Be Its TV Ad

'Nuff said (click on title above).

Wife Beating OK; Dog Fighting Not So OK

Here's an interesting piece by Nick Anderson of the Houston Chronicle. It makes a good point that could be made stronger if it recognized the wife beating that pervades professional sports. It's not unusual to read of a professional athlete who was convicted of beating his wife but I can only recall one instance of a league taking notice - a $600 fine and two game suspension for Ron Artest of the Sacramento Kings. Oh but he got a 72 game suspension for fighting fans in the stands. Guess you have to hit your wife during the game to get the league's attention. And how would that work?

U.S. Presidential Candidates' Healthcare Plans in Detail

Today's Huffington Post published a comprehensive, detailed comparative look at the healthcare proposals of all Presidential candidates; Democrat and Republican. It is compiled and written by healthcare professionals whose intent is that we be fully informed regarding whom we're voting for.

If you read it in full (click on title above) you cannot fail to see the stark differences between the parties, and the substantive disparities between the second tier and first tier Democratic candidates. Further, you will gain insight into the priorities of the candidates and their approach to problem solving, willingness to make real change, and realistic proposals for success.

I doubt that anyone would honestly be able to deny that John Edwards offers the deepest, most detailed proposal with Hillary Clinton a close second and Barrak Obama hot on their heels.

Our healthcare problem is perhaps the most intractable domestic issue we face and, I for one, want to be dead certain that my choice for President gets it. That s/he understands the issues involved and is willing to go outside the box to design a system that will rival those of other industrialized nations. It simply isn't acceptable that we continue spending 18% of our GDP on healthcare and still have 47 million people without healthcare coverage, and are way down the list on infant mortality, and life expectancy.

Susan Blumenthal, M.D. says, "While many Americans feel uninformed about the views of their elected officials on scientific, medical, and health research, most seem to understand the importance of providing necessary funds for medical studies. A poll conducted by Research!America in February 2007 found that the vast majority of people in the United States believe that science is very important to our health (86%) and competitiveness (78%) as a nation. Sixty-nine percent of Americans believe that scientific research is critical to our economy, 97% of Americans think it is important for the United States to be a global leader in scientific research, and 91% believe that it is essential in eliminating diseases, such as cancer. It is not surprising, then, that 83% of those polled in a 2006 survey indicated that they were more likely to vote for a candidate who supported increased funding "to find cures for and to prevent disease"."

We are losing people every day. Citizens who choose to live in other countries where they have access to full healthcare coverage via a national healthcare plan funded by their taxes.

I urge you to read this article and share it liberally with your e-list. What we do with healthcare in the next five to 10 years is crucial to the longevity of our population and, I believe, our nation. We've lost credibility throughout the world over the last six years as a result of an indescribably bad foreign affairs posture. We can't afford to continue with our heads in the sand on the most important domestic issue we face.

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

So, Vice President Cheney is having his heart pacemaker replaced tomorrow. I guess that means that George W. Bush will actually get to be President for a few hours.

Rough Justice

George W. Bush is one slimy dude. His view of justice thinks it's OK to;

a) permit Karla Fay Tucker to be executed and then laugh,

b) sign the death warrant for a man whose lawyer slept through his trial and then snicker when asked about it,

c) execute a great-grandmother who murdered her abusive husband.

He even thinks it's OK to invade a country that posed no risk to us, resulting in nearly 4000 American deaths and 25,000+ injuries - to date - and then cut funding to the VA that takes care of the injured.

But when one of his own lies to the FBI, obstructs justice, and is convicted in a court of law he just can't stand to see him pay the price (30 months in jail) meted out by that court. This gives new meaning to the phrase compassionate conservatism. He's only compassionate toward conservatives.

It's clear his lawyers have been working on Scooter Libby's commutation of sentence for some time. He issued a statement within a couple of hours of the appeals court deciding - unanimously - that Libby must go straight to jail. And of course he didn't have the backbone to deliver the news in person, choosing to issue a written statement instead.

It's now time for Congress to find out what Libby knows that George W. Bush doesn't want us to know. Clearly, it must be enough to endanger his tenure as President and/or Dick Cheney's Vice Presidency to risk short circuiting the legal process. John Dean reminded us, the other day, that he knows all about stonewalling from personal experience via Watergate. They only do it when they have something to hide. This administration is stonewalling Congress. They have something to hide.

Libby should be subpoenaed before the House Judiciary Committee, granted immunity, if necessary, and questioned about what really happened re the outing of Valerie Plame's status with the CIA. I'm convinced that Dick Cheney is behind all of this and should be impeached. While they're at it, it's time to get tough about the politicization of the Justice Department: institute impeachment proceedings against Alberto Gonzales.

Remember 50 Republican Senators voted to convict Bill Clinton of lying over a sexual liaison which, although sleazy, was not illegal. They wanted to remove him from office. But when one of their own lies and obstructs justice, is convicted, and sentenced to 30 months in jail, George W. Bush sees it as "excessive."

Hello!!!! Wake up, Republicans! Do you really want to be associated with an unprincipled, holier than though cretin who not only believes he is above the law but isn't even smart enough to learn that our constitution is what separates us from other 'sort-of' democracies? It's what demands that we be a nation of laws, not of men (and I use MEN advisedly).

I've had it with this mess and demand that Congress take action - NOW! I'm calling Nancy Pelosi's office and the Whitehouse. And I'll continue calling until I see some results.

Hardball?

I just emailed Chris Matthews' show, Hardball, the following:

"Well, you've succeeded in sinking to a new low in television "journalism." You gave Ann Coulter an HOUR of air time to spew hate speech and sell books at the expense of our country. Elizabeth Edwards is right, hate speech drowns out a serious discussion of the issues and America's voters desperately need to learn about the candidate's positions on the issues.

Although I don't let Coulter off the hook this message is about those responsible for this situation. I completely blame you, Chris Matthews and Tammy Haddad, for using Coulter to stir up controversy and attract attention to the show. Keith Olbermann named Coulter as the "Worst Person in the World" following this shameful episode when you should have been the recipients of the award.

Serious people could do a lot of good given a full hour of airtime yet they're lucky if they get 5 minutes on this show where the host construes rudeness as hardball. Interrupting people doesn't constitute hardball. That requires tough questions and follow up questions asked in an atmosphere where the interviewee is treated as an adult and viewers can hear what they're saying.

I've written to the show before but I suspect this will be the last time I do because I simply can't stomach the crass commercialism that masquerades as journalism, and because I have no respect for personalities who trade in controversy rather than real journalism. I don't read the National Enquirer so why would I watch "Hardball?" "

Tammy Haddad is the Executive Producer of Hardball, a position that carries weight. A quick Google of her name reveals that she has Executive Produced The Maury Povich Show and Larry King Live. She has also been a Senior Broadcast Producer on the Today Show. I guess that helps to explain why Hardball looks like a tabloid. You can watch this gutter dwelling swill if you want but I'm out'a here.

Best Editorial Cartoons of the Week

Bob Geiger offers his weekly compilation of the best editorial cartoons. Tell us which one you like best. (click on title above).

Don't We Have a Constitution, Not a King?

"Bush has issued a directive that would place all governmental powers in his hands in the case of a catastrophic emergency" according to Marjorie Cohn of AlterNet. "If a terrorist attack happens before the 2008 election, could Bush and Cheney use this to avoid relinquishing power to a successor administration?

"Bush quietly issued an unconstitutional bombshell that went virtually unnoticed by the corporate media.

"The National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive, signed on May 9, 2007, would place all governmental power in the hands of the President and effectively abolish the checks and balances in the Constitution." Cohn goes on.

In case of a "catastrophic emergency" the new directive reads, "The President shall lead the activities of the Federal Government for ensuring constitutional government" continuing, the President proposes that the three co-equal branches of government would be "coordinated by the President, as a matter of comity with respect to the legislative and judicial branches and with proper respect for the constitutional separation of powers." The Vice President would help implement these plans.

Dictionary.com says comity means, "mutual courtesy; civility." In other words, the Congress and the Courts would be treated with courtesy but would have no power. I don't know about you but I don't trust George W. Bush, or any president, with so much power and surely even the poor souls who voted for him would have to concede that we fought a revolution in 1776 to get rid of King George and don't need another one.

Bet you didn't even know our president had issued such a directive back on May 9th. Probably because the MSM was too busy worrying who Anna Nicole's 'baby daddy' is, or whether Paris Hilton would serve out her 45 day term, or Harry Reid had called Peter Pace incompetent (although he is).

Read the full story (link under title above) and post your thoughts as to what you plan to do about this signing statement?

a) ignore it and hope for the best
b) demand that Congress confront him and take action (I'm not sure what)
c) pack up and move to Canada

A nod to David Pollak for ferreting out this story.

The day that was in Massachusetts

Massachusetts made history this week: its lawmakers refused to allow fundamentalist extremists to place on the ballot an initiative challenging the right of gay and lesbian people to marry in their state. The scene was suspenseful and emotional and I commend to you a "blow by blow" description of the action provided by John Aravosis of America Blog (click on the title of this post).
I'm not a person who wants to marry but I certainly want the right to chose, and be assured that as I read John's narrative tears came to my eyes.

Gays & lesbians in America have struggled long and hard to gain every one of the civil liberties they enjoy against a very vocal, well funded, fundamentalist minority who do not speak for the majority in this country. It is gratifying to know that a state legislature stood up to protect one of the most fundamental rights our country can offer. Deval Patrick, Mass.'s new Governor, deserves a pat on the back for his very vocal support of the LGBT community. He stood shoulder to shoulder with them in pushing back a cynical bid to relegate gays & lesbians to permanent 2nd class status.

The Governor of California certainly wouldn't have provided such leadership. Our State Assembly and Senate passed a bill last year to legalize marriage for gay & lesbian Californians and he vetoed it. Mark Leno is carrying the same bill (AB43) through the Assembly again and it should pass that body and the State Senate. Our Governor promises to veto it again and I hope the State Legislature keeps sending it back to him until he gets the message.

In the meantime we could support his efforts by sharing this blog post with every Californian we know and urging them to pressure their State Legislators to sponsor the bill and lobby the Governor to sign it. Many non-gay Californians support marriage equality and their voices carry weight. A call or email to the governor (916-445-2841 or http://www.govmail.ca.gov) in support of AB43 from our non-gay family members, neighbors, and friends will take just a few minutes and you'll feel better about yourself for doing it, trust me.

Witnesses to Alleged rape speak out

I am outraged! A 17 year old girl was raped, perhaps gang raped, by members of the De Anza College baseball team and although three witnesses saw it happen and rescued her from the scene the DA says there is insufficient evidence to bring charges.


"One of the guys who was in the room said 'This is her fault. She got drunk and she did this to herself,'" said April Grolle, one of her rescuers. Lauren Chief Elk didn't believe him: "You have to be conscious to consent to something, and that was not the case at all."


Watch video of these two young women as Lloyd LaCuesta of KTVU Chanel 2 reports this horrible story (link under article's title above) and then decide whether you think these eye witnesses are credible.


It is simply unbelievable that this case isn't going to be prosecuted.


The parents of these men should be examining the values they imparted to their sons. What kind of man believes that a woman who gets drunk and gets raped did it to herself? Bottom line he isn't a man at all. He's an animal.

89% of California parents favor sex ed for their teens

Well, well, well, who knew?

"Politicians and evangelists may push abstinence-only sex education -- the nation's policy for the past decade -- but according to the state's first-ever sex education poll, a startling 89 percent of California parents want their children to receive a comprehensive education that includes information about contraception and STD protection."

According to the Contra Cost Times (link above) a random-dial telephone poll conducted last year by Quantum Market Research and funded by the California Wellness Foundation revealed that fully 89% of California parents have come to realize their kids need information.

To further quote the CCTimes:

"A long awaited study of more than 2,000 teens who had gone through federally funded, abstinence only programs was delivered to Congress last month. The findings? Abstinence-only doesn't work."

I commend the Contra Cost Times for bringing this information to our attention. Now let's pick up the ball and run with it. Let's pass along the information to parents everywhere and encourage action to ensure that our teens have the information they need about sex, STDs, unwanted pregnancies, and how they intersect.

Shaha Ali Riza dumps Paul Wolfowitz

Small wonder. This is a case, once again, of a competent woman being pushed aside to accomodate a man.

Shaha Ali Riza was employed at the World Bank when Wolfowitz came there. I'm not surprised that she was angered at her treatment. I would be too.

By all accounts she is a brilliant woman who had a job that she liked and didn't want to be moved out of the way. I would have demanded consideration, too, if I were being required to give up a job I loved because of a situation I didn't ask for, or cause.

When is society going to stop viewing women as appendages to men who can be moved around as pawns on a chess board?

Separation of Church and State

What has happened to the separation of church and state in the U.S.? I would argue that it has nearly been abolished. Although we still say that we separate church and state, we have come to accept co-mingling of faith and policy. If you think I exaggerate I urge you to watch the first segment of this week's Bill Moyers Journal (link above).

Ironically, the religious rights' success may lead to its downfall. Some Americans are beginning to "sweep the scales from their eyes;" recognize the danger in blurring the line between church and government.

Over reaching has historically lead to the failure of popular movements, e.g., the Salem witch trials. I choose the witch trials deliberately because of the similarities it bares to the religious extremism we see all over the world today - and that includes some of the extremists heard on Sunday mornings here in this country.

A recent poll revealed that the fastest growing ' religious' group in the U.S. is atheists. So the pendulum (a hallmark of democratic societies) is beginning to swing in the other direction and may lead to a time when an agnostic or atheist is elected to national office. The arc of the pendulum will have swung from puritanism to secularism. I hope I live to see it.

Fascism? You Be the Judge

I can't add anything to the message offered at BushFlash.com (link above). I urge you to watch a short video and then decide whether fascism lives in the U.S. today.

The Cost of the Iraq War

The Iraqi Parliament, last week, voted to demand that the U.S. give them a time line for leaving their country. I know, the MSM didn't pay much attention to it but I did.

The Iraq War is costing us so much that it's hard to keep up with: 3,372 combat lives; 25,000+ injured; 100,000+ Iraqi lives and on and on...

CostofWar.com (link above) offers a graphic demonstration of the cost in dollars. Learn what we could be buying with the money, e.g.,

a) Healtchare for 255 million children
b) 7.3 million additional teachers
c) Head Start for 53 million children
d) Four year scholarships at public universities for nearly 21 million students, or
e) 3.9 million additional public housing units

Take a few minutes to check out how much the cost of the war could buy in your community. Just in San Francisco it would pay for:

a) 70,000 college scholarships
b) 13,000 public housing units
c) a year of Head Start for 190k children
d) Healthcare for 860k children

We don't even have that many people in San Francisco. It would pay for Healthcare for everybody in San Francisco for a year.

If Iraq wants us to leave, why are we staying? This is stupid, let's just stop it.

I believe that the Iraqi people must continue their civil war, or not, based on their own imperatives, and that the presence of "Coalition" troupes encourages growth of radical extremist factions. Until the U.S. pulls its troupes out of Iraq the Iraqis will have no incentive to negotiate seriously with one another. In other words, I believe that we are the problem.

If you agree with me call, email, or write your Congressmember and Senators. Remind them of the cost of the war and assure them that you expect them to stop it! No ifs, ands, or buts, just STOP IT!

And feel free to use any of the statistics provided above.