What would you do with $400M?

ExxonMobil's Chief Executive Lee Raymond is getting a sweet retirement package.

$400 million dollars.

Since becoming chief executive in 1993, Mr Raymond had become infamous for his dismissive response to environmental lobbyists at previous annual meetings. He has funnelled $19m of Exxon's money to groups that question the science of global warming. His package of pension and perks includes a bodyguard, a car and driver, and use of a company jet, plus a $1m-a-year deal to stay on as a consultant.

How obscene. Aside from the fact that this overbloated retirement package is indicative of the windfall profits the oil industry enjoys while the rest of us have to take our bikes to work or ride the bus in order to save some money on gas, who the hell needs $400 million dollars? I mean, give me just 10% of that, and I'd be set for life.

Oh, and let's not forget that Raymond has been dubbed the "Darth Vader of Global Warming" because of Exxon's vehement opposition to the Kyoto treaty as well as reluctance to look into alternative energy sources [emphasis mine]:

Exxpose Exxon is encouraging consumers to boycott Exxon Mobil's service stations, which include the Esso brand. The coalition includes Friends of the Earth, the Union of Concerned Scientists and Greenpeace, which has disrupted Exxon board meetings and speeches by Mr Raymond over several years.

Ben Stewart, of Greenpeace UK, said: "Exxon bosses are the Darth Vaders of global warming. They have run a 50-year-long campaign of dirty tricks designed to block action on the greatest threat to humanity. In years to come, the campaign by this company will be regarded as nothing less than a crime. There are striking parallels with the propaganda campaigns run by tobacco companies in the Sixties, but the damage done by this company could be much greater." Richard Heede, of Climate Mitigation Services - whose Friends of the Earth-commissioned report attempted to calculate Exxon's total carbon dioxide and methane emissions, plus those of end customers burning its oil and gas - said Exxon was still responsible for at least 500 million tons of carbon a year.

The timing of this stupid-ass compensation package couldn't be better, seeing as how Gore's An Inconvenient Truth has just come out and is just starting to open up in more theatres nationwide. I'm hoping that the war on global warming picks up momentum.

Pat Robertson's War on Academia

That crazy old bat, Pat "Crazy Legs" Robertson, has identified a new enemy: College Professors. Via Crooks and Liars:

ROBERTSON: Ladies and gentleman this is a fascinating book. If you want to, you'd better take your blood pressure medicine before you read it, but it's "The Professors: The 101 most dangerous academics in America" and that's just a short list of the 30-40,000 of them, they're like termites that have worked into the woodwork of our academic society and it's appalling. This is available at CBN.com and book stores everywhere, and you really ought to read it and be informed.

TERRI: It's interesting that so many conservatives haven't seen this because decades ago we were told that infiltrating education was the way to take over the country, we should have been on alert.

ROBERTSON: They gamed it, these guys are out and out communists, they are radicals, you know some of them killers, and they are propagandists of the first order and they don't want anybody else except them. That's why Regent University for example is so terrifically important and why we're setting up an undergraduate program that hopefully will see shortly 10,000 students, and then from there 250,000 because you don't want your child to be brainwashed by these radicals, you just don't want it to happen. Not only brainwashed but beat up, they beat these people up, cower them into submission. Ahhh! "The Professors", read it.

My friend Ann, who's getting her Ph.D. so she --- according to Robertson --- can become one of those killer professors who'll no doubt "brainwash and beat up" her students into submission, is totally pissed. And rightfully so. Actually, what's "infiltrating education" (except at Robertson's Regent University, of course), is free thinking and intellectualism.

Or at least we hope it continues that way.

And who the FUCK wants to go to Regent University anyway? They're not even top tier. Pfft.

Memorial Day

I thought it'd be a good idea to celebrate Memorial Day by watching Fahrenheit 9/11, but all it did was succeed in pissing me off.

And that was just the part before the opening credits.

My Genetic Journey

So a few months ago, I sent away for my DNA sampling kit that would allow me to participate in The Genographic Project, sponsored by National Geographic.

Because I'm a woman, they can only study my mitochondrial DNA, which is passed on from woman to (female) child, and so on. By studying mutations in your DNA (for men) and mitochondrial DNA (in women), and the mutations that become evident in your DNA sequence, geneticists can trace the path your ancestors took when they left East Africa some 170,000 years ago.

My results are back, and while I'm only getting one side of the story, it's still pretty interesting. I expected a lot more mutations in my mitochondrial DNA, but only have two. (Or is it one?) In any case, it's pretty cool.

Fighting the war on war .. one yuppie at a time.

Mags' Marines stormed through E-ville and Piedmont this weekend, fighting the good fight and supporting the cause. Here's a few snapshots from their tour of duty:

Activism begins at home.

Fortified with a cup o' joe and a sesame seed bagel, and emboldened by the news that bloggers share the same sheild laws traditional journalists enjoy, Mags' Marines were ready for battle.

First stop: Piedmont Grocery

Tiny tanks need parking spaces too:

"Hello? Bush lied."

Keeping watch at the Amtrak station in E-ville:

What's really in that tank?

Mags' Marines also stopped to pay homage to another fallen soldier, and to honor those fighting a different kind of war ...

(Cross-posted at the Kommandos Project.)

They had me at AOL

This article lists the 25 Worst Tech Products of All Time.

AOL was listed first, and for that, can I get an 'amen'?




(Inspiration from, and title shamelessly lifted from Jet's post at Bring It On!)

Modern-day slavery

Ugh. And these people were Filipinos too.

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AP) -- A federal jury found a wealthy suburban couple guilty Friday of harboring an illegal immigrant and forcing her to work as their maid for 19 years.

The Filipino national testified during the eight-day trial that she felt like a prisoner in Jefferson and Elnora Calimlim's home.

[...]

Jefferson N. Calimlim's attorney, Tom Brown, told jurors the couple had plenty of money to hire an American worker. He said Elnora Calimlim wanted a Filipino maid because she had one while growing up in the Philippines, and she wanted only to help a fellow Filipino.

Elnora Calimlim testified Martinez earned $150 a month for the first 10 years and $400 a month thereafter. Most of the money went to Martinez's parents, who French said received about $18,000 over the 19 years.

Martinez would have earned about $480,000 over that period had the Calimlims paid her a U.S. minimum wage for her 16-hour days, a U.S. Department of Labor witness testified.

Some "help" you gave her, there. Embarassing.

Like a teepee ... but different.

I'd never heard of a "Yert" until last night, but now, thanks to the Internets, I know what one looks like, and I gotta say. Not too shabby.



I could definitely get down in one of these:


Not that I'd live in one full time, but well, you know.

Searching the House

Dennis "Butterface" Hastert

Go ahead. Search the offices of members of Congress, provided that you have a proper warrant before doing so.

And we all know the Bush administration is great at following the rule of law. Hey guys, while you're at it, why don't you go rummaging through the Oval Office? Oh, and don't forget Cheney's desk too. I'm sure you'll find lots of goodies there.

(Photo credit: AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke)

Mags' Marines at the Ready!

The first brigade of Mag's Marines are ready to make their presence known in the east bay, bearing banners that read, "Rumsfailed" (thanks, Kvatch), "Mission Accomplished?", "Bring Us Home!", "No More Lies", and "They Lied ... We Died".

Today we'll focus on E-ville (which in some ways really is evil, but most people know it as Emeryville), with a multiphasic deployment around the Oakland/Piedmont areas.

We'll give those yuppies something to think about this weekend, by God!

(Cross-posted at the Kommandos Project)

A bit of good news for a change

Not that I'm going to go buck wild or anything, but:

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Marijuana smoking does not increase a person's risk of developing lung cancer, according to the findings of a new study at the University of California Los Angeles that surprised even the researchers.

They had expected to find that a history of heavy marijuana use, like cigarette smoking, would increase the risk of cancer.

Instead, the study, which compared the lifestyles of 611 Los Angeles County lung cancer patients and 601 patients with head and neck cancers with those of 1,040 people without cancer, found no elevated cancer risk for even the heaviest pot smokers. It did find a 20-fold increased risk of lung cancer in people who smoked two or more packs of cigarettes a day.

2006 SF AIDS Walk: Doing my part to stop the course of the epidemic

I try to do the SF AIDS Walk every year because it's the best way I know how to do my part to generate AIDS awareness and to help stop the spread of this terrible epidemic. I want to do as much as I can to make a difference in the lives of men, women, and children affected by HIV and AIDS. Even though there has been a lot of publicity about drug treatments which are prolonging some people's lives, they don't work for everyone. There is still no cure in sight. Moreover, young people are still getting infected at alarmingly high rates.

My interest in AIDS activism (if you can call it that) began when I learned of the premature death of a favorite high school teacher of mine, Richard Colon, who passed away due to complications from AIDS. I held this man in the highest esteem and respected him so much. From that moment on, I resolved to do what I could to ensure I never lost anybody to this disease again.

So here I am again, asking you to sponsor me this year. I want your help. Will you please sponsor me for the AIDS Walk? Just click here to enter my personalized web page and charge your donation.

Thank you, in advance, for supporting this important cause and for showing that you join me in wanting to end this epidemic. Any amount you can spare helps, and please know that I appreciate your support. Together we can make a difference.

If you'd like to join me in the walk, click here to register and start raising funds!

Voter Guide for 2006 Primary

The Speak Out California! blog just posted a voter's guide for the upcoming June 6 primary election that you might find helpful. I know I will.

Como se dice ...

... I need a cheap(er) ticket to Madrid?

I swear to Jah, I can't find what I need for less than $2000.

I've only been checking your typical Orbitzes, Travelocities, and Expedias out there, but I'm wondering of there's anything I'm missing. A secret URL which provides me with the exact itinerary I'm looking for, at the price I like. For example.

Am I going to have to do this old school and go through a travel agent?

I'm baaaack!

Yosemite RAWKED, despite the havoc it played with my hay fever.


Let's just say that the trip would have kicked MORE ass had I not had the worst allergy attacks. Ever. Worse than that time in Missouri.


Oh, and I managed to get about 15 mosquito bites in the span of about 15 minutes. I'm efficient like that. Ugh.


All complaining aside, I still managed to have lots and lots of fun. When I go back, I'm definitely bringing my bike. I had major bikelust the entire time I was on the valley floor. Next time, it's SO on. Yosemite + me + bike. Holla!



Anyhoo, these are a few of the photos I took (I really need a bigger memory card for that camera). I'm waiting for the giant digital camera fileswap to take place with everyone else, so I'll share more if I find some good ones.

P.S. Managed to catch some of the Hayden confirmation hearings and caught a whiff of this bullshit --- sorry, symbolic bullshit --- about English becoming the official language. WTF?

In which I attempt to conquer Half Dome

Yeah right.

But I am off to Yosemite.

Have an awesome weekend. I'll share pictures when I get back.



(Photo credit: This place.)

George W. Bush, Mr. Band-Aid Solution Lover

So now Bush thinks putting a wall along the U.S./Mexico border isn't such a bad idea after all:

Eager to win over conservative opponents, the president has been talking increasingly tough. On Monday, he proposed deploying up to 6,000 National Guard troops along the international line to support Border Patrol agents until their ranks can be expanded.

On Thursday, he said it makes sense to put up fencing along some parts of the border.

Actually, he said it "makes sense" to put up the wall. Of course he does. A simplistic solution from the simplest of minds.

Meanwhile --- and to nobody's surprise (well, except, maybe, the xenophobic GOP) --- Mexicans are saying that the wall won't work.

"We'll go under it, we'll go over it, we'll go through the air, the sea or the earth, but they're never going to stop us from crossing," said Jesus Santana, a Tijuana truck driver who was caught trying to cross and deported.

Increased security will likely only serve to make smuggling fees more expensive and drive immigrants deeper into debt, making them even more desperate to make it north.

Basically, Bush's solution will create more problems than it's trying to solve. Sound familiar?

Mexico nails it (emphasis mine):

"Most countries want to bring their people together and tear down physical, commercial and cultural barriers," [Mexican] presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar said Thursday. "Anyone who proposes separating them is out of line. Walls are a sign of distrust, and that will never be the basis of a good friendship between two countries."

Exacto.

I don't understand these people.

Glenn Greenwald discusses the fact that some right wingers are starting to favor the idea of impeaching Bush.

But before you get excited, realize that they want to impeach him, not for being lied to with regards to the war in Iraq, but because they don't think he's doing enough to solve the illegal immigration issue. Like, by building a wall along the border.

I guess hatred for brown people trying to make a dollar out of 15 cents is a way more hideous and egregious offense than, you know, invading a country, having your sons and daughters, mothers and fathers killed. Over a lie.

Makes perfect sense.

C'mon. There are better ways to address the illegal immigration problem.

May I just take this opportunity to remind everyone that Clinton got impeached for lying about a blow job? Thank you.

So ... journalists are the enemy now?

As you've all read by now, ABC's Brian Ross and Richard Esposito report that the NSA has also been tracking phone numbers journalists may call in order to track down confidential sources. Says their source:

"It's time for you to get some new cell phones, quick," the source told us in an in-person conversation.

ABC News does not know how the government determined who we are calling, or whether our phone records were provided to the government as part of the recently-disclosed NSA collection of domestic phone calls.

Other sources have told us that phone calls and contacts by reporters for ABC News, along with the New York Times and the Washington Post, are being examined as part of a widespread CIA leak investigation.

One former official was asked to sign a document stating he was not a confidential source for New York Times reporter James Risen.

I thought the whole impetus behind the supposedly legal phone data gathering was to catch any possible terrorist plots, not to make it easier for the Bush administration to find people leaking information to the press.

So much for the free marketplace of ideas. So much for the press acting as a check against the government. What motivation will those journalists have --- those that still hold themselves to this high standard, that is --- to bring government corruption and wrongdoing to light anymore, knowing that the government will be tracking every single phone call they make?

Enough of this "shooting the messenger" bullshit. I'm a little rusty on my First Amendment law, but I seem to remember that this is protected speech, except that the government has the right to prosecute if the leak compromises national security.

I'm making the assumption here that the Bush Administration is actively tracking journalist phone calls in the wake of the Valerie Plame/Joe Wilson/enriched uranium from Niger thing. In this case though, that leak was not an issue of national security. Rather, it was pretty strong evidence that shows how intelligence was manipulated in order to justify invading Iraq.

Back in 2003, John W. Dean wrote this 2003 article in which he says:

Despite the free speech costs, President George W. Bush has created the equivalent of an official secrets act for America - and it is only growing stronger. Indeed, by cobbling together provisions from existing laws, Bush's Justice Department has effectively created one of the world's most encompassing, if not draconian, official secrets acts.

And this was written three years ago. I wonder what Dean would say in light of today's revelation. I'm beginning to think the war in Iraq had been planned all along, created as a ruse to divert our attention from the sinister backstory bubbling underneath: That the Bush Administration's goal all along was to create this uber-secret executive branch, disregarding the equal power of Congress, and systematically undermining that which we have worked so hard to achieve: women's reproductive rights, economic stability, free speech, positive foreign relations, the list goes on and on. All in the name of ... what, exactly? Money? The Christian right? Sheer insanity?

Can we impeach him now?

This "loyalty to your husband" thing is getting real tired

Okay, I was about to leave to see Mom when I came across this stupid ass mutha:

First lady Laura Bush said on Sunday she does not believe opinion polls showing her husband's approval ratings at record low levels.

Interviewed on Fox News Sunday, Laura Bush said she did not think people were losing confidence in President George W. Bush, despite a series of polls showing support for him at its lowest point in his five-year presidency and among the lowest for any president in the past 50 years.

"I don't really believe those polls. I travel around the country. I see people, I see their responses to my husband. I see their response to me," she said.

Only because people who come within touching distance are heavily screened so that you only meet the dumbasses who still believe in you and your husband.

Bitch, don't even.