May 2012

Scott Peters shows his mettle in the 52nd Congressional District race

May 23, 2012 by Andy Cohen
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After careful consideration of the facts, the choice for this writer has become clear.

There has been an awful lot of handwringing and consternation regarding who should have the Democrats’ support in the 52nd District Congressional race. There are three major candidates for the newly redrawn, Central San Diego district: Democrats Scott Peters and Lori Saldaña, and incumbent Republican Brian Bilbray, formerly of the 50th Congressional District based in Coastal North San Diego County.

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Man on Sunset Cliffs Cited for Aiming Laser at Harbor Patrol – 2nd Point Loma Laser Incident in May

May 23, 2012 by Source
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by Debbi Baker / U-T San Diego / May 23, 2012

For the second time this month a green laser was aimed at the eyes of Harbor Police officers patrolling the shoreline.

The officers were about a half-mile offshore of Ocean Beach just before midnight Tuesday when the powerful beam was pointed at their faces, Harbor Police Sgt. Mike Rich said. They notified officers on the land, who searched Sunset Cliffs near Ladera Street for about 20 minutes before locating four men in their 20s on the beach, Rich said.

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Pass the California Homeowner Bill of Rights!

May 23, 2012 by Source
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Call to Action to Pass the California Homeowner Bill of Rights!

California is one of the easiest states in the union to foreclose upon people, as evidenced by the astounding 84 percent rate of fraudulent foreclosures in SF, that have occurred without legal documentation! The banking lobby has also bought the finance committee in the state legislature, so they have tabled the CA HBR. Please sign this SignOn petition.

Click here to sign petition:

http://signon.org/sign/pass-the-california-homeowne-3

By Charles Davidson

Support the California Homeowner Bill of Rights (HBR). The HBR is a package of bills that will give greater protection to homeowners facing foreclosure,

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Group Declares War On Spain – Maybe – and Announces SuperPac and Bakesales

May 23, 2012 by Doug Porter
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The May Greys were out in full force Tuesday morning as a fledgling new group calling itself “Fight4America” trotted out a media event down at “Tuna Park” in downtown San Diego. With the USS Midway looming in the background, organizers unveiled three 30 second television spots that will air in key markets when and if enough money is raised.

They also promised to spend money on behalf of candidates and lobby for policies that support their mission of turning America’s military into the fine fighting force like it was back in the Spanish American War.

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Homelessness Myth #22: ‘They Have Enough Money’

May 23, 2012 by Christine Schanes
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Do homeless people need money? Of course, housed or unhoused, we all need money. Some housed people believe that homeless people have enough money to get what they need.

However, do homeless people really have enough money to get what they need? I think not. For example, one of the most important things that any person needs is government-issued identification. People need this ID for many reasons, including to get a job, housing, food stamps (after the first month), healthcare, a bank account as well as to get married.

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Time will tell whether Arizona can get away with rewriting history

May 22, 2012 by Source
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BY J. A. Rippo / The Espresso / Originally published May 16, 2012

Arizona governor Jan Brewer has signed into law a bill that effectively ends Mexican-American studies classes in Arizona’s public schools (HB 2281). She did this after Tom Horne, a school superintendent and candidate for Attorney General, made noise about his dislike of a Mex-Am culture program in Tucson.

Horne and Brewer justified their action by claiming the classes promote the overthrow of the US government, preached resentment toward white people; particularly well-off ones, and urged ethnic solidarity at the expense of a melting-pot mentality.

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“A Cardboard Flavored Government.”

May 22, 2012 by Source
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By Josh Eisman

While Romney’s firm ran Dominos, the customers’ cost of a pizza was cut by nearly 35%. Pizza price and taxes are both forms of revenue, Mitt Romney has now vowed to cut government revenue.

In order to stay afloat with such low revenue, Romney’s firm cut the quality of current products and the research and development of future healthier products.

To deal with these cuts, Mitt Romney has vowed to cut social programs, green jobs and the development of college student’s (through student loans). He suggests he would de-regulate business and corporations, which would automatically reduce quality of these businesses.

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Eggshells as Garden Helpers – Less Trash, More Plants

May 22, 2012 by Source
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By John P. Anderson / WalkingMissEva

As anyone that helped our family move in the fall of 2010 can attest to, I have a healthy affinity for plants. Maybe slightly more than healthy, some might say. Either way I’ve really enjoyed having a yard to work in for the past year and have learned a lot about plants. I previously touched on using coffee as a fertilizer, today’s post is about the benefits that eggshells can bring to your yard and garden.

Commentary:

When we started our garden I was really disappointed to see our first plantings disappear almost overnight. Basil, tomatoes, cilantro, and many other seedlings we put into the garden would quickly lose most or all of their leaves. After a few nights of inspection with a flashlight I found multitudes of silverfish, slugs, and snails feasting on the greenery. I was unable to find a quick solution to the silverfish, but eggshells proved to be a strong deterrent to the slugs and snails and I learned they also provide a number of benefits to the soil and plants.

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On the road with condoms in Catholic Spain

May 22, 2012 by Source
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By Kit-Bacon Gressitt / Excuse Me, I’m Writing / May 20, 2012

Traveling is a great occupation — for so many reasons, not the least of which is the differences between home and “there,” wherever there might be. In this case, it’s Spain.

In Spain, my normal breakfast of Weetabix with raisins and organic milk is replaced with hearty ham and goat cheese, fresh fruit and coffee with hot milk.

In Spain, our rampant consumerism is replaced with a two-hour midday siesta, when shops are shuttered and families and friends leisurely dine together.

In Spain, my country’s clenched sphincter is replaced with a mobile prophylactic dispensary.

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San Diego’s ‘Strong Mayor’ System Worse Than You Might Think

May 22, 2012 by Source
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By Norma Damashek / NumbersRunner / May 18, 2012

Two things I need to clarify.

First thing: Some regular readers of NumbersRunner questioned last week’s harsh assessment of how San Diego is faring under our ‘strong mayor’ system. Actually, I understated the problems — they’re much worse than you think.

While it’s not unheard of for city leaders to sweep messy problems under the rug, the lack of professional management inside City Hall and the disintegration of public accountability and honest disclosure under our current mayor are — without a doubt — San Diego’s most closely guarded secrets since Diann Shipione (former board trustee of the San Diego City Employees Retirement System) spilled the beans about gross mismanagement, lack of disclosure, and deceptive practices shrouding our pension system.

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UPDATE: Police More Violent Than Demonstrators at Anti-NATO Protests in Chicago

May 21, 2012 by Source

Protest Roars to Life at Chicago NATO Summit in Face of Violent Police Crackdowns

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Veteran Scott Olsen returns his medal, nurses fight for their rights, and police crack skulls in the latest demonstration of 99% outrage.

By Matt Reichel / AlterNet / May 21, 2012 |

For weeks, people have speculated over the potential for a blooming “American Spring” this weekend in Chicago, when thousands were expected to come protest the meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. In the end, it might be more appropriate to speak of a newly born American Summer, as demonstrators were dosed with unseasonably warm 80- and 90-degree weather in a weekend that felt more like July than May.

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Topless Women Protest Decency Laws in Venice Beach and Portland

May 21, 2012 by Staff
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Up at Venice Beach a hundred miles away and further north in Portland, Oregon, women – and men – are protesting laws against women going top-less in public.

In Venice Beach – a community of Los Angeles that looks a like like Ocean Beach, only three times larger – a protest was held by women going top-less as they protested and strolled down the Boardwalk. Men in support accompanied them wearing bikini tops. The men also wore bottoms. The protest was organized by a group called “Go Topless”. They say laws discriminate against women by forcing them to wear tops in public, and the laws are unconstitutional.

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The People’s Pushback Against the Billionaire’s Plan for Balboa Park Grows

May 21, 2012 by Source

Editor: Opposition by the public – the people of San Diego – to the plan for Balboa Park by Irwin Jacob – the billionaire – is growing. On Friday, May 18th, San Diego’s Historical Resources Board voted against it unanimously, and on the day before, the Park and Recreation Board voted 5-4 against it. The plan, the Plaza de Panama plan, will be taken up by the Planning Commission on June 7 and by the San Diego City Council on July 9.

By Roger Showley / U-T San Diego / May 18, 2012

San Diego’s Historical Resources Board voted unanimously Friday [May 18] against the Plaza de Panama plan for Balboa Park.

It was the second city board to register its opposition, following Thursday’s 5-4 vote by the Park and Recreation Board. The Planning Commission is scheduled to act June 7 and the City Council, July 9.

By Save Our Heritage Organization

Opposition to the controversial Plaza de Panama plan for Balboa Park is building into a groundswell, as the design team’s cost estimates balloon, from $40 million to $45 million in a matter of days, and doubts arise over completing construction by 2015, the centennial of the Panama-California Exposition.

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Over 2,000 Americans Wrongfully Imprisoned Since 1989

May 21, 2012 by Source

The Innocence Project in New York says DNA alone has freed 289 prisoners since 1989.

By David G. Savage / LA Times / May 21, 2012

WASHINGTON — More than 2,000 people have been freed from prison since 1989 after they were found to have been wrongly convicted of serious crimes, according to a new National Registry of Exonerations compiled by University of Michigan Law School and Northwestern University.

Its sponsors say it is by far the largest database of such cases, and they hope it will help reveal why the criminal justice system sometimes misfires, prosecuting and convicting the innocent.

“The more we learn about false convictions, the better we’ll be at preventing them,” said Samuel Gross, a University of Michigan law professor.

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Veterans Throw Medals Into the Street as Protest Against Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

May 21, 2012 by Source
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See here for Chicago braces for final day of anti-NATO protests as demonstrators march on Boeing HQ

Reuters / May 20, 2012

Nearly 50 U.S. military veterans at an anti-NATO rally in Chicago threw their service medals into the street on Sunday, an action they said symbolized their rejection of the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of the veterans, many wearing military uniform shirts over black anti-war t-shirts, choked back tears as they explained their actions. Others folded an American flag while a bugle played “Taps,” which is typically performed at U.S. military funerals.

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A Ragster’s Personal Endorsement of Denise Moreno Ducheny in the 51st Congressional District

May 21, 2012 by Anna Daniels
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Another Endorsement That Hasn’t Happened Yet (But Still Could)

I didn’t realize that my House congressional district had been redrawn until a Juan Vargas campaign walker knocked upon my door in City Heights. I had to stop and think a moment. I had spent a number of yes, dramatic years, in Susan Davis’ district and it took me a moment to process the impact of the redistricting and that now I’m in the 51st Congressional District.

It took me less than a minute to respond to the question whether I would support Juan Vargas. When asked I said “No. Absolutely not and I’ll tell you why. He went missing on the single payer healthcare vote earlier this year.” Vargas ducked the vote, twice, despite receiving thousands of calls urging him to support the bill.

Vargas was presented with the “Spineless Rubber Chicken” award for sitting out a critical vote on this particular issue. We have a Democratic governor and a Democratic majority in the California legislature and the single payer health care option with dental coverage for our families and neighbor is dead, lacking two votes.

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Scott Peters and the New Democrat Coalition to the Rescue?

May 21, 2012 by Jim Miller
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If you really want to understand what’s at stake in the race for the 52nd Congressional District between Scott Peters and Lori Saldaña, the most important thing to consider is not personality conflicts or whether the candidates get along with the media but which wing of the Democratic Party they would represent. Both want to unseat incumbent Republican Brian Bilbray, but whose interests would each candidate serve? What kind of Democratic Party would they help shape?

As has been noted elsewhere in the OB Rag, Saldaña has the backing of many local and national progressives and would certainly head straight into the Progressive Caucus. This is the most liberal caucus in the House and describes itself thusly:

Our Caucus members promote a strong, progressive agenda, what we call “The Progressive Promise–Fairness for All”. The Progressive Promise is rooted in four core principles that embody national priorities and are consistent with the values, needs and aspirations of all the American people, not just the powerful and the privileged. They reflect a fundamental belief in government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

The four, core principles of the Progressive Promise:

1. Fighting for economic justice and security for all;

2. Protecting and preserving our civil rights and civil liberties;

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Donna Frye: The Connections Between Water, City Loans, and Prop A

May 21, 2012 by Source

By Donna Frye / Voice of San Diego / May 21, 2012

If you don’t know about the relationship between state low interest loans for city wastewater and water projects, city bond offering documents and Proposition A’s proposed ban on Project Labor Agreements, you will probably want to read this to the end.

Fact is, they have a lot in common and it’s an interesting relationship.

On Tuesday May 22, the City Council will vote on two agenda items, 51 and 52, that allow the city to borrow money from the State Revolving Fund (SRF) program at a “low 2.0933% for a 20-year term”. Both items are for public infrastructure projects; one is for wastewater and the other is for replacing old water mains. Combined, the city is seeking to borrow approximately $30 million at this low rate of interest.

Some background in the agenda:

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Yes on Proposition 29!

May 21, 2012 by Judi Curry
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Thirty-two months on the 21st of May my husband of 44 years passed away from Lung Cancer. He began smoking while still in high school, and before he stopped smoking 34 years later, he admitted to smoking three packs of cigarettes a day. I always wondered that if he admitted to smoking 3 packs a day, how many packs did he really smoke.

He would say that if he had known the evils of tobacco he probably would never had had that first puff. That’s what he would say, but is it the truth? Who knows?

He was a charming blue-eyed Irishman that frequently had a twinkle in his eye. He was a leader, not a follower, and I suspect that if he thought it was “cool” to smoke, he would have smoked. But there was no research like there is today; when he finally did stop smoking – 31 years BEFORE he died – he stopped because he finally believed what research was telling him. He thought that by quitting smoking, he was prolonging his life, and the cause of death would never be “lung cancer.”

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Craziness in Chicago: NATO, Protests, Nurses, Vets Throw Away Medals, and Trumped Up ‘Terrorism’ Charges?

May 19, 2012 by Frank Gormlie
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This weekend is the crazy weekend for Chicago. NATO is meeting about Afghanistan, protests are happening, nurses storm the streets demanding taxes on the rich wearing Robin Hood masks on, Iraq and Afganistan veterans are throwing away their medals in protest of the wars – and now, an attempt to trump it all, we have “terrorism” charges against some activists which are being met with swift denials and charges of “set up”.

President Obama had a sleep-over for world leaders at Camp David, getting ready for a G8 meeting on Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, dozens of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars plan on leading a march of thousands on Sunday, May 21, alongside Vietnam veterans, and will be presenting their medals to NATO officials during. This anti-war march will proceed through Chicago’s downtown area to the convention center where NATO is holding its summit.

And of course, inside the summit will be President Obama and other world leaders. The City of Chicago is bracing for major protests. Organizers are hoping the rally, which caps a week-long series of anti-NATO actions, will draw thousands. The Iraq and Afghanistan and Vietnam veterans will hold a reconciliation

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SEMPRA Denies Activists Access to Deliver Letter Outlining San Onofre Concerns

May 19, 2012 by Source
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SEMPRA denies activists access to property to deliver letter outlining their concerns about the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant – (Or Marcia, Carol, Hugh and Ray’s magnificent adventure)

by Carol Jahnkow

May 19, 2012–Representatives of the Peace Resource Center of San Diego, Citizens Oversight Project, the Green Party of San Diego and the newly formed Shut San Onofre Working Group were told Friday morning by SEMPRA security officers that they would not be allowed on SEMPRA’s property at 101 Ash Street to deliver a letter directed to SEMPRA Executive Chairman, Donald Felsinger.

Marcia Patt, Hugh Moore, Carol Jahnkow and Ray Lutz were told that instead, a security officer would come out to the street to accept the letter on behalf of SEMPRA Executive Chairman, Donald Felsinger. Three San Diego Police Department cars with 5-6 officers observed from across the street.

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Report on Ocean Beach Planners’ Hearing on Proposed Waterfront Design Changes

May 19, 2012 by Christopher Dotson
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From OB Planning Board Project Review Committee Meeting of May 16th, wherein the “Ocean Beach Master Plan” is renamed “Waterfront Enhancement”, and more …

Last Wednesday evening, the Ocean Beach Planning Board Project Review Committee met at the OB Recreation Center. It’s worth noting the first change to the agenda was item#1, originally entitled the “Ocean Beach Master Plan”. At the onset of discussions, it was requested by the submitters to rename the agenda item as “Waterfront Enhancement”. The new proposal was discussed too briefly, and it is expected to grow as additional projects are developed.

Currently, the plan lists a series of important and independent projects around town. A new committee has been formed around these efforts, and they are requesting additional members join them from the community at-large. The newly formed committee has several important tasks, as they work together to develop and submit more formal plans and proposals intended to modernize the legacy of our waterfront areas and reshape our “funky” OB imagery.

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A Ragster’s Personal Endorsement of Lori Saldana

May 19, 2012 by Doug Porter
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The Endorsement That Hasn’t Happened Yet (But Still Could)

Lori Saldana vs Scott Peters for the 52nd Congressional District seat. This should be a no-brainer, right?

Saldana’s taken on the big boys twice in races for the California Legislature and won against long odds. She’s been endorsed by scads of nationally recognized progressive organizations, from Act Blue to the National Organization for Women. Her voting record in the California Assembly showed smarts, a determination to get the right things done and the courage to say “no” when it could be politically damaging. The right wingers loathe her, starting with the minutemen and ending with the “open carry” people. Her campaign is “grassroots” all the way. She does not suffer fools lightly.

Peters, on the other hand, is a highly likeable, handsome mostly centrist democrat. His campaign has scads of money. He is the personification of what a certain Mayoral candidate who-will-not-be-named calls a ‘downtown insider’, having served on the City Council and been appointed to the Port Commission, a plum job if there ever was one. He gives the impression of being ‘connected’ and a ‘take charge kind of guy’. He’s personally wealthy and has flooded the market with TV ads touting his appreciation for the middle class. He’s also running Facebook ads that tout him as the “progressive who can win”.

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Minority Rule and the Hijacking of Government in the California Legislature

May 19, 2012 by Andy Cohen
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The two-thirds requirement to pass legislation is grinding the state’s government–and the economy–to a halt.

Last month Los Angeles Times columnist George Skelton dished out some harsh criticism for California Governor Jerry Brown for his challenge to the state Legislature to “man up” and pass his proposed spending cuts. In addition to his push for a ballot initiative in November to temporarily raise state sales taxes and income taxes on those Californians earning more than $250,000 per year, the governor said it will also be necessary to slash spending due to the larger than expected projected budget shortfall for the coming fiscal year. At the time, the expected shortfall was just north of $9 billion.

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Who the San Diego Left Endorses in the June California Primary

May 18, 2012 by Frank Gormlie
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Just having finished a review of who – and what – the San Diego Left endorses for this June’s Primary, I wanted to offer a summary of where different groups and media projects are at with the current crop of candidates and propositions. (Note: not all races are covered, especially those of smaller municipalities and non-controversial propositions).

First – of course, there is a left in San Diego politics – so, those who cannot accept it, get over it. (For a refresher course on left vs right, see here and here.) The groups reviewed for their endorsements are all left or left-of-center. And by reporting on any group’s choices does not mean that I necessarily endorse them, their choices, or politics.

I scanned the endorsements of the following news sources and organizations:

  • CityBeat – the weekly magazine is generally left-of-center in their views, policies, and endorsements.
  • Democratic Socialists of America – clearly a left organization – an out-and-out “socialist” stance. Here’s their endorsements in a pdf file: Download File
  • Progressive Democrats of America – they have a local progressive group, on the activist left side of the Democratic Party.
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Bill To End Indefinite Detention Fails In House

May 18, 2012 by Source

WASHINGTON — A judge may have found unconstitutional the law that allows people to be held indefinitely without trial by the military, but the House of Representatives voted Friday to keep it anyway. On Wednesday, Federal Judge Katherine Forrest found that the law violates rights to free speech and due process. But House members defended […]

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Amy Goodman’s Interview of Chris Hedges on “Monumental” Ruling Blocking NDAA Indefinite Detention

May 18, 2012 by Source
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From Democray Now / May 17, 2012

AMY GOODMAN: A federal judge Wednesday struck down part of a controversial law signed by President Obama that gave the government the power to indefinitely detain anyone it considers a terrorism suspect anywhere in the world without charge or trial, including U.S. citizens. The ruling came in a lawsuit challenging the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, filed by a group of journalists, scholars and political activists including Noam Chomsky, Daniel Ellsberg, Chris Hedges, Naomi Wolf and Cornel West [correction: Wolf and West are not plaintiffs but in the process of becoming plaintiffs].

Judge Katherine Forrest of the Southern District of New York struck down the indefinite detention provision, saying it likely violates the First and Fifth Amendments of U.S. citizens. The judge rejected the Obama administration’s argument that the NDAA merely reaffirmed an existing law recognizing the military’s right to perform certain routine duties.

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Cruisin’ Califas: The Art of Lowriding

May 18, 2012 by Source
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From La Prensa / Originally published May 10, 2012

The personalized automobiles known as “Lowriders,” are part of a subculture whose aesthetic tendencies cross over into the world of fine art. Lowrider describes a car that is typically customized with a hydraulic setup to be low to the ground, with an elaborate paint job, striking chrome features and uniquely designed upholstery. But this term reaches beyond cars, and has become a cultural phenomenon and way of life for many people.

Today Lowrider culture can be seen not only in cars and motorcycles, but also in sculptures, photography and paintings as a way for people to express their individuality and cultural pride. This exhibition will feature a display of full-size cars, motorcycles and bicycles that have been created in the Lowrider style.

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Four to five cups of coffee a day keeps the doctor away.

May 18, 2012 by Source
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By Michael Greger, M.D. / HuffPost / May 18, 2012

Yesterday was a good morning to wake up and smell the coffee. The New England Journal of Medicine published outcomes from the the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, which found drinking coffee was associated with living longer in both men and women. This is not only the largest study ever to look into this question, NIH-AARP is one of the largest prospective (forward-looking) studies ever performed on nutrition and disease, following more than a half million people for a dozen years.

This follows on the heels of an editorial published last month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition entitled “Coffee Consumption and Risk of Chronic Diseases: Changing Our Views,” which reviewed the growing evidence that for most people, the benefits of drinking coffee likely outweigh the risks. Though the study published today found no significant relationship between coffee consumption and cancer, a recent analysis of the best studies published to date suggests coffee consumption may lead to a modest reduction in overall cancer incidence. Each daily cup o’ joe was associated with about a 3% reduced risk of cancers, especially bladder, breast, mouth, colorectal, endometrial, esophageal, liver, leukemic, pancreatic, and prostate cancers.

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Paul Krugman: Apocalypse Fairly Soon

May 18, 2012 by Source
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By Paul Krugman / New York Times / May 17, 2012

Suddenly, it has become easy to see how the euro — that grand, flawed experiment in monetary union without political union — could come apart at the seams. We’re not talking about a distant prospect, either. Things could fall apart with stunning speed, in a matter of months, not years. And the costs — both economic and, arguably even more important, political — could be huge.

This doesn’t have to happen; the euro (or at least most of it) could still be saved. But this will require that European leaders, especially in Germany and at the European Central Bank, start acting very differently from the way they’ve acted these past few years. They need to stop moralizing and deal with reality; they need to stop temporizing and, for once, get ahead of the curve.

I wish I could say that I was optimistic.

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