CLARK: MCCAIN LACKS COMMAND EXPERIENCE

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, a former Democratic presidential candidate now supporting Barack Obama, said Sunday John McCain's military service does not automatically qualify him to be commander in chief.

Click here for the rest.

CHRISTIAN THE LION VIDEO - FOR THE SAPPY PEOPLE OUT THERE (LIKE ME)

Sappy, yes. Very sappy. But sweet and definitely beautiful.

CRISTIANO RONALDO

Click here to see the soccer (footballer) star on vacation, and if you scroll down on the page, there are many more pics and you can click them to enlarge. I mean, not that you will. *wink wink*

You can thank me later. I accept cash, checks, or Pop Tarts.

IT WAS H-O-T IN SEATTLE THIS WEEKEND

 

The temperature hit 90 or higher both days, and I have to say that while I love the heat when I'm outside, I do not love it inside. You know why? Well, we don't have air conditioning - virtually nobody in the Seattle area does, even new buildings. Some people will argue that we need it, some will argue that we don't because it's not warm enough for long enough, but all I know is on the days I feel like we need it, it's crazy-hot when you're inside your casa.

Today my friend Jill and I went for a two-hour long bike ride down along the Green River and while hot, it was very pleasant because of all of the trees. Yeah, when I was finished I feel like I sweat a small toddler off my body, but it was all good.

E.T., IS THAT YOU?

Our little Wilbur needs baths more regularly that many other Boston Terriers, because he has a little corkscrew tail. After his bath, we wrap him in a little towel so he won't get cold. Anyway, I always say that he looks like a cross between E.T. and Mother Theresa. What do you think?

ME, PANIC?

WONDER WOMAN!

PANIC!

Seattle developer Harbor Properties is making a big move into West Seattle, with several new apartment buildings in development, including one on a former Huling Bros. Auto Center property. "We love the feel and the heart of the (West Seattle) Junction itself," said Steve Orser, Harbor's development director. He compared the Junction's pedestrian feel to Wallingford and Fremont.

Harbor also has bought the former Huling service building at the northeast corner of 38th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Alaska Street. It is under contract to buy several other properties in the area, including the Travelodge property on Alaska, and the 38th Avenue building that houses the West Seattle Montessori School; the company is working on a plan to keep the school at the site.

(Source)

Located only steps from the Alaska Junction, Mural (above) is in the heart of West Seattle. With many built-in neighborhood amenities, residents are surrounded by one-of-a-kind shops and dining. Mural is positioned in the perfect place to take advantage of public transportation and transit options, making it easily accessible to and from work. Construction on the 7-story project begins in December 2007. Featuring 136 units and three ground-floor retail spaces, Mural residents will be treated to a media/entertainment lounge, fitness center, sweeping water and city views, a community patio with BBQ, floor-to-ceiling windows and art throughout the building.

To capture the uniqueness of the West Seattle neighborhood, Mural is a tribute to the 11 historical murals that celebrate the neighborhood's heritage.

Projected completion: Summer 2009

(Source) 

Daily Kabbalah Tune Up: Something for Nothing

Saturday, June 28

We each come to this world to earn our fulfillment. That is why, when we receive something for nothing, we feel a certain degree of resentment or unworthiness. The Kabbalists call this feeling "bread of shame". This feeling arises because our soul is of the Light, and it's not in the Light's nature to be a non-sharing receiver.

Today, find out where you enable other people to feel this shame because you give them something for nothing. It could even be too much attention, or control over you, or plain old money. Figure it out and remember that by not allowing people to earn their fulfillment, you are keeping them from their true purpose.

ANOUK - LOST (FULL LENGTH OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

Beautiful song, and a beautiful video. I want to have lights floating in my boudoir, wouldn't that be splendid?

SEATTLE, HERE ARE SOME OPTIONS BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE VIADUCT

As you know if you live in the Seattle area, there are plans to shut down the Alaskan Viaduct, and now some options have been revealed, and those options being studied are:

• A four-lane viaduct extending from South King Street to Bell Street, where it would rise above ground and connect to the Battery Street Tunnel through an elevated interchange similar to the current one. It would be smaller than the current viaduct. The concept assumes handling some trips on a reopened waterfront streetcar line and a new streetcar route to First Hill and Capitol Hill. It also would add bus lanes on eight downtown streets and adding a northbound lane and a "managed lane" -- possibly tolled -- on Interstate 5. Estimated top speed: 50 mph.
• A four-lane viaduct extending from South King Street to about Lenora Street, where it would drop to street level and connect on the surface to the tunnel via Elliott and Western. The idea assumes streetcar lines connecting the International District to Seattle Center as well as to First Hill and Capitol Hill. The structure would have one level for traffic, have a park on top and space below for offices or retail, to pay part of the cost. Estimated top speed: 40 mph.

Both elevated options assume conversion of Mercer Street to two-way traffic between I-5 and Seattle Center.

• A four-lane, two-mile tunnel bored underground between South Royal Brougham Way and Harrison Street, first carrying traffic under Western Avenue and Post Alley. The alternative assumes streetcar lines on the waterfront and to First Hill and Capitol Hill, a northbound transit lane on I-5. Surface traffic would follow Western Avenue and the former viaduct corridor. Estimated speed 50 mph.
• A shorter four-lane tunnel, dug from above ground between South King and Pike streets, connecting to the Battery Street tunnel under Western and Elliott. This assumes expansion of a park and ride facility in Lake Forest Park, 10-minute "Rapid Ride" Metro bus service to Lake City, added lane capacity on I-5, transit lanes on nine streets and streetcar lines to First Hill and Capitol Hill and to Seattle Center via First Avenue.
• A "surface" traffic option shifting traffic onto Alaskan Way and improving capacity of several downtown streets in addition to streetcar service to the waterfront and First Hill and Capitol Hill. The option would add 16 new traffic signals on Alaskan Way, four more on Western and Elliott near the connection to the Battery Street Tunnel and five on Aurora Avenue north of Denny Way. It assumes a "managed" lane on I-5 and two-way traffic on Fifth Avenue downtown and on Mercer traffic to Seattle Center. Estimated speed: 30 mph.
• A second "surface" option, similar to the first but with a two-block elevated section between Stewart and Lenora as well as two new streetcar lines. It assumes capacity on two more lanes of I-5, more transit service on downtown streets, expanding vehicle capacity on nine downtown streets and two-way traffic on Fifth Avenue downtown and on Mercer traffic to Seattle Center. Estimated speed: 30 mph.
• A third "surface" option similar to the second but with waterfront traffic handled using six lanes on Alaskan Way and Western Avenue. Estimated speed: 30 mph. With all three "surface" Third Avenue would be restricted to transit traffic downtown and 10-minute Metro "Rapid Ride" service is assumed on Aurora Avenue, West Mercer and from West Seattle.
• A partially lidded trench dug from above ground between Yesler Way and Union Street that would distribute traffic to and from the Battery Street Tunnel on the surface on Elliott and Western avenues and through several signals. It would provide four lanes of traffic in each direction on two levels and would have walls along open portions. The highway would be elevated between Stewart and Blanchard streets. It also assumes two new streetcar lines, two-way Mercer traffic to Seattle Center and more transit service on eight downtown streets as well as new lane capacity on I-5. Estimated speed: 40 mph.

(Source)

JOHN MCCAIN WAS IN THE "VOGUE" VIDEO?

Yeah, right! Here's Madonna's "Vogue" video with a little extra special "guest".

GET YOUR BLUETOOTH EARPIECES NOW!

If you live in Washington State, get ready for July 1!

RCW 46.61.667

Using a wireless communications device while driving. (Effective July 1, 2008.)

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, a person operating a moving motor vehicle while holding a wireless communications device to his or her ear is guilty of a traffic infraction.

(2) Subsection (1) of this section does not apply to a person operating:

(a) An authorized emergency vehicle, or a tow truck responding to a disabled vehicle;

(b) A moving motor vehicle using a wireless communications device in hands-free mode;

(c) A moving motor vehicle using a hand-held wireless communications device to:

(i) Report illegal activity;

(ii) Summon medical or other emergency help;

(iii) Prevent injury to a person or property;

(d) A moving motor vehicle while using a hearing aid.

(3) Subsection (1) of this section does not restrict the operation of an amateur radio station by a person who holds a valid amateur radio operator license issued by the federal communications commission.

(4) For purposes of this section, "hands-free mode" means the use of a wireless communications device with a speaker phone, headset, or earpiece.

(5) The state preempts the field of regulating the use of wireless communications devices in motor vehicles, and this section supersedes any local laws, ordinances, orders, rules, or regulations enacted by a political subdivision or municipality to regulate the use of wireless communications devices by the operator of a motor vehicle.

(6) Enforcement of this section by law enforcement officers may be accomplished only as a secondary action when a driver of a motor vehicle has been detained for a suspected violation of this title or an equivalent local ordinance or some other offense.

(7) Infractions that result from the use of a wireless communications device while operating a motor vehicle under this section shall not become part of the driver's record under RCW 46.52.101 and 46.52.120. Additionally, a finding that a person has committed a traffic infraction under this section shall not be made available to insurance companies or employers.
[2007 c 417 § 2.]
Notes:

Intent -- 2007 c 417: "The use of wireless communications devices by motorists has increased in recent years. While wireless communications devices have assisted with quick reporting of road emergencies, their use has also contributed to accidents and other mishaps on Washington state roadways. When motorists hold a wireless communications device in one hand and drive with the other, their chances of becoming involved in a traffic mishap increase. It is the legislature's intent to phase out the use of hand-held wireless communications devices by motorists while operating a vehicle." [2007 c 417 § 1.]
Effective date -- 2007 c 417: "This act takes effect July 1, 2008." [2007 c 417 § 3.]

Daily Kabbalah Tune Up: Bliss

Thursday, June 26

"Where your thought is, is precisely where you are - all of yourself is there." - Baal Shem Tov

Where are you today?

There is not one moment greater than another. Do you get what that means?

If you did, you'd have no worries at all. That's what being connected to the Light is all about.

Today, when you are obsessing about what you'll do the next hour for lunch, for dinner, for life - set your obsessions aside and just enjoy the moment. Put all your thoughts into right now. Right now is bliss. Right now.

Daily Kabbalah Tune Up: You Are Not Spiritual

Wednesday, June 25

I often hear students talking about people in their lives as "not spiritual." I have to say, I never really understand what this means. I guess it's because my mother always teaches me, "if they've got a spirit, they're spiritual." She sees everyone as a spark of the Creator.

Sure, I don't look like you and you don't look like me. That's because we are each created in the image of God differently. And for a very good reason — we all have our unique challenges to tackle in this world. Who am I to judge you as "not spiritual?"

Instead of judging people for being different than you, encourage and love them for who they are and what they do. Support them in their life process, whatever that may be.

Today, respect that everyone in your life is on their own journey. If the Light saw fit to create them and breathe life into their lungs, who are you to heap them into the unredeemable category of "not spiritual?"

SCHOOL LOCKED DOWN AFTER 'NINJA' SIGHTED IN WOODS

BARNEGAT, N.J. - It's the case of the nonexistent ninja. Public schools in Barnegat were locked down briefly after someone reported seeing a ninja running through the woods behind an elementary school.

Turns out the ninja was actually a camp counselor dressed in black karate garb and carrying a plastic sword.

Police tell the Asbury Park Press the man was late to a costume-themed day at a nearby middle school.

The lockdown began shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday and lasted until 9:30.

(Source)

MAJOR TURBULENCE AHEAD FOR OUR AIRLINES!

Uh-oh, our airlines are in trouble. Big trouble.

America's aviation system could be at risk of collapsing by the beginning of next year.

That warning from aviation experts has prompted some industry leaders to call for re-regulation, something considered almost heresy until now. Others are urging Washington to do more to rein in the oil speculators pushing up fuel costs.

But there is agreement among airline officials and analysts that Washington and the two presidential candidates need to recognize the severity of the crisis and take some action now to avert an economically crippling collapse in the near future.

"Unless something is done to move toward some kind of fix, we're going to see every one of our major airlines in bankruptcy," says Robert Crandall, former chairman of American Airlines. "If that isn't enough of a crisis to alert everybody, then I don't know what it will take."

As a result of the spike upward in oil prices, almost every major airline is now losing millions of dollars each quarter.

Unless the price of oil comes down, most are expected to run out of cash by the end of this year or the beginning of next. In a bid to stave off bankruptcy, they're already retrenching. They plan to lay off an estimated 25,000 employees, park hundreds of planes, and cut the number of flights they offer.

Click here for more of the article.

MAKE A SLIDESHOW VIA ANIMOTO

Take your pics, add music, it creates a little movie for you. You might have a program at home, but this is super-simple for those little projects.

Click here to give it a whirl.

La Pequeña - NEW WIG, NEW PERFORMANCE

ZAPPOS WILL PAY YOU TO QUIT!

From Harvard Business Publishing:

I spend a lot of time visiting with companies and figuring out what ideas they represent and what lessons we can learn from them. I usually leave these visits underwhelmed. There are plenty of companies with a hot product, a hip style, or a fast-rising stock price that are, essentially, one-trick ponies—they deliver great short-term results, but they don’t stand for anything big or important for the long term.

Every so often, though, I spend time with a company that is so original in its strategy, so determined in its execution, and so transparent in its thinking, that it makes my head spin. Zappos is one of those companies. Two weeks ago, I paid a visit to Zappos headquarters in Henderson, Nevada, just outside Las Vegas, and spent time with CEO Tony Hsieh and his colleagues. I could write a whole series of posts (and just might) about what I learned from this incredible operation. But I want to focus this post on one small practice that offers big lessons for leaders who are serious about changing the game in their field—and filling their organization with people who are just as committed as they are.

First, some background. As most of you know, Zappos sells shoes—lots of them—over the Internet. The company expects to generate sales of more than $1 billion this year, up from just $70 million five years ago. Part of the reason for Zappos’s meteoric success is that it got the economics and operations right. It offers customers a huge selection—four million pairs of shoes (and other items, such as handbags and apparel) in a warehouse in Kentucky next to a UPS hub. (If Imelda Marcos visited that warehouse she'd likely have a coronary on the spot.) It also offers free delivery and free returns—if you don’t like the shoes, you box them up and send them back to Zappos for no charge.

So the value proposition is a winner. But it’s the emotional connection that seals the deal. This company is fanatical about great service—not just satisfying customers, but amazing them. The company promises free, four-day delivery. That’s pretty good. But most of the time it delivers next-day service, a surprise that leaves a lasting impression on customers: “You said four days, but I got them the next morning.”

Zappos has also mastered the art of telephone service—a black hole for most Internet retailers. Zappos publishes its 1-800 number on every single page of the site—and its smart and entertaining call-center employees are free to do whatever it takes to make you happy. There are no scripts, no time limits on calls, no robotic behavior, and plenty of legendary stories about Zappos and its customers.

This is a company that’s bursting with personality, to the point where a huge number of its 1,600 employees are power users of Twitter so that their friends, colleagues, and customers know what they’re up to at any moment in time. But here’s what’s really interesting. It’s a hard job, answering phones and talking to customers for hours at a time. So when Zappos hires new employees, it provides a four-week training period that immerses them in the company’s strategy, culture, and obsession with customers. People get paid their full salary during this period.

After a week or so in this immersive experience, though, it’s time for what Zappos calls “The Offer.” The fast-growing company, which works hard to recruit people to join, says to its newest employees: “If you quit today, we will pay you for the amount of time you’ve worked, plus we will offer you a $1,000 bonus.” Zappos actually bribes its new employees to quit!

Why? Because if you’re willing to take the company up on the offer, you obviously don’t have the sense of commitment they are looking for. It’s hard to describe the level of energy in the Zappos culture—which means, by definition, it’s not for everybody. Zappos wants to learn if there’s a bad fit between what makes the organization tick and what makes individual employees tick—and it’s willing to pay to learn sooner rather than later. (About ten percent of new call-center employees take the money and run.)

Indeed, CEO Tony Hsieh and his colleagues keep raising the size of the quit-now bonus. It started at $100, went to $500, and may well go higher than $1,000 as the company gets bigger (and it becomes even more difficult to maintain the all-important culture and obsession with customers.)

It’s a small practice with big implications: Companies don’t engage emotionally with their customers—people do. If you want to create a memorable company, you have to fill your company with memorable people. How are you making sure that you’re filling your organization with the right people? And how much are you willing to pay to find out?

Audit: Dems, liberals passed over for jobs

WASHINGTON - Ivy Leaguers and other top law students were rejected for plum Justice Department jobs two years ago because of their liberal leanings or objections to Bush administration politics, a government report concluded Tuesday.

In one case, a Harvard Law student was passed over after criticizing the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. In another, a Georgetown University student who had previously worked for a Democratic senator and congressman didn't make the cut.

Even senior Justice Department officials flinched at what appeared to be hiring decisions based — improperly and illegally — on politics, according to the internal report.

"Individuals at the department were rejecting any of our candidates who could be construed as left-wing or who were perceived, based on their appearances and resumes and so forth, as being more liberal," Kevin Ohlson, deputy director of the department's executive office of immigration review, complained to Justice investigators.

The report marked the culmination of a yearlong investigation by Justice's inspector general and Office of Professional Responsibility into whether Republican politics were driving hiring polices at the once fiercely independent department.

The investigation is one of several that examine accusations of White House political meddling within the Justice Department. Those accusations were initially driven by the firings of nine U.S. attorneys in late 2006 and culminated with the ouster of Alberto Gonzales as attorney general last September.

The report issued Tuesday concluded that politics and ideology disqualified a significant number of newly graduated lawyers and summer interns seeking coveted Justice jobs in 2006.

As early as 2002, career Justice employees complained to department officials that Bush administration political appointees had largely taken over the hiring process for summer interns and so-called Honors Program jobs for newly graduated law students. For years, job applicants had been judged on their grades, the quality of their law schools, their legal clerkships and other experiences.

But in 2002, many applicants who identified themselves as Democrats or were members of liberal-leaning organizations were rejected while GOP loyalists with fewer legal skills were hired, the report found. Of 911 students who applied for full-time Honors jobs that year, 100 were identified as liberal — and 80 were rejected. By comparison, 46 were identified as conservative, and only four didn't get a job offer.

The political filtering of applicants ebbed for the three years between 2003 and 2005, the inquiry found, then resumed by 2006.

Of 602 Honors candidates that year, 150 were identified as liberal — including 83 who were cut. Five of 28 self-described conservatives were rejected.

Click here for the rest of the article.

Seattle drivers rated greenest in nation

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/environment/archives/141915.asp

NASA warming scientist: 'This is the last chance'

WASHINGTON (AP) — Exactly 20 years after warning America about global warming, a top NASA scientist said the situation has gotten so bad that the world's only hope is drastic action.

James Hansen told Congress on Monday that the world has long passed the "dangerous level" for greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and needs to get back to 1988 levels. He said Earth's atmosphere can only stay this loaded with man-made carbon dioxide for a couple more decades without changes such as mass extinction, ecosystem collapse and dramatic sea level rises.

"We're toast if we don't get on a very different path," Hansen, director of the Goddard Institute of Space Sciences who is sometimes called the godfather of global warming science, told The Associated Press. "This is the last chance."

Hansen brought global warming home to the public in June 1988 during a Washington heat wave, telling a Senate hearing that global warming was already here. To mark the anniversary, he testified before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming where he was called a prophet, and addressed a luncheon at the National Press Club where he was called a hero by former Sen. Tim Wirth, D-Colo., who headed the 1988 hearing.

To cut emissions, Hansen said coal-fired power plants that don't capture carbon dioxide emissions shouldn't be used in the United States after 2025, and should be eliminated in the rest of the world by 2030. That carbon capture technology is still being developed and not yet cost efficient for power plants.

Burning fossil fuels like coal is the chief cause of man-made greenhouse gases. Hansen said the Earth's atmosphere has got to get back to a level of 350 parts of carbon dioxide per million. Last month, it was 10 percent higher: 386.7 parts per million.

Hansen said he'll testify on behalf of British protesters against new coal-fired power plants. Protesters have chained themselves to gates and equipment at sites of several proposed coal plants in England.

"The thing that I think is most important is to block coal-fired power plants," Hansen told the luncheon. "I'm not yet at the point of chaining myself but we somehow have to draw attention to this."

Frank Maisano, a spokesman for many U.S. utilities, including those trying to build new coal plants, said while Hansen has shown foresight as a scientist, his "stop them all approach is very simplistic" and shows that he is beyond his level of expertise.

The year of Hansen's original testimony was the world's hottest year on record. Since then, 14 years have been hotter, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Two decades later, Hansen spent his time on the question of whether it's too late to do anything about it. His answer: There's still time to stop the worst, but not much time.

"We see a tipping point occurring right before our eyes," Hansen told the AP before the luncheon. "The Arctic is the first tipping point and it's occurring exactly the way we said it would."

Hansen, echoing work by other scientists, said that in five to 10 years, the Arctic will be free of sea ice in the summer.

Longtime global warming skeptic Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., citing a recent poll, said in a statement, "Hansen, (former Vice President) Gore and the media have been trumpeting man-made climate doom since the 1980s. But Americans are not buying it."

But Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., committee chairman, said, "Dr. Hansen was right. Twenty years later, we recognize him as a climate prophet."

• Hansen's speech: http://www.columbia.edu/jeh1/2008/TwentyYearsLater_20080623.pdf

Hosted by

Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

THE NEW X-FILES TRAILER

It looks good y'all! Mulder and Scully return on July 25, 2008. Welcome back.

JON STEWART, THANK YOU

Genius, and it means a lot.

KATHY GRIFFIN LOSES TO PLANET EARTH

RIHANNA ON THE TODAY SHOW

Don't Stop the Music and Umbrella. 

Pet food seized at PETCO warehouse

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25273033/

US EXPERTS: FORECAST IS MORE EXTREME WEATHER

WASHINGTON - Droughts will get drier, storms will get stormier and floods will get deeper with changing climate across North America, U.S. government experts said in a report billed as the first continental assessment of extreme events.

Events that have seemed relatively rare will become commonplace, said the latest report from the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, a joint effort of more than a dozen government agencies.

"Heat waves and heavy downpours are very likely to further increase in frequency and intensity," the report stated. "Substantial areas of North America are likely to have more frequent droughts of greater severity. Hurricane wind speeds, rainfall intensity, and storm surge levels are likely to increase. The strongest cold season storms are likely to become more frequent, with stronger winds and more extreme wave heights."

There has been an increase in the frequency of heavy downpours, especially over northern states, and these are likely to continue in the future, Thomas Karl, director of the National Climatic Data Center, said in a briefing Thursday.

For example, Karl said, by the end of this century rainfall amounts expected to occur every 20 years could be taking place every five years.

Such an increase "can lead to the type of events that we are seeing in the Midwest," said Karl, though he did not directly link the current flooding to climate change.

The report itself noted that "intense precipitation (the heaviest 1 percent of daily precipitation totals) in the continental U.S. increased by 20 percent over the past century while total precipitation increased by 7 percent."

Click here for the rest of the article. 

NEW DAVID BECKHAM FOR EMPORIO ARMANI

Nice underwear huh?

URGENT: Stop Plans to Drill Our Coastlines!

June 18, 2008 You've seen the headlines today - McCain, Bush, and Gingrich are organizing a push to drill for oil along our coastlines and lift a 27 year moratorium. They seem to be taking advantage of high gas prices to help their friends in big oil make even more money. Opening up our coastline to drilling will take up to 10 years before the first drop of oil would reach your local gas stations and it would last for less than 10 years - yet the devastation it will cause is hardly worth the price.  Opening our national coastlines to oil exploration would begin with seismic testing to find where the oil is located. Seismic blasts have a decibel level of 260 - that's more than twice as loud as an ambulance siren. Whales, dolphins and other marine mammals rely on their sense of hearing to navigate, to locate food and to communicate with each other. Exposure to this level of sound underwater can cause deafening disorientation and can lead to permanent damage and brain hemorrhaging and even cause entire pods of whales and dolphins to beach. Only last week over 100 melon-head whales beached off of Madagascar close to where ExxonMobil was conducting seismic testing.  TAKE ACTION >> Tell your friends to help put a STOP to plans to drill our coastal waters! Seismic testing is not the only danger offshore drilling would cause for our oceans and wildlife. Major oil spills would threaten our beaches, fish, and marine mammals. And global warming is already a major threat to our world's oceans, and despite McCain's efforts to combat it, drilling for more oil will only cause more greenhouse gas emissions.  Instead of pushing for more drilling, we should be investing in renewable energy sources.  In order to stop this concerted effort to drill offshore, I need YOUR help to mobilize your friends, family, and coworkers. It's up to each of us to share the real impacts of drilling offshore. Please, take just a second to sign our petition to McCain and pass it along to your friends. Thank you, John Passacantando Executive Director P.S. This issue is critical, and we need all the support we can get. Once you've taken action, please, send this alert to your friends and family too. Ways to Help Take Action  Sign the petition to McCain today! Tell a Friend  Forward this message to a friend.  Last week, approximately 100 rare melon-head whales were stranded following offshore seismic surveys by Exxon-Mobil off the coast of Madagascar. Greenpeace recently released a new report on the impact of seismic and sonar testing on whales and dolphins.  Read more >>

West Seattle Blog… » Groundbreaking set for “Whole Foods project” aka Fauntleroy Place

http://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=7751

It's finally happening, welcome Whole Foods to Seattle as the delays
seem to be over.

Kellogg shrinks boxes of several cereal brands

I love some Apple Jacks!

Kellogg Co. is using smaller packaging while charging the same prices for five of its cereals sold in the United States, effectively raising their prices for the second time this year. The company started shipping the new boxes to stores in early June.

Boxes were reduced by an average of 2.4 ounces for 14 items sold under the Apple Jacks, Cocoa Krispies, Corn Pops, Froot Loops and Honey Smacks brands, said Kellogg spokeswoman Susanne Norwitz.

(Source)

AMA issues first report card on health insurers

We have United Healthcare, eek.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25195765/

WILBUR, FETCH!

Yes, Boston Terriers are crazy for balls and in this case, the little plastic containers that plants come in from the nursery. I know.

Oh yeah, the back yard is getting sod soon. 

Aww, sweetness!

I got this message from home and while I'm not sure she was waiting for me, I'd like to believe it's true! It makes it all worth it. 

"I swear that Edna knows you're about to come home. She'd been in the same alert position for a long time. Wilbur is sleeping and in his own world."

Beaten-down dog from Vick case has his day

From bad can come good.

Leo — rescued from heavy chains that confined him as one of the pit bulls in former NFL quarterback Michael Vick’s dogfighting ring — is a lover, not a fighter. He now happily frolics in a clown collar as he makes the rounds at the Camino Infusion Center, where he brings comfort to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Despite his training as a killer, Leo is a sweetheart as he visits his friends on the ward.

“He is wonderful, and all the patients love Leo,” said Paula Reed, the facility’s oncology director. “They really love his eyes and gentleness.”

Six months ago, Leo should have been dead.

For the rest of the article, click here. 

TRUE COLORS TOUR - ROSIE ON DRUMS PART 2!

I just found out an hour ago that I'm going to get to see the True Colors Tour and yes, Rosie will be there. Not only do I get to see the show, I get to go backstage. OMG, I am soooo excited. If you know me at all, or pay attention to my site, you know I'm a huge Rosie fan and a supporter of gay rights. 

Here's the line-up for the Seattle show:

Cyndi Lauper
The B-52s
Rosie O'Donnell
Joan Armatrading
Nona Hendryx
Host: Carson Kressley

The countdown begins...and Mark, you rock!

Getting trained at Space Camp

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-9970134-52.html?tag=nefd.top

I wanna go!

The Last Words Of La Pequeña Hillary Clinton

I haven't been this happy in years! OK, I lie but still...

BUS VS CARS

A car occupied by one person produces on average 2.06 grams/passenger-mile (g/pm) of nitrogen oxides for work trips. A fully occupied transit bus, on the other hand, would produce 1.54 g/pm, while a fully occupied rail transit system would produce only .47 g/pm for the same distance. Similarly, the car occupied by one person would produce 15.06 g/pm of carbon monoxide and 2.09 g/pm of hydrocarbons. The bus would produce 3.05 g/pm and .2 g/pm of the same pollutants, respectively. From an environmental point of view, trains are the best form of transportation: a full passenger train produces only .02 g/pm pf carbon monoxide and .01 g/pm of hydrocarbons.

A bus with as few as seven passengers is more fuel efficient than the average automobile used for commuting. The fuel efficiency of a fully-occupied bus is six times greater than that of the average commuter's automobile, while the fuel efficiency of a fully-occupied rail car is fifteen times greater than that of the average commuter's automobile. A single person who commutes via a transit system instead of driving alone will save 200 gallons of gasoline per year. A 10% nationwide increase in transit ridership would save 135 million gallons of gasoline per year. This fuel efficiency results in personal savings and in a cleaner environment for all.

For people who would like to help make the environment a cleaner place, mass transit is an ideal solution. It may not be free to build, but in the long run it is healthier for everyone. Less pollution will make the air cleaner, and fewer resources such as gasoline will be used. Many cities do have viable mass transportation systems, and the people who use them are, on the whole, well-satisfied.

Calif. gay couples get marriage licenses

It's about time! If you're worried about the sanctity of marriage, outlaw divorce and then talk to me.

SAN FRANCISCO - Dozens of gay couples were married Monday after a landmark ruling making California the second U.S. state to allow same-sex nuptials went into effect.

At least five county clerks around the state extended their hours to issue marriage licenses, and many same-sex couples got married on the spot.

"These are not folks who just met each other last week and said, `Let's get married.' These are folks who have been together in some cases for decades," said Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

The May 15 California Supreme Court ruling overturning bans on same-sex marriage took effect at 5:01 p.m. Monday.

Click here for the rest of the article. 

Al Gore endorses Barack Obama - Barack Obama News

DETROIT - Al Gore made his debut in the 2008 presidential campaign Monday night, encouraging voters to back Barack Obama because "take it from me, elections matter."

The former vice president's speech at the Joe Louis Arena was part endorsement and part blistering attack on the man who denied him the White House eight years ago.

"After eight years of incompetence, neglect and failure, we need change," Gore said. "After eight years when our Constitution has been dishonored and disrespected, we need changes."

Click here for the rest of the article. 

Honda rolls out a new zero-emission car

TAKANEZAWA, Japan - Honda’s new zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell car rolled off a Japanese production line Monday and is headed to Southern California, where Hollywood is already abuzz over the latest splash in green motoring.

The FCX Clarity, which runs on hydrogen and electricity, emits only water and none of the noxious fumes believed to induce global warming. It is also two times more energy efficient than a gas-electric hybrid and three times that of a standard gasoline-powered car, the company says.

Japan’s third biggest automaker expects to lease out a “few dozen” units this year and about 200 units within three years. In California, a three-year lease will run $600 a month, which includes maintenance and collision coverage.

Click here for the rest of the article.

COLOR TEST - TRY IT

Can you score 100% on the first try? Typically, it takes an average of 5 tries to get to 100%.  Follow the directions!

 

Click here to give it a whirl.

WHO IS THE BIGGEST CARBON POLLUTER?

According to StopGlobalWarming.org:

Everything's big in Texas — big pickup trucks, big SUVs and the state's big carbon footprint, too.

Texans' fondness for large, manly vehicles has helped make the Lone Star State the biggest carbon polluter in the nation.

The headquarters state of America's oil industry spewed 670 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in 2003, enough that Texas would rank seventh in the world if it were its own country, according to the most recent figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The amount is more than that of California and Pennsylvania — the second- and third-ranking states — combined.

A multitude of factors contribute to the carbon output, among them: Texas' 19 coal-burning power plants; a heavy concentration of refineries and chemical plants; a lack of mass transit; and a penchant among ranchers and urban cowboys alike for brawny, gas-guzzling trucks — sometimes to haul things, but often just to look Texas tough.

Debbie Howden, an Austin real estate agent, said her family of six has two pickup trucks, three SUVs, and no apologies. "I would definitely put size and safety over the emissions thing," said Howden, 55. She calls their high fuel bills a "necessary evil."

Anthony Nguyen attended the famously liberal University of California at Berkeley but drives a black Nissan Frontier pickup handed down from his dad, a liquor store owner near Houston. Nguyen said his father hauled liquor around in the truck, but he admitted he has no practical use for its large bed.

"I think it's the idea that in Texas, everything is bigger," said Nguyen, 20. "I grew up here, and I think it's pretty cool."

While states such as like California and New York are moving quickly to address global warming, the issue has prompted only scattered calls for reforms here. GOP leaders in Texas have refused to make emissions reduction a priority, and Republican Gov. Rick Perry has expressed doubt as to whether global warming is even a manmade problem.

Texas political leaders read "environmental protection as government activism" and want no part of it, said Jim Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin.

With all the don't-mess-with-Texas swagger he can muster, Perry has called Al Gore's mouth the leading source of carbon dioxide. As for the state's greenhouse gas ranking, Perry's administration makes no apologies.

"Being that Texas is a heavily populated state, that it is the leading producer of energy, has the largest refining capacity and has the largest petrochemical industry in the nation, it would be expected that we would have the largest total of greenhouse gases in the country," Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle said.

Texas, the second most populous state, behind California, has 23.5 million people and more than 20 million registered vehicles, about one in four of them a pickup truck. California has a population of 36.5 million and 33 million registered vehicles.

Transportation accounted for 28 percent of Texas' carbon emissions in 2003.

Texas consumes more coal than any other state. And its per-capita residential use of electricity is significantly higher than the national average, because of high demand for air conditioning during the hot summers and the widespread use of electricity for heating during the winter.

There is little doubt the state's stand on pollution reflects the influence of Texas' biggest and most powerful industry: energy.

"Decisions are not just made by politicians because of a lack of foresight, but in many cases, they have big contributors encouraging them to move in that direction," said Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas.

Texans polled last spring listed the Iraq war and immigration as the nation's most pressing issues, with fewer than 4 percent saying the environment was a top concern. Nationally, slightly less than half of Americans polled by the Pew Research Center last year rated global warming as a "very serious" problem. Of those, 55 percent say it requires immediate government action.

Click this link for the rest of the article. 

HOW BAD IS THE SUV?

Here are a few questions and answers that I found from The Globalist, written on June 5, 2008.

In the United States, how much more popular are SUVs than hybrid cars?
In October 2007, nearly 55% of U.S. car sales were accounted for by trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) — while hybrid fuel cars accounted for 2% of all car sales.
(Autodata Corp.)

Were SUVs always so popular?
Back in 1980, light trucks — SUVs, minivans and pickups — accounted for just 22% of U.S. vehicle sales.
(Wall Street Journal)

• Note: The amount of corn grain required to fill a 25-gallon SUV tank with ethanol could feed one person for a year. (World Bank)

Why is the trend so alarming?
SUVs release 43% more global warming pollution and 47% more air pollution than the average car.
(Sierra Club)

But what’s a sign that U.S. car-buying trends may be changing?
Americans bought more Toyota Prius hybrid petrol-electric hatchbacks in 2007 than Ford Explorer SUVs — the top-selling SUV for more than a decade. Toyota began selling the Prius in North America in 2000, the same year Explorer sales reached a record 445,000 units.
(Financial Times)

What accounts for the shift?
Filling the fuel tank of a Ford Explorer SUV cost about $70 as of early 2008 — compared with $30 five years ago.
(Financial Times)

How strict are U.S. fuel efficiency standards?
As of 2007, the United States has fuel efficiency standards of 27.5 miles per gallon for cars and 22.2 miles per gallon for SUVs and small trucks.
(Pew Center on Climate Change)

• Note: An SUV in Norway costs four times what it costs in the United States. This is due in part to a road tax, carbon tax and an additional energy tax. (Norwegian Environment Ministry)

Will these standards become more stringent?
In December 2007, U.S. lawmakers mandated that automakers increase their industry-wide vehicle fuel efficiency by 40% to an industry average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020.
(Associated Press)

What’s one curious measure of the energy that SUVs consume?
One tank of gas from a typical SUV has the energy equivalent of more than 60,000 man-hours of work — roughly 100 men working around the clock for nearly a month. At $70 a tank, if gasoline were a person, he would be paid about ten cents an hour for his labor.
(Vanity Fair)

How detrimental are SUVs to the environment?
The amount of carbon emissions released from sport utility vehicles in the United States has increased from less than 5% in 1975 to 30.3% (as of 2005). Meanwhile, the amount of emissions from cars has decreased from 80% over that time period, to 42.1%.
(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

Is ethanol the answer?
The amount of corn grain required to fill a 25-gallon SUV tank with ethanol could feed one person for a year. (World Bank)

• Note: In October 2007, nearly 55% of U.S. car sales were accounted for by trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) — while hybrid fuel cars accounted for 2% of all car sales. (Autodata Corp.)

Why were U.S. carmakers so fond of big SUVs?
Each luxury SUV earned U.S. car manufacturers as much as $11,300 — compared with $5,500 for a luxury crossover.
(University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute)

What’s the downside?
Because of the commercial success of the SUV in the 1990s, U.S. automakers were able to continue paying very generous labor contacts to the United Auto Workers union. These generous contracts became a main contributor to the current financial woes of the Big Three U.S. automakers.
(Salon.com)

Did the Bush Administration try to make reforms?
When the Bush Administration proposed a 7% increase in fuel economy for sport utility vehicles and pickups in 2002, General Motors submitted a 300-page rebuttal — an argument that dwarfed the combined filings of its competitors and that said the change would hurt the company.
(New York Times)

What’s one reason large vehicles are so popular in the United States?
Under U.S. fuel economy regulations, the heaviest SUVs and pickup trucks are exempt from mileage requirements — but they are still subject to emissions rules.
(New York Times)

• Note: SUVs release 43% more global warming pollution and 47% more air pollution than the average car. (Sierra Club)

Are SUVs safer than passenger cars?
Mid-size SUVs — among the most popular models on the U.S. market — have on higher average fatality rates than passenger cars and minivans of similar weight.
(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

Are SUVs big sellers in Europe?
Sales of SUVs account for roughly 6% of new sales in Europe and are projected to grow to more than 10% by the end of the decade — compared to less than 3% in 1998.
(Wall Street Journal)

Why are SUVs much less popular in Europe?
An SUV in Norway costs four times what it costs in the United States. This is due in part to a road tax, carbon tax and an additional energy tax. In addition, Norway has the highest car taxes in Europe.
(Norwegian Environment Ministry)

• Note: Sales of SUVs account for 6% of new sales in Europe and are projected to grow to more than 10% by the end of the decade — compared to less than 3% in 1998. (Wall Street Journal)

What’s another example?
The city of London will triple its daily "congestion charge" to £25 ($49) for the most-polluting cars and sport utility vehicles in a plan to cut carbon emissions by making driving into the capital more expensive.
(Bloomberg)

MOVIE TRAILER: CHOKE

The stripper is hysterical! Here's the synopsis and here is the movie's official website:

Actor-turned-director Clark Gregg shows he is as adept behind the camera as he is in front of it with CHOKE, a wickedly colorful dark comedy about mothers and sons, sexual compulsion, and the sordid underbelly of Colonial theme parks. Victor Mancini (Sam Rockwell), a sex-addicted med-school dropout, who keeps his increasingly deranged mother, Ida (Huston), in an expensive private medical hospital by working days as a historical reenactor at a Colonial Williamsburg theme park. At night Victor runs a scam by deliberately choking in upscale restaurants to form parasitic relationships with the wealthy patrons who “save” him. When, in a rare lucid movement, Ida reveals that she has withheld the shocking truth of his father’s identity, Victor enlists the aid of his best friend, Denny (Henke) and his mother’s beautiful attending physician, Dr. Paige Marshall (Macdonald), to solve the mystery before the truth of his possibly divine parentage is lost forever.

SATURDAY DANCE PARTY!

COSTCO, THE NEW CRACK

Early Saturday morning, yes, I was there too.

GO'BAMA!

Sen. Barack Obama told voters in Wayne, Pennsylvania, on Saturday that he'll cut taxes for the middle class, raise taxes for the wealthy and pour more money into what he calls green energy.

Sen. Barack Obama holds a town hall meeting with residents in Wayne, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.

Later Saturday, in Illinois, Obama helped fill sandbags near the Mississippi River in an area devastated by flooding, his campaign said. The same day, Sen. John McCain extended his sympathies to those affected by flooding in the Midwest.

According to his campaign, Obama wants to invest $150 billion over the next 10 years to establish a green energy sector; create a national low-carbon fuel standard to ensure that the fuel is more efficient, and invest in clean energies like solar, wind and biodiesel.

That, according to the campaign, would create up to 5 million new green energy jobs.

Obama also blasted McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential candidate, for his recent silence on energy reform and his support for a gas tax holiday.

"He isn't offering any solutions to help Americans pay for high gas prices. Instead, he's proposing a gas tax holiday that's nothing more than a Washington stunt," Obama said. "I was for the idea back then, but I've learned from my mistake, because I don't think it's right to say you're offering families relief when you're just boosting oil company profits."

Obama says McCain's gas tax plan would "actually do real harm" and take "$3 billion a month out of the highway trust fund and hand it over to the oil companies."

Click here for the rest of the CNN article. 

IOWA VIDEO

GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site » Blog Archive » GM May Offer a 20-Mile Range Version of the Chevy Volt

http://gm-volt.com/2008/06/13/gm-may-offer-a-20-mile-range-version-of-the-chevy-volt/

See my previous post after you read this article.

New kits can turn your car into a hybrid

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25104169/

If you continue to have to pay more to be green, most people won't do
it. Making an environmental statement isn't enough motivation for
people, we need subsidization for the companies or people who buy
these products. If we, as a country, truly want to be independent or
at least less dependent on oil, this must happen. I don't believe our
current administration really wants that. That's not really rocket-
science I realize, but people need to realize that if pressure is not
put on our government and these businesses to offer these greener
solutions at a more affordable price, it simply won't happen. People
can't pay their mortgages, let alone pay MORE to be environmentally
conscious.

Tornadoes throughout the Midwest, flooding in Iowa and Wisconsin,
drought, shall I go on? Wake the fuck up people, global warming is
real and only republicans want you to think it is all hype!!! (pardon
the huge generalization)

These are the things that keep me up at night. Speaking of, time to go
to bed.

EVERY FAMILY HAS ONE...

You know, the show-off, the attention-grabber, the desperate one you adore but who constantly attempts to grab the spotlight. We have one too, and her name is Edna. You'll see.

"No capes!"

WA STATE IS IN THE TOP-10 HEALTHIEST STATES

Here's the best and the worst. For more information, go here.

BEST
1. Vermont
2. Connecticut
3. Minnesota
4. New Hampshire
5. Massachusetts
6. Utah
7. Hawaii
8. Iowa
9. Wisconsin
10. Washington

WORST
41. West Virginia
42. Tennessee
43. Nevada
44. Alabama
45. Kentucky
46. Oklahoma
47. South Carolina
48. Arkansas
49. Louisiana
50. Mississippi

JOHN MCCAIN, YOU GOT SERVED!

Keith Olbermann, you ROCK!

TIGZ: ONE LOVE

Adopt a Greyhound.

CEDAR RAPIDS, STILL FLOODING MORE!

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - This city had hoped the worst would be over by Friday, but instead the Cedar River keeps rising and has now swamped more than 400 blocks and forced thousands to flee. In Des Moines, meanwhile, officials issued a voluntary evacuation order as the Des Moine River neared the tops of levees.

Cedar Rapids officials earlier said 100 blocks were underwater, but that number rose to at least 438 city blocks in downtown by midday Friday. There was more flooding outside of downtown, but authorities don't know what widespread it is.

Click here to read the rest.

7 Corporations You'll Want to Avoid

 

I've got a sneak preview for you.  I want to share a great new online tool that we're officially launching to the public in July.  And I want to ask you to help us get it ready for the big launch. I'm talking about our new Responsible Shopper Web site, of course.  It's like the flip-side to our popular GreenPages.org.   While the Green Pages help you find the best companies to reward with your business, our ResponsibleShopper.org Web site helps you avoid the worst.  We comb through reports from the news media, the government (from the EPA to the FDA), and our environmental and social justice nonprofit allies to compile comprehensive data on some of the largest corporations in America.  Then, we put it together in our easily searchable Web site, so you can make informed purchasing decisions on everything from cosmetics to groceries to clothing and much more. Through Responsible Shopper's “Go Green” feature, we also link you to strategies for shifting your purchasing and investing to more responsible options.  Below, we tell you about some of the latest transgressions to be perpetrated by corporate America.  See how many you've heard about already, and then click through to Responsible Shopper to find the answers to the others.  Also, here's how you can help us get it ready for the big launch this July.  We'll be blasting it out to the media, holding a special press teleconference to show the media how it works, and getting it posted all over the Internet.  Before we do this, please help us: 1. Make sure it's totally ready.  This is a big site with tons of information – and lots of ways to link to it.  Check it out; click through the links.  Let us know if any aren't working, or if you have any suggestions.  Just hit “contact us” when you are on the Responsible Shopper site to let us know what you find!  (And tell us how you like the site too.) 2.  Build some buzz.  Help us make this smart-shopping tool available to everyone and spread the word today by blogging about Responsible Shopper or posting a link on your Web site.  If you do, please tell us about it, and we'll include you in an upcoming Responsible Shopper blogroll.  Thanks so much, and please take advantage of our site each and every time you're questioning where to spend your dollars so that they make a (positive) difference in the world. Here's to voting with your dollars for people and the planet‚ Alisa Gravitz, Executive Director, Co-op America 1.  Which major retailer saw its New Dehli factories raided in October 2007 by authorities acting on a tip from an undercover newspaper reporter who found children as young as 10 sewing garments for a children's apparel line? 2.  Which fast food company (owner of KFC and Taco Bell) received the dismally low score of 1 out of 100 in the "Climate Counts Company Scorecard," a report that that judged companies on their commitment to reversing climate change?  3.  Which popular retailer of apparel and toys got busted for the ninth time by Students and Scholars against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM), which uncovered sweatshop abuses (unpaid wages, illegal working hours, unsafe working conditions) at a producer factor in China in 2007?  4.  Which electronics company was revealed in November 2007 to be at least partly responsible for more than 100 current or former Superfund sites?  (Superfund sites are locations designated by the Environmental Protection Agency as being so contaminated by toxic chemicals that they are dangerous to human health.)  5.  Which chocolate-maker, long under fire by social justice advocates concerned about rampant child labor in the cocoa industry, has also become a dominating force in the bottled water industry, generating tons of plastic-bottle waste, and drawing criticism for polluting groundwater near its bottling facilities?  6.  Which popular catalog company was the subject of a 2006 National Labor Committee report documenting abuses at its Saidan factory in Jordan including:  human trafficking of guest workers, confiscation of passports, 118-hour work weeks, wages below the legal minimum, no sick days, and unsanitary working conditions? 7.  Which chemical company was named the number one polluter in America by a May 2008 report from the Political Economy Research Institute called the “Toxic 100 index”?  (The index is based on EPA Toxics Release Inventory data, and ranks the nation's largest companies based on the quantity of their emissions, relative toxicity of chemicals emitted, and proximity to population centers, among other criteria.)

If you have a blog or a personal Web site, post or link to Co-op America's new Responsible Shopper Web site and help us spread the word.  E-mail us to let us know you've linked to our site‚ and we'll link back to you in an upcoming blogroll.   Support our work to build a greener economy by donating to our Responsible Shopper program.  Help us build a greener future for by holding corporate criminals accountable.  Donate today »   Visit Responsible Shopper today.   Not yet a supporting member?  Join today to receive your very own copy of the National Green Pages™ (chock full of the green alternatives to the corporations profiled on Responsible Shopper).  Membership is only $20 and includes a subscription to our bi-monthly green-living newsletter Real Money, our Co-op America Quarterly magazine, and a copy of our Guide to Socially Responsible Investing.  Your membership provides valuable support for our economic action programs for people and the planet.  Join today »

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