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Politics in the Zeros: Almost 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan vets have PTSD or depression

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:15:01 -0500

Number of comments: 10

About 18.5 percent of US soldiers who served in Afghanistan and Iraq currently have PTSD or depression. 19.5 percent report traumatic brain injuries.

An estimated 31 percent of troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have a mental health condition or reported experiencing a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury)
[...]

Marooned In Marin: Honoring Our Veterans On Veterans Day

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:01:00 -0500

Thank you for your service to our nation, so that future generations can enjoy the blessings of freedom. [...]

Politics in the Zeros: Biofuel from carbon dioxide in air

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:15:50 -0500

Number of comments: 10

Click to view full-sized on Joule

Joule Biotechnologies announced that it has achieved direct microbial conversion of CO2 into hydrocarbons via engineered organisms, powered by solar energy.

The process uses no fresh water or biomass and no refinement is [...]

Politics in the Zeros: 4 arrested in sit-in outside Joe “I love health care industry contributions” Lieberman’s office in CT

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:30:26 -0500

Number of comments: 10

From MattStaublePhoto.com slideshow

Four people were arrested this morning during a sit-in in front of Senator Joseph Lieberman’s office in Hartford. The arrestees were among thirty demonstrators who sought a public meeting with the Senator to confront him on his stance on healthcare reform [...]

Politics in the Zeros: Key oil numbers distorted by US pressure, says whistleblower

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:05:13 -0500

Number of comments: 10

The world is much closer to running out of oil than official estimates admit, according to a whistleblower at the International Energy Agency who claims it has been deliberately underplaying a looming shortage for fear of triggering panic buying.

This is like the economic crisis. Our government makes up imaginary [...]

Paragraph Farmer: Tax-exempt status as a political football

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:01:00 -0500

Of course it's come to this. And the sad thing (one of several, actually) is that the Stupak Amendment carried Pelosicare over the finish line in the House but will probably be gutted or ignored by the Senate, where pro-lifers have an even tougher time than' [...]

Politics in the Zeros: Remedial constitutional law for Republicans

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:30:21 -0500

Number of comments: 10

Not sayin’ all of them need it but…

Clearly some of them do:

Ya think? Some of them may need some work on The Pledge of
Allegiance, as well:

H/T to ctblogger at MLN for the Boehner and Akin videos. And just a quick note to say thanks to Bob for inviting [...]

Politics in the Zeros: Elinor Ostrom has transformed economics by showing communal ownership works in capitalism too

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:05:34 -0500

Number of comments: 10

Elinor Ostrom

Derek Wall on Strom winning the Nobel prize in Economics for refuting the “tragedy of the commons.”

Ostrom’s work is important to socialists because it shows that it is possible to run economic systems without private property or state control.

Marx famously argued that socialism would [...]

Politics in the Zeros: It takes a pillage. Banksters in DC greeting card

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:15:48 -0500

Number of comments: 10

Cara Scissoria has some new greeting cards for the holidays. ‘It takes a pillage’ is particularly timely, don’t you think?

(Go directly to card)

[...]

Politics in the Zeros: Afghanistan. Vietnam all over again

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:13:07 -0500

Number of comments: 10

Obama to send more troops to Afghanistan

What is the goal of this war? Apparently it is to somehow chase down and then kill terrorists fighting on their own ground when we often don’t even know who they are. Good luck with that.

The most idiotic thing being said about [...]

Politics in the Zeros: Three wheeled hybrid does 0-60 mph in 5 seconds

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:30:41 -0500

Number of comments: 10

The eVaro plug-in hybrid sports car from Future Vehicles Technology gets up to 275 miles per gallon and can go 100 miles on the batteries alone. It’s competing in the Progressive Auto X-Prize which has a top award of $10 million.

Inhabitat [...]

Politics in the Zeros: Barefoot solar engineers of India

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:10:42 -0500

Number of comments: 10

An innovative plan in India teaches the poorest of the poor how to bring solar power to their villages and schools, who then pass on the knowledge to others.

Barefoot college

Solar power was first used in 1986 on a large scale, to completely [...]

WitnessLA.com: CA’s Unemployment at 12 percent, But What If You’re a Felon?

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:02:41 -0500

Number of comments: 2
Unemployment in California is at 12.2 percent and expected to go higher when the new figures come out this month. Newly minted college graduates are having trouble getting jobs. Teachers and other laid off professionals are having trouble. So how bad is the job market for those applicants who, when they [...]

WitnessLA.com: Happy Veterans Day…With Gratitude

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:01:51 -0500

With respect and gratitude to those who have served our country.….here is an excerpt from David Finkel’s wonderful new book, The Good Soldiers. The following clip is about soldiers who served in Iraq during the surge. Neither it, nor the book from which it was excerpted, The Good Soldiers, are meant [...]

Gay Patriot: The mindset of the left; the energy on the right

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:18:09 -0500

Number of comments: 2

Last night at the SLDN fundraiser, I did my utmost to stay silent when various participants maligned Republicans and “the right.” Though when one person suggested the Club for Growth had an anti-gay agenda, I blurt out that just wasn’t so. Just one look at their web page [...]

Gay Patriot: Support Service Members Legal Defense Network

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:20:09 -0500

Number of comments: 1

Last night, I attended a Los Angeles-area fundraiser for the Service Members Legal Defense Network (SLDN), a group “dedicated to ending discrimination against and harassment of military personnel affected by“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT).” They also provide legal assistance to those affected by DADT.

When I learned about the fundraiser, [...]

Orange Juice: Greens Urge Defeat of the Democrats’ “Insurance Industry Life-Support” Bill in the US Senate

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:11:01 -0500

Greens urge defeat of the Democrats’ “insurance industry life-support” bill in the US Senate and call for a rally of efforts to enact Single-Payer/Medicare For All GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES http://www.gp.org For Immediate Release: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 Contacts: Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, cell 202-904-7614, mclarty@greens.org Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@gp.org Howie Hawkins, 315-425-1019, [...]

Hispanic Pundit: Links for 2009-11-10 [del.icio.us]

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Getting Your Storks in a Row, Bryan Caplan | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty
"Striking contrast: In the "birth subsidy" literature, researchers usually find fairly large effects in the expected direction. In the welfare literature, in contrast, most researchers find little or no evidence that welfare increases [...]

Orange Juice: Why is the Rancho Santiago College District spending $57K to find a new Chancellor?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:57:31 -0500

The Rancho Santiago Community College Trustees want to spend $57K to find their next Chancellor (From left to right): Clerk Brian E. Conley, M.A.; John R. Hanna; Mark McLoughlin; Lisa Woolery, APR, M.A.; President R. David Chapel, Ed.D.; Phillip E. Yarbrough; Vice President Lawrence R. “Larry” Labrado and Student Trustee Gloria Holguin. The Rancho Santiago [...]

Hispanic Pundit: Gay Marriage And Civil Liberties

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:26:25 -0500

I’ve made the argument that gay marriage could in fact threaten religious liberties, Maggie Gallagher gives an example of how it could threaten civil liberties:

Case in point: Don Mendell, a school guidance counselor at Nokomis Regional High School in Maine, now faces ethics complaints for his decision to appear in [...]

New Santa Ana: Why is the Rancho Santiago College District spending $57K to find a new Chancellor?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:24:00 -0500

The Rancho Santiago Community College Trustees want to spend $57K to find their next Chancellor

(From left to right): Clerk Brian E. Conley, M.A.; John R. Hanna; Mark McLoughlin; Lisa Woolery, APR, M.A.; President R. David Chapel, Ed.D.; Phillip E. Yarbrough; Vice President Lawrence R. “Larry” Labrado [...]

DISSENT the BLOG: News, news, empty news

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:21:00 -0500

● John Dean to speak at Chapman [University] Wednesday (OC Register)

● AAUP Announces Effort to Shore Up Academic Freedom at Public Colleges (Chronicle of Higher Ed)

● Oscar-winning actor [Richard Dreyfuss] speaks at Dodge (The Chapman University Panther)

● OCC Bookstore under investigation (OCC [...]

AMERICAN DIGEST: Something Wonderful: "So You Want to Boycott Israel?"

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:10:42 -0500

A handy guide on divestment from the evil Jewish State, with some key tips and points you won't find anywhere else!

HT The invaluable Helene Bidwell

' [...]

Mayor Sam's Sister City: Nuch Trutanich speaks at Gay & Lesbian Center

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:44:00 -0500

Number of comments: 8

Tonight City Attorney Carmen Trutanich was the featured speaker at the Gay and Lesbian Center in Hollywood. Nuch gave an impressive performance. His speech covered a wide variety of subjects.
Some of the interesting information from tonight:
Nuch talked about his tough life growing up. [...]

The Claremont Conservative: Mitt Romney's Coming to Claremont McKenna?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:30:00 -0500

Number of comments: 0

A source close to the Res Publica committee informs me that next semester's big name speaker will be none other than former Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney. [...]

LA Observed: Hollywood Reporter about to be sold?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:29:00 -0500

The Wrap's Sharon Waxman says The Hollywood Reporter "and several other Nielsen entertainment titles are set to be sold to James Finkelstein’s News Communications Inc., owner of 'Who’s Who' publications..." [...]

LA Observed: LA Weekly takes a blogger

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:13:00 -0500

Dennis Romero, who has been a staff writer at the late Tu Ciudad magazine, the late New Times and the Los Angeles Times, has recently been anchoring the LA Weekly's...' [...]

San Diego Politico: Union Members support Humberto Peraza for Chula Vista City Council

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:35:00 -0500

The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council announced last week their endorsement for Humberto Peraza for City Council in Chula Vista for the June 2010 elections.

In their press release, the Labor Council described Humberto as committed to rebuilding Chula Vista’s economy by creating [...]

Bill Boyarsky: Where the streets have no name

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:00:21 -0500

A pitched battle to prevent the world's largest garbage dump from being built next to Joshua Tree National Park has been won in the Ninth Circuit of Appeals, thanks largely to Donna and Larry Charpied, a pair of jojoba farmers who live in a trailer at the park's edge and [...]

AMERICAN DIGEST: Frankly Dear Scarlets We Don't Give A Damn

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:37:22 -0500

The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
-- William Butler Yeats -- "The Second Coming" Analyzed

The secular infection of the post-post-modern mind is beyond virulent and oozing pus wherever one' [...]

Red County: Placer County: Meg Whitman Donates $100,000 to Protect Delta Smelt Over Farmers and Families

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:19:27 -0500

This weekend - I posted a story about Whitman's foundation donating $100,000 to the Environmental Defense Fund. The donation and its' significance are starting to catch fire.

The FlashReport picked up on the significance and a posting there is hitting the search engines.

Meg Whitman's [...]

Red County: Sacramento: Meg Whitman Donates $100,000 to Protect Delta Smelt Over Farmers and Families

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:19:27 -0500

Red County: Los Angeles: Meg Whitman Donates $100,000 to Protect Delta Smelt Over Farmers and Families

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:19:27 -0500

Marooned In Marin: Deadly Denial: When Jihad Is Whitewashed As "Twisted Logic" Or "Cracking" Under Stress

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:01:00 -0500

"What Evidence Does It Take For Our President To Admit This Was An Act Of Terror?"That's what Lt. Col. Ralph Peters said in his comments to Bill O'Reilly tonight, about "That One's" speech at Ft. Hood today for the memorial of the 13 killed by the Muslim jihadist Nidal Malik [...]

Body Parts: Another Big US Company Downsizes

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:00:50 -0500

This time its Pfizer, one of America's great pharmaceutical medicine companies. It's shutting down a relatively new R&D plant in Connecticut, as well as other facilities. Though this downsizing has to do, I'm sure, with the recession and the company's stream of products, we'll see a lot more of this downsizing [...]

Calitics: November 10 Open Thread

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:00:00 -0500

Links:

? Not really, California, but I (Brian) found this so offensive that I thought it worth a mention here. As we speak, David Horowitz, the "conservative" winger at frontpagemag.com, is going around writing stories that say "The Fort Hood killings are the chickens of the left coming home to" [...]

New Santa Ana: Solorio Applauds Governor for Signing Historic Water Bond Bill

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:52:07 -0500

For Immediate Release

Nov. 10, 2009

For More Information Contact:

Carol Chamberlain – Office: (916) 319-2069
Cell: (916) 804-5355

Solorio Applauds Governor for Signing Historic Water Bond Bill

Assemblyman’s Dedication to Water Issue Resulted in Key Votes

SACRAMENTO – Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim), a vigorous supporter of legislation to [...]

Body Parts: You're not Alone in Thinking and Feeling as You Do, Caroline

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:46:57 -0500

Caroline Glick's cry from the heart about two presidents' reactions to the massacre at Fort Hood. [...]

Opinion L.A.: The Stupak amendment, deconstructed

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:42:11 -0500

I've encountered a fair amount of confusion about the abortion language the House actually adopted on Saturday. Read it for yourself here -- it's a little more than three pages in large type, much of it spent removing abortion-related provisions in the underlying bill. The amendment by Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) [...]

Cobb: Wife the Ho

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:38:49 -0500

There aren't many things in life that are so poignantly absurd and profound as a rich American rockstar on the verge of... Well, I can't call it. Judge for yourself. The question is NOT how does this get on the air, nor how many millions are listening. The question is how [...]

Speak Out California: Throwing Women Under the Bus: Healthcare Reform? -NOT!

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:56:26 -0500

This past week, America's women were, yet again, thrown under the bus. Make no mistake about it; this health care bill eradicates years of effort, blood and lives lost by brave physicians and health care providers, to take this nation back to the dark ages of back alleys, dead mothers and orphaned children. At the' [...]

Friendly Fire: Lessons from Fort Hood

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:49:53 -0500

If the shooting at Fort Hood teaches one thing, it is this: The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.

Hassan gave signals early on that he was a few cards short of a deck, meaning that it was merely a matter of time before he did something crazy. In this [...]

SFGate: Politics Blog: More post-secret taping scandal questions dog Jerry Brown

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:45:33 -0500

California AG Jerry Brown's office may have issued its report on ex-spokesman Scott Gerber's secret taping program, but the political blowback has just begun. Who thought being the only...

[...]

Opinion L.A.: Views from opposite sides of the newspaper pay wall

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:26:26 -0500

Lots of folks are writing these days about Rupert Murdoch's recent statement that News Corp. plans to stop its newspaper stories from being indexed by Google when it throws up a more comprehensive pay wall next year. His comments came days after the American Press [...]

Orange Juice: Carbajal Selected to Lead OC Public Works

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:00:29 -0500

Number of comments: 2
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 10, 2009 Contact: Howard Sutter, 714.834.6203 Carbajal Selected to Lead OC Public Works (Santa Ana, CA) — County Executive Officer Thomas G. Mauk has appointed Jess Carbajal as Director of OC Public Works, which includes the County’s Facilities, Planning and Engineering divisions. Carbajal has served in management positions with the County [...]

SFGate: Politics Blog: Consumer group says AG Brown should appoint independent counsel in insurance matter

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:59:21 -0500

The consumer advocacy group which charged state Attorney General Jerry Brown caved into pressure from a major insurance firm in rewriting a ballot measure summary has now called on Brown's...

[...]

Orange Punch: Marijuana and PTSD

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:59:21 -0500

An Israeli study (on rats rather than humans, but that’s how these studies typically start) strongly suggests that marijuana may be useful in treating the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Does that mean that Maj. Hasan (not to mention the rest of us) would have been better off [...]

America's Finest Blog: Forensic journalism 101: Last quote shows what reporter wants you to believe

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:52:00 -0500

I'm back for now blogging with the old software. For years, I have believed that a reporter's last paragraph shows his real feelings. That's when I was a reporter, I tried to end my stories with benign stuff like "Supervisors...'" [...]

PolitickerCA - California Politics News, Reaction, and Analysis: [America's Finest Blog] Forensic journalism 101: Last quote shows what reporter wants you to believe

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:52:00 -0500

'" [...]

Orange Punch: Oops. Another global warming OOPS moment

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:50:08 -0500

Number of comments: 2

Darn if these things aren’t persistent. We bring you yet another Global Warming Oops Moment, one of those increasingly occurring occasions when the props holding up the scare-story of global warming take another whack, shaking the whole foundation of this hysteria.

Today’s GWOP comes courtesy AFP, the news agency, reporting [...]

Red County: Placer County: Source: Audra Strickland to announce run for Ventura County Treasurer-Tax Collector seat

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:45:38 -0500

Assemblywoman Audra Strickland will soon announce her intention to become Ventura County’s next treasurer-tax collector, according to a source very close to her office.

Larry Matheney, who currently holds that position, announced yesterday that he will not seek a third term.

Ventura County voters elected Strickland to the Assembly in 2004, [...]

Red County: Sacramento: Source: Audra Strickland to announce run for Ventura County Treasurer-Tax Collector seat

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:45:38 -0500

Assemblywoman Audra Strickland will soon announce her intention to become Ventura County’s next treasurer-tax collector, according to a source very close to her office.

Larry Matheney, who currently holds that position, announced yesterday that he will not seek a third term.

Ventura County voters elected Strickland to the Assembly in 2004, [...]

Red County: Los Angeles: Source: Audra Strickland to announce run for Ventura County Treasurer-Tax Collector seat

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:45:38 -0500

Assemblywoman Audra Strickland will soon announce her intention to become Ventura County’s next treasurer-tax collector, according to a source very close to her office.

Larry Matheney, who currently holds that position, announced yesterday that he will not seek a third term.

Ventura County voters elected Strickland to the Assembly in 2004, [...]

Right Coast: Enormous Implicit Marginal Tax RatesMike Rappaport

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:45:28 -0500

Here. And those rates, which exceed 100 percent for many people, are calculated under existing law and before the health care monstronsity is passed, which makes matters much worse. [...]

Orange Juice: Josh on the Larger Significance of the Healthcare Vote

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:45:17 -0500

Number of comments: 1
(Right now there’s a bit of a sour aftertaste over the Stupak amendment (which will be modified or dropped) but the usually restrained Josh Marshall’s uncharacteristic triumphalism last Sunday is still appropriate and inspiring. Read, ye teabaggers and reactionaries, and tremble.) One Vote on Health Care Reform, One Giant Leap… There are many [...]

Calitics: Somebody buy Carly Fiorina a Newspaper

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:45:00 -0500

On the Larry Mantle Show on KPCC, Carly Fiorina had this to say:

I believe that life begins at conception. I would certainly that there are exceptions for the health of the mother. I support stem-cell research. But let me just say that on these very difficult social issues, I recognize [...]

Orange Juice: Polling? What’s All That Dough Buy You?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:32:52 -0500

Number of comments: 3
We noticed the other day that the Ackerwoman has spent a ton of money on polling: over fourteen big ones were paid to a guy named Adam Probolsky (who is supposedly the “boyfriend” of Ackerman, Inc. campaign fundraiser Desiree Mouzoon). Being the political novices that we are, we really have to [...]

Opinion L.A.: Married Catholic priests? Yes and (mostly) no

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:28:11 -0500

It was a blow to Roman Catholic liberals when the Vatican announced last month that it would welcome, en masse, conservative Anglicans who share the pope's opposition to female clergy and traditional views about homosexuality. But there was a silver lining for liberals: The fact that in welcoming married Anglican priests [...]

Liberal OC: Five Orange County Congressmen are Hypocrites on House Health Care Bill

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:19:24 -0500

Number of comments: 1

Of Orange County’s six members of the U.S. House of Representatives, only one, Democrat Loretta Sanchez, for voted the [...]

Friendly Fire: When Racial Profiling Becomes a Family Affair

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:15:39 -0500

My two-year-old nephew Nicholas is as sharp as they come.

He sees a Starbucks logo and immediately says, "Robbie's coffee," recognizing his uncle's favorite brew. He sees a Mercedes logo and says, "Gramma's car."

He saw the Ft. Hood shooter on TV and immediately said to [...]

Cobb: Destination: US

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:59:50 -0500

A thoughtful reader just passed on this interesting tidbit from a recent Gallup survey:

The United States is the top desired destination country for the 700 million adults who would like to relocate permanently to another country. Nearly one-quarter (24%) of these respondents, which translates to more than 165 million [...]

Orange Punch: Remembering the Berlin Airlift

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:57:53 -0500

Number of comments: 1

A reader called to remind me that in all the talk about the fall of the Berlin Wall and the importance of Berlin during the Cold War (how many spy novels were set in Berlin with all its wheels within wheels and changing alliances), we have forgotten an event that [...]

Friends of Dave: And so it begins.... again.

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:47:19 -0500

I don't really gamble, but I wish I'd bet someone that our state would be short of money before we even got to the January budget proposal. This Sacramento Bee story explains where we stand.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger estimated Monday that California's budget will fall out of balance by $5 [...]

Gay Patriot: Thank you, Ma’am!

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:46:58 -0500

Number of comments: 3

I never thought I’d be grateful for anything my state’s hyper-partisan junior Senator has said or done, but it seems Mrs. Boxer is bound and determined to prevent Obamacare from passing. According to law professor William A. Jacobson, Ma’am “is proclaiming she has enough votes in the Senate to [...]

Orange Juice: What they’re saying about GOP Senate candidate Carly Fiorina

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:35:03 -0500

Number of comments: 3
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 10, 2009 Contact: Julie Soderlund Cristina Minasian 916-551-1383 WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: PRAISE FOR FIORINA’S STRONG SENATE BID Fiorina A Serious Challenger For Boxer “The Charismatic Former Business Leader Could Be Boxer’s Greatest Challenge Since Her Election To The Senate In 1992.” “Boxer has the edge in Democratic-leaning California, but Fiorina’s entry [...]

Calitics: Looking at Illinois: Releasing Prisoners to Reduce Deficit

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:30:00 -0500

I listed a few ways to reduce the budget deficit earlier this morning, but one thing I didn't mention was the way Illinois is now reducing the budget deficit: reducing prison populations:

Gov. Pat Quinn tried to allay concerns Tuesday about the state releasing prisoners early to save money' [...]

Political Blotter: John Yoo asks that torture lawsuit be dismissed

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:25:43 -0500

Number of comments: 1

University of California, Berkeley Boalt Hall Law School Professor John Yoo – widely recognized as an architect of Bush Administration policies on torture and detainee rights – has filed a brief asking the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to toss a lawsuit filed by a former prisoner.

[...]

Orange Juice: Anti-Norby TV Ad Hits New Low

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:23:49 -0500

Martin Wisckol at the Register has posted a youtube clip of a cable TV run ad that basically paints Norby some sort of anti-feminist monster. The thing is so hyperventilated that it’s hard to believe anybody would take it seriously. It starts out with an image of Mike Duvall that [...]

uggabugga: No politics: 20 of ...

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:21:00 -0500

No politics: 20 of the Worst Men’s Hairstyles

[...]

Total Buzz: Bondsmen, attorneys get signboards inside jail

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:06:55 -0500

Number of comments: 3

Taped to the wall near some telephones inside Orange County Jail was a yellow, legal sized paper telling inmates who need bail to “speak to Bill in Bunk 57.”

Deputies didn’t discover the crude sign until local bail agents complained about unfair solicitation practices.

Recognizing a good idea when they see one, sheriff’s officials [...]

Body Parts: ObamaCare Will Subsidize Middle-Class Lifestyle, Not Middle-Class Health Care

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:04:26 -0500

ObamaCare is ostensibly directed at health care and would ensure that all middle-class families have medical care through insurance by requiring and underwriting that insurance (the poor and the elderly already have governmentally funded medical care). But a little thought would show that federal subsidy of medical insurance for the [...]

Right Coast: Is the world made of math? Tom Smith

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:21:46 -0500

I have started reading Steven Landsburg's new book The Big Questions. So far I find it perhaps a little disappointing. But as I have read only the first chapter, I should reserve judgment. The first chapter is an excursion into metaphysics that I must say I found singularly unpersuasive. [...]

Liberal OC: DeVore’s Positive Review of “Liberal Fascism” Gives Boxer/Fiorina Material

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:57:47 -0500

Number of comments: 1

HT to Instaputz for this item about the GOP US Senate fight in California. The blog notes that Chuck reviewed right wing columnist Jonah [...]

New Santa Ana: NAHREP OC Homeownership Fair set for Nov. 14, in Santa Ana

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:47:00 -0500

“NAHREP OC Homeownership Fair”

With Support From State Senator Lou Correa

Saturday, November 14, 2009, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

FREE Workshops in English and Spanish Face Painting, Music, Raffle Prizes Assistance for first time homebuyers Low down payment programs Free credit reports

Event located at 2323 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, [...]

Fresno Bee Opinion Talk: Getting out of the car and getting around

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:33:22 -0500

I love San Francisco. But I sure couldn't live there if my car were my primary mode of transportation. The great thing about a big city like San Francisco is you can function, even thrive, without a car.

I just spent the weekend there, the second one I've [...]

WitnessLA.com: Handicapping SCOTUS and Juvenile LWOP

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:14:16 -0500

Monday’s hearings on the two Florida cases, each involving juveniles who received sentences of Life Without the possibility of Parole—LWOP—has had reporters on the Supremes beat scrambling to analyze what exactly the various justices comments and questions portend for the decision. The precedent that both SCOTUS watchers and the justices themselves [...]

Orange Juice: Candidates Sought to Fill O.C. Retirement Board Vacancy

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:06:56 -0500

Number of comments: 5
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Howard Sutter, 714.834.6203 office November 10, 2009 Candidates Sought to Fill Retirement Board Vacancy (Santa Ana, CA) — Board of Supervisors Chair Patricia C. Bates is seeking candidates to fill a vacancy on the Board of Retirement of the Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS). The vacancy, created by the resignation [...]

Orange Punch: Was the Fort Hood attack terrorism?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:06:55 -0500

Number of comments: 13

I got a nasty e-mail this morning, presumably in response to this editorial, which I thought took a fairly measured approach to the Fort Hood massacre, building on what we knew as of Monday afternoon and reluctant to project further, even though I was pretty sure the evidence that [...]

Patterico's Pontifications: It Wasn’t a “Tragedy”

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:06:31 -0500

Number of comments: 8

[Guest post by Jack Dunphy]

If a bus had hit a patch of ice and skidded off a highway, resulting in the death of 13 people and injuries to dozens more, that would have been a “tragedy” as the term was once commonly understood.

But when a member of the enemy, even [...]

Calitics: Lynn Woolsey Asks: "Who Elected These Bishops?"

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500

Once upon a time, in a far away land called Orange County, I was a Catholic. I come from an Irish-Catholic family and we did the usual church thing, though my own parents were infrequent about it. Over time I came to realize that my lack of belief in a [...]

SFGate: Politics Blog: Write a bill, win a trip to Sac

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:57:00 -0500

If you live in San Mateo County and want to be a state legislator, here's your chance. Well, kind of. Assemblyman Jerry Hill's office announced its second annual "bill idea contest," which...

[...]

Calitics: Healthcare Reform and Workers' Compensation

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:43:10 -0500

From this morning's Los Angeles Times:
Steve Poizner on Monday rejected a call from the California Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau to hike rates by 22.8% for policies that would be written or renewed after Jan. 1. Poizner also rejected a subsequent recommendation made by a hearing examiner from' [...]

uggabugga: Reaction to Frederic Mishkin:I consider ...

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:29:00 -0500

Reaction to Frederic Mishkin:

I consider Mishkin's remarks that "pure irrational exuberance bubbles" are no big deal, to be one of the most significant statements ever made by a (former) Fed Governor (see this post). Mishkin is clearly sending a Bernanke-approved signal about how they judge these things. [...]

Total Buzz: Will abortion derail health reform?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:25:08 -0500

Number of comments: 10

Rep. Loretta Sanchez talks about health reform on MSNBC's Morning Joe.

Forget about the controversy over a public option killing a health reform bill. What happened last weekend over the abortion rights issue has eclipsed that as a [...]

SFGate: Politics Blog: Alioto-Pier's insurance commissioner bid gets a boost

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:19:28 -0500

You may not have given much thought yet to the 2010 California Insurance Commissioner race -- but apparently former VP Al Gore has. Gore announced Tuesday that he is endorsing San Francisco...

[...]

Gay Patriot: A Friend’s Quixotic Quest for Congress

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:18:01 -0500

Number of comments: 3

At some point, I will have to blog about the consideration I have given to runnig against my big-spending Congressman Henry Waxman, a man who has spent 35 years representing Hollywood while doing nothing to stop the steady drain of entertainment jobs from his district. Ol’ Henry, like all too [...]

Political Blotter: AMA: Marijuana has medical value

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:07:54 -0500

As proposed ballot measures and a legislative bill to allow recreational marijuana use advance here in California, medical marijuana advocates scored a big win today as the American Medical Association shifts to a friendlier stance.

The AMA’s House of Delegates voted to reverse its long-held position that marijuana be classified on [...]

Total Buzz: Obama birthplace lawyer lashes out at court

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:05:48 -0500

Number of comments: 10

Laguna Niguel attorney Orly Taitz has filed a fiery motion to revive her dismissed lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of Barack Obama’s presidency. The documents filed with federal District Judge David O. Carter’s Santa Ana court include allegations that a Carter law clerk previously worked for a law firm defending Obama, [...]

Window Manager: I Feel Safer Already

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:57:00 -0500

Senate plan calls for new agency to prevent economic crashYeah, right. These are the guys who set up everything that caused the crash. [...]

SFGate: Politics Blog: Liberal bloggers: Don't give $ to Obama, Dems until they pass pro-LGBT laws

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:50:00 -0500

Some of the top liberal bloggers -- Daily Kos , FireDogLake , Dan Savage -- are tired of waiting for President Obama and the Democratic Congress to take major action on gay rights issues. So...

[...]

Calitics: Camp Courage: Winning Back Marriage by Telling Painful Stories

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:46:14 -0500

This weekend's Camp Courage in Sacramento was a good tonic for the loss in Maine and part of our collective path forward to restoring marriage equality to California. The heart of Camp Courage is learning how to craft your "story-of-self" a personal, emotional version of who you are and why [...]

Gay Patriot: Has anyone ever asked Boxer about her double standards on sexual harassment?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:40:06 -0500

Number of comments: 7

More than eighteen years ago, a Congresswomen from the San Francisco Bay area led a group of her Democratic female House colleagues in marching across Capitol Hill to demand a delay in the confirmation hearings of then-Judge Clarence Thomas. That woman, a Ma’am Barbara Boxer, was upset because that good [...]

Total Buzz: TV ad attacks Norby in latest mudslinging

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:37:57 -0500

Number of comments: 4

Alliance for California’s Tomorrow may have pulled the plug on campaign spending to beat Assembly candidate Chris Norby - click here for that story - but another independent group has launched the following ad on cable TV. It shows disgraced former Assemblyman “Open Mike” Duvall’s face morphing into Norby’s [...]

Gay Patriot: Sexual Fascism

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:15:14 -0500

Number of comments: 3

Jonah Goldberg could find inspiration in Anne Moir and David Jessel’s Brain Sex: The Real Difference Between Men and Women for a sequel to his book, Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Change.

The problem is that it is the apostles of [...]

OC Progressive: Earthflow's Permaculture Design Course

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:07:10 -0500

It's starting NOW but it's not too late? This weekend is the first session. Read more!

One weekend a month for 6 months...
Orange County's first Permaculture Design Certificate Course!

Once a jewel upon the land, filled with orchards rich in fruit year-round, Orange County's landscape has changed dramatically in [...]

Seeing the Forest: How Wall Street bought Tim Geithner

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:51:47 -0500

I just came across this: How Wall Street bought Tim Geithner -- DailyFinance.

Have you ever wondered why Wall Street was able to get $23.7 trillion from the federal government after making some bad bets that wiped out $30 trillion [...]

Orange Punch: How many believe politicians’ promises?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:51:30 -0500

Number of comments: 7

This struck us as low even though we’re among the skeptics when it comes to swallowing political promises: Just 4 percent of U.S. voters say that most politicians keep their campaign promises.

That’s what Rasmussen Reports found in its latest survey.

4 percent. Wow.

A whopping 76 percent say most politicians don’t [...]

A Better Oakland: Condo conversions return to Council

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:48:03 -0500

Number of comments: 10

Condo conversions were a big controversy a few years ago, but since then, have pretty much faded off the radar of everyone but professional affordable housing activists and developers. Now the issue is back, sort of.

Councilmembers Pat Kernighan and Rebecca Kaplan have introduced a proposal to make some [...]

SFGate: Politics Blog: Is your Congressman or Senator on a hit list?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:34:17 -0500

While the health care reform sausage is being cased in Congress, the warring political factions are passing the time by making lists. Specifically, "target lists" of legislators who dared vote the...

[...]

Orange Juice: My Town is Happier than Your Town

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:17:27 -0500

Number of comments: 2
The rankings are in: Irvine’s CA-48 is the third happiest congressional district in the country and the happiest in California. Being close to the beach helps, as CA-46 (Huntington Beach) and CA-50 (North County San Diego) are also happy. The full rankings are here. Of course we are smiling. We [...]

LA Observed: Jamie McCourt denies affair

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:17:00 -0500

The ousted Dodgers CEO gave her first interview since the divorce papers were filed to Times columnist T.J. Simers. She said in the hour-long sit-down that she was never with... [...]

Fresno Bee Opinion Talk: Is Schwarzenegger getting public-policy ideas from his movies?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:11:51 -0500

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger offered an idea Monday that he says might have less political opposition than building a peripheral canal to transport water around the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta. It would be an underground canal -- similar to the one in his movie "Total Recall." The governor actually [...]

LA Observed: Accidents up near red-light cameras

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:53:00 -0500

CBS 2's David Goldstein and team got the data from the city and found that instead of fewer accidents, the number of traffic accidents has gone up at most of... [...]

Orange Juice: County to Launch New OC Fire Watch Program on Anniversary of Freeway Complex Fire

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:49:31 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Nov. 10, 2009 Contacts: Marisa O’Neil at (714) 310‐5478 or marisa.oneil@ocparks.com Lynnette Round at (714) 290‐7772 or lynnetteround@ocfa.org Sergio Prince at (949) 933‐0595 or sergio.prince@ocgov.com County to Launch New OC Fire Watch Program on Anniversary of Freeway Complex Fire (Irvine, CA) – Orange County Board of Supervisors Chair Patricia C. Bates will join the [...]

Friendly Fire: Fort Hood: Terror & Tragedy

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:48:09 -0500

What does this terror and tragedy mean, and what does it not mean?
(Note: This is a second look at this delicate but important topic)

The shooting rampage at Fort Hood was an act of terror, but we should not feel terrorized or lash out against Muslims. We should also not [...]

New Santa Ana: Senator Correa to host Pathways to Higher Education Conference on Nov. 21

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:41:15 -0500

State Senator Lou Correa is conducting a free conference for current high school students and their parents. The Pathways to Higher Education Conference will take place on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, from 9 am to 1 pm, at Coastline Community [...]

LA Observed: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's leukemia

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:35:00 -0500

The Lakers' special coach and former great for the Lakers and UCLA made the media rounds Monday announcing that he is being treated for a rare form of leukemia. The...' [...]

LA Observed: Morning Buzz: Tuesday 11.10.09

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:16:00 -0500

More on that secret taping of reporters by a Jerry Brown aide, Beck moves forward and the City Council is gone to Texas. Plus more, of course, after the jump.... [...]

Fresno Bee Opinion Talk: Schwarzenegger discusses a range of issues at Bee editorial board meeting

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:02:20 -0500

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gave his take on California's water challenges, the state budget problems and who might be the next lieutenant governor during a 61-minute meeting with The Bee's editorial board Monday. He went to The Bee after signing a part of the water reform package during a ceremony at [...]

Seeing the Forest: Climate Denial and the Chamber

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:58:37 -0500

In James Boyce: Chamber Me This. some guy named James Boyce writes about the head of the Chamber of Commerce and their climate-denial efforts to prevent us from reducing CO2 emissions.

Did you know that Tom Donahue, head of the Chamber of Commerce, is on the Board [...]

Right Coast: It's possible to be too diverse Tom Smith

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:50:43 -0500

You want to exclude America-hating jihadists, for example, from your Army and from your country too, I should think. I also don't understand why we can't acknowledge that there is something going on within the Muslim religion world wide that motivates some Muslims to become terrorists. If there were a [...]

Calitics: I'll Be Baaacck: Deficit Edition

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:45:59 -0500

Know how we've kind of moved on from the myriad budget crises? Well, it's not moved on, and it's out for blood...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger estimated Monday that California's budget will fall out of balance by $5 billion to $7 billion this fiscal year, on top of a $7.4 billion' [...]