Obama is already toughest president on leaks

More prosecutions sought in 17 months than any previous administration

In 17 months in office, President Obama has already outdone every previous president in pursuing leak prosecutions.

“Hired in 2001 by the National Security Agency to help it catch up with the e-mail and cellphone revolution, Thomas A. Drake became convinced that the government’s eavesdroppers were squandering hundreds of millions of dollars on failed programs while ignoring a promising alternative.

He took his concerns everywhere inside the secret world: to his bosses, to the agency’s inspector general, to the Defense Department’s inspector general and to the Congressional intelligence committees. But he felt his message was not getting through.

So he contacted a reporter for The Baltimore Sun.”

Though he is charged under the Espionage Act, Mr. Drake appears to be a classic whistle-blower whose goal was to strengthen the N.S.A.’s ability to catch terrorists, not undermine it.

Photo source

Marijuana Delivery Services Evade Bans on Dispensaries, Spread Across California

A flourishing and unregulated industry of pot delivery services is circumventing bans on storefront dispensaries and bringing medical marijuana directly to Californians' homes.

The exact number of delivery services operating in California is unclear, since the state does not keep a registry of medical marijuana distributors or outlets.

In April, 758 services advertised direct delivery of marijuana to patients on Weedmaps.com, a commercial listing service.

It was 1967 since I visited Haight Street – some things haven’t changed 53 years later

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For San Francisco’s controversial proposed sit/lie law, the inciting incident happened on a Wednesday night in early December in the Haight — an act of violence so brutal it inspired a grass-roots movement.

For the full story, check out Scott James's column on the sit/lie controversy.

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Sixty years later, U.S. and England meet again

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Before long-awaited game, Bradley says, ‘We believe we're going to win’

The last time the USA defeated the powerful English soccer team to win the World Cup Finals was the year I was born; 1950.

PHOTO: U.S. national soccer players, including Jozy Altidore, front, train at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, South Africa, on Friday.

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Guest Opinion: The LA Times Insults Obama Regularly

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“Why does one of the largest newspapers in the country allow its political writer to routinely disrespect the president in a casually insulting way?”

Eric Boehlert asks…

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COULD CYBER SKIRMISH LEAD U.S. TO WAR?

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Now, the U.S. government is faced with a chilling question: Should it get dragged into a shooting war by a cyber attack on an ally? Or should it decline and threaten the fiber of the NATO alliance?

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Louisiana leaders want Gulf drilling to resume

When I read this story I nearly got sick! Can you believe the gall of those bastards? In the midst of the worst ecological disaster in the world, they want to resume drilling!

Politicians say moratorium is a knee-jerk reaction

“At the same time they are venting their fury on BP over the Gulf of Mexico spill and its calamitous environmental effects, Louisiana politicians are rushing to the defense of the oil-and-gas industry and pleading with Washington to bring back offshore drilling —now.”

Retail Recall: McDonald's paying $3 for Shrek glasses

Company is paying customers more than they spent, in hopes of getting back millions of glasses recalled over cadmium.

Pot Delivery Services Cropping Up Across California

As communities across California crack down on medical marijuana dispensaries, a new business model has emerged:companies that will deliver pot directly to your doorstep.

 Read more at NPR

PHOTO: A worker at C420, an online dispensary, weighs pot that will be shipped to customers. The company offers to ship pot overnight to qualified medical marijuana users at "almost any legal address in California."

Parenting vs texting: ‘Stop texting, Dad! I'm talking to you’

Researchers fret about the risks of parenting while plugged in

From left, Rakesh Thakkar, Anika, 5, Sharmila Rao Thakkar, Shiv, 2, eat dinner in their home in Chicago, last week. Parents' use of technology, and its effect on their offspring, is now becoming an equal source of concern to some child-development researchers.

More Americans Dislike the Tea Partiers Than Ever Before

Now that it's become more clear what the Tea Parties stand for, more and more Americans have a low opinion of them.

“When the previous poll was taken you could not turn on your television without being hit in the face with Tea Party lunacy.

But the media has effectively out-hyped itself on the Tea Party and now some folks are disgusted and tired of seeing the angry-old-white-guy movement just as we are tired of seeing the incompetent-old-white-guys in Washington, D.C.”

Web Conferencing for Dummies: Yup, you're on

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Social blunders and mishaps are more frequent than you might think

PHOTO: This fellow, shown in a Web site ad, is dressed appropriately for a Web-based video conference. However, some folks don't dress well — or much — and others forget that the mike is on.

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Remind me not to wear the Calvin Klein cologne that attracts jaguars if I ever go to Guatemala

Biologists tracking jaguars in the Guatemalan jungle might smell nice but it's all in the name of science, with researchers finding the Calvin Klein cologne Obsession for Men attracts big cats.

I enjoy irony in life, and the name of this cologne is certainly ironic when you think about it being used to attract jaguars.

The cologne is known for its complex scent, and is used to help lure the big cats for research and hopefully ultimately preserve jaguars in the Central American country.

Odd News For a Wednesday: Woman wants to be world's fattest!

N.J. mother of two is striving to top 1,000 pounds

Donna Simpson weighs 600 pounds and hopes to gain another 400 to become the world's heaviest living woman.

View related photos

Marion Curtis / AP file

Stress of daily grind takes toll on teeth

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Effects of job worries, freaky disasters seen in dentist's chair

PHOTO: Dr. Michael Sinkin, a Manhattan-based dentist, talks with bruxism patient Mark Naples about combating the effects of grinding his teeth.

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Your new nightmare worms its way into view

A healthy, 25-year-old Christian minister went to an Alameda, Calif., emergency room in September 2008, complaining of something in his eye, reports a case study in this month’s issue of The Annals of Emergency Medicine.

An eyelash, maybe? A pesky speck of dust, perhaps? Or, ew, maybe a stray contact lens had wedged its way somewhere in there?

It’s just so much worse. Israel Orellana’s discomfort was caused by something called an African eye worm. That’s a worm. In his EYEBALL.

Guest Opinion: Kucinich Calls for the End of America’s Longest War

Why aren’t more Congressman pushing to end the war? Is Kucinich the only one with the guts to speak out against the insanity of staying there? It sure looks that way.

If we really want to get on the road to economic recovery then ending the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are the first things to do. The billions going over there would be better used here at home where Americans could use the help now.

Today, the War in Afghanistan is officially the longest war Americans have ever been asked to endure. In observance, Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today released the following statement:

“The War in Afghanistan has now surpassed the number of years we spent in Vietnam, making it the longest war in U.S. history.

This grim landmark must serve as an awakening for the human and financial costs of the war. Our continued presence in Afghanistan foments resentment toward us, undermines the human rights of the Afghan people, and places our troops in harm’s way.

Prior to the Memorial Day break, the House passed a bill authorizing $159.3 billion for the continuation of the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the so-called “war on terror” with little-to-no discussion of the cost our constituents must bear to keep the wars going.

The war is creating a new generation of Americans who will experience the trauma of war, like Vietnam veterans before them. Billions of dollars go toward our supposed nation-building in Afghanistan. Yet millions of Americans struggle as funds for essential social services get cut.

“The greatest casualties of this long war are the children of the world for whom war becomes as ordinary as the sunrise. Children, who go to bed hungry each night, who are denied the fullness of health, who are ill-housed, ill-clothed, who do not have a chance for a decent education, whose opportunities in life are limited because the resources of nations are squandered in unnecessary wars based on lies.

What a terrible legacy this generation of leaders will leave for the children of the world unless we finally come to an understanding of the utter futility f war, unless we challenge the underlying thinking that leads to war, unless we firmly explore the science of human relations which leads away from war and towards understanding and human unity. This is the surge the world is waiting for.

“In the coming weeks, Congress is expected to be asked to give another $33 billion for war efforts. Congress must stop funding this misguided war. We need to bring the troops home now.” said Kucinich.

Great Escape veteran Harrison dies at 97

He was 98th on the list of 200 inmates set to escape, but only 76 got away

PHOTO: Jack Harrison, at right, the veteran thought to be the last survivor of the World War II prisoner-of-war breakout from Stalag Luft III, is seen with other prisoners-of-war in this undated file photo.

As human jobs dry up robots continue to eliminate future work possibilities

Advances — especially in safety — have their use on the rise

Technology is fine, up to a point. But despite what employers say about robots not totally taking over automated work and getting rid of humans…it’s happening. The future for human workers in manufacturing is bleak.

It’s advances like this new robot that will guarantee less work for humans. I wonder how this economy is ever going to recover when jobs are being automated?

Photo: Developed for the International Space Station, the Robonaut 2 300-pound prototype consists of a head and torso with two arms and two hands. GM plans to adapt the technology for use in future vehicles and in manufacturing plants.

What to do? Clean the birds, or kill them?

A biologist in Germany has stirred up a fuss with comments suggesting it makes more sense to kill heavily oiled birds from the Gulf of Mexico oil-spill disaster than to clean them.

Patients Challenge Tehama County Anti-Cultivation Ordinance

RED BLUFF- In a lawsuit  supported by California NORML, Tehama County patients  filed suit  on June 4th against a county ordinance that limits their right to grow marijuana at home.

  
The lawsuit, by the law firm of Edie Lerman and J David Nick of Ukiah,  asks for a writ of mandate to strike down the Tehama ordinance.
The plaintiffs  claim that the ordinance makes it impossible for them to legally exercise their Proposition 215 right to cultivate medical marijuana for themselves.

The Tehama ordinance declares it a public  nuisance  to grow marijuana anywhere within 1,000 feet of  a school, school bus stop, church, park, or youth-oriented facility;  restricts gardens  to no more than 12 mature or 24 total plants on  parcels of 20 acres or less; requires outdoor gardens to be  surrounded by an opaque fence at least six feet high and located 100  feet or more from the property boundaries; and requires every patient garden to be registered with the county health services agency for a fee to be determined.

 
"The ordinance is an affront to property rights as well as patients' rights," declares Jason Browne, one of the Tehama plaintiffs.  "The patient community has attempted for months to work with the county. They have snubbed us at every turn. We had no alternative but to sue."

California NORML attorneys argue that local governments cannot legally declare activities that are protected by state law to be nuisances.

"They can't take everyone's rights away," says attorney Edie Lerman.   California law states patients can have whatever they need for themselves and for collectives." Lerman warns patients to expect a long battle, as the case is likely to go to the appellate level.

Tehama's  is the most restrictive of a number of  anti-cultivation measures that have recently been proposed by local  officials  hostile to medical marijuana. In another lawsuit filed by Lerman and Nick, Mendocino County patients are challenging an ordinance that limits patient cultivation to 25 plants per parcel, regardless of the number of patients.

The ordinance was recently amended to let collectives apply for licenses for larger gardens of up to 99 plants under certain conditions.

"The right to cultivate is fundamental  to Prop. 215's mandate that 'seriously ill  Californians have the right to obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes,'" says California NORML Director Dale Gieringer, a co-author of Prop. 215.

CONTACTS: Dale Gieringer (415) 563-5858;  Edie Lerman (707) 937-1711

Signs of the Apocalypse #13 : Elton John sings at Limbaugh’s wedding!

Conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh had an unexpected wedding singer when he said "I do" for the fourth time yesterday to Kathryn Rogers at the Breakers hotel in Palm Beach: gay rights advocate Elton John, according to a wire report from the FOX-owned News Corporation.

The $1 million the Rocket Man reportedly took home for his trouble, however, may have smoothed over any conflicts of interest for the time being as Rush is homophobic. One million dollars has a way of loosening convictions.

Photo source

The stench of last minute attacks on political candidates reaches from Humboldt to South Carolina

Have you ever noticed how political campaigners wait until just before an election to release their “secret weapon/aka Smoking Gun” against opponents? It’s a time-honored practice in American politics, which has always been a messy process to say the least.

For example: The election of 1828 was significant as it heralded a profound change with the election of a man widely viewed as a champion of the common people. But that year's campaigning was also noteworthy for the intense personal attacks widely employed by the supporters of both candidates.

The most recent example of last minute attacks here in Humboldt is directed against 5th district supervisor candidate Ryan Sundberg’s DUI.

Decorum goes South in S.C. governor race

Nikki Haley is challenging the corrupt “Good Old Boy System” in the South and her opponents are trying their best to smear her bad enough to affect the election tomorrow. So far, it looks like their dirty tactics aren’t paying off.

PHOTO ABOVE: State Rep. Nikki Haley, 38, has been a state representative since 2004 — long enough, she says, to know the problems but not to be "part of the fraternity party."

Dirty tricks, local politics, and Elvis Costello

Writer Dan Ryan looks at five dirty campaign tactics at play in KC

Last-Minute Onslaught of Mud

With the June primary election just days away — next Tuesday — voters can expect a blitzkrieg of campaign mud smearing their TV screens and in their mailboxes over the weekend and early next week. The Democrat primary for the 35th Assembly District has generated the most contentious and over-the-top aspersions thus far, prompting the head of the Santa Barbara Democratic Central Committee to take both candidates — Santa Barbara City Councilmember Das Williams and coastal advocate Susan Jordan — to task for engaging in “cheap shots and character bashing.”

Haley Barbour: Oil? What Oil? Press Should Stop Scaring Tourists

This month we have a new “Spotlight on Idiots” featuring Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour.

It really cracks me up how these Republicans say they don’t want any part of Big Government, but the moment something like this massive oil spill happens they’re crying for help from the same reviled government.

Most revealing however, is the fact that here’s another Republican so friggin corrupt that he’s trying to downplay the worst ecological disaster in United States history because he’s worried the press is over blowing things and discouraging tourists! Unbelievable. But that’s a typical Republican stance. Big business first, the people last:

“The biggest problem facing Mississippi in the wake of a massive oil spill in the Gulf isn't tarred beaches or ecological waste, the state's governor Haley Barbour said on Sunday. It's the national press corps, which, he asserted, is inflating the disaster's current impact and, as a result, decimating the state's tourism industry.

In an appearance on Fox News Sunday, the Mississippi Republican veered as close as any elected politician could to insisting that the biggest oil spill in the history of this country had been overblown -- at least when it comes to his state.”                    Photo source

As It Stands: Researchers claim to have solved the mystery of life -- now what?

By Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard

Posted: 06/06/2010 01:47:59 AM PDT

”Look! It's moving. It's alive. It's alive ... It's alive, it's moving, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, IT'S ALIVE!” Henry Frankenstein (played by Colin Clive) announced to the world when his creation moved, in the 1931 movie “Frankenstein” starring Boris Karloff.

Now reality has met fiction, and the latter is not as scary as the first. No terrible storm with jagged shards of lightning shattered the sky when the research team led by J. Craig Venter, Hamilton Smith, Clyde Hutchinson, and Daniel Gibson at the J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockeville, Md., recently announced the creation of life from non-living parts.

Unlike the movie, they didn't piece together parts from dead bodies to craft what they call a “synthetic cell” from a set of genes they decoded, artificially combined and then stuck into the cored-out shell of another bacterial cell, according to an MSNBC.com article by Arthur Caplan, Ph.D.

Since the book “Frankenstein” by Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley came out 200 years ago, philosophers, scientists, and theologians have debated the merits of mankind creating life. Some saw the book's message as a warning of what would happen to men if they messed with the secret of life.

READ THE REST HERE                          Photo source

Travel survey cites America’s dirtiest cities

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From L.A. to Miami, find out which U.S. 30 cities need spring cleaning

Los Angeles is No. 3 on Travel + Leisure's list of America's dirtiest cities.

View related photos

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As It Stands Preview: Frankenstein’s Monster has competition!

“Look! It's moving. It's alive. It's alive... It's alive, it's moving, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, IT'S ALIVE!” Henry Frankenstein (played by Colin Clive) announced to the world when his creation moved, in the 1931 movie “Frankenstein“ starring Boris Karloff.

Now reality has met fiction, and the latter is not as scary as the first.

See this Sunday’s As It Stands in The Times-Standard.

image source

Report finds ‘Earmarks’ set aside for campaign donors

Is anyone surprised? Do people take notice of information like this anymore?

All Obama’s talk about getting rid of earmarks hasn’t done a thing. It’s just talk. The following link shows the money trail.

What say we actually go after these fat cats and either vote them out or at least change the way they do business? 

House and Senate lawmakers have received nearly $2 million in campaign contributions this election cycle from organizations for which they had sponsored earmarks, according to a new report by two nonpartisan watchdogs.

image source

Montana Cannabis caravans fuel medical pot boom

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Chuck Campbell with Montana Buds talks with a new cardholder about the services he offers.

In Montana, roving cannabis caravans are makeshift clinics where patients can see a doctor, pay a fee, and leave with permission to use medical marijuana.

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June’s Random Viewer Pick is from Tirana

Tirana is the capital and the largest city in Albania.

Tirana has a typical Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot and dry summers and cool, wet winters.

The main cultural and artistic institutions of Tirana are the National Theater, the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania, the National Gallery of Figurative Arts of Albania (Galeria Kombëtare e Arteve), and the Ensemble of Folk Music and Dances. Another cultural event includes performances of renown world composers performed by the Symphonic Orchestra of the Albanian Radio and Television. The city has been a venue for the Tirana Biennale and Tirana Jazz Festival.

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

Information and photo source

Study suggests chocolate health claims are ‘unproven’

Wouldn’t you know it? For the last couple of years studies have been touting the benefits of eating chocolate, much to the delight of my chocolate-loving wife. This news story is going to come as a blow to her, as she has been guilt-free while indulging in everything chocolate.

Studies have shown benefits from compounds in cocoa, but they remain unproved, and many of the studies have ties to chocolate makers.

It's every sweet tooth's dream. A steady stream of studies has linked chocolate to a variety of health benefits, including decreased blood pressure, lower cholesterol, reduced risk of heart disease, even effects on mood.

photo source

Power Play: Blagojevich corruption trial starts today

Finally..after nearly two years, Blago is going to court. This ought to be real interesting. I understand the government has a lot of evidence against him. Actually, he’s probably no worse than most career politicians but he got caught unlike the others.

Let’s see what the squeekie wheels of Justice does. Did Blago hire a Big Enough Attorney to escape justice? Stay tuned: 

He's pleaded not guilty to 24 counts including racketeering, wire fraud

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s trial starts today. It’s the end of an 18-month ordeal that began with his humiliating arrest on charges of scheming to profit from his power to fill President Barack Obama's former Senate seat.

Dieting for dollars? More American workers are trying it

How much money would it take to get you to lose some serious weight? $100? $500?

Many employers are betting they can find your price. At least a third of U.S. companies offer financial incentives, or are planning to introduce them, to get their employees to lose weight or get healthier in other ways.

BUT THERE’s ONE LITTLE CAVEAT…

"It's probably a waste of time," said Kelly Brownell, director of Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.

Photo source

Natalee Holloway murder suspect sought in Peru killing

I’ve followed the case of Natalee Holloway’s disappearance from day one. My wife’s maiden name is Holloway, and we both wonder if she and Natalee are related.

I’m still convinced that Joran van der sloot was Natalee’s killer, and he literally got away with murder because of his Judge father’s influence.

Now I see the scumbag is wanted for another murder. I hope he gets caught and somebody fry’s his smart ass this time! Here’s the link to today’s news story:

Arrest warrant issued for van der Sloot after woman's death

UPDATE: THURSDAY 6/3/10

Holloway suspect detained in Peru killing

A Dutchman questioned in the 2005 disappearance of U.S. teen Natalee Holloway has been taken into custody in Chile for investigation in the killing of a woman in Peru, Chilean police said.Police announced Thursday that Joran van der Sloot, 23, was in custody in Santiago.

Java junkies get little buzz from morning cup according to survey

While sipping my morning brew, I found this little news item. Apparently researchers feel that caffeine addiction is such a downer that long-time drinkers don’t get a jolt from it.

The researchers should try drinking the strong coffee my Dad and Sister make. It’s almost like syrup and your teeth chatter for a little awhile afterwards. I don’t care how long you’ve been drinking coffee, their brew methods makes it potent to everyone – including longtime Joe drinkers. I know this from experience.

I also know that I still NEED my morning cup of coffee and that it still has the desired effect of keeping my eyes open and encouraging speech after 45 years of drinking it. See what you think about this article on the subject:

Regular coffee drinkers develop tolerance to caffeine's effects

image source

California voters back pot legalization, but support is shaky

Will a majority of Californians vote for legalized marijuana in the Fall? Here’s the most recent survey on the subject. I’m sure there’s going to be many more before people go to the ballot boxes.

Survey finds 49% support the ballot measure but a third of those only "somewhat" support it. Of the 41% who oppose it, a vast majority believe it will worsen social problems. One in 10 are undecided.

Deepwater Horizon disaster was no accident – it was a certainty

By Dave Stancliff/for ALL VOICES

Have you ever seen those old movies that ask you to “Follow the bouncing ball?” Using this analogy, let’s follow the bouncing ball that led to the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico.

Before we follow what led to this ecological disaster that took the lives of 11 workers on the oil rig, let’s take a quick look at the political climate regarding Big Oil. Ex-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a patriotic pal of the oil industry, told her followers the country still needs to “Drill, baby, drill” despite what happened in the Gulf.

 
Kentucky Republican Senate candidate, Rand Paul, wailed about Obama’s criticism of BP in the wake of the Gulf oil debacle and called it "really un-American." Then he told the press “accidents happen” to explain the catastrophic spill. A truly classic disingenuous statement.

Paul, already facing a backlash over remarks about civil rights legislation, defends Big Oil because he seeks financial support from the GOP to go along with his Tea Party backing. The GOP has been in bed with Big Oil since the first Bush took over the White House. That’s when the ball got rolling.

Read the rest at ALL VOICES  online magazine.         

Photo source

Photo Above: Sperm whales like this one are one of two resident species near the leak area. Like dolphins, whales have no fur that can get oiled, but oil on their skin and eyes can cause irritation and infection.

Mother of All Sinkholes in Guatamala Caused by Tropical Storm Agatha

Central America floods, mudslides kill scores

More than 110,000 in Guatemala flee as first storm of season lashes region

Storm, volcano pummel Guatemala
In addition to Tropical Storm Agatha taking at least 63 lives, the Pacaya volcano started spewing lava and rocks, killing at least one person.

More photos

Lakers meet Celtics in Finals for 33rd time in NBA History

The teams, which have combined to win 32 NBA titles, will play Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday.

Take the time to thank a veteran today

Randy Bish / Politicalcartoons.com

SF BAY GUARDIAN runs 5/31/09 As It Stands ‘Trolls Exposed: What kind of troll is disrupting your online community?’

FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN ONLINE (Scroll halfway down)

           UNDER ENDORSEMENTS:

Here's some troll information for those of you who may be wondering about the paid political trolls who saturate this and other websites with pro-party line garbage (and who are constantly whining about The Guardian yet they constantly come here and read the articles and comment on them).

From my experience, whenever I talk about trolls it's only the trolls who get upset about me bringing the topic up. So they really identify themselves by their protest of the topic....while the rest of us just go about our business and don't worry about the topic of trolls being mentioned. So who else would care that someone has mentioned something about trolls... other than trolls? Get it?

One of the things that's obvious about trolls is that they change their screen name from, let's say, "apples" to "scrapples." And then next week they may change their screen name to "blabbles" or "Mr blabbles" pretending to be yet another person. Sometimes they will even talk to themselves on message forums because they wrote BOTH comments as 2 different people

Here's an article about trolls and the next-to-last paragraph talks about them being paid. As election time gets closer, the more paid political trolls there will be showing up on message forums cheerleading for their D or R "team." Oh look, here's "clapples." Or is it "raccles" today? It doesn't matter really....it's just a political troll.

And if one doesn't like the Guardian endorsements, no one is forcing you to vote for the candidates they endorsed.

Trolls Exposed: What kind of troll is disrupting your online community?
Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard
Posted: 05/31/2009 01:27:12 AM PDT

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NOTE: This column ran exactly one year ago today. It still resonates for some.                             

                            Don't feed the trolls

    (from: Trolls Exposed: What kind of troll is disrupting your online community?)
“You know the ones I'm talking about. They prey on news forums, chat rooms, and other online communities. Their purpose: to disrupt any conversation or thread, and to get an emotional response from some unwary person. Ignoring them and not responding to their posts is your best option.

What kind of people are trolls? They're cowards. Lonely cowards. Their posts seldom show any real imagination and often resort to childish name-calling.

Trolls are often extremely pedantic and rarely answer direct questions. There are some exceptions, but most aren't smart enough to make a reasonable argument. They're not interested in reason. They repeat themselves and say stupid, off-focus things to disrupt conversations.

Some trolls like to brag about their IQ. They try to come across like rocket scientists to lure the unwary and then pounce with a verbal attack. Trolls count the responses they get. [Sam's editorial: That answers my question that I've wondered about.] It must be highly pleasurable for the poor creatures to count coups if they disrupt other people's emotional equilibrium.

Trolls call it “Lulz,” a corruption of “LOL” (laugh out loud). Jason Fortuny is the most famous troll in America (using his real name in an interview). He was interviewed in the New York Times on August 3, 2008. This article is the best read I've found on the subject of trolls.

Fortuny's passion for “pushing people's buttons” made him the most prominent troll on the Internet according to the Times. He managed to thoroughly embarrass a lot of men with his infamous “Craigslist Experiment” as described in the Times article.

Like many trolls, Fortuny claims his pastime is just a big joke, a social experiment. He lives alone, spends countless hours anonymously insulting people, doesn't have a full time job, is 32 years old, and brags (to anyone who will listen) about being a troll.

For all of Fortuny's faults, no one has ever accused him of murder, like the woman in the Megan Meier cyberbullying case.

The suicide of a teenage girl highlights another type of troll. A deadly troll, sometimes called a cyberbully, took on a fake identity and seduced a vulnerable girl in MySpace. When the troll was sure she had fallen in love with the fake identity she (this woman posed as a man) broke up with the girl and said terrible things to her.

It was more than Megan Meier could stand and she killed herself. The warning is clear here. You never really know who you are talking with on the Internet, especially in online communities like FaceBook and MySpace.

For a guide on trolls go to flayme.com, which offers an Intelligence Test for Trolls. For an insight into cyberbullying check out the book “BullyBaby: Portrait of a Cyberbully,” by Andrew Heenan. “Dealing with Internet Trolls,” posted on lockergnome.com on April 17th, 2009, is another good information source.

Legislating cyberspace to go after trolls isn't feasible in my opinion. The web is a new frontier for freedom of speech and I don't want to see that changed by Orwellian laws that make it a crime to hurt someone's feelings.

So what do you do about trolls? Recognize that they are part of the Internet community and will be there as long as there are lonely misfits and people who have trouble communicating in the real world.

They crawl through cyberspace seeking to create chaos. It gives them a sense of power when they feel powerless in the real world. They get to say things they'd never dare say to people directly. At best, they are lonely cowards. Ignore them and don't let them spoil your use of the Internet.

Trolls are not hard to spot. For example, go to an online newspaper community like the Times-Standard's Topix Forum. In no time, you'll begin to recognize some names posted in every topic. Realizing this, trolls will sometimes change their identities, but their repetition and negative comments generally “out them” to an aware community.

There are also paid political trolls. They actually get paid to surf through online communities and disrupt meaningful conversations while touting their party line. Both Republicans and Democrats are guilty of this underhanded practice.

As It Stands, there's really only one practical way to deal with trolls: don't feed them!”

Posted by Sam

As It Stands: Arizona immigration law creates deeper racial divide among Americans

Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard

Posted: 05/30/2010 01:27:14 AM PDT

Simmering racial tensions boiled over the moment Republican Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona signed immigration law SB-1070 on April 23rd. Outraged Hispanics, religious leaders, Democratic lawmakers and left-wing activists across the country quickly responded. They organized boycotts against the state of Arizona. They all fear racial profiling will happen when this new law goes into effect in July.

Illegal immigration is dividing this nation, according to recent polls. The latest Rasmussen poll found that 70 percent of Arizonians actually support the controversial new law. The poll also noted that 53 percent of those questioned had concerns the law would violate the rights of U.S. citizens in Arizona.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans -- 64 percent -- approved of the law in an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll. The Pew Research Center for the People and Press reflected those findings. Lawmakers have introduced similar measures, or have announced plans to do so, in 12 other states.

A new NBC/MSNBC/ Telemundo poll shows that White and Latino Americans are deeply divided over immigration. The poll shows 70 percent of whites support the law, versus just 31 percent of Latinos. In fact, 58 percent of Latinos say they strongly oppose it. Only 22 percent of the country's Latinos have a favorable view of the GOP, according to the poll.

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Remembering California’s War Dead: profiles of all of them

Select from California's 584 deaths for a full profile of  each person who died. Better yet, check them all out. It’s  time to remember them, and their ultimate sacrifice.

image source: Randy Bish / Politicalcartoons.com

RIP: Movie star Dennis Hopper dead at 74

Actor had praised Hollywood as his 'home and my schooling'

Dennis Hopper is one of my all-time favorite actors. I enjoyed all of his movies, even the poorly made productions he played in later in his career.

Gary Coleman died a couple of days ago. Some people I know say that when one movie star dies there’s always a couple of more who do around the same time. They go in three’s according to some.

I wonder how true this is. Let’s see.

What memorial day parades have become…

David Granlund / Politicalcartoons.com