The wild winds relent but So Cal is still burning in three areas

Southern California firefighters are getting a break from the 70 mph winds that have tormented them for four days. Over 800 homes have been destroyed. About 20,000 people have had to evacuate their homes. Some are getting a chance to return home today to see if their homes are still standing. The Los Angeles Times examines the devastation.  

Among the counties affected is San Bernardino, where my sister lives. She hasn't had to evacuate yet but has been watching the fires down below her. Her house is in the foothills. For the full story Click Here.

Civil marriage vs Civil Unions: Some Differences

To clear up what some are saying about civil unions and civil marriage, here are some of the really important differences. This whole issue has become our civil rights issue of the new millennium and all myths regarding it need to be exposed.

Portability - Marriages are respected state to state for all purposes, but questions remain about how civil unions will be treated in other states. They need to be recognized nationally.

Ending a Civil Union - If you are married, you can get divorced in any state in which you are a resident. But if states continue to disrespect civil unions, there is no other way to end the relationship other than by establishing residency in Vermont and filing for a divorce there.

Federal Benefits - According to a 1997 GAO report, civil marriage brings with it 1,049 legal protections and responsibilities from the federal government, including the right to take leave from work to care for a family member, the right to sponsor a spouse for immigration purposes, and Social Security survivor benefits that can make the difference between old age in poverty and old age in security. Civil Unions bring none of these critical legal protections.

Taxes & Public Benefits for the Family - Because the federal government does not respect Civil unions, a couple with a civil union will be in a kind of limbo with regard to government functions performed by both state and federal governments, such as taxation, pension protections, provision of insurance for families, and means-tested programs like Medicaid. Even when states try to provide legal protections, they may be foreclosed from doing so in joint federal/state programs.

Filling out forms -Every day, we fill out forms that ask us whether we are married or single. People joined with Civil Unions should be able to identify themselves as a single family unit, but misrepresenting oneself on official documents can be considered fraud and carries potential serious criminal penalties.

Separate & Unequal - Second-Class Status - Even if there were no substantive differences in the way the law treated marriages and civil unions, the fact that a civil union remains a separate status just for gay people represents real and powerful inequality.

We've been down this road before in this country and should not kid ourselves that this is an issue of equality for all Americans. We've come a long way, but will never achieve total equality until the institution of marriage applies to EVERYONE with No exceptions.

As an old hippie that believes in love and peace, I would feel so much better about this country if gays and lesbians were given equal marriage rights with the rest of the population.

There are differences between a civil union & marriage

It seems to me there are a lot of ignorant people out there who think that marriage and civil unions are basically the same thing. They're not! A civil union deprives couples hundreds of things that a marriage gets. I think everyone should read This Link to understand just how unfair the law is right now.

Will Republican Meltdown Open the Doors for 3rd Party Growth?

There's no doubt that the Republican brand has been tarnished and it's party is in disarray. What does the future hold for the GOP. Is the elephant going to be a symbol of the past? What does the disintegration of the Republican Party mean to the rest of the minority parties? In todays Times-Standard, AS IT STANDS takes a look at these questions and urges equal media access to the rest of the political parties in this country. CLICK HERE to read today's column.

Sylmar fire burns 2,600 acres; 10,000 residents ordered to evacuate

The Santa Barbara fires along the coastal foothills was bad enough, but now the fires have spread with wind gusts of 70 mph ripping through Northern San Fernando Valley overnight and into this morning. The fire managed to leap across the 210 and 5 freeways causing more damage and confusion.

With the hear expected to be in the 90's today, firefighters are in for a grueling battle.

There's no doubt this has been a bad year for fires in California.

For the whole story Click Here.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin Rejected by other Republican Governors!

While reading two of my favorite blogs, Political Animal and Think Progress, I ran across some interesting news regarding Gov. Sarah Palin today.

It seems the Republican Governor's Association was holding a meeting and elected it's new leadership team and guess who wasn't picked? That's right. Gov. Sarah Palin. Imagine that?

The funny thing is that there are only 21 Republican Governors left in the country, and 19 of them attended the meeting, which was held in Miami. There's eight leadership posts. So she had a 42% chance of being picked and nobody wanted the hockey mom from Alaska.

Rumor has it that the governors weren't real happy with Palin's news conference yesterday and this was a great way of sending her a message! The cat's out-of-the-bag. She was a desperate political pick that gave new meaning to dumb and inexperienced.

My column AS IT STANDS this Sunday talks about the Republican Meltdown and where they are going next. I also make an argument for third party candidates getting more media exposure in the future. I did suggest that if the Republican Party did split in two, she might be the head of the new party - The Righteous Republicans!

See this Sunday's Times-Standard's  AS IT STANDS and let me know what you think.

Fires rage in Santa Barbara County: State of Emergency Declared

Firefighters pour water on the remains of the Physics Building at Westmont College.

Santa Barbara Fire Department crews fights to put out flames at a home on Coyote Drive in Montecito.

    

       

The charred remains of the house and car above are contrasted with the firefighter battling the

blaze on the right.

Over 2,500 acres of coastal foothills have been engulfed by fast-moving flames stroked by the Santa Ana and sundowner winds, but they are reportedly calming down today. Over 100 homes have been destroyed and there are thousands of people who have had to flee the area.

 

I don't care what bears do in the woods - but people can't crap there!

There's forests in Europe where people have to be careful when nature's urge to defecate comes upon them, if they don't want to get fined. Anybody ever been to Toiletten (Toilet?) benutzen! Or, does the sign mean, "No shitting." 

                                   

This strikes me as odd, but if they don't want crap littering the forests, then that's the way it is. But what about the animals?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 It almost looks like the figure is skiing and someone forgot to draw the skis. Yea...maybe that's what it is. What do you think?

Here's some office humor that's good for Friday or Monday!

Bush administration cuts clean air regulations for polluting companies

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently passed a new rule aimed at clearing the nation's air of toxic metals that lead to childhood lead poisoning. The Bush administration quietly weakened that provision at the last minute by exempting dozens of polluters from scrutiny, federal records show.

At least 12 factories in Illinois alone have fallen through the cracks because of this sneaky move by Bush.

The EPA has been looking at the harmful effects of lead and there's a pile of research that shows how dangerous it really is when released in the air.

This is just another part of the putrid Bush legacy that will leave future generations to declare him the worst president we ever had!

Wally always wanted to run with the sheep and not have to make decisions!