Where Immigration, Migration & Security Collide

In a post 9/11, post 9/11 commission world, one would think that the processes of the sharing of information and the logjams of communication within our bureaucratic infrastructure would have been of paramount concern when drafting new legislation in the Senate.

Not so, last week the Senate passed by 62-36 what they thought was a credible solution to our immigration and migration problem without recognizing the importance of the security background check processes when they disallowed the sharing of information between agencies due to confidentiality reasons.

Liberal Senators argued that sharing information between government agencies would discourage some aliens from coming forward and applying for "a path to citizenship".

Excerpts from The Washington Times -

Immigration agency head slams Senate's alien bill
By Stephen Dinan - THE WASHINGTON TIMES - June 1, 2006

The Senate immigration bill makes the same mistake as the 1986 amnesty by restricting the ability of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to share information on illegal alien guest-worker applicants who are criminals and terrorists, the agency's director said yesterday.

Emilio T. Gonzalez, whose agency would have to administer a guest-worker program, said not allowing the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to share information on someone who applies means they cannot begin the process of removing criminals and national security threats, even after they are rejected from the guest-worker program.

"It is important for us to be able to act on what we get when we run a background check on somebody," Mr. Gonzalez said in a briefing with reporters in which he weighed in on the Senate immigration bill, which would offer a chance for citizenship to millions of illegal aliens, expand legal immigration and start a new foreign-worker program.
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Yesterday was the second time Mr. Gonzalez met with reporters since taking over as director on Jan. 4, and he is juggling an ongoing backlog reduction at the same time he is preparing his agency for new instructions from Congress. He said much press attention has been given to the guest-worker program, but the Senate bill also includes a major increase in legal permanent residents, or "green card" holders, which his agency will also have to process.
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He said his agency will need at least six months and maybe as much as a year to register current illegal aliens for a foreign-worker program -- far longer than the Senate bill envisions.

On the issue of information sharing and confidentiality of applications, Mr. Gonzalez said the law usually allows his agency to share information when its employees come across an application that raises questions. But he said the 1986 amnesty included confidentiality provisions that prohibited sharing information from those applications, and he said the Senate bill makes the same mistake.

"We ought not to be kept from using that information," he said
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Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican, offered an amendment to change the confidentiality requirements. His amendment failed on a tie vote, 49-49.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat and a key backer of the Senate bill, fought Mr. Cornyn's amendment. He said the underlying bill struck a balance that still allows law enforcement to go after cheaters, while at the same time not discouraging illegal aliens from coming forward.

"Our bill removes criminals and those trying to game the system. But it also protects the confidentiality of honest people applying to stay here and work. Otherwise they will remain in the underground economy and never apply, and that hurts American jobs and wages," he said.

His main worry was that sharing information would discourage some aliens from coming forward because they would fear making an innocent mistake that would hurt them later.
Read All>>

At MAXINE, we believe "simple is, is what simple does" - Fence First ... Then Enforce Existing Law! - And start sharing the information between agencies to increase our security as it was recommended in the 9/11 commission report.

"An Inconvenient Truth" Trailer Reviewed - Brilliant!

Mount Kilimanjaro 100 years ago (observe massive snowcap)








Mount Kilimanjaro today (no snowcap whatsoever). Image Credit: Groupthink








With trailers and reviews like this, who needs to see the movie? Apologies to all of those who find a tongue in cheek a little hard to swallow.

The following should be read loudly with a dramatic, theatric oratory style - sitting on a stool with just the right amount of backlighting.

This from Groupthink via Pajamas Media -

Open Letter to President Gore
By Prof Peter Kurgman, PhD^3 - 5/23/2006, 7:00 pm

Your Excellency:

I am frightened. Very frightened.

Because I have seen the trailer for your classic film, An Inconvenient Truth.

Your cinematic skills taught me that the future is one of "hundreds of millions of refugees," fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, nuclear disasters, and terrifying PowerPoint slides - all occurring within seven seconds.

You see, unlike you and me, most people do not know that ten of the hottest years ever were within the last fourteen years. Yes, that simple fact is too abstract for the masses of weak minds to understand - which is why I am glad that you mentioned it. But perhaps you should have illustrated that point by mentioning how the wettest ten hours all day happened to be in the last twelve hours? Or perhaps you should have used some simple sports analogy; e.g.., Baby Ruth's (or whatever her name was) most home runs were in her third, fifth, and sixth or whatever seasons. What were the odds of that happening?

And yet I am concerned. Along with you, President Gore, I weep for our planet and how it has been raped. Just dragged in the bushes and raped! Repeatedly raped. In every orifice and in every way, in and out, in and out, in and out, raped, raped, raped and raped. With open sores in contact with putrid bodily fluids, and with violent screams of suffering and impending death, our planet, our lovely lovely planet, is now covered with hideous scars and is permanently disfigured, with its internal organs mutilated beyond any hope of recovery. Mr. President, I understand that, and I thank you for illustrating it so well.

But back to the trailer. Thank you for mentioning that the hottest year ever was 2005. Dammit, why don't more people listen to you? We both know, that without the interference of humans, there would be no hottest year. All years would be equal. Just as all people would be equal without the right-wing religious zealots who stole your presidency. Yes, my President, you too were raped - just like Earth itself. And that is why you can empathize with the planet. Basically, you and Earth are feminine beings whose dignity has been violated. And believe me, I can sympathize with that.

But back to the trailer. At the 41st second, you speak truth to power: "The scientific consensus is that we are causing global warming." But, with all due respect, Mr. President, you forgot to mention the logical solution. Perhaps this is because you feel guilty about having children? Well, for the rest of us, there should be and must be mandatory human extinction to save the planet. No more breeding. Ever. Humans will never be able to foul this beautiful planet again.

But back to the trailer. The before-and-after pictures of Patagonia and Kilimanjaro with and without snow cover are startling. And deathly frightening. I, for one, have never seen any patch of land covered with snow - and then without snow! The juxtaposition of these landscapes made me violently ill, as I am sure it also made you violently ill. I vomited my cauliflower-and-tofu, Mr. President - and since your diet is just like mine, I know what a mess it must have been when you saw those pictures, because, with all due respect, Mr. President, your appetite looks much larger than mine.

But back to the trailer. You say that "temperature increases are occurring all over the world". I verified this phenomenon just today, in fact, when the temperature rose an astounding ten degrees between breakfast and lunch! And yes, I too would describe that as "the biggest crisis in the history of this country", just as you do in your movie!But the money quote is when you point at a white shape and state that "if this were to go, sea levels world-wide would go up twenty feet". And then, just like that, Florida, Shanghai, and Calcutta all change colors! And the "World Trade Center Memorial would be under water!" And then you show people in New Orleans and then an ice avalanche, and by then, I was completely petrified by amazement, fear, disgust, and loathing.

Mr. President, I am a very busy professor, swamped with responsibilities and burdens, and my hectic schedule leaves no time to see your movie. But that will not stop me from incessantly demanding that everyone I know (least of all my students!) see it several times. And I will make certain that they know why we are in such peril (humans, capitalism, Zionism), and what solutions are needed (human extinction, scientific socialism, and the destruction of the Zionist Entity).

Mr. President, your credibility is at a zenith, and your sharp and humane prescriptions for our planet must not be ignored. Our choice is simple: Listen to you, or suffer. And as much as I think we deserve the latter, we owe it to ourselves to follow the former.

Respectfully Yours, Professor Peter Alan Kurgman, PhD, PhD, PhD
Link Here>>

Maxine suggests a remedy to combat CO2 with Fear, Itch, Fear, Itch-Don't Plants Give Off Oxygen? post.

Additional Reference:
Global Warming Is Less Alarming, Scientists Say
NON-PROFIT, Non-Math on "Global Warming"

Moral Relativism - Political Parties Gone Wild

Moral Relativism - Political Parties Gone Wild

When is it a good idea for a society to continue to give a group of people confidence for their ideas and point of view? In this case - NEVER.

Excerpts from Reuters -

Dutch pedophiles to launch political party
Reuters - 1 hour, 35 minutes ago

AMSTERDAM - Dutch pedophiles are launching a political party to push for a cut in the legal age for sexual relations to 12 from 16 and the legalization of child pornography and sex with animals.

The Charity, Freedom and Diversity (NVD) party said on its Web site it would be officially registered Wednesday, proclaiming: "We are going to shake The Hague awake!"

The party said it wanted to cut the legal age for sexual relations to 12 and eventually scrap the limit altogether.
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"We want to make pedophilia the subject of discussion," he said, adding that the subject had been a taboo since the 1996 Marc Dutroux child abuse scandal in neighboring Belgium. "We have been hushed up. The only way is through parliament."

The Netherlands already has liberal policies on soft drugs, prostitution, and gay marriage, but the NVD is unlikely to win much support, the AD quoted experts as saying.

"They make out as if they want more rights for children. But their position that children should be allowed sexual contact from age 12 is of course just in their own interest," anti-pedophile campaigner Ireen van Engelen told the daily.
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The party also said everybody should be allowed to go naked in public.

The party's program also includes ideas for other areas of public policy including legalizing all soft and hard drugs and free train travel for all.
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NBC News with its report on the Pedophiles in The Netherlands forming a political party to effect laws:

Dutch pedophiles form political party

May 31, 2006, 6:17 PM PDT / Source: The Associated Press

Dutch  pedophiles founded a political party Wednesday with the platform of lowering age of consent to 12. Members claim to have support from all corners of the country, but none showed at launch.

WIKIPEDIA - Party for Neighbourly Love, Freedom and Diversity

Okay, free train travel for all - Now that's the ticket.

TAGS: PNVD, Dutch, The Netherlands, Party For Neighborly Love Freedom And Diversity, Wikipedia, NBC News, Reuters, Associated Press, Dissolution, MAXINE

Sandtrap Play At It's Best

A golfer plays an iron shot out of the rough on a roadside desert golf track in Walvis Bay, Namibia, May 16, 2006. The nine-hole course dubbed the 'West Side Club' has no greens or tees, water or grass. Stinging sand and gusts of wind whistle through a lone row of palm trees on the edge of the forbidding Namib desert. Photo Credit: Stringer/Files/Reuters

Ahhh, yes! The siren song of addictive, compulsive behavior. We at MAXINE know it well; however, given my recent sandtrap play ... it looks like quadruple-bogey golf to me.

Keep your head down, as you take the shot - have the club land just about an inch or so behind the ball, remember to swing all of the way through the shot, if you look up to see the shot ... you will be looking at a bad shot, accuracy over distance!

Excerpts from Reuters via Yahoo! News -

Golf fanatics tackle Namibia's barren dunes
By Gordon Bell – REUTERS, Mon May 29, 2006

WALVIS BAY, Namibia - Elen Gubeb's tattered sandals and torn jeans don't match his pricey new Mizuno glove, but dress is not important at this home-made golf track on Namibia's desert coast, an unlikely golf hotspot.

The 20-year-old part-time caddy practices with a classic swing as the first of a group of eight players tees off from a small rocky mound nearby.
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"I don't work, I just play golf everyday," says Gubeb, one of thousands of youths unable to find permanent work in the poor southern African nation.
The Namib, the world's oldest living desert, and the barren Skeleton Coast limit employment options in the former German colony that for decades was under the control of neighboring South Africa.
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"Sometimes I imagine myself as Ernie Els or Tiger Woods, I use my imagination and love it," he adds in faltering English, clutching his Nike shirt.

Alec Williams, director of golf at the country club in the capital city Windhoek, said interest in golf was growing fast among Nambia's youth.
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Namibia, with just two million people, has been thrust into the spotlight with the surprise arrival of Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to have their first baby in the remote west coast region.
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There are only four grass courses in Namibia -- a country slightly smaller than France and Germany combined -- although almost all other reasonably-sized towns have "courses" made of a mixture of sand and oil.
The West Side Club has neither grass nor oil but the frustrations of the game are as brutally real as on any golf course.
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The course's nine holes range from 110 meters (yards) on the par 3s to about 350 meters for a par 5, although the distances, after many years, remain an educated guess.
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"I know it's a rich man's game, but we just want to try," explains Gubeb over the din of laughter as a 17-year-old novice burrows the Hippo driver into the sand, gently toppling the ball from the tee.
Read All>>

Fear, Itch, Fear, Itch-Don't Plants Give Off Oxygen?

Poison Ivy - Rhus radicans Image Credit: Science U

On the one hand we have Al Gore creating fear at the movies and on the other, the MSM machine creating itch in news stories about poison ivy - fear & itch ... all based on the theory of global warming. Honestly, don't growing plants give off oxygen and counteract the effects of carbon dioxide?

What are we complaining about - wear jeans and a long sleeve shirt when walking in the forest. This could be the answer to all of our problems, growing faster and bigger poison ivy for oxygen.

So, what do you think is happening over at Mount Merapi, Indonesia? Any CO2 there?

This from the AP via Yahoo! News -

Study: global warming boosts poison ivy
Associated Press - Mon May 29, 5:21 PM ET

WASHINGTON - Another reason to worry about global warming: more and itchier poison ivy. The noxious vine grows faster and bigger as carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rise, researchers report Monday.

And a CO2-driven vine also produces more of its rash-causing chemical, urushiol, conclude experiments conducted in a forest at Duke University where scientists increased carbon-dioxide levels to those expected in 2050 [estimated].

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas — a chemical that traps heat similar to the way a greenhouse does — that's considered a major contributor to global warming. Greenhouse gases have been steadily increasing in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution.

Poison ivy is common in woods around the country, making it a bane of hikers, campers, fighters of forest fires, even backyard gardeners. Its itchy, sometimes blistering rash is one of the most widely reported ailments to poison-control centers, with more than 350,000 reported cases a year.

Compared to poison ivy grown in usual atmospheric conditions, those exposed to the extra-high carbon dioxide grew about three times larger — and produced more allergenic form of urushiol, scientists from Duke and Harvard University reported.

Their study appears in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"The fertilization effect of rising CO2 on poison ivy ... and the shift toward a more allergenic form of urushiol have important implications for the future health of both humans and forests," the study concludes.
Link Here>>

"Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific 'Ring of Fire', an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. It has 76 volcanos, the largest number of any nation." (HT: IRWAN FIRDAUS, Associated Press Writer)

There has to be alot of CO2 production around this part of the Globe! Let's put in a greenhouse.

Don't ya' just love the instructive way these AP guys write? Man, I do.

UPDATE - Excerpts from Al Gore's statements made in England's Hay Festival:

This from BBC News -

Gore in Hay climate change plea
Former US vice-president Al Gore owned up to failing to get his climate change message across as a politician when he appeared at the Hay Festival. By BBC News Writer

In his first UK speech on the subject, Mr Gore promised to devote himself to the task of warning people about the impending "planetary emergency".

He appealed to the audience to act to halt the growing crisis.

"I will own up to shortcomings in my ability to communicate," said Mr Gore.
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Mr Gore was the key note speaker of the 19th Hay Festival on the mid-Wales border.
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But Mr Gore, fresh from an appearance at the Cannes film festival, delivered a starker message that the world was now facing a "danger which could bring the end of civilisation."
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He was asked by a member of the Hay Festival audience to run for president again.

But Mr Gore replied: "I honestly believe that the role I can most usefully play is to try to change the minds of the American people...about what this crisis is about."
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In a passionate speech, Mr Gore said: "We face a challenge in the conversation of democracy that we must be up to in order to save the climate balance on which our civilisation depends."
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He said he believed scientists who said that there may be 10 years remaining to avoid "crossing the point of no return".

"Then does that change you? It should, it's happening on our watch," said the former vice-president.

He said he was "carbon neutral" himself and he tried to offset any plane flight or car journey by "purchasing verifiable reductions in CO2 elsewhere".
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Hey Al, how does one make a Volcano "carbon neutral"? I suggest it would be about as possible as finding out the truth as to how "carbon neutral" you really are through "purchasing verifiable reductions in CO2 elsewhere".

A Current Kind Of Memory On Memorial Day

U.S. soldiers stand in a formation during a Memorial Day ceremony held at the Bagram U.S. military base, north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, May 28, 2006. Photo Credit: AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd

Being a veteran of the Viet Nam Era, my past memories of Memorial Day are of the "honoring of the dead" type where the living and surviving members of the conflict rarely had a role and, in many cases, were vilified.

This era is different. I was watching a two hour Memorial Day special from the Discovery Channel that featured Long Beach's Jesse James of Monster Garage fame as he went to Iraq to visit with our troops, and something he said struck a note. What he said had an element of getting outside of ones own thinking that extends to include a greater community of Americans ... "If these people really believe in what they are doing, then I have to believe in [the value] what they are doing."

During the Viet Nam era, things were different, in that many of us who served were drafted and placed into service without really knowing what we believed in ... let alone believing in the mission of "what we were doing". Further, at home, there existed a disconnect between the mission of military effort and the greater community of Americans.

Today, I pray for all of those in our armed forces who have committed themselves and gave the ultimate sacrifice for all of us to live in freedom - but further - I will pray for the survivors of the fallen as well as all of those who have committed themselves to stand-up and serve in the armed forces so that we (and others throughout the world) may continue to live in freedom.

Excerpts from The Christian Science Monitor -

With war on, Americans have troops in mind
By Brad Knickerbocker, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor - Fri May 26, 4:00 AM ET

Americans will still fire up their barbecues, watch parades, and go camping this weekend. But for the first time in a generation, Memorial Days are coming during prolonged armed conflict. That has strengthened ties between civilians and soldiers, bringing a marked change in the way people will observe the holiday this year.

Politicians of all persuasions are pushing for better veterans' services, including healthcare for the living and survivors' benefits for those who've lost loved ones. Many states are now providing free tuition at public colleges and universities for the children of those killed in war zones.

Since terrorists attacked the United States in 2001, communities around the country have begun to bring back traditional Memorial Day ceremonies - many of them featuring Iraq war vets.

It's part of growing public interest in military affairs, historians say. And this time, unlike in the Vietnam era, declining support for the war has not eroded backing for the troops, say many of those taking part in Memorial Day ceremonies.
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Part of this post-Vietnam urge to separate the warrior from the war has to do with the portrait of the typical soldier today. Unlike his or her father, who probably would have gone to Vietnam right out of school, today's GI is more likely to be older, to be married, and to have children. Especially among those in National Guard or Reserve units, he or she is likely to have strong work and community connections.

More family men and women in the war zone also means more dependents to care for in the wake of combat casualties. The 2,404 men and 55 women killed in Iraq have left an estimated 1,700 children without their parent.
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"Memorial Day is about thanking those who are there and honoring those who didn't come back," says Rick Marsh, president of the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers' Association. "So we're sending them a little bit of Vermont, a little thank-you."
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Rita Payne, who runs Roman Catholic programs at Fort Campbell, sees a growing reverence for Memorial Day.

"There is a more deepening of faith, of spirituality and just prayerfulness," she says. "People take it upon themselves to do something positive, and prayer seems to be our greatest weapon right now."
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#6 Sam Hornish Jr. wins the 90th Indianapolis 500!

Sam Hornish, racing for Team Penske, takes the traditional "sip" of milk for winning the 90th running of the Indianapolis 500 open-wheel auto race. Image Credit: IndyCar.com

Andretti's fill out the podium!

A star is born in nineteen year old Marco Andretti leading after turn four of the last lap and getting beat in the second closest finish (0.0635 sec.) in Indianapolis 500 history. Rookie of the year honors go to Marco Andretti, long may he run!

Michael Andretti finishes third on strategy having a slow car all day. Fuel consumption management played a big role with both Hornish and Michael's run in the final stint to the end.

For Team Penske, this marks the 14th win with 10 different drivers.

A serious race with a serious finish. 200 Laps - Session Time: 3h 17m 16s

"Technology Smiling" - A Collage

This Mona Lisa, on exhibition in Beijing, is made of computer parts, and titled "Technology Smiling." Photo Credit: AP/EyePress

Mona Lisa Made From Computer Parts

(HT: Boing Boing)

Lance Armstrong Paces The Indy 500

Lance Armstrong, The Chevrolet Corvette pace car, and the 2006 starting field for Sunday's Indianapolis 500 with bicycles. Image Credit: Dana Garrett

An American legend leads out the Indianapolis 500, an American institution. The world's toughest competitor and the world's most watched sporting event ... a match made in heven.

Now, Lady and Gentleman, start your bicycles!

This from IndyCar.Com -

Steady pace
Seven-time Tour winner Armstrong prepares to drive Indy 500 Pace Car
By Dave Lewandowski - indycar.com, Saturday, May 27, 2006

Lance Armstrong received his first bicycle at about the same age (7) as many IndyCar Series driver started racing go-karts. He wasn’t concerned that it was brown with yellow wheels. It had two wheels and he rode all across Plano, Texas.

Similarly, in his first competition, he wore a pink jacket on loan from his mother to combat the chilly morning New Mexico air. And when his hair fell out because of radiation treatments for cancer a decade ago, appearance didn’t concern Armstrong.

The seven-time Tour de France winner who will drive the Pace Car in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” fronted the field of 33 drivers who will compete May 28 – proud of his accomplishments in his grueling sport and proud of the foundation he started to aid cancer research and help those afflicted live strong. He might have retired from competitive cycling, but Armstrong is on another mission.

Each of the drivers straddled a sleek Trex bicycle bearing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Wing & Wheel and 90th Indianapolis 500 event logos for a formal photograph on the frontstretch of the historic oval. Next, the bikes, bearing the signature of the driver, will auctioned with the proceeds benefiting the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

A brief question and answer session with Armstrong, 34, who will drive the 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Pace Car.


Q. Your name will now not only be connected to the Tour but connected to the Indy 500. That’s two very different world-class sporting events. How’s it feel to add another medal to the chest?

A. All I can say is that when we got the phone call to ask if I was interested in driving the Pace Car at Indy, it was a very short conversation. It was like: “Are you kidding? Of course.” It is a huge honor and something that I am very excited to do.”


Q. There are a lot of big names associated with the Indianapolis 500. Even Colin Powell was a Pace Car driver. What’s it like to be in that kind of company?

A. It is arguably one of the most famous sporting events in the world, and every year there can only be one guy to drive the Pace Car. For me to be selected and asked to come, it is a huge honor. To have the role and to come a year after a great man like Colin Powell is a big honor.


Q. What else do you think your positive thoughts will be besides being nervous?

A. It will be a rush driving around with 250,000 people there. In the opening laps is probably when they are the loudest they could be screaming for their favorite driver. You try to take all of that in. It will have been almost a year since I have heard that as a sportsman. It will be neat to get a little of that back.


Q. Talk about driving it (Corvette Z06) over. What are your initial impressions of the car?

A. It is always interesting the first time you get in a car. Obviously, the speed and the handling of it is different, and the different details of it. I mean, having the speedometer in the front windshield was something that I’ve never experienced before, and that took some getting used to. The power was there, and every red light was a temptation.


Q. Whether you’re going wheel to wheel for 500 miles in an IndyCar or going wheel to wheel in 12 stages of the Tour de France, there are certain components of an athlete that make them successful. What do you think those are?

A. I think when comparing cycling to other events like the Indy 500, sometimes in motorsports people don’t consider them to be athletes, but they are extremely fit. I know a lot of drivers that spend a lot of time on the bike and a lot of time in the gym, and I can tell you they are athletes.


Q. This is not only a great opportunity for you but for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Talk about how pleased you are to get additional exposure for your worldwide foundation.

A. You know, all of these opportunities are great for us. They are great for me as an athlete. They are great for me as a philanthropist; they’re great for the Foundation. It is just another opportunity to say, “Hey America, or to the world that cancer should be a national priority, a global priority.” It (cancer) is something that I think we’ve grown accustomed to and used to, and that has to change in this country. This is another chance for me to stand up as a cancer survivor and say: “I’m here; I won seven Tours. I’m driving the Pace Car at Indy, and oh, by the way, this country has to do more for the fight on cancer.”
Link Here>>

Waxing Bubba ... It's Really A Trend

"I'm asked to lie on my stomach while she administers the first phase of my treatment - a salt scrub." Image Credit: Photos.com

The grooming of Man begins at a very early age and continues throughout one's life. First, we are asked to comb our hair by Mom, floss our teeth by Auntie, wear cologne by Grammie ... when does it all end? - NEVER

Society is moving in with trends that are adding layers (or taking them off) to this whole process of "Male Grooming". You begin to know you are in trouble when a mainstream media business publication has a whole article about being "Metrosexual" and new ... almost required if you view yourself as socially acceptable ... trends in male grooming.

Excerpts from BusinessWeek (of all publications) -

Metrosexuals: A Well-Groomed Market?
A new generation of men thinks it's okay to spend money on personal grooming products and the companies that make them are happy to oblige
By Vivian Manning-Schaffel – BusinessWeek, Branding - MAY 24, 2006

Since the advent of metrosexuality, companies have realized that they have a new market to capitalize on — men who spend their money on grooming and appearance supplies. Walk through the aisles of any US drugstore, and you'll notice an abundance of male-targeted personal grooming products, such as anti-aging eye-creams, shower gels and formula facial cleansers, slowly monopolizing the shelves.

With so many brands clamoring for their slice of the pie, metrosexuals have out and out become their own market segment. And as sales figures roll in, there is clear evidence that the metrosexual market is indeed quite viable.

"With men becoming more involved with their grooming habits and the explosive growth in the men's segment (dollar volume +49% in 2005), we saw a huge opportunity to introduce the male consumer to a new proposition in skincare," says Carol J. Hamilton, president of the L'Oréal Paris division of L'Oréal USA, Inc., whose Men's Expert line was among the first to hit the mass market a few years ago.

According to L'Oréal Paris' 2005 annual report, men's skincare — with its 11% growth in sales — was L'Oréal Paris' fastest growing sector. And it's not just a US-based trend. There are numbers that quantify this as a global trend. The same report states only 4% of European men used a skincare product in 1990, compared to a whopping 20% in 2003.
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The numbers do not lie. Younger men are clearly more interested in taking care of themselves than their fathers or even their older brothers. But is it because metrosexuality has become more widely accepted by the masses or simply because of their generation's habits?

Edina Sultanik-Silver, owner of BrandPimps and Media Whores, a New York-based men's fashion public relations company, thinks metrosexual tendencies are a sign of the times.

"It's a generational thing. I think that Gen Y and millennial guys view all the creams and grooming preparations out there as OK and perfectly natural for them to use, rather than girly," says Sultanik-Silver. "The guys in these generations get their bodies waxed, work out, style their hair, go to tanning salons, etc., more than their predecessors. Possibly because they were raised on MTV, the Internet and reality shows, every minute of their lives is a photo-op, they always want to look like they're ready for their 15 minutes of fame, and don't think there's anything feminine about that."
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"It (this trend) was mostly media driven, I believe," says Sultanik-Silver. "Everyone wants a piece of 'the next big thing.' Our popular culture is driven by image and consumerism right now. Word on the street was that men were interested in dressing up more, spending more on clothes, moisturizers, etc. Men's fashion and style were the hot buzz segment of the youth market and as a result, more brands began targeting young men as more retailers begin catering to them. To me, this signals the mainstreamization of metrosexualism," says Sultanik-Silver. "And it's going to continue to grow."
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"Despite tremendous growth rates over the past several years, the men's treatment segment is still in its infancy," surmises Hamilton. "Today, less than 20% of men use a facial moisturizer. However, another 25% of men today say that they are interested in trying skincare treatments, but have not yet made the leap. On the whole, most men have moved away from any stigma associated with using what could be considered a more female product, but they are still not sure what to do and how to do it."

Young or old, metrosexuals apparently are here to stay. Eventually, the term "metrosexual" might even become dated. Then, metrosexuals simply would be known as men who enjoy their right to groom and shop for clothes.
Read All>>

Brazilian wax? ... Anyone?

Indy 500 Goes Organic For 2006 - With UPDATE

Team Ethanol driver Jeff Simmons practices at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This year, Indy 500 racers will drive cars that run on an ethanol-blended fuel. Image Credit: MSNBC

"Gasoline Alley" will never be the same.

In a race from a place that exudes nothing but tradition, The Indianapolis 500, the open-wheel race cars will be running on "Cornfuel" (ethanol) this Memorial Day weekend for the first time in 95 years.

This change is now fueling speculation for a name change of the place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway where all of the cars for the race are prepared.

Should "Gasoline Alley" now become Ethanol Avenue? ... Corn-fed Court?

So!, are we going to now change the nickname of the place from "The Brickyard" to "The Cornpatch"?

Excerpts from MSNBC with contributions from AP -

Ethanol boosters hoping for Indy 500 win
Race cars to use ethanol blend for first time, boosting corn fuel’s profile
By Roland Jones - Business editor, MSNBC - Updated: 3:03 p.m. PT May 25, 2006

Speed will be of the essence for drivers racing around the oval at Sunday’s 90th running of the Indianapolis 500, but it won’t just be the drivers hoping to win big.

For the first time in the race’s 95-year history, cars in the Indy 500 will burn a fuel that is 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent methanol. It’s a fuel change that some in the ethanol industry hope will hasten the adoption of the alternative fuel among ordinary drivers.

Three big names in the ethanol industry are driving the fuel switch — ICM Inc., Broin Cos. and Fagen Inc. The companies, which engineer and build ethanol plants, have put up several million dollars as the prime sponsors of the No. 17 Team Ethanol Honda/Panoz/Firestone car to be driven by Jeff Simmons in the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Simmons replaces Paul Dana, who died in a practice accident March 26.

The aim is to promote the power, fuel-efficiency and safety of ethanol in front of the estimated 300 million people who will view the race, said Tom Slunecka, executive director of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council, which represents the three ethanol companies.
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The Indy Racing League said this year that its Indy Car series would switch from pure methanol — a fuel derived from natural gas that replaced gasoline in the 1970s because it is less likely to ignite — to the new 90-10 blend of methanol and corn-derived ethanol. In 2007, the league plans to switch permanently to 100 percent ethanol.
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“We could have put our name on the side of a car to promote ethanol, but instead we did it the hard way, so we arranged this fuel switch," said Slunecka. "It’s not marketing hype -- it’s true performance, and the IRL would never have agreed to this change if it lessened the performance of the vehicles in their races. We had to prove that these cars would perform just as well, and they’re already setting new records burning ethanol.”

Cars running on ethanol certainly pack a powerful punch. Pure ethanol — made from renewable plant sources like corn, wheat and sugarcane — has an octane rating of 113, compared with 107 for methanol and about 91 to 95 for gasoline. Several track records already have been set this season using the new fuel blend. In general the higher a fuel’s octane rating, the better the engine will perform.

The most common use of ethanol by American drivers is in E85 — a mixture of gasoline and ethanol with up to 85 percent ethanol by volume. E85, which is widely used in Brazil and Sweden, can be used in engines modified to accept higher concentrations of ethanol, which is corrosive and can damage ordinary engines.
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“This is also going to decrease the amount of fuel a car needs, so the weight of the cars will be reduced and they’ll be able to increase their speed,” he said. “From a safety perspective, if there’s an accident there’ll be less fuel to burn. And unlike methanol, which is difficult to see when it’s burning, ethanol gives off more color and smoke when it burns, so if there is an accident it will be much easier for people to see it."
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There are environmental advantages too. Ethanol burns more cleanly than gasoline or methanol, reducing emissions of carbon monoxide and particulate matter that can contribute to the greenhouse effect.

But not everyone is as excited about ethanol, which is doing little if anything to reduce fuel costs, currently above $3 a gallon in much of the nation.
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“[Ethanol] has some good features. It's less of a pollutant than gas, but the mileage is not as good and we have serious problems to work out," he said. "Ethanol is not pipeline-friendly, as it can be easily contaminated with water, and if we want to replace gasoline with it, we’d need to use 87 percent of our farmland, so it has practical limits. In the end I’d say ethanol has its niche, but it has lots of problems that politicians tend to gloss over."

Slunecka is more optimistic.

“There’s always going to be some question about this. After all, we produce 4.6 billion gallons annually, compared with the 130 billion gallons of gasoline Americans use each year,” said Slunecka. “But we have increased production by 20 percent annually for the last few years, so changes are coming about, and at a certain point Americans who want a better environment and want to reduce our dependence on foreign oil need to stand up; you need to stand up as a consumer and say you are making a difference.”
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UPDATE - 5-26-2006, 7:00 PM PST:

This from USA TODAY -

Dana's memory continues on in ethanol crusade
By A.J. Perez, USA TODAY

INDIANAPOLIS — Paul Dana won't be remembered years from now for what he accomplished in his three IRL IndyCar Series starts before his death.

His legacy will be in what fuels the series he strove to compete in.

Through his efforts, Dana helped sway series officials enough on ethanol to fast-track the bio-friendly fuel's inclusion in the series.

"The best tribute to his legacy is to continue promoting ethanol through racing," David Vander Griend, president and CEO of ICM — one of the premier design/engineering firms for ethanol processing facilities in the world — said in a statement.

Ethanol, which is typically derived from corn in the USA, currently comprises 10% of the fuel blend for the IndyCar Series. Next year it will be 100%, ending the reign of methanol that has powered IndyCars for nearly four decades.

Dana, 32, was killed when his car — sponsored by an ethanol lobbying group, Ethanol Promotion & Information Council (EPIC) — ran into the back of Ed Carpenter's stalled Vision Racing entry during the final warm-up for the season-opening race March 26 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Jeff Simmons replaced Dana at Rahal Letterman Racing and also took Dana's role as an ethanol advocate.

"Having the ethanol consortium behind me is a cause that I can get behind," Simmons said. "It's something that everybody can believe in."
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