Thunderboomers, Lightning Strikes, Mountain Fires

The Butler Peak Fire - Viewed from a location just South of the Village of Big Bear Lake - looking toward the West and North. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks, copyright 2007

Thunderboomers, Lightning Strikes, Mountain Fires -

UPDATED With Butler Peak Fire Incident #2 Reports Continuing After Original Post

Labor Day weekend in the mountains about 100 miles East of Los Angeles provides a bit of drama for those willing to travel out to beat the record heat that is gripping the Southern California basin and valleys.

Yesterday several fires broke out around the Big Bear Lake area in the San Barnardino Mountains National Forest. The largest fire, “The Butler Peak Fire”, is continuing to burn this morning and may prove to be a little pesky.

This morning about 8:15 am, I decided to go up on a mountain overlook just above Ironwood Estates, just South of the Village of Big Bear Lake (the location was formally known as and was part of the Snow Forest Ski Area) to see if I might get some photos and video and to learn where the fire is located. Just beyond the dam on the West end of Big Bear Lake down Highway 18 toward Artic Circle about three to five miles I coud see where the fire had originated.

A finger of the fire is burning toward some cabins near the dam on the North Shore of Big Bear Lake. This is a little unusal, in that the morning report issued by the experts mentioned that the fire would grow to the North and to the East. The location of the finger is to the East from where the fire started but these cabins and the direction of the burn is to the South.

Excerpts from KBHR 93.3 FM and Socalmountains.com websites -

Butler Peak Fire Update – SoCal Mountains Scanner
02 Sep : 06:49AM

The fire has consumed 125 acres, and is 15% contained.

Large potential for growth to the north, and possibly to the east.

There is short mid-range spotting occuring.

A hard closure of Highway 18 remains in effect.

There is no immediate threat to any communites, including Green Valley Lake or Fawnskin.

Fire crews responding so far include 12 fire crews, 4 air tankers, 3 helicopters and a number of bulldozers with more assistance being called to the incident.

Three hundred firefighters have been on scene, with crews from the U.S. Forest Service, California Department of Forestry, San Bernardino County Fire, and the Big Bear City and Big Bear Lake Fire Departments.

In addition, there are a couple of small spot fires being reported on the hillsides south of the Big Bear Valley and fire crews are responding to them.

The cause of all the fires is believed to be lightning strikes due to thunderstorm activity on Saturday. Monsoonal flow and thunderstorms expected today will be aiding firefighters in suppressing the fire.

Monsoonal late summer clouds building up ... certain to bring moisture to the Big Bear valley and environs. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks, copyright 2007

UPDATE:

Butler Fire update as of 8:30am 9/2/07:

The Butler fire is 5% contained and has consumed 150 acres.

Humidity is high and currently the winds are light although the firefighters are concerned about thunder storm activity today and the erratic winds related to such storms.

There are 5 helicopters and 10 fixed wing aircraft assigned to this fire.

Highway 18 remains closed between Snow Valley and the Big Bear Dam.

UPDATE:

Butler Fire update as of 6pm 9/2/07:

The fire is located in extremely steep terrain 2 miles west of the Big Bear Dam.

There are no evacuations to any residential areas at this time. 350 personnel are assigned to the fire, including five helicopters and 4 airtankers15 engines, 12 handcrews, 6 dozers, 6 water tenders. John Miller of the US Forest service told KBHR news that the size of the fire has remained about 125 acres.

A thunderstorm passed over the fire area early this afternoon and actually helped the situation. The additional rainfall helped knock down some of the hot spots. They anticipate the containment to rise significantly from the 5% containment that is now being reported.

Because of the fire, SR-18 remains closed from Snow Valley Ski Area to the Big Bear Dam. There is a significant safety concern for firefighters and motorists due to the amount of debris, which includes rocks and trees that have come down onto the roadway.

Thunderstorms this afternoon resulted in four other small fires that were quickly knocked down by firecrews.

There were two fires near the Big Pine Flats area, one near Snow Summit, and one near Castle Rock.

Heavy rain earlier today also caused several mud & rockslides on Highway 38, one was located about 3 miles south of Angelus Oaks. SR-38 was closed for a short period of time in both directions, but quickly re-opened.

Caltrans is making an extra effort to keep Route 38, and Route 18 from Big Bear to Lucerne Valley, open to accommodate the large amount of heavy holiday traffic.

Butler Peak Lookout - Close-up of the scorched earth aound Butler Peak lookout left over from the fire that burned through yesterday. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks - copyright 2007

UPDATE:

Butler Fire Update as of 9am Monday, 9/03/07:

The fire is situated in steep terrain in the Butler Peak area off Highway 18 at Arctic Circle, which is just west of the Big Bear Valley and three miles southwest of Fawnskin.

As of this morning, the U.S. Forest Service tells KBHR that they have remapped the area and the current assessment is that 85 acres have burned, including Saturday afternoon spot fires south of Highway 18.

Robin Prince of the U.S. Forest Service says, “Things went well yesterday. The rain was helpful and there were not significant winds to cause flare ups to the fire.” Crews from the U.S. Forest Service, CalFire, San Bernardino County Fire, the Big Bear Lake and Big Bear City Fire Departments, and the Arrowbear Fire Department remain on scene, including personnel from the California Highway Patrol, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department and CalTrans.

Approximately 300 personnel are at work to aggressively suppress the Butler Fire, and water drops will continue this morning. Helicopters will be taking water from the west end of Big Bear Lake, so boaters are advised to head east on the lake to allow for safe helicopter activity.

All drivers are advised to head east when leaving the mountain: both Highway 18 through Lucerne and Highway 38 through Mentone are open. Highway 38 was closed for a short time on Sunday, due to mud and rock slides, but CalTrans has made an extra effort to clean the roadway, and it is open to all traffic. Motorists are advised to exercise caution while navigating mountain roads, as thunderstorm activity and rains may cause sudden and unexpected road conditions. Again, to leave the mountain, please access Highway 38 and Highway 18 east through Lucerne.

Thunderstorms on Sunday did result in four other small fires in the Big Bear area: two near the Big Pine Flats area, one near Castle Rock, and a fourth near Snow Summit. Each of those four fires was quickly contained yesterday.

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UPDATE: Sept. 14, 2007 –

Excerpts taken from KBHR 93.3FM and SoCalMountains

Butler Peak Fire flares up! Photo from an airplane looking West and slightly North from a point over Snow Summit Ski Area. Image Credit: KBHR 93.3FM

Butler Peak Fire Incident #2

At approximately 1:30pm this afternoon, a fire started in the Butler Peak area near where the fire started over Labor Day weekend. This fire is being called the Butler Peak Fire Incident #2 and was last reported to be 5 acres. A total of 6 aircraft have been called to the incident with 4 fixed wing aircraft, 1 large heli-tanker, 1 medium sized helicopter and fire crews. As of 2pm, highway 18 remains open but according to Caltrans that could change at any time depending on what happens with the fire. If possible, tune in to KBHR for more information.

As of 3:15pm, the Butler Peak Fire Incident #2 is up to 200 acres and is burning to the North. Camp Whittle and Hannah Flats have been evacuated. Highway 18 is still open at this time. No evacuations have been called for the Big Bear communities.

As of 4:10pm, according to John Miller, the Public Information Officier for the U.S. Forest Service, the Butler Peak Fire Incident #2 started at 1:21pm and the cause is under investigation. The fire remains at approximately 200 acres and is burning North. Only Camp Whittle and Hannah Flats have been evacuated. At this time, there has been no loss of structures. Three forestry roads have been closed and they are 3N16, 3N14 and 2N13. More assistance has been ordered to work on the fire. Currently there are 3 airtankers, 3 helicopters and numerous engines and hand crews on the scene. Highway 18 remains open at this time.

As of 5:40pm, the Butler Peak Fire Incident #2 is burning in a northerly direction towards the western end of Holcomb Valley. At this time, the fire is at least 200 acres. No evacuations have been called for the communities of Big Bear.

Image Credit: KBHR 93.3FM

Scanner Reports –

Friday 14 September 2007 - 18:28:05
per scanner ( winds have died down , some but the tankers were still sitting at the tanker base, spot forcast said winds will diminish tonite but poor humidity recovery.

Friday 14 September 2007 - 18:49:37
perscanner ( lead 23 an earlystart with tankers at 08:00 will really benifit the butler fire , if air attack 15 is still assigned , hell be out first, tomrrow and then we will come in to assist, for planning to get AA15 out of the fire then leasd planes as needed. H 534 has landed at heaps peak.

Friday 14 September 2007 - 19:03:17
per scanner fire is pushing towards 300 acres right now colume is bulding , winds are going to die down alittle but your still going to have easterly winds bravo 23 heading back to fox.

Friday 14 September 2007 - 19:27:48
According to CHP scanner, report of fire at Silverwood Lake.

Friday 14 September 2007 - 19:59:04
per scanner - fire is very visible from lake arrowhead due to the fact that the fire is at the top of butler peak.

Friday 14 September 2007 - 20:14:28
When we came down Onyx summit about an hour ago, we could see some serious flames (probably 50-75 foot flame lengths). Kinda Scary.

Friday 14 September 2007 - 20:15:49
The fire line is very frightening to view from Lake Arrowhead. I am on the north west side of the lake so the fire is very far from me, but to say that the fire is only 200 acres is the joke of the century.

Friday 14 September 2007 - 20:20:51
00:51:45 GMT
UPDATE ON THIS FIRE IS 235 ACRES PER IC, RIGHT FLANK IS DOING GOOD, TANKERS ARE STILL DOING WATER DROPS HAVE BEEN WATCHING THEM.

Friday 14 September 2007 - 20:23:48
no about 500 now, per scanner.

Friday 14 September 2007 - 20:32:59
arrowhead fire is not seperate fire but extension from butler ic fire , per scanner.

Friday 14 September 2007 - 20:34:36
perscanner ( chp stationed at the bottom of 3n14 rim of the world drive in fawnskin.

End Of UPDATE for 9-14-2007

Smoke over the mountains looking over Grout Bay toward the village of Fawnskin on the North shore of Big Bear Lake. Image Credit: KBHR 93.3FM

UPDATE: Butler Peak Fire Incident #2, As of 7:00 am Saturday 9/15/07 –

Highway 18 is closed between Snow Valley and Big Bear Dam due to the fire. The fire has consumed approximately 2000 acres. The fire progressed north north east overnight toward the Holcomb Valley and the high desert due in part to low humidity and windy conditions.
Report From KBHR 93.3FM

SoCalMountains Scanner/Chat –

Saturday 15 September 2007 - 07:15:37
something else to chew on from inciweb...not good news:
Growth Potential=Extreme

Saturday 15 September 2007 - 07:35:58
quick update for everyone from inciweb: Highway closures--Hwy 18 is closed from Snow Valley Ski Area to Big Bear Dam. Drivers may not access Big Bear from Hwy 18 or from Hwy 330 in San Bernardino, but Hwy 18 is open from Apple Valley (the high desert). Drivers may also access Big Bear via Hwy 38 from I-10 in Redlands.

Evacuations--Camp Whittle, Big Pine Flat, Ironwood, Hanna Flat Campgrounds, Yellow Post campsites in the area, and Butler Peak Lookout.

Forest Road Closures--2N13, both ends of 3N14, 4N16, 3N16 at Crab Flats, Grays Peak Trailhead.

Resources on Scene--11 hand crews, 11 engines, 2 helicopters, 8 airtankers 4 watertenders.

Total Personnel: 597
Size: 1,400 acres
Fuels Involved: Brush and Timber.
Fire Behavior: The incident experienced active burning throughout the night.

Saturday 15 September 2007 - 08:05:13
perscanner ( winds guesting to 24mph.

Saturday 15 September 2007 - 09:00:00
From INCIWEB: Butler 2 Wildland Fire - San Bernardino National Forest – California - 0% Contained - 4,000 Acres, number one wildland fire priority in the nation.

Photo taken at 9:36 AM from the westside of Eagle Point north toward the Solar Observatory. Image Credit: Maschoochas Bros. - SoCalMountains Forum

Saturday 15 September 2007 - 10:06:32
perscanner ( weve got fire on both sides of butler peak, lookout road, lots of snags - were not going to be able to hold this thing, it's in this drain and if it takes a turn we are going to need some protection here, structure protection here in camp whittle having some issues on this side too, trying to find a place to start.

keep BE40 here just in case we need to gel these buildings (camp whittle?) strike team of federal here now - red cross rep heading to command post H 509 enroute have they checked in? - they are in san bernadino getting fuel - red flag warning until sunday.

Saturday 15 September 2007 - 10:35:03
per scanner ordering up structure protection for fawnskin as well as possible mandatory evacs - checking on s.o. resources to assist with evac

Saturday 15 September 2007 - 10:40:05
Per Scanner: Fire is about 3.5 miles from Green Valley Lake. Heavy Fuel between the fire and GVL. If I was in GVL I would also prepare now just in case.

Saturday 15 September 2007 - 11:21:15
guys and gals just spoke with the PIO at CDF (Butler #2 Fire Information) And was told that I should be very concerned in Big Bear City - Not trying to scare anyone just relaying what I was told - The gentleman said that the winds have changed to the east and the fire has blown up (his words)

Smoke Plume as posted today taken 9-14-07 from a location northwest of Butler Peak near Hisperia. Image Credit: Daniel Elliott - INCIWEB

Summary From INCIWEB – Saturday 15 September 2007 - 11:40:00
The Butler 2 Fire was reported at 1:30 pm on Friday northwest of Big Bear Lake. Several Campgrounds north of Big Bear have been evacuated. No communities are currently threatened or evacuated.

Highway closures--Hwy 18 is closed from Snow Valley Ski Area to Big Bear Dam. Drivers may not access Big Bear from Hwy 18 or from Hwy 330 in San Bernardino, but Hwy 18 is open from Apple Valley (the high desert). Drivers may also access Big Bear via Hwy 38 from I-10 in Redlands.

Manadatory Evacuations for Fawnskin--The fire is currently about 4000 acres and is burning to the north and east. Mandatory evacuations have been called for the Fawnskin area from the Big Bear Dam to The Discovery Center north of Hwy 38. An evacuatiion center has been setup at the Big Bear High School in Sugarloaf.

Voluntary Evacuations have been called for Lucerne Valley from Crystal Creek Road on the east to High Rd on the west and North to the Ptizer Buttes area.

This From KBHR 93.3FM - AS OF 11:45AM, HIGHWAY 38 IS CLOSED FROM THE BIG BEAR DAM TO STANFIELD CUT-OFF ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF BIG BEAR LAKE. HIGHWAY 38 OVER ONYX SUMMIT TO REDLANDS IS OPEN AND HIGHWAY 18 TO LUCERNE VALLEY IS OPEN.

Photo taken of the Butler Peak Fire Incident #2 from the Westridge (Snow Summit) cam at about 2:00 in the afternoon 9-15-2007. Image Credit: Bear Mountian Resorts

Saturday 15 September 2007 - 13:23:22
Snow Valley, CA — Authorities are evacuating outlying camps in the vicinity of Green Valley Lake. According to reports, the fire is burning unchecked on the western flank. Incident commanders are discussing whether to use the emergency telephone system, TENS, to notify Green Valley Lake area residents, but no final determination has been made

Saturday 15 September 2007 - 14:09:51
2:01PM PER 101-L ARROWBEAR AT 18 FOR CHANGE OF CLOSURE^ 1:49PM PER 101-L HAVE ALL UNITS RESPOND TO THE COMMAND POST ON 18 AT SNOW VALLEY, THX 1:42PM PER 101-L GREEN VALLEY LAKE IS NOW MANDATORY EVACUATION, RECOMMENDED EVA FOR THE EAST END OF RUNNING SPRINGS

Satellite Image Link Here:
http://sat.wrh.noaa.gov/satellite/loopsat.php?wfo=&area=sw&type=ir&size=4
---
Posted At INCIWEB:
New Evacuations--Sept. 15, 230 pm--The entire community of Green Valley Campground Lake is under mandatory evacuation orders. Evacuation center is at Rim of the World High School.

Voluntary Evacuations have been called for Lucerne Valley from Crystal Creek Road on the east to High Rd on the west and North to the Pitzer Buttes area.

New Voluntary Evacuations--Sept. 15, 300 pm—From Downtown Running Springs east to Arrowbear Lake.
---
Sept. 15, 300 pm San Bernardino SUN - Inteview with forest service spokesperson, Judi McGuire - Burn Update: Fire splits and goes in two directions (northeast to Lucerne Valley and west toward Green Valley Lake). Acreage reset at 18,000 up from 4,000

View from the south shore looking from "Stillwell's" beach, north toward the Solar Observatory (15:10). Image Credit: Jordan L. - KBHR 93.3FM
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Big Bear Valley as seen looking from the east over Baldwin Lake toward Fawnskin with smoke from the Butler Peak Fire Incident #2 (15:45 - 9-15-07). Image Credit: Mark Poster

Saturday 15 September 2007 - 16:06:57
perscanner ( hwy closures)
hwy 18 closed from arrowbear lake to the bb dam- drivers may not accress hwy 18 or from hwy 330 in san bernadino but hwy 18 is open from apple valley ( high desert) drivers may also acress big bear via hwy 38 thru the I-10 mentone area

Converted DC10 Jet on a fire retardant drop at 15:30. The DC10 can drop enough retardant to cover 8/10ths of a mile. Image Credit: mountainmanor via SoCalMountains Forums

Saturday 15 September 2007 - 17:37:29
BBL mayor was just on NBC telling people there is no threat so come on up for Octoberfest and the event at Bear Mtn. ??????????

Saturday 15 September 2007 - 18:28:46
There is a threat to Fawnskin, hence the evacuation orders. So far they're doing a hell of a job painting a line.
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KBHR 93.3 UPDATE 19:00:00: Fire Information Officer Jim Wilkins tells KBHR that the Butler #2 Fire has burned 18,000 acres, and is 5% contained. CalFire's DC-10 has been added to fire suppression equipment as of this morning.

Mandatory evacuations are in place for Fawnskin, and east to the Discovery Center on Big Bear Lake's North Shore. Evacuees are being directed to the Red Cross Evacuation Center at Big Bear High School (on Maple Lane in Big Bear City). As of 6:30pm, just two outbuildings at Camp Wittle have burned. No homes in the Fawnskin area have been burned.

Mandatory evacuation orders are also in place for residents of Green Valley. An evacuation center has been established at the Jerry Lewis Center in Highland.
Voluntary evacuations are in place for Running Springs, Arrowbear and Lucerne Valley. Evacuees of the Lucerne area are being directed to Victor Valley Community College in Victorville. (Please note that pets are not allowed at Red Cross evacuation centers.)

Highway 18 through Lucerne is open at this time. Highway 38 over Onyx Summit is open. Highway 18, down the front way, is open to those leaving the mountain, but is closed to up-bound traffic from Snow Valley to the Big Bear Dam.
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From Rim Of The World.Net: Butler 2 Update - 7:00 PM
Running Springs, CA -- As the sun sets, some changes in localized wind direction will cause some to drift to areas previously unaffected. Residents in areas of Running Springs through Lake Arrowhead may smell some drift smoke from the fire.

As of 6:40 pm, there have been no changes to the evacuation orders. So far news reports indicate that one structure -- possibly an outbuilding -- has been lost at the YMCA owned Camp Whittle. One firefighter suffered minor injuries after tripping on a pothole.
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Saturday 15 September 2007 - 19:58:00
per USDA Forest Service - acreage is at 13, 829 acres 5% contained
600 primary structure theatened
1,085 ffs on scene
observed fire behavior: running crowning and spotting
planned actions: continue to provide structure protection and direct and indirect line
cost to date: $ 1,500.000.00

Postings For Sunday, September 16, 2007 - Day three of the Butler Peak Fire Incident #2 continue here>>

Butler Peak Fire Links (all postings):

Butler Peak Fire Incident #1 (Labor Day Weekend 9-2-07) & #2 – Saturday

Butler Peak Fire Incident #2 – Sunday

Butler Peak Fire Incident #2 – Monday

Butler Peak Fire Incident #2 – Tuesday

Butler Peak Fire Incident #2 – Wednesday (final)

Dario Franchitti Survives To Land A Championship

Scotland's Dario Franchitti during practice for the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 08 Sept at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. Franchitti, locked in a battle for the IndyCar Series crown, earned pole position Saturday for the season-ending race. Today, he won the race and the championship on the last lap. Image Credit: AFP/Getty Images/Gavin Lawrence

Dario Franchitti Survives To Land A Championship

In what has to be one of the tightest races in a points championship battled out over 17 races, Dario Franchitti outlasts Scott Dixon on the final lap with enough fuel to scoot past for the outright win and the points championship at Chicagoland Speedway.

Starting the race with only a three point lead over Dixon, Franchitti had to be at least in front of Scott Dixon in order to grab the Indy Racing League championship for 2007 but that was not to be. The whole race Dario not only trailed Scott Dixon of the Target/Chip Ganassi Team, but Dixon's teammate Dan Weldon, along with Helio Castorneves, and Sam Hornish Jr. of Team Penske.

AGR teammates Dario Franchitti and Danica Patrick chat prior to driver introductions. - Image Credit: Chris Jones

In the final laps, Dario Franchitti's Andretti/Green Racing teammate, Danica Patrick entered the pit lane for a final splash of fuel and spun, stalling her car. This brought out a yellow caution flag and slowed the field down allowing the race cars to save fuel. Before the caution flag came out, both Dixon and Franchitti were probably going to have to come in for fuel as well but with the cars slowed ... they used alot less fuel setting up a shootout run to the end with two laps to go.

Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti battle for the lead at Chicagoland. - Image Credit: Jim Haines

Both Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti rolled the dice (by staying out on the track). The green flag drops and on the next to the last turn before the finish line, the checkered flag that would end the race and the season ... Dixon's car sputtered and ran out of fuel. Franchitti poped to the right to miss rear-ending Dixon's car and sped forward to the wave of the checkered flag.

In a season that that featured Dario's car going airborne and flipping in racing accidents with Dario going uninjured through two consecutive races, this year's Indy 500 winner, Dario Franchitti and Andretti/Green Racing proved to be the most deserving of champions for 2007 by earning the championship through the air and on the track.

What a great season and a great racing series.

Dario Franchitti 2007 Championship Photo with team oner Michael Andretti, and Dario's wife, Ashley Judd - Image Credit: Jim Haines

Final ten laps excerpted from the “Commentary” section of the Live Timing & Scoring at the Indy Racing League website –

Dario Franchitti wins the race and championship as Scott Dixon runs out of fuel!
2007-09-09 17:51:50
Lap 199: White flag. #9 Scott Dixon leads #27 Dario Franchitti by 0.0605 sec.
2007-09-09 17:51:17
Lap 198: Dario makes it two wide for the lead.
2007-09-09 17:50:52
Lap 198: A two lap shoot-out for the championship!
2007-09-09 17:50:29
Lap 197: One lap until back to green.
2007-09-09 17:48:49
Lap 196: Dan Wheldon may have lost his gearbox.
2007-09-09 17:48:37
Lap 195: Pits are open.
2007-09-09 17:47:58
Lap 194: Yellow for #7 Danica Patrick spun at pit-in.
2007-09-09 17:47:13
Lap 193: Wheldon is slow in T2. He may be out of fuel.
2007-09-09 17:46:40
Lap 193: #10 Dan Wheldon leads #9 Scott Dixon by 0.1337 sec.
2007-09-09 17:46:25
Lap 192: Marty Roth is slow on the backstretch.
2007-09-09 17:46:11
Lap 192: #10 Dan Wheldon leads #9 Scott Dixon by 0.1896 sec.
2007-09-09 17:46:00
Lap 190: Dan Wheldon takes back the lead.
2007-09-09 17:45:23
Lap 190: Top 5: #9 Dixon, #10 Wheldon, #27 Franchitti, #7 Patrick, #8 Sharp.
2007-09-09 17:45:12
Reference Here (Commentary is live only - direct reference may not be available)>>

Dario celebrating the Chicagoland victory and 2007 Indy Car Championship - Click cursor on photo to send Dario and AGR a message of congratulations! - Image and Link Credit: Indy Racing League

NOTES:

Dario Franchitti finishes the season with 637 points to Scott Dixon's 624 points to capture the title.

Dario's 637 total points this season is a record for the series. The previous high was 628 by Dan Wheldon in the 2007 season. This is Dario's first IndyCar Series Championship. He becomes the third consecutive Indianapolis 500 winner to go on to win the IndyCar Series Championship in the same season.

This is the third IndyCar Series Championship for Andretti Green Racing. The team won the title in 2004 with Tony Kanaan, 2005 with Dan Wheldon. Andretti Green Racing becomes the first team to win three IndyCar Series Championships.

Team Menard, A.J. Foyt Racing and Panther Racing have each won two championships.

The margin for the championship was 13 points. It's the seventh time in 12 seasons that the IndyCar Series Championship point margin has been 20 points or less.

Luciano Pavarotti - A Gift Of, And From, GOD ...

... may heaven receive him now.

Torino, Italy - 2006 Winter Olympics

Opening Ceremony

We, at MAXINE, do not even understand Italian and were deeply moved during the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics from Torino, Italy. The sense of sound was given a special purpose when Luciano Pavarotti began to sing.

Excerpts from Associated Press via Google News -

World Bids Farewell to Luciano Pavarotti
By COLLEEN BARRY – 7:10 AM PST, USA – Saturday, Sept. 8, 2007

MODENA, Italy (AP) — Verdi's "Ave Maria" wafted through Modena's cathedral on Saturday as the world bade farewell to Luciano Pavarotti with a funeral close to his classical roots, attended by family, dignitaries and close friends and followed by admirers around the world.
Pope Benedict XVI sent a telegram of condolence, which was read out at the start of the service. He said Pavarotti had "honored the divine gift of music through his extraordinary interpretative talent."

Thousands of people watched the invitation-only service from a huge television screen erected in Modena's main piazza, where a recording of the tenor's most famous works boomed out during two days of public viewing.

Pavarotti's white maple casket, covered in sunflowers — his favorite — lay before the altar, with his wife, Nicoletta Mantovani, looking on. Sitting nearby were Pavarotti's three daughters from his first marriage.

The opera super star had been lying in state in the cathedral since Thursday following his death from cancer earlier that morning. Image Credit: AP via BBC NEWS

He died Thursday in his home on Modena's outskirts after battling pancreatic cancer for more than a year. He was 71 and was beloved by generations of opera-goers and pop fans alike for his breathtaking high "Cs" and his hearty renditions of folk songs like "O Sole Mio," and popular tunes like "My Way."

City officials said 87,000 memorial cards had been handed out to well-wishers.

Admirers signed books of condolences placed by vases of sunflowers outside the cathedral. The Foreign Ministry said similar books would be available for signing at Italian embassies and consulates around the world.

Bulgarian-born soprano Raina Kabaivanska, a fellow Modena resident who had worked with Pavarotti, cried as she sang the "Ave Maria" from Verdi's "Otello" as the ceremony began.

Tenor Andrea Bocelli was to sing Mozart's "Ave Verum Corpus" while the Rossini Chorus performed hymns throughout the service, which was celebrated by Modena Archbishop Benito Cocchi and 18 other priests.

Pavarotti's body, dressed in a black tuxedo and with his hands clutching his trademark white handkerchief, had been on public display inside the cathdral since Thursday night.

"He was our Italian flag. He was the best representation that we could have," said Susy Cavallini, a 43-year-old Modena resident as she emerged Saturday from the cathedral. "Modena is known for its cappelletti (a type of tortellini), balsamic vinegar, Ferrari and Pavarotti. It's a collection of important things that Modena has given to the world."

Among those at the funeral were Premier Romano Prodi and Italy's culture minister, Francesco Rutelli, Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli and the former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Also expected were U2 lead singer Bono, Stephane Lissner, general manager of Milan's La Scala Opera House, where Pavarotti appeared 140 times, once receiving boos; and the Metropolitan Opera's former general manager Joe Volpe.

The tenor was to be buried in Montale Rangone cemetery, near Modena, where members of his family, including his parents and stillborn son Riccardo, are buried.

Pavarotti's classical career, with his imposing presence, emotional depth and boyish, charming ease all adding to his technical prowess, was the stuff of opera legend. Mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, presenting a new CD in Rome on Friday, recalled the first time she heard Pavarotti sing, many years ago, at the Metropolitan Opera House. "I said to myself: God does exist," Bartoli was quoted by the news agency Ansa as saying.

But his legacy reached beyond the opera houses to reach the masses, working with fellow opera stars and pop icons alike.

These far-from-the-opera house performances, including memorable nights under the stars at Rome's ancient Baths of Caracalla with Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo, in the "Three Tenors" concert, rescued musical art from highbrow obscurity.

Pavarotti was the best-selling classical artist, with more than 100 million records sold since the 1960s, and he had the first classical album to reach No. 1 on the pop charts.
Reference Here>>

In pictures: Pavarotti's funeral (BBC) >>

In pictures: Luciano Pavarotti (BBC) >>

Kid Nation – When Growing Up Is Hard – The Contract

Contract For The Manhattan Project (project name for Kid Nation) - No Human Rights In "Kid Nation" - No liability for CBS in controversial "ghost town" reality series. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks copyright 2007 - ht: The Smoking Gun

Kid Nation – When Growing Up Is Hard – The Contract

The unreal nature of “Reality Television” has its drawbacks, especially when the premise is really to break down authority and make political points.

The length that some producers will go in order to, in their own mind (I can only imagine), make a point and “make a difference” brinks upon a “Wizard Of OZ” scenario where the Wizard of Emerald City pulled levers while the target audience remained on the other side of the curtain to be marveled and influenced through the illusion.

Kid Nation, which is set to air on CBS on September 19, 2007, presents itself as a case study of this unreal nature of reality television.

First off, the program bills itself as having the Kids take over a failed “Ghost Town” in New Mexico … this is only very partially correct. The truth is that the producers were able to find a location that was not too far a distance from Santa Fe, New Mexico where previous production companies had built a functional and working western town near the ruins of a real ghost town to be used for theatrical movie and television productions.

Secondly, the producers state that these Kids may be able to show us all how not to make the mistakes the previous occupants of the town made (ostensibly why the town became a ghost town in the first place), all without the influence of adults. We all know that the production staff and the behind-the-scenes support are adults and further, we know intuitively that when one brings a whole group of humans together, influence happens – GET REAL! This statement doesn’t even factor in the influence of the structure of the production plot itself as in the awarding of a real gold star (estimated to be worth $20,000) at the end of each weekly episode – who created this structure in the first place … Kids?

The entertainment reviewers have seized on another one of the most glaring points of the unreal nature of reality television and that would be … The Contract. That is the employment contract that the parents of the kids had to sign before the production was to begin. After all, the producers had to protect themselves from the people that did the work but remained, contractually, on the other side of the curtain.

Children cooking on an old-fashioned stove on the "Kid Nation" set. Image Credit: Kid Nation (The Manhattan Project) - CBS

Excerpts from the Chicago Tribune –

How CBS went wrong with 'Kid Nation'
By Maureen Ryan - The Watcher - Originally posted: September 4, 2007

One of the most chilling documents to come down the pike in a while is the contract parents of participants in "Kid Nation" signed.
----
"Kid Nation" is now under investigation by New Mexico authorities, who are looking into whether producers broke any laws during the show's filming in that state a few months ago.

Though CBS denies any wrongdoing and has said that the making of the show did not violate any laws, some "Kid Nation" participants -- all of whom were between the ages of 8 and 15 -- were injured during the course of the filming, according to news reports. A few young participants accidentally drank bleach, one kid sprained an arm and one child sustained a burn from hot grease.

The kicker? The parents of these kids had to sign a contract saying they would not sue over anything that might happen to their kids -- up to and including death.

According to the document posted on TheSmokingGun.com, the parents were told, via the contract they signed, that the show was "inherently dangerous" and could expose their children to "uncontrolled hazards and conditions that may cause serious bodily injury, illness or death." The parents had to relinquish all legal claims on CBS if anything did happen to their children. Oh, and unless the families stick to the terms of a confidentiality agreement that the network is still enforcing, they could be liable for a $5 million penalty.

All for a $5,000 "stipend," which is what most kids got for participating in the show. (Some kids got an additional $20,000 if they won competitions within the show.)

By my calculation, many of the kids who participated in the show -- if they did work 14-hour days for 40 days -- got less than $9 an hour.

No wonder the broadcast networks aren't about to give up on reality TV, despite its relatively lackluster performance of late; the genre is not exactly bankrupting them.
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That ominous contract language flies in the face of CBS' attempts to bill "Kid Nation" as a happy-go-lucky "summer camp" experience.

“In order for a reality show … to really get out there and change the landscape of television, you have to sort of stir public debate,” CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler said about “Kid Nation” at a press event in July. “We know we're going to create some controversy. … But I think the whole objective was to get out there, do something different, and try and reach out and have people talk about the show, which is what's happening.”

Yes, but at this point, the "Kid Nation" debate centers on how children were used to create an entertainment property for CBS, a network that plans to charge big bucks for "Kid Nation" commercial spots. The network could have done some things to prevent the "Kid Nation" buzz from going sour, but they would have cost money. And cutting corners when kids are involved -- that's not courting controversy, that's risking condemnation.

The fact is, the kids on the show should have been covered by entertainment-union contracts that would have protected their interests, limited the hours they could work and guaranteed appropriate on-set medical care and supervision.

Even if all that had been done, in my opinion, CBS shouldn't have used performers under 12. The idea that an 8-year-old could realistically consent to this kind of experience doesn't really fly.

And I hesitate to think of what these kids will think of the way they're edited. It's one thing for a contestant on "Survivor" to feel they were made to look villainous or stupid; it's quite another for a 5th grader to face the entire school after having been made to look foolish on national TV.

But maybe what the middle school critics -- or grown-up critics -- think of "Kid Nation" won't really matter in the end. After all, CBS is, as of press time, soliciting applications for "Kid Nation 2" on its Web site.
Article Reference & Article Comments Here>>

Dodd Diving A Dud!

Can You Find Chris Dodd In This Picture? … He’s The One Clearly On The Left - Senators Chris Dodd and Jim Jeffords were on hand at the Pentagon to echo the National Women's Law Center's praise for DoD's child development program. The center May 16 presented Defense Secretary William Cohen with its report on military child care, which extols the program as a model for the nation. Dodd hailed DoD's program as the "gold standard." Jeffords pointed out that absenteeism caused by poor quality child care costs American businesses more than $3 billion a year. Image Credit: Linda D. Kozaryn

Dodd Diving A Dud!

Homeless man and career criminal burglarizes career politician and gets arrested.

The sad thing about this incident is that the perpetrator did not even know that he was breaking into the office of a presidential candidate.

Truth is, just about anyone (outside of the state of Connecticut and those who see themselves as democrat party insiders) wouldn’t know that they had just broken into the office of a presidential candidate.

This last month, Christopher Dodd defends and shows up to an annual gathering put on by the politically incendiary, rude, and tasteless web site – Daily Kos, and even HE can’t get arrested!

Senator Christopher Dodd Commenting On Daily Kos blogsite –

Mr. Dodd clearly had an agenda which was to NOT address the fabricated photo of his friend, Joe Lieberman, unzipping President Bush's pants. This guy claims to be Lieberman's friend and he didn't rebuke the people "DailyKos" folks whom he's patronizing next week? Void of character, Mr. Dodd is the epitome of today's democrat. Video Credit: airhead at sevenload via HOTAIR

At least Gilbert Soto (the suspect) had temporary custody of ... and sold a television, a computer, got arrested, and gets noticed.

The burglar gets more attention than the presidential candidate (this story did not appear in the web version of the Washington Post until six day after the article was released by Associated Press).

Excerpts from AP via the Washington Post -

Democrat Dodd's Office Burglarized
By STEPHANIE REITZ - The Associated Press, HARTFORD, Conn - Monday, August 27, 2007; 9:13 PM

Officers arrested a homeless man Monday in connection with a weekend burglary at the office of Democratic presidential candidate Chris Dodd, police said.

Gilbert Soto, 48, who lives in a city shelter and has a lengthy arrest record, allegedly took a television, computer and other items from Dodd's Senate district office, police said Monday.

"It does not appear right now that he knew he was breaking into a presidential candidate's office or that there was any political motivation," Assistant Police Chief Neil Dryfe said.
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Soto is, "for lack of a better term, a career criminal," Dryfe said, and appears to have selected the burglary site at random. He faces charges of third-degree burglary, third-degree larceny and criminal mischief.

"It looks like a crime of opportunity by someone looking to support a possible drug habit," Dryfe said, adding that Dodd's office was notified of the arrest.

Dodd has served in the Senate since 1981.

Dodd spokeswoman Justine Sessions said she had no comment on the investigation or arrest. To the best of her knowledge, she said, no personal or confidential information was compromised when the computer was stolen.
Reference Here>>

Come on, elected five term United States Senator Christopher Dodd was one time General Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is he really in the running? Maybe this effort of running for President is only a crime of opportunity.

At MAXINE, we believe it’s a little tough to have information compromised when no one is "paying" attention (how good can the information really be?), or have any political motivation to support your efforts to become the president of the United States when one exhibits the kind of character Christopher Dodd has shown.

Remember This! … Fibroblast-Neprilysin

UNTREATED Alzheimer's Brain Cells

TREATED Alzheimer's Brain Cells

Plaques comprised of amyloid-beta are the hallmark pathology of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, the scientists used an amyloid-degrading enzyme to clear these amyloid cobwebs from the brain - as illustrated in these untreated (top) versus treated (bottom) brain images. Image Credit: Harvard Photographic Services

Remember This! … Fibroblast-Neprilysin

In a report that first appeared August 27 on the Web site of the Public Library of Science, experiments centered on new methods to relieve the damaging effect of Alzheimer’s disease are showing great promise.

Simply stated, it is believed that when some humans grow older, the ability to control the build up of protein based plaques in the brain becomes reduced. These proteins create toxic clumps and tangled fibers that ultimately kill cells and interfere with the brains’ ability to recall memories and think (a situation similar to the build up of cholesterol in arteries that reduce the flow of blood).

An enzyme named Neprilysin has shown great promise in breaking down the toxic clumps of fibrous protein in the brains of mice. What has been found through these tests, and may be unique, is the method of the delivery of this enzyme to the effected portions of the brain under the toxic grip of Alzheimer’s protein-fiber goo.

Skin from the patient may actually provide the best method to first create the Neprilysin enzyme and further, through a process termed Fibroblast create a combo that can be implanted back into the patient for the desired result – a freer thinking brain.

This Fibroblast-Neprilsin combo type of tratment process has shown and may prove to have a positive benefit to the treatment of cancers, blood, muscle, and eye diseases, spinal cord injuries, stroke, Parkinson’s and Huntington diseases, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Journey inside a cell as you follow proteins and learn about cellular interactions. This 3-D animation brings to life the inner workings of a fibroblast cell as it responds to external signals. YouTube Credit: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Interactive Knowledge, Inc.

This from Harvard University Gazette Online -

Brain implants relieve Alzheimer’s damage
Toxic plaques cleared away
William J. Cromie - Harvard News Office - August 28, 2007

Genetically engineered cells implanted in mice have cleared away toxic plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

The animals were sickened with a human gene that caused them to develop, at an accelerated rate, the disease that robs millions of elderly people of their memories. After receiving the doctored cells, the brain-muddling plaques melted away. If this works in humans, old age could be a much happier time of life.

Alzheimer’s involves a protein called amyloid-beta.
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“Delivery of genes that led to production of an enzyme that breaks up amyloid showed robust clearance of plaques in the brains of the mice,” notes Dennis Selkoe, Vincent and Stella Coates Professor of Neurologic Diseases at Harvard Medical School. “These results support and encourage further investigation of gene therapy for treatment of this common and devastating disease in humans.”
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The first published report of the experiments, done by Selkoe and other researchers from Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s and McLean hospitals, appeared Aug. 27 on the Web site of the Public Library of Science.

The gene delivery technique employed by the research team has been used in several other trials with animals that model human diseases, including cancers. The procedure involves removing cells from patients, making genetic changes, and then putting back the modified cells, which should treat a disease or disability.
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“Several of these potential treatments have advanced to human trials, with encouraging outcomes for patients,” says Matthew Hemming, lead author of the report and a graduate student in Selkoe’s lab.
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The Harvard team used skin cells from the animal’s own body to introduce a gene for an amyloid-busting enzyme known as neprilysin. The skin cells, also known as fibroblasts, “do not form tumors or move from the implantation site,” Hemming notes. “They cause no detectable adverse side effects and can easily be taken from a patient’s skin.” In addition, other genes can be added to the fibroblast-neprilysin combo, which will eliminate the implants if something starts to go wrong.
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Fibroblast Process - Primary chick embryo fibroblasts, expressing RFP-actin, doing their thing. Sped up approximately 300 times (each frame is 30 seconds apart in real life). YouTube Credit: cooloriginaltwic - Added: March 14, 2007

The experiments proved that the technique works, but will it work in humans?

One major obstacle, Selkoe says, is the larger size of a human brain compared to that of a mouse. That difference will require an increase of amyloid-busting activity throughout a much larger space.

One solution might involve implanting the genes and fibroblasts where they have the best access to amyloid-beta, in the spinal fluid for example, instead of trying to inject them into a small target. The amyloid-killing combo might be put into capsules that would secrete neprilysin into the blood circulating in the brain, eliminating the need to hit an exact spot.

This or some other clever maneuver that does not require surgery might eliminate the gooey plaques, but will that improve a person’s memory? And will the change be long-lasting? “Further work is needed to determine if reducing the plaque burden has cognitive benefits over a long period,” notes Hemming, “but there’s a wealth of evidence arguing that it will.”
Reference Here>>

(original posting from Oblate Spheroid)

"Burning Man" Burns ... But Will Be Replaced

"Burning Man" - The event is named after its Saturday night ritual, the burning of a wooden effigy. Image Credit: Aaron Logan

"Burning Man" Burns ... But Will Be Replaced

In 1986, Larry Harvey and a couple of friends thought it would be a great idea to set out over Labor Day and hold a “Counter Culture” festival.

Today, the Burning Man festival has morphed into an eight-day-long annual festival in the desert East of Reno and draws about 40,000 people.

The event is described by organizers as an experiment in community, radical self-expression, and radical self-reliance and takes its name from the ritual of burning a large wooden sculpture of a man on the sixth day.

Last night, the incendiary object of the festival’s namesake was torched by an arsonist.

Funny That!

In the ultimate act of counter culture, a counter culture festival (organized by Black Rock City, LLC – a corporation ... one might say is the epitome of being a mainstream symbol in a capitalist culture) was disrupted when the original Burning Man 2007 sculpture was prematurely burned.

"Burning Man" 2006 - Snapshots from my forth trip to the most amazing place on earth. Burning Man! I realize these images are just snapshots to most who'll visit here but for me, I feel the emotion well up inside me when I relive each moment. I feel lucky to have been there! I LOVE Burning Man. You will to, It changed me. Let it change you too. "Participate". YouTube Credit: oneluckydog

This from Reuters -

Burning Man burns too soon, man charged with arson
Reuters - SAN FRANCISCO - Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:14PM EDT

The Burning Man effigy, whose torching marks the highlight of the annual eponymous countercultural festival in the Nevada desert, was set on fire prematurely with arson suspected, organizers said on Tuesday.

The symbol of the week-long festival, scheduled to go up in flames on Saturday night, was set on fire overnight on Tuesday and one man was arrested.

With tens of thousands of people heading toward the area east of Reno hoping to see the famed mascot end its short existence in a massive bonfire, organizers say they will construct a new Burning Man in the coming days.

"We have the means and the will. The event continues on schedule, and the Man will burn on Saturday night," said Andie Grace, a festival spokeswoman.

An official with Nevada's Pershing County Jail said Paul Addis of San Francisco was being held on charges of arson, possession of fireworks, destruction of property and resisting a public officer.
Reference Here>>


Additional YouTube Video Here>>










UPDATE: Scorched Man 2007 - Booked Man 2007


Scorched Man 2007 - At 3:00 AM on Tuesday, August 28th, at the height of a rare lunar eclipse, an individual armed with a propane torch, burned the Man. Image Credit: DangerRanger via flickr

The arsonist happens to be an actor who recently played Hunter S. Thompson (in “Gonzo, A Brutal Chrysalis”) in the Climate Theater, San Francisco. The one man show is expected to tour the west coast starting next month.

Paul Addis as Hunter S. Thompson – Image Credit: Laughing Squid via flickr

Paul Addis as booked arsonist – Image Credit: Laughing Squid via flickr

Kid Nation … Why Growing Up Is Hard - Guylan: Age 11

Kid Nation logo - Image Credit: CBS

Kid Nation … Why Growing Up Is Hard - Guylan: Age 11

In the early 1990’s, before Rudy Giuliani became the Mayor, radio talk show host, Rush Limbaugh would always describe New York City as the place where every liberal dream was tried and had come true. Liberal thinking and governance had failed in allowing the city to be a nice place to live.

When people are asked … how did they arrive at looking at politics from a conservative viewpoint - they generally state … well, I grew up and I have responsibilities.

To read some of the quotes attributed to the "Kid" cast members of a new reality television show to be aired on CBS one begins to gain insight to why growing up and taking on responsibility might be a good thing.

Take the following example of an eleven year old kid from Upton, Massachusetts named Guylan. He is quoted as thinking that Fidel Castro is a world leader that should be admired. The specific reasons he sites are Fidel's accomplishments that include the overthrow of a government, the instillation of a socialist system, and his ability to remain in control against every effort put forward by the United States to remove him.

Are we really sure that Guylan wrote these opinions by himself? Honestly, we at MAXINE know a few eleven year old human beings and we DOUBT the validity of the following quotes taken from the CBS website set up to engage potential viewers. Take a read and let us know what you think. Who makes this stuff up?

Excerpted from “Kid Nation on CBS”, the website that holds the claim - “Check out the bios created & designed by the kids” -

Kid Nation on CBS
Premieres Wednesday, September 19, 8PM ET/PT

Guylan: Age 11
Upton, MA

What world leader do you admire?

Fidel Castro is a world leader that I admire for many reasons. Firstly, he led a revolution against a corrupt government ruled by an evil dictator named Fulgencio Batista. Then he went on to lead the country of Cuba by ousting their existing political system in order to instill a socialist government throughout the country. That meant out with the rich and corrupt and in with a more fair and balanced environment for his people. Although he has not always been fair nor kind in how he governed, he is like the energizer bunny, he just keeps going and going and going…! And no matter how many times we try to assassinate him, he just doesn't die. Although it is more difficult for his country to succeed due to the embargo banning trade with Cuba, he and his people have persevered and shown the USA that we can kick him and fight him all the way, but he just won't fall down.
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What makes a good leader?

What I think makes a good leader is a person who can wield power without becoming corrupt. I also think that a good leader should have the right balance of courage and common sense. A good leader must be patient and able to deal with people in a manner that gets a good response. Instead of screaming in their faces and calling them incompetent he/she should see what he/she can do to help them succeed. A good leader does not need to be recognized through his or her actions and successes but only though the successes of those he or she leads. That is how he or she knows they have done well.

Who have been some of the best U.S. presidents, and why?

Washington, because without him I don't think our country would be as strong as it is now. He led the war for independence and by being the first president, helped to found and was first to be elected to, a rarely used (at that time) kind of political system.
Thomas Jefferson, because he was another person who played a key role in the founding of our nation. He wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence and helped to start the train of ending slavery moving by including a paragraph against slavery. "He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither." Unfortunately it was not included in the final draft and he himself owned many slaves.

Who have been some of the worst U.S. presidents, and why?

One president I think was really bad is James Buchanan. He was pro-slavery and wanted to make Kansas a slave state. Luckily, the Free-Soil cause kept him from doing that. By the time he left office the civil war was bound to happen. George W. Bush is in my opinion one of the worst. No offence to Mr. Bush. Here are a couple reasons. One, he wants to start drilling for oil in Alaska. Why would he do that? Ummmmmm... we need oil? Well, that is true since we haven't done anything to change our dependence on it. What Mr. Bush could do to make oil not so much of a problem is to fund the development of alternative fuels such as solar, hydro and wind. However, I don't believe that we should use nuclear. It may be a fuel that doesn't contribute to global warming, but it has large problems of its own. Another thing, why are we in Iraq? Did they attack us? Maybe I've been watching the wrong news or reading the wrong websites but I don't think they attacked us.
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If you had the power to change one or two things about our country right now, what would it be?

Well, I would like to change the president to one who actually cares about global warming and will do something about it instead of just putting it aside until later... I would also increase funds to save the few remaining wild places and wild life parks and reserves in the hopes of being an example for other countries.

If you could put into place one law that pertains to kids in our country, what would it be?

If there were one law that I could put into place it would be for kids 9 and up to have the right to vote.

Why are some people rich and others poor?

People are rich or poor depending on life circumstances. This includes where people come from, what types of opportunity surround them and what decisions they make in life. Some bad decisions can cause different levels of poverty and sadness. An example of a bad decision would be drinking irresponsibly and having unprotected relations which can lead to unwanted children that create financial burdens. An example of decisions that may lead to wealth might be to complete your education by receiving a degree that will allow you to become a wealthy businessman with a wife and two kids and a very stable job that you enjoy doing.

Do you believe global warming is a fact or a myth?
If you think it is a fact, what would you do about it if you were in charge?

I believe it is a fact and If I were in charge I would cut emissions by slowly severing our ties to fossil fuels and exploring different sources of energy such as wind, hydro power, solar power, and last but not least definitely not nuclear power.
Reference Here>>

These “BIOS” are a scam … they have to be a scam … just take a look at the highlighted snippets and ask yourself, “Is this knowledge that a real eleven year old kid would actually write about (even though he might have had the questions in advance)?

Remember, Guylan is only eleven years old ... he wonders why we are in Iraq ... considering that he was only about five years old when the World Trade Towers were taken down with hijacked passenger jet airplanes on September 11, 2001, how could he ever be expected to connect the dots.

“Kid Nation” should be renamed “Lib Village”!

Gee! Let Us Just Enforce 287G ... Really!

DEPORT THEM NOW Logo - Image Credit: Owner and Operators of the deportthemnow.com website

Gee! Let Us Just Enforce 287(g) ... Really!

This morning, we at MAXINE were listening to Laura Ingraham having a chat with Michelle Malkin and her new website – Deport Them Now.

Through their discussion, it was revealed that a federal law exists that cuts through the worst of what the sanctuary movement has brought to our cities here in the United States. This federal law, 287(g), supersedes any law that the local authorities choose to put forward and/or ignore.

The criminal activity that accompanies illegal immigration is a double assault on our way of life and the freedoms we seek to maintain and legally share … an assault on the real American Way!

Michelle Malkin believes that it is high time that we citizens put pressure on the federal authorities to enforce a law that is already on the books and DEPORT criminals who happen to not be citizens!

One of the latest, well publicized crimes to hit the news cycle - the execution style murders of three innocent, non-criminal, students in New Jersey - involved a person who should NOT have been in the United States … an illegal alien. What has added insult to this criminal murderous act is that this person is a career criminal with a very long rap sheet.

What is wrong with just enforcing the laws we have on our books already? Gee, why don’t we just enforce 287(g) … really!

This from Deport Them Now website –

DEPORT THEM NOW!

Law-abiding Americans and legal immigrants are sick of the revolving door that allows convicted criminal aliens to be set free to wreak havoc and violence across the country. These crimes were 100% preventable. How many more criminal alien rapists, kidnappers, and murderers will be let loose before politicians finally act? If you would like to join a grass-roots campaign to pressure Washington to stop this insanity, register here:

Excerpts from a column by Michelle Malkin posted at TownHall –

Sanctuary Nation or Sovereign Nation: It's Your Choice
By Michelle Malkin - Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Will the execution-style murder of three young students in Newark, N.J., finally turn the tide in the immigration enforcement debate? Will we at last abandon the deadly, chaotic, lawless sanctuary nation experiment and restore America's lost status as a sovereign nation under the rule of law?

The death of six innocent men and women and the injury of more than 1,000 at the hands of several illegal alien 1993 World Trade Center bombers wasn't enough to convince politicians in New York and across this country to end illegal alien sanctuary policies.

The death of nearly 3,000 innocent men, women and children at the hands of the 9/11 jihadists who exploited our lax entrance and visa enforcement policies in 2001 wasn't enough.

The death of 10 innocent men and women in the Washington, D.C., area at the hands of an illegal alien sniper and his bloodthirsty mentor in 2002 wasn't enough.

But now we are in the heat of a presidential election cycle. The open-borders opportunists in immigration enforcement clothing are professing to see the light. With illegal alien murder suspect Jose Carranza and his alleged MS-13 gang-banging boy helpers who are being sought in the brutal Newark murder case dominating the news on the Eastern seaboard, politicians can't find a camera fast enough to condemn the very sanctuary policies they promoted and tolerated for decades -- sanctuary policies I've highlighted for years in this column.
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From New York to Newark to Seattle to Portland to San Francisco to Los Angeles to San Diego to Houston to Miami, lawmakers have taken this go-with-the-flow attitude toward illegal alien border-crossers and visa overstayers and deportation fugitives. "Let 'em come."

But in the wake of the Newark murders and the illumination of illegal alien gang crime penetrating the country, a new rallying cry came from the lips of Newark Mayor Cory Booker: "Get this evil out of my city." That won't happen without a demonstrated commitment to cooperate with the feds to enforce immigration laws and deport violent and dangerous criminal aliens first.

A few weeks ago, I launched deportthemnow.com. Nearly 8,000 volunteers have signed up to make their voices heard. Our top priorities will be to push for the adoption of a program known as 287(g) to identify criminal illegal aliens in as many cities as possible; to repeal "don't ask-don't tell" sanctuary laws; and to support lawmakers like Newark City Councilman Ron C. Rice, who is pushing a resolution to coordinate efforts between law enforcement when an illegal immigrant is charged with a felony, and New Jersey Assemblyman Richard Merkt, R-Morris, who proposed prohibiting jail officials from releasing illegal immigrants and requiring them to be remanded to federal authorities.

It's time for ordinary Americans to come out of the shadows and remind Washington every day in words and actions that we are a sovereign nation, not a sanctuary nation.

No more promises. No need to wait for Election '08. Just do it.
Read All>>

Prison Dance Gang Wins At i-CAUGHT

Prisoners at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center perform a synchronized dance as part of their exercise routine in Cebu, central Philippines in this June 18, 2007 handout photo. Clips of the prisoners grooving in harmony to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" have created a stir on the internet with over a million views since it was posted on Youtube. Image Credit: Donald Moga/Cebu Provincial Information Office/Reuters

Prison Dance Gang Wins At i-CAUGHT

What some win may not be what you think.

What some of the inmates convicted in this corrupt prison system may be world scrutiny.

In a prison system where it would be easy to have someone “disappear” just because it would be easier to kill someone than to put them through a court case, dancing for YouTube may actually give these people an audit trail record for the world to see.

Now, if one of these prisoners happens to disappear, world watch organizations have a record that these people actually exist!

Excerpted from ABC News and Reuters

Prisoners' Dance: Celebration or Human Rights Violation?
Viral Video of Inmates Performing 'Thriller' Video Generates Concerns, Along With Clicks
By TRACIE HUNTE - Aug. 14, 2007

Share A video of 1,500 detainees in orange jumpsuits doing a beat-for-beat remake of Michael Jackson's classic video "Thriller" is the ultimate viral video. It's funny and weird, and the exotic location -- Cebu Province in the Philippines -- adds to its appeal.

The jail "Thriller" remake, uploaded to YouTube July 17, has been viewed 5 million times.

Why "Thriller"?

"I wanted something to thrill the world," said Byron Garcia, security consultant for the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center. He set up the dance and music program when he saw that the prison lacked a physical fitness regimen.

ABC News visited the jail to watch the final, completed version of "Thriller." The performance was to celebrate the founding of Cebu Province and to entertain the governor, Gwendolyn Garcia, Byron Garcia's sister. The governor's favorite is "Sister Act." "I just found it so hilarious, so melodious," Garcia said. "What an irony. They're right here in this jail, considered the rejects of society, and yet these rejects are now making our province and our country proud."

Byron Garcia said he was inspired to see the detainees dance while watching them do calisthenics from his perch above the exercise yard. Before uploading the soon-to-be legendary "Thriller" remake, he'd uploaded prison performances of the Village People's "YMCA" and "In the Navy," Queen's "Radio Ga Ga" and "I Will Follow Him," from the movie musical "Sister Act."

The men and women at CPDRC are all waiting for their cases to go to trial. They have been charged with crimes ranging from shoplifting to murder.

Melita Thomeczeck, the Philippines' deputy consulate general in New York, is not surprised by the CPDRC's unconventional rehabilitation regimen or the detainees' devotion to dance and music.
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One person who doesn't want to add to Garcia's impressive YouTube view count is Dennis Abbarientos, from the Filipino human rights group Karapatan. "I resisted temptation to view it at YouTube, since I detested being counted as one of the viewers," Abbarientos told ABC News in an e-mail.

Since 2004, Karapatan has filed numerous complaints against Byron Garcia, his sister the governor and wardens at the prison, alleging inhumane treatment of detainees.

Garcia denied all this and said the dancing is proof that the prison is a model of modern criminal justice. "The inmates relate to me. I relate to them. You know? We have a good relationship now. Whatever I tell them to do, they do," Garcia said.

But Thomeczeck sees the possibility of the dance program having an even greater positive effect: "It's a way to put themselves together physically and probably spiritually. That's good, isn't it?"
Reference Here>>

Once one gets their head around this YouTube video ... it becomes pretty disturbing on many levels.

Is this really art?

Where is Sean Penn when we really need him? ... Oops, I forgot, he is only involved in something when it trashes the United States!

Microbe Petrol For Better Living

Better biofuel: Stephen del Cardayre, a biochemist and LS9's vice president for research and development. Image Credit: Saul Bromberger and Sandra Hoover

Microbe Petrol For Better Living

What would happen if technology could deliver a renewable way of creating gasoline in relative minutes as opposed to the millions and millions of years it takes to create the base of gasoline we pump out of the ground (you know, the type that comes from dinosaur remains?

Well, if companies like LS9 and Amyris Biotechnologies have their way, we all will be pumping gas into our tanks that is created through having bacteria make hydrocarbons.

If this technology conversion can be made viable, it would lend a new interpretation to the expression – “Man, that car is SICK!”

This excerpted from Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Technology Review -

Making Gasoline from Bacteria
A biotech startup wants to coax fuels from engineered microbes.
By Neil Savage, Technology Review - Wednesday, August 01, 2007

The biofuel of the future could well be gasoline. That's the hope of one biotech startup that on Monday described for the first time how it is coaxing bacteria into producing hydrocarbons that could be processed into fuels like those made from petroleum.

LS9, a company based in San Carlos, CA, and founded by geneticist George Church, of Harvard Medical School, and plant biologist Chris Somerville, of Stanford University, had previously said that it was working on what it calls "renewable petroleum." But at a Society for Industrial Microbiology conference on Monday, the company began speaking more openly about what it has accomplished: it has genetically engineered various bacteria, including E. coli, to custom-produce hydrocarbon chains.

E. coli - Image Credit: uni-heidelberg.de

To do this, the company is employing tools from the field of synthetic biology to modify the genetic pathways that bacteria, plants, and animals use to make fatty acids, one of the main ways that organisms store energy. Fatty acids are chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms strung together in a particular arrangement, with a carboxylic acid group made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen attached at one end. Take away the acid, and you're left with a hydrocarbon that can be made into fuel.

"I am very impressed with what they're doing," says James Collins, codirector of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology at Boston University. He calls the company's use of synthetic biology and systems biology to engineer hydrocarbon-producing bacteria "cutting edge."

In some cases, LS9's researchers used standard recombinant DNA techniques to insert genes into the microbes. In other cases, they redesigned known genes with a computer and synthesized them. The resulting modified bacteria make and excrete hydrocarbon molecules that are the length and molecular structure the company desires.

Stephen del Cardayre, a biochemist and LS9's vice president for research and development, says the company can make hundreds of different hydrocarbon molecules. The process can yield crude oil without the contaminating sulfur that much petroleum out of the ground contains. The crude, in turn, would go to a standard refinery to be processed into automotive fuel, jet fuel, diesel fuel, or any other petroleum product that someone wanted to make.

Next year LS9 will build a pilot plant in California to test and perfect the process, and the company hopes to be selling improved biodiesel and providing synthetic biocrudes to refineries for further processing within three to five years. (See "Building Better Biofuels.")

But LS9 isn't the only company in this game. Amyris Biotechnologies, of Emeryville, CA, is also using genes from plants and animals to make microbes produce designer fuels. Neil Renninger, senior vice president of development and one of the company's cofounders, says that Amyris has also created bacteria capable of supplying renewable hydrocarbon-based fuels. The main difference between the companies, Renninger says, is that while LS9 is working on a biocrude that would be processed in a refinery, Amyris is working on directly producing fuels that would need little or no further processing.
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LS9's current work uses sugar derived from corn kernels as the food source for the bacteria--the same source used by ethanol-producing yeast. To produce greater volumes of fuel, and to not have energy competing with food, both approaches will need to use cellulosic biomass, such as switchgrass, as the feedstock. Del Cardayre estimates that cellulosic biomass could produce about 2,000 gallons of renewable petroleum per acre.

Producing hydrocarbon fuels is more efficient than producing ethanol, del Cardayre adds, because the former packs about 30 percent more energy per gallon. And it takes less energy to produce, too. The ethanol produced by yeast needs to be distilled to remove the water, so ethanol production requires 65 percent more energy than hydrocarbon production does.

The U.S. Department of Energy has set a goal of replacing 30 percent of current petroleum use with fuels from renewable biological sources by 2030, and del Cardayre says he feels that's easily achievable.

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