Anne Kyle, CanWest News Service
Published: Saturday, July 29, 2006
REGINA - Kyle MacDonald has enjoyed more than his 15 minutes of fame as the Canadian Internet blogger bartering a red paper-clip for a house in Kipling, Sask.
He's now successfully parlayed his adventure into a book deal with Random House and a movie deal with DreamWorks.
"I'm pretty excited about this,'' said MacDonald Friday in a telephone interview from....Montreal.
"I was sitting in front of the computer with a paper-clip and that is all there was.
"Now, I am sitting down with some of the biggest producers in Hollywood and the largest publishers in the world."
MacDonald's blog about his desire to trade a paper-clip for something of equal or greater value, eventually trading up for a house, captured the imagination of people worldwide.
He said he was approached by about 40 book publishers and 50 production companies who were interested in his story.
The negotiations with Random House and DreamWorks went on for the past couple of months.
"I have to have the first draft of my story done in three months," said MacDonald, who's in the process of packing up in preparation for his move to Kipling, located 150 kilometres east of Regina where he plans on hosting the largest housewarming party Saskatchewan has ever seen.
MacDonald's new home community, which is named after the British author and poet Rudyard Kipling, is home to award-winning romance novelist Mary Balogh. It seems like the ideal place to crank out his life's story, which is scheduled to hit store shelves next summer.
During the next three weeks, MacDonald said he'll also be jetting to New York, Los Angeles and Vancouver making a number of guest appearances on talk shows and meeting with DreamWorks producers.
"I've had a lot of invites (for media interviews) and I'm just saying 'yes' to all of them so I can say the words 'Kipling and Saskatchewan' as many times as possible, because it is good fun," he said.
The book, to be published in four languages, will contain new material about his bartering experience, which began July 12, 2005, when he, his mother and girlfriend Dominique Dupuis stood in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven in Vancouver, where he traded a red paper-clip for a fish-shaped ballpoint pen.
The project and his Internet blog, One Red Paperclip, took off. Before he knew it, MacDonald traded the pen for a doorknob and then a Coleman stove, power generator, beer keg and neon Budweiser sign, snowmobile, and a trip to Yahk, B.C.
His aim was to trade up to something of almost no value and within a year parlay it into a house.
With six months to go, MacDonald found himself the proud owner of an aging cube van. He quickly traded in the van for a recording contract, which became his bargaining chip for a year's free lodging in a Phoenix bungalow. Next, he acquired an afternoon with rock icon Alice Cooper. He sealed his next swap with actor/director and snow globe collector Corbin Bernsen with a Kiss -- that is, a Kiss snow globe.
Armed with a role in Bernsen's upcoming movie, MacDonald landed his house when Kipling's community development officer saw an opportunity to get some free publicity for his community.
In exchange for the house, the town of Kipling will raffle off the movie role by throwing a giant casting call-cum-Labour Day street party with Bernsen as the honoured guest.
The Edmonton Journal 2006
Monday, July 31, 2006
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Man survives run-in with falling dog in Poland
Wed Jul 26, 10:15 AM ET
WARSAW (Reuters) - A man was bruised but alive on Wednesday after a Saint Bernard dog thrown out a two-story window landed on him as he was walking down the street in the southern-Polish city of Sosnowiec.
The 50-kg (110-pound) dog was pushed out of the window by its drunken owner on Monday, police said.
"The dog had a soft landing because it fell on a man," said police spokesman Grzegorz Wierzbicki. "The dog escaped with just a few scratches."
"The man was also more in a psychological state of shock than physically hurt," Wierzbicki added.
The one-year-old dog, named Oskar, was placed in an animal shelter while police investigate its owners for animal abuse.
Woman to be formerly known as Prince's wife
Wednesday, July 26, 2006; Posted: 9:40 p.m. EDT (01:40 GMT)
LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Veteran funk rocker Prince and his second wife are ending their marriage, People magazine reported Wednesday.
The celebrity magazine cited Prince's lawyer, Alan Eidsness, as saying a sealed divorce action was filed on May 24 at Hennepin County District Court in the Prince's home state of Minnesota.
The 48-year-old singer (born Prince Rogers Nelson) and 29-year-old Manuela Testolini were married in a Jehovah's Witness ceremony in Hawaii on December 31, 2001.
The Toronto native used to work at Prince's charitable foundation. The couple had no children together.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, famed for such genre-bending tunes as "Let's Go Crazy" and "1999," was briefly married to backup singer and dancer Mayte Garcia in the mid-1990s.
Their union was later annulled. They had a child who died shortly after birth.
The publicist for Prince's record label was not immediately available to comment.
Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Prince performs at Bryant Park
in New York City last month.
in New York City last month.
LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Veteran funk rocker Prince and his second wife are ending their marriage, People magazine reported Wednesday.
The celebrity magazine cited Prince's lawyer, Alan Eidsness, as saying a sealed divorce action was filed on May 24 at Hennepin County District Court in the Prince's home state of Minnesota.
The 48-year-old singer (born Prince Rogers Nelson) and 29-year-old Manuela Testolini were married in a Jehovah's Witness ceremony in Hawaii on December 31, 2001.
The Toronto native used to work at Prince's charitable foundation. The couple had no children together.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, famed for such genre-bending tunes as "Let's Go Crazy" and "1999," was briefly married to backup singer and dancer Mayte Garcia in the mid-1990s.
Their union was later annulled. They had a child who died shortly after birth.
The publicist for Prince's record label was not immediately available to comment.
Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
China activist 'beat himself up'
Chinese investigators say activist Fu Xiancai, who was paralysed after a severe beating, inflicted the blows himself, according to a rights body.
Mr Fu, who campaigned for people displaced by the.... Three Gorges Dam, was beaten up returning home after he was summoned by police in Hubei province.
The June beating was so severe he is not expected to walk again, according to Human Rights in China (HRIC).
But an official investigation has ruled the attack was fabricated.
Officials told Mr Fu's son, Fu Bing, that investigators had failed to find anyone else's footprints at the scene of the attack, and had concluded that he must have hit himself.
The blow to the back of his neck was so severe that three of his vertebrae were broken, HRIC said.
HRIC said it was strongly concerned about the independence of the investigation, which was carried out by the same public security bureau that had a record of harassing Mr Fu.
Mr Fu has highlighted the plight of people moved to make way for the Three Gorges dam.
He had been subject to a series of threats, attacks and harassment in the past year, the group said.
China says the dam, which will be the world's largest hydro-electric project, will provide electricity for its booming economy and help control flooding on the Yangtze River.
But it comes at the expense of villagers, who in many cases have been resettled on inferior land and been deprived of compensation by corrupt local officials, the rights group said.
Mr Fu, who campaigned for people displaced by the.... Three Gorges Dam, was beaten up returning home after he was summoned by police in Hubei province.
The June beating was so severe he is not expected to walk again, according to Human Rights in China (HRIC).
But an official investigation has ruled the attack was fabricated.
Officials told Mr Fu's son, Fu Bing, that investigators had failed to find anyone else's footprints at the scene of the attack, and had concluded that he must have hit himself.
The blow to the back of his neck was so severe that three of his vertebrae were broken, HRIC said.
HRIC said it was strongly concerned about the independence of the investigation, which was carried out by the same public security bureau that had a record of harassing Mr Fu.
Mr Fu has highlighted the plight of people moved to make way for the Three Gorges dam.
He had been subject to a series of threats, attacks and harassment in the past year, the group said.
China says the dam, which will be the world's largest hydro-electric project, will provide electricity for its booming economy and help control flooding on the Yangtze River.
But it comes at the expense of villagers, who in many cases have been resettled on inferior land and been deprived of compensation by corrupt local officials, the rights group said.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Tech Support Bloopers
This ought to make you feel better about your computer skills! If you skip any, you have to read the last one! Unbelievable.
=================================
Tech support: What kind of computer do you have?
Female customer: A white one...
===============
Customer: Hi, this is Celine. I can't get my diskette out.
Tech support: Have you tried pushing the Button?
Customer: Yes, sure, it's really.... stuck.
Tech support: That doesn't sound good; I'll make a note.
Customer: No, wait a minute... I hadn't inserted it yet... it's still on my desk... sorry....
===============
Tech support: Click on the 'my computer' icon on to the left of the screen.
Customer: Your left or my left?
===============
Tech support: Good day. How may I help you?
Male customer: Hello... I can't print.
Tech support: Would you click on "start" for me and...
Customer: Listen pal; don't start getting technical on me! I'm not Bill Gates.
===============
Customer: Hi, good afternoon, this is Martha, I can't print. Every time I try, it says 'Can't find printer'. I've even lifted the printer and placed it in front of the monitor, but the computer still says he can't find it...
===============
Customer: I have problems printing in red...
Tech support: Do you have a color printer?
Customer: Aaaah....................thank you.
===============
Tech support: What's on your monitor now, ma'am?
Customer: A teddy bear my boyfriend bought for me at the 7-11.
===============
Customer: My keyboard is not working anymore.
Tech support: Are you sure it's plugged into the computer?
Customer: No. I can't get behind the computer.
Tech support: Pick up your keyboard and walk 10 paces back
Customer:! OK
Tech support: Did the keyboard come with you?
Customer: Yes
Tech support: That means the keyboard is not plugged in. Is there another keyboard?
Customer: Yes, there's another one here. Ah...that one does work...
===============
Tech support: Your password is the small letter "a" as in apple, a capital letter V as in Victor, the number 7.
Customer: Is that 7 in capital letters?
===============
Customer: can't get on the Internet.
Tech support: Are you sure you used the right password?
Customer: Yes, I'm sure. I saw my colleague do it.
Tech support: Can you tell me what the password was?
Customer: Five stars.
===============
Tech support: What anti-virus program do you use?
Customer: Netscape.
Tech support: That's not an anti-virus program.
Customer: Oh, sorry...Internet Explorer.
===============
Customer: I have a huge problem. A friend has placed a screen saver on my computer, but every time I move the mouse, it disappears.
===============
Tech support: How may I help you?
Customer: I'm writing my first e-mail.
Tech support: OK, and what seems to be the problem?
Customer: Well, I have the letter 'a' in the address, but how do I get the circle around it?
===============
A woman customer called the Canon help desk with a problem with her printer.
Tech support: Are you running it under windows?
Customer: "No, my desk is next to the door, but that is a good point. The man sitting in the cubicle next to me is under a window, and his printer is working fine."
===============
And last but not least...
Tech support: "Okay Bob, let's press the control and escape keys at the same time. That brings up a task list in the middle of the screen. Now type the letter "P" to bring up the Program Manager"
Customer: I don't have a P.
Tech support: On your keyboard, Bob.
Customer: What do you mean?
Tech support: "P".....on your keyboard, Bob.
Customer: I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT!
=================================
Tech support: What kind of computer do you have?
Female customer: A white one...
===============
Customer: Hi, this is Celine. I can't get my diskette out.
Tech support: Have you tried pushing the Button?
Customer: Yes, sure, it's really.... stuck.
Tech support: That doesn't sound good; I'll make a note.
Customer: No, wait a minute... I hadn't inserted it yet... it's still on my desk... sorry....
===============
Tech support: Click on the 'my computer' icon on to the left of the screen.
Customer: Your left or my left?
===============
Tech support: Good day. How may I help you?
Male customer: Hello... I can't print.
Tech support: Would you click on "start" for me and...
Customer: Listen pal; don't start getting technical on me! I'm not Bill Gates.
===============
Customer: Hi, good afternoon, this is Martha, I can't print. Every time I try, it says 'Can't find printer'. I've even lifted the printer and placed it in front of the monitor, but the computer still says he can't find it...
===============
Customer: I have problems printing in red...
Tech support: Do you have a color printer?
Customer: Aaaah....................thank you.
===============
Tech support: What's on your monitor now, ma'am?
Customer: A teddy bear my boyfriend bought for me at the 7-11.
===============
Customer: My keyboard is not working anymore.
Tech support: Are you sure it's plugged into the computer?
Customer: No. I can't get behind the computer.
Tech support: Pick up your keyboard and walk 10 paces back
Customer:! OK
Tech support: Did the keyboard come with you?
Customer: Yes
Tech support: That means the keyboard is not plugged in. Is there another keyboard?
Customer: Yes, there's another one here. Ah...that one does work...
===============
Tech support: Your password is the small letter "a" as in apple, a capital letter V as in Victor, the number 7.
Customer: Is that 7 in capital letters?
===============
Customer: can't get on the Internet.
Tech support: Are you sure you used the right password?
Customer: Yes, I'm sure. I saw my colleague do it.
Tech support: Can you tell me what the password was?
Customer: Five stars.
===============
Tech support: What anti-virus program do you use?
Customer: Netscape.
Tech support: That's not an anti-virus program.
Customer: Oh, sorry...Internet Explorer.
===============
Customer: I have a huge problem. A friend has placed a screen saver on my computer, but every time I move the mouse, it disappears.
===============
Tech support: How may I help you?
Customer: I'm writing my first e-mail.
Tech support: OK, and what seems to be the problem?
Customer: Well, I have the letter 'a' in the address, but how do I get the circle around it?
===============
A woman customer called the Canon help desk with a problem with her printer.
Tech support: Are you running it under windows?
Customer: "No, my desk is next to the door, but that is a good point. The man sitting in the cubicle next to me is under a window, and his printer is working fine."
===============
And last but not least...
Tech support: "Okay Bob, let's press the control and escape keys at the same time. That brings up a task list in the middle of the screen. Now type the letter "P" to bring up the Program Manager"
Customer: I don't have a P.
Tech support: On your keyboard, Bob.
Customer: What do you mean?
Tech support: "P".....on your keyboard, Bob.
Customer: I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT!
I knew it, I knew it!
Fatherhood boosts male brains
FATHERHOOD could be good for your brain, at least if you're a monkey.
It's already known that male primates, including men, experience dramatic hormone changes when they become fathers. Yevgenia Kozorovitskiy and her colleagues from Princeton University realised that certain.... parts of the brain contain receptors for these hormones. So they studied the brain structure of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) that had become fathers. The species is rare among mammals in that fathers share in caring for their offspring.
In both first-time and experienced fathers with dependent offspring, the team found structural changes in the prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain important for planning and memory. In these areas the neurons showed signs of enhancement, with a greater number of connections. They also had more receptor sites for the hormone vasopressin. The number decreases as the infants age, dropping back to normal as the young become independent.
"Fatherhood produces changes in very high-cognitive-level areas," said Kozorovitskiy at a meeting of the Forum of European Neurosciences in Vienna, Austria, last week. The nerve enhancements may reflect changes in the reward system, she suggests, encouraging the father to bond and care for the infant. It could be the neural basis of parenting, she says.
From issue 2561 of New Scientist magazine, 25 July 2006, page 23
FATHERHOOD could be good for your brain, at least if you're a monkey.
It's already known that male primates, including men, experience dramatic hormone changes when they become fathers. Yevgenia Kozorovitskiy and her colleagues from Princeton University realised that certain.... parts of the brain contain receptors for these hormones. So they studied the brain structure of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) that had become fathers. The species is rare among mammals in that fathers share in caring for their offspring.
In both first-time and experienced fathers with dependent offspring, the team found structural changes in the prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain important for planning and memory. In these areas the neurons showed signs of enhancement, with a greater number of connections. They also had more receptor sites for the hormone vasopressin. The number decreases as the infants age, dropping back to normal as the young become independent.
"Fatherhood produces changes in very high-cognitive-level areas," said Kozorovitskiy at a meeting of the Forum of European Neurosciences in Vienna, Austria, last week. The nerve enhancements may reflect changes in the reward system, she suggests, encouraging the father to bond and care for the infant. It could be the neural basis of parenting, she says.
From issue 2561 of New Scientist magazine, 25 July 2006, page 23
Dick Cheney as Vincent Vega!
This short--titled "Dick Fiction"--puts Dick Cheney in the Vincent Vega role as he shoots Harry Whittington in the face. It's awesome. Other Republicans fill out the cast.
"Dick Cheney will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those that attempt to poison and destroy his Republican brothers."
Click here to see movie
"Dick Cheney will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those that attempt to poison and destroy his Republican brothers."
Click here to see movie
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Who killed my electric car?
By Alexandra Paul
Special to CNN
Tuesday, July 25, 2006; Posted: 11:24 a.m. EDT (15:24 GMT)
Editor's note: Alexandra Paul is an actress best known for her four years starring in the television series "Baywatch". She has been driving electric vehicles since 1990 and is a founding member of Plug in America. Paul can be seen in the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?" in theaters this summer.
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- I drive an electric car. Not a hybrid -- a gasoline-powered car that gets some help from an electric motor -- but a full electric vehicle. I plug it in at night and can drive 100 miles the next day and go faster than 80 mph on the highway.
So don't think "golf cart"; these cars have power and pick-up.
While you won't see many electric cars on the road, they've been around longer than you might think.
In 1900, electric cars outsold both.... gasoline and steam vehicles because electric cars didn't have the vibration, noise and dirtiness associated with gas vehicles. But soon afterward -- with the discovery of Texas crude oil that reduced the price of gasoline, the invention of the electric starter in 1912 that eliminated the need for a hand crank, and the mass production of internal combustion engine vehicles by Henry Ford -- the electric vehicle went the way of the horse and buggy.
The energy crisis in the 1960s and 1970s revived interest briefly. There was another push in 1990, when General Motors Corp. unveiled the (ineptly named) Impact, a sporty, aerodynamic electric car prototype.
In 1998 the California Air Resources Board decided that if a car company could make such a car, it should, and mandated that 2 percent of vehicles sold in the state in 1998 must be emission-free, with that number rising to 10 percent by 2003.
Since California is a huge market, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Chrysler, Ford and GM started building electric vehicles -- about 5,000 were manufactured. But by 2005 the mandate had been eviscerated because of pressure from those same car companies, and 4,000 perfectly good electric vehicles were crushed.
But did car companies really want electric cars to succeed? The success of electric vehicles would have threatened the status quo and core business models of two of the world's biggest industries -- oil and automobile. It is more expedient for these companies to give lip service to hydrogen in an attempt to appear "green." But hydrogen is a technology that experts say is decades away.
Because the small print in California's mandate allowed for car companies to manufacture only as many cars as there was interest in them, the game became to pretend there was no interest. Virtually no advertising money was spent to let you know electric cars existed, and even if you did find out about them salespeople actively dissuaded you from getting one.
As with any new technology, an electric vehicle was more expensive than its gas counterpart. Also, the limited range scared off customers, even though the average American drives only 34 miles a day and every electric car could go at least twice that far on a full charge.
These cars had great potential, but no media covered their subsequent crushing. It is only with the release this summer of the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?" that the full story comes out. This film chronicles the rise and fall of the General Motors EV1, an electric car I leased on the day it was released in 1996. Zero to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds, a top speed of 140 mph and a range of 120 miles. GM discontinued this car just a few years later. No car company today makes a mass-production electric vehicle.
My current electric vehicle, a Toyota RAV4 EV, also was discontinued a few years ago. This car costs me the equivalent of 60 cents a gallon to run. I never need to get a tune-up, change spark plugs or add water to the batteries or oil to the motor. The only maintenance for the first 150,000 miles is to rotate my tires. This car is quiet, fast and emission free. I plug it in every night at home, and it charges on off-peak energy.
Even if it were getting power solely from electricity derived from coal -- a common criticism of electric cars -- my vehicle uses 50 percent less carbon dioxide than a 24 mpg gas car (for a summary of more than 30 studies on the emissions of electric cars, hybrids and plug in hybrids, go to www.sherryboschert.com/FAQ.html). When I have to get new batteries, which I expect I'll will be when my car is 10 years old, the old ones will be over 90 percent recyclable.
The concern I hear most often about electric vehicles is their range. Well, at 100 miles per charge, my electric vehicle fulfills 98 percent of my driving needs, and I live in a city where everything seems to be 40 minutes away.
When I want to go further, I borrow my husband Ian's Toyota Prius. I don't like driving it. Am I supposed to be amazed when a car gets 43 miles per gallon? The average fuel economy mandate for cars in 1985: 27.5 mpg. For 2006: 27.5 mpg. No wonder our expectations are so low. Progress in fuel efficiency has been glacial compared to improvements in computers and cell phones.
There is a solution: The plug-in hybrid. This vehicle will run on pure electric power for up to 60 miles, and then automatically switch to gas (or a biofuel) if you drive farther. Because around 85 percent of Americans travel less than 50 miles a day, this means that most people who charge their cars at home each night would hardly ever dip into their car's gasoline tank.
The infrastructure to charge is already in place (electric outlets are everywhere), and the technology (batteries) has been tested in the field and greatly improved upon for over 15 years. National security experts, including former CIA Director James Woolsey, are advocates for these vehicles because they say these vehicles can help break our dependence on foreign oil. Environmentalists support them because plugging in means getting an average of more than 100 mpg. Consumers like them because they will be saving thousands of dollars in gasoline costs.
Once you have known the quiet smooth speed and the clean efficiency of an electric vehicle, you will never think "golf cart" again.
Special to CNN
Tuesday, July 25, 2006; Posted: 11:24 a.m. EDT (15:24 GMT)
Editor's note: Alexandra Paul is an actress best known for her four years starring in the television series "Baywatch". She has been driving electric vehicles since 1990 and is a founding member of Plug in America. Paul can be seen in the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?" in theaters this summer.
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- I drive an electric car. Not a hybrid -- a gasoline-powered car that gets some help from an electric motor -- but a full electric vehicle. I plug it in at night and can drive 100 miles the next day and go faster than 80 mph on the highway.
So don't think "golf cart"; these cars have power and pick-up.
While you won't see many electric cars on the road, they've been around longer than you might think.
In 1900, electric cars outsold both.... gasoline and steam vehicles because electric cars didn't have the vibration, noise and dirtiness associated with gas vehicles. But soon afterward -- with the discovery of Texas crude oil that reduced the price of gasoline, the invention of the electric starter in 1912 that eliminated the need for a hand crank, and the mass production of internal combustion engine vehicles by Henry Ford -- the electric vehicle went the way of the horse and buggy.
The energy crisis in the 1960s and 1970s revived interest briefly. There was another push in 1990, when General Motors Corp. unveiled the (ineptly named) Impact, a sporty, aerodynamic electric car prototype.
In 1998 the California Air Resources Board decided that if a car company could make such a car, it should, and mandated that 2 percent of vehicles sold in the state in 1998 must be emission-free, with that number rising to 10 percent by 2003.
Since California is a huge market, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Chrysler, Ford and GM started building electric vehicles -- about 5,000 were manufactured. But by 2005 the mandate had been eviscerated because of pressure from those same car companies, and 4,000 perfectly good electric vehicles were crushed.
But did car companies really want electric cars to succeed? The success of electric vehicles would have threatened the status quo and core business models of two of the world's biggest industries -- oil and automobile. It is more expedient for these companies to give lip service to hydrogen in an attempt to appear "green." But hydrogen is a technology that experts say is decades away.
Because the small print in California's mandate allowed for car companies to manufacture only as many cars as there was interest in them, the game became to pretend there was no interest. Virtually no advertising money was spent to let you know electric cars existed, and even if you did find out about them salespeople actively dissuaded you from getting one.
As with any new technology, an electric vehicle was more expensive than its gas counterpart. Also, the limited range scared off customers, even though the average American drives only 34 miles a day and every electric car could go at least twice that far on a full charge.
These cars had great potential, but no media covered their subsequent crushing. It is only with the release this summer of the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?" that the full story comes out. This film chronicles the rise and fall of the General Motors EV1, an electric car I leased on the day it was released in 1996. Zero to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds, a top speed of 140 mph and a range of 120 miles. GM discontinued this car just a few years later. No car company today makes a mass-production electric vehicle.
My current electric vehicle, a Toyota RAV4 EV, also was discontinued a few years ago. This car costs me the equivalent of 60 cents a gallon to run. I never need to get a tune-up, change spark plugs or add water to the batteries or oil to the motor. The only maintenance for the first 150,000 miles is to rotate my tires. This car is quiet, fast and emission free. I plug it in every night at home, and it charges on off-peak energy.
Even if it were getting power solely from electricity derived from coal -- a common criticism of electric cars -- my vehicle uses 50 percent less carbon dioxide than a 24 mpg gas car (for a summary of more than 30 studies on the emissions of electric cars, hybrids and plug in hybrids, go to www.sherryboschert.com/FAQ.html). When I have to get new batteries, which I expect I'll will be when my car is 10 years old, the old ones will be over 90 percent recyclable.
The concern I hear most often about electric vehicles is their range. Well, at 100 miles per charge, my electric vehicle fulfills 98 percent of my driving needs, and I live in a city where everything seems to be 40 minutes away.
When I want to go further, I borrow my husband Ian's Toyota Prius. I don't like driving it. Am I supposed to be amazed when a car gets 43 miles per gallon? The average fuel economy mandate for cars in 1985: 27.5 mpg. For 2006: 27.5 mpg. No wonder our expectations are so low. Progress in fuel efficiency has been glacial compared to improvements in computers and cell phones.
There is a solution: The plug-in hybrid. This vehicle will run on pure electric power for up to 60 miles, and then automatically switch to gas (or a biofuel) if you drive farther. Because around 85 percent of Americans travel less than 50 miles a day, this means that most people who charge their cars at home each night would hardly ever dip into their car's gasoline tank.
The infrastructure to charge is already in place (electric outlets are everywhere), and the technology (batteries) has been tested in the field and greatly improved upon for over 15 years. National security experts, including former CIA Director James Woolsey, are advocates for these vehicles because they say these vehicles can help break our dependence on foreign oil. Environmentalists support them because plugging in means getting an average of more than 100 mpg. Consumers like them because they will be saving thousands of dollars in gasoline costs.
Once you have known the quiet smooth speed and the clean efficiency of an electric vehicle, you will never think "golf cart" again.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Rosa Brooks (L.A. Times)
A great recap of the effects of the Bush administration's failed foreign policy as it relates to the current situation in the Middle East.
BBlebowski
Rosa Brooks: Bush's Burned Bridges
The Middle East cataclysm is the last gasp of America's wasted post-9/11 opportunity.
July 21, 2006
THINGS FELL APART so quickly.
At the beginning of this millennium, the Cold War was over, the prosperous United States was the sole remaining superpower and global opinion was largely sympathetic to U.S. aims. In the wake of brutal ethnic wars in Central Europe and Africa, the international community had forged a new determination to prevent conflict and atrocities. The volatile Middle East was quiet, and the world seemed headed toward stability rather than chaos.
Only six years later, things couldn't be more different.... The Bush administration's tunnel-vision approach to foreign policy has pushed the U.S. and the world into a devastating tailspin of conflict without end.
In Afghanistan, this year is shaping up to be the deadliest yet for U.S. troops. In Iraq, which President Bush promised would be "a source of true stability in the region," the carnage has been mind-boggling, and by late September, the fighting will have dragged on for 3 1/2 years — the same length of time it took us to defeat Germany in World War II.
The total implosion of the Middle East highlights the continuing decline of U.S. prestige and influence. As Israeli planes — built with our money — pummel Lebanon, our world is becoming ever more perilous and American preeminence ever more fragile.
The violent Hezbollah incursion into Israel was a deliberate provocation, to be sure, but Israel's response has dizzyingly upped the ante. Hundreds of Lebanese civilians — a disproportionate number — already have been killed by Israeli airstrikes. More than a dozen Israeli civilians have died in retaliatory Hezbollah rocket attacks.
And that's just the beginning.
If Syria or Iran gets drawn into the conflict to bail out their Hezbollah client, Israel will retaliate against them as well. Spooked by Iran's burgeoning nuclear capabilities, Israel may be looking for just such an excuse to launch a punishing strike against Iran.
Even if the conflict doesn't spread, it is already hardening the battle lines between the U.S. and our allies and the Muslim world. The conflict will breed a new generation of martyrs, a new generation of hungry children growing up amid the rubble and a new generation of mistrustful, bitter fighters — some of whom will be willing to blow themselves up for the chance of taking Israelis or Americans down with them.
The cataclysm in the Middle East represents the final and total failure of the Bush administration's foreign policy. After 9/11, the world was on our side, and we had a unique opportunity to turn tragedy into triumph, to strengthen the alliances and global institutions that have long sustained American preeminence.
We wasted that opportunity. We promised to make the world safer, but we've turned it into a tinderbox. We promised to unite our allies, but we've sown rage and division. We promised to promote democracy, but we did so through violent and poorly thought-through "regime change" rather than through diplomacy, friendship and foreign aid.
Now Israel, our closest Middle Eastern ally, appears hell-bent on destroying Lebanon — the second most democratic state in the region, which has been struggling successfully to cast off the Syrian yoke.
A year ago, the administration was pledging to support Lebanon's fragile and hard-gained democracy. Today, "the country has been torn to shreds," as Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora bitterly told diplomats. "Is this the price we pay for aspiring to build our democratic institutions?"
And as the conflagration worsens, Washington is indecisive and impotent. We might use our leverage with Israel to push for an immediate cease-fire and a long-term political solution, but we lack the courage to criticize Israel. The administration's insistence on the right to unilateral self-defense (no matter how disproportionate) would make any U.S. criticism of Israel hypocritical anyway.
We could use our leverage with Syria to get Syria to make Hezbollah back off, but we have no leverage with Syria. We refuse to have direct discussions with Syria anyway.
We could use our leverage with Iran to get Iran to make Hezbollah back off, but we have no leverage with Iran. And we refuse to have direct discussions with Iran anyway, unless Iran agrees to all our nuclear demands in advance.
And Israel, Syria and Iran all know that they can do as they wish at the moment without fear of a meaningful U.S. response. They understand (as does North Korea's Kim Jong Il) that we're bogged down in Iraq, too overextended to spend time, money or troops to stop the latest catastrophe.
We've burned up every ounce of goodwill we ever had, we've burned every diplomatic bridge we ever had, and now we can do nothing but sit on our hands as the ashes rain down all around us.
Engraved on a wall at the British Imperial War Museum is a phrase attributed to Plato: "Only the dead have seen the end of war." It was meant as a warning about the perils of arrogance and empire — and the Bush administration seems determined to prove the aphorism's truth.
BBlebowski
Rosa Brooks: Bush's Burned Bridges
The Middle East cataclysm is the last gasp of America's wasted post-9/11 opportunity.
July 21, 2006
THINGS FELL APART so quickly.
At the beginning of this millennium, the Cold War was over, the prosperous United States was the sole remaining superpower and global opinion was largely sympathetic to U.S. aims. In the wake of brutal ethnic wars in Central Europe and Africa, the international community had forged a new determination to prevent conflict and atrocities. The volatile Middle East was quiet, and the world seemed headed toward stability rather than chaos.
Only six years later, things couldn't be more different.... The Bush administration's tunnel-vision approach to foreign policy has pushed the U.S. and the world into a devastating tailspin of conflict without end.
In Afghanistan, this year is shaping up to be the deadliest yet for U.S. troops. In Iraq, which President Bush promised would be "a source of true stability in the region," the carnage has been mind-boggling, and by late September, the fighting will have dragged on for 3 1/2 years — the same length of time it took us to defeat Germany in World War II.
The total implosion of the Middle East highlights the continuing decline of U.S. prestige and influence. As Israeli planes — built with our money — pummel Lebanon, our world is becoming ever more perilous and American preeminence ever more fragile.
The violent Hezbollah incursion into Israel was a deliberate provocation, to be sure, but Israel's response has dizzyingly upped the ante. Hundreds of Lebanese civilians — a disproportionate number — already have been killed by Israeli airstrikes. More than a dozen Israeli civilians have died in retaliatory Hezbollah rocket attacks.
And that's just the beginning.
If Syria or Iran gets drawn into the conflict to bail out their Hezbollah client, Israel will retaliate against them as well. Spooked by Iran's burgeoning nuclear capabilities, Israel may be looking for just such an excuse to launch a punishing strike against Iran.
Even if the conflict doesn't spread, it is already hardening the battle lines between the U.S. and our allies and the Muslim world. The conflict will breed a new generation of martyrs, a new generation of hungry children growing up amid the rubble and a new generation of mistrustful, bitter fighters — some of whom will be willing to blow themselves up for the chance of taking Israelis or Americans down with them.
The cataclysm in the Middle East represents the final and total failure of the Bush administration's foreign policy. After 9/11, the world was on our side, and we had a unique opportunity to turn tragedy into triumph, to strengthen the alliances and global institutions that have long sustained American preeminence.
We wasted that opportunity. We promised to make the world safer, but we've turned it into a tinderbox. We promised to unite our allies, but we've sown rage and division. We promised to promote democracy, but we did so through violent and poorly thought-through "regime change" rather than through diplomacy, friendship and foreign aid.
Now Israel, our closest Middle Eastern ally, appears hell-bent on destroying Lebanon — the second most democratic state in the region, which has been struggling successfully to cast off the Syrian yoke.
A year ago, the administration was pledging to support Lebanon's fragile and hard-gained democracy. Today, "the country has been torn to shreds," as Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora bitterly told diplomats. "Is this the price we pay for aspiring to build our democratic institutions?"
And as the conflagration worsens, Washington is indecisive and impotent. We might use our leverage with Israel to push for an immediate cease-fire and a long-term political solution, but we lack the courage to criticize Israel. The administration's insistence on the right to unilateral self-defense (no matter how disproportionate) would make any U.S. criticism of Israel hypocritical anyway.
We could use our leverage with Syria to get Syria to make Hezbollah back off, but we have no leverage with Syria. We refuse to have direct discussions with Syria anyway.
We could use our leverage with Iran to get Iran to make Hezbollah back off, but we have no leverage with Iran. And we refuse to have direct discussions with Iran anyway, unless Iran agrees to all our nuclear demands in advance.
And Israel, Syria and Iran all know that they can do as they wish at the moment without fear of a meaningful U.S. response. They understand (as does North Korea's Kim Jong Il) that we're bogged down in Iraq, too overextended to spend time, money or troops to stop the latest catastrophe.
We've burned up every ounce of goodwill we ever had, we've burned every diplomatic bridge we ever had, and now we can do nothing but sit on our hands as the ashes rain down all around us.
Engraved on a wall at the British Imperial War Museum is a phrase attributed to Plato: "Only the dead have seen the end of war." It was meant as a warning about the perils of arrogance and empire — and the Bush administration seems determined to prove the aphorism's truth.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Paramedic honored for saving two Coon Rapids teenagers
Read Joe Fryer's Blog
By Joe Fryer, KARE 11 News
Two teenagers critically injured in a June motorcycle accident were on hand Tuesday to honor the woman who saved their lives.
Jeff Eagon and Stephanie Fixell were injured just hours before their high school graduation. They were riding a motorcycle near Northdale and Crooked Lake boulevards in Coon Rapids when.... a car turned right in front of them.
"What I remember about the accident was pretty much nothing at all," Eagon says.
While Eagon doesn't remember his head crashing through the windshield, Dawn Stewart remembers everything. She was approaching the intersection just as the accident happened.
"I saw two bodies fly up in the air," Stewart says.
The off-duty paramedic quickly pulled up to the scene and blocked off the intersection. She noticed Fixell was breathing and had a pulse, so she moved to Eagon.
"He was very critical, had massive bleeding," Stewart says.
She used her hand and knee to control his neck bleeding.
"With trauma, especially head trauma, even though they're unconscious, they will fight you," Stewart says. "It took two firefighters to hold him down so I could stop the bleeding."
Eagon was taken by ambulance to one hospital, while Fixell was airlifted to another hospital.
"All of us at the scene did not believe they would make it through the night," Stewart recalls.
But they did. Both of them.
Eagon was in an induced coma for four days. When he woke up, he didn't know where he was or what had happened. But he amazed many by leaving the hospital just six days after the accident.
Eagon credits his karate instructor and wrestling coach with giving him the mental and physical strength to persevere.
"If there was one guy that laying in bed, fighting for his life, could actually pull it off, it would be Jeff," says Bob Adams, Eagon's high school wrestling coach.
Above all, Eagon credits Stewart.
"I tell her thank you every time I see her, but it's never enough," he says.
"I'm just glad I was in the right place at the right time," Stewart says. "After getting to know him and his family, maybe it was just meant to be."
Stewart isn't just Eagon's guardian angel. She's Fixell's hero, too.
"I can't explain how much appreciation I have for Dawn," Fixell says. "I needed to just see her and let her know how much I feel for her."
Friends and relatives packed the Coon Rapids City Council chambers Tuesday night to see the mayor give Stewart an award.
"You truly made a difference in saving the lives of two high school seniors on their graduation day," said mayor Tim Howe.
Stewart received a standing ovation as she returned to her seat. Without hesitation, Eagon embraced her.
"I think we'll always be attached in a special way," she says. "We'll always have a special bond."
Both Fixell and Eagon plan to attend college this fall. Eagon will head to Mankato and Fixell will go to Saint Thomas.
(Copyright 2006 by KARE 11. All Rights Reserved.)
By Joe Fryer, KARE 11 News
Two teenagers critically injured in a June motorcycle accident were on hand Tuesday to honor the woman who saved their lives.
Jeff Eagon and Stephanie Fixell were injured just hours before their high school graduation. They were riding a motorcycle near Northdale and Crooked Lake boulevards in Coon Rapids when.... a car turned right in front of them.
"What I remember about the accident was pretty much nothing at all," Eagon says.
While Eagon doesn't remember his head crashing through the windshield, Dawn Stewart remembers everything. She was approaching the intersection just as the accident happened.
"I saw two bodies fly up in the air," Stewart says.
The off-duty paramedic quickly pulled up to the scene and blocked off the intersection. She noticed Fixell was breathing and had a pulse, so she moved to Eagon.
"He was very critical, had massive bleeding," Stewart says.
She used her hand and knee to control his neck bleeding.
"With trauma, especially head trauma, even though they're unconscious, they will fight you," Stewart says. "It took two firefighters to hold him down so I could stop the bleeding."
Eagon was taken by ambulance to one hospital, while Fixell was airlifted to another hospital.
"All of us at the scene did not believe they would make it through the night," Stewart recalls.
But they did. Both of them.
Eagon was in an induced coma for four days. When he woke up, he didn't know where he was or what had happened. But he amazed many by leaving the hospital just six days after the accident.
Eagon credits his karate instructor and wrestling coach with giving him the mental and physical strength to persevere.
"If there was one guy that laying in bed, fighting for his life, could actually pull it off, it would be Jeff," says Bob Adams, Eagon's high school wrestling coach.
Above all, Eagon credits Stewart.
"I tell her thank you every time I see her, but it's never enough," he says.
"I'm just glad I was in the right place at the right time," Stewart says. "After getting to know him and his family, maybe it was just meant to be."
Stewart isn't just Eagon's guardian angel. She's Fixell's hero, too.
"I can't explain how much appreciation I have for Dawn," Fixell says. "I needed to just see her and let her know how much I feel for her."
Friends and relatives packed the Coon Rapids City Council chambers Tuesday night to see the mayor give Stewart an award.
"You truly made a difference in saving the lives of two high school seniors on their graduation day," said mayor Tim Howe.
Stewart received a standing ovation as she returned to her seat. Without hesitation, Eagon embraced her.
"I think we'll always be attached in a special way," she says. "We'll always have a special bond."
Both Fixell and Eagon plan to attend college this fall. Eagon will head to Mankato and Fixell will go to Saint Thomas.
(Copyright 2006 by KARE 11. All Rights Reserved.)
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Short legs related to excess weight and diabetes
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Being short and especially having short legs appear to increase the risk being overweight and developing type 2 diabetes in middle age, new research shows.
"Our study shows that adult stature.... can be helpful in predicting the risk of diabetes independently from other known risk factors," researchers report in the journal in Diabetes Care.
The length of a person's legs is an indicator of childhood nutrition, which may have long-lasting effects on health, note Dr. Keiko Asao and colleagues from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Short leg length and low leg length-to-height ratio are two indicators of suboptimal childhood development.
Asao's team studied the relationship between stature-related measurements, amount of body fat and two pre-diabetic conditions -- insulin resistance, in which the body is resistant to the blood-sugar regulating hormone insulin, and glucose intolerance, marked by elevated blood sugar levels. The study included 7,424 men and women between 40 and 74 years old.
In women, percent body fat was significantly higher in those with shorter height, shorter leg length, and lower leg length-to-height ratio, even after considering factors know to influence body fat.
A similar pattern was noted in men, although none of the associations reached statistical significance.
Lower leg length-to-height ratio, but not height or leg length, was also associated with greater levels of insulin resistance in subjects without diabetes.
And all three body features (shorter height, shorter leg length, and lower leg length-to-height ratio) were associated with a higher prevalence of diabetes. For example, a 1-standard deviation lower leg length-to-height ratio was associated with a 19 percent greater risk of having type 2 diabetes.
"Insofar as adult stature is an indicator of development and growth during early life," conclude the investigators, the risk of obesity and diabetes in adulthood "might begin to accrue before puberty." Therefore, interventions to improve childhood nutrition "could represent novel means to combat the epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes," they offer.
Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
"Our study shows that adult stature.... can be helpful in predicting the risk of diabetes independently from other known risk factors," researchers report in the journal in Diabetes Care.
The length of a person's legs is an indicator of childhood nutrition, which may have long-lasting effects on health, note Dr. Keiko Asao and colleagues from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Short leg length and low leg length-to-height ratio are two indicators of suboptimal childhood development.
Asao's team studied the relationship between stature-related measurements, amount of body fat and two pre-diabetic conditions -- insulin resistance, in which the body is resistant to the blood-sugar regulating hormone insulin, and glucose intolerance, marked by elevated blood sugar levels. The study included 7,424 men and women between 40 and 74 years old.
In women, percent body fat was significantly higher in those with shorter height, shorter leg length, and lower leg length-to-height ratio, even after considering factors know to influence body fat.
A similar pattern was noted in men, although none of the associations reached statistical significance.
Lower leg length-to-height ratio, but not height or leg length, was also associated with greater levels of insulin resistance in subjects without diabetes.
And all three body features (shorter height, shorter leg length, and lower leg length-to-height ratio) were associated with a higher prevalence of diabetes. For example, a 1-standard deviation lower leg length-to-height ratio was associated with a 19 percent greater risk of having type 2 diabetes.
"Insofar as adult stature is an indicator of development and growth during early life," conclude the investigators, the risk of obesity and diabetes in adulthood "might begin to accrue before puberty." Therefore, interventions to improve childhood nutrition "could represent novel means to combat the epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes," they offer.
Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Friday, July 14, 2006
From the "you can't make it up" file: 911 call for 'cute' deputy gets woman arrested
Friday, July 14, 2006; Posted: 9:30 a.m. EDT (13:30 GMT)
ALOHA, Oregon (AP) -- A woman who called 911 to get "the cutest cop I've seen" sent back to her home got a date all right -- a court date.
The same sheriff's deputy arrested her on charges of misuse of the emergency dispatch system.
Washington County Sheriff's Sgt. David Thompson told KGW-TV of Portland.... it all started with a noise complaint called in last month by neighbors of Lorna Jeanne Dudash. The deputy sent to check on the complaint knocked on her door then left.
Thompson said Dudash then called 911, asking that the "cutie pie" deputy return.
"He's the cutest cop I've seen in a long time. I just want to know his name," Dudash told the dispatcher. "Heck, it doesn't come very often a good man comes to your doorstep."
After listening to some more, followed by a bit of silence, the dispatcher asked again why Dudash needed the deputy to return.
"Honey, I'm just going to be honest with you, OK? I just thought he was cute. I'm 45 years old, and I'd just like to meet him again, but I don't know how to go about doing that without calling 911," she said.
"I know this is absolutely not in any way, shape or form an emergency, but if you would give the officer my phone number and ask him to come back, would you mind?"
The deputy returned, verified that there was no emergency and arrested her for misusing the 911 system, an offense punishable by a fine of up to several thousand dollars and a year in jail.
Thompson said Thursday it was the first case he knew of in which someone called the emergency line for such a personal reason.
"That's taking up valuable time from dispatchers who could be taking true emergency calls," he said.
ALOHA, Oregon (AP) -- A woman who called 911 to get "the cutest cop I've seen" sent back to her home got a date all right -- a court date.
The same sheriff's deputy arrested her on charges of misuse of the emergency dispatch system.
Washington County Sheriff's Sgt. David Thompson told KGW-TV of Portland.... it all started with a noise complaint called in last month by neighbors of Lorna Jeanne Dudash. The deputy sent to check on the complaint knocked on her door then left.
Thompson said Dudash then called 911, asking that the "cutie pie" deputy return.
"He's the cutest cop I've seen in a long time. I just want to know his name," Dudash told the dispatcher. "Heck, it doesn't come very often a good man comes to your doorstep."
After listening to some more, followed by a bit of silence, the dispatcher asked again why Dudash needed the deputy to return.
"Honey, I'm just going to be honest with you, OK? I just thought he was cute. I'm 45 years old, and I'd just like to meet him again, but I don't know how to go about doing that without calling 911," she said.
"I know this is absolutely not in any way, shape or form an emergency, but if you would give the officer my phone number and ask him to come back, would you mind?"
The deputy returned, verified that there was no emergency and arrested her for misusing the 911 system, an offense punishable by a fine of up to several thousand dollars and a year in jail.
Thompson said Thursday it was the first case he knew of in which someone called the emergency line for such a personal reason.
"That's taking up valuable time from dispatchers who could be taking true emergency calls," he said.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Mandan to hold recall election
By ZACHARY FRANZ
Bismarck Tribune
The petitions to recall most of the Mandan City Commission are valid and a special election will be held to fill the positions, Mandan city adminstrator Jim Neubauer announced Wednesday.
"I guess my attitude is, bring it on," said Mayor Ken LaMont, one of three targeted in the recall. The other two are city commissioners Dan Ulmer and Sandy Tibke.
Mandan attorney Ben Pulkrabek filed.... petitions on June 14 for the recall of the officials, based on displeasure with the oil clean-up settlement.
"They should have tried that case," Pulkrabek told the Tribune on Wednesday. "They settled for way too low. If they can get the fuel out for the price they got, I'll admit I was wrong, but I don't think they can do it."
It was the second time he had filed such petitions. The first time, the petitions were deemed invalid because some people had signed other people's names.
Deputy Auditor Phyllis Hager and office staff reviewed the new petitions to make sure that names weren't repeated and that signatories lived within city limits. They also randomly called some people whose names were on the petition to insure they had actually signed, according to a news release from the city.
To be valid, the petitions needed at least 492 signatures - 25 percent of the voters in the election prior to the circulation of the petitions. Pulkrabek submitted 581 signatures for LaMont, 570 for Tibke and 565 for Ulmer, the news release said.
By law, the city must now hold a special election for the three positions. The special election will be held in conjunction with the November general election, according to the news release.
Normally, state law requires special elections to be held within 50 to 60 days after recall petitions are validated, but there is an exception for when a general election is scheduled within 90 days of that time period. The next general election, Nov. 7, meets that criteria.
In the meantime, LaMont said he plans to stay the course.
"I firmly believe we're on the right track," he said. "We've done everything we humanly can for the city of Mandan."
Unless the three elected officials resign within 10 days, their names will automatically appear on the ballots. Anyone else who wants to run must get a petition from City Hall and gather a minimum number of signitures. The required number is 10 percent of the voters in the most recent election. Hager suggests gathering at least 300 signatures to assure sufficiency. Candidates running for the recalled positions must file the signed petitions by 4 p.m. Sept. 8.
Ulmer said he feels confident about the special election, and that it has been a distraction to the commission.
"I think generally we'd like to get this nonsense over with," he said.
Ulmer said the city made the best choice available in regard to the fuel settlement, and that those behind the recall offered no input at the time.
"These are after-the-fact Monday morning quarterbacks," he said. "I don't know any of these people - I never saw any of those people at any public meetings, including - and probably especially - Pulkrabek."
Tibke did not immediately return calls to the Tribune.
Pulkrabek said he does not intend to run for any of the offices.
"I did the recall, now it's up to other people if they want to be candidates," he said.
Bismarck Tribune
The petitions to recall most of the Mandan City Commission are valid and a special election will be held to fill the positions, Mandan city adminstrator Jim Neubauer announced Wednesday.
"I guess my attitude is, bring it on," said Mayor Ken LaMont, one of three targeted in the recall. The other two are city commissioners Dan Ulmer and Sandy Tibke.
Mandan attorney Ben Pulkrabek filed.... petitions on June 14 for the recall of the officials, based on displeasure with the oil clean-up settlement.
"They should have tried that case," Pulkrabek told the Tribune on Wednesday. "They settled for way too low. If they can get the fuel out for the price they got, I'll admit I was wrong, but I don't think they can do it."
It was the second time he had filed such petitions. The first time, the petitions were deemed invalid because some people had signed other people's names.
Deputy Auditor Phyllis Hager and office staff reviewed the new petitions to make sure that names weren't repeated and that signatories lived within city limits. They also randomly called some people whose names were on the petition to insure they had actually signed, according to a news release from the city.
To be valid, the petitions needed at least 492 signatures - 25 percent of the voters in the election prior to the circulation of the petitions. Pulkrabek submitted 581 signatures for LaMont, 570 for Tibke and 565 for Ulmer, the news release said.
By law, the city must now hold a special election for the three positions. The special election will be held in conjunction with the November general election, according to the news release.
Normally, state law requires special elections to be held within 50 to 60 days after recall petitions are validated, but there is an exception for when a general election is scheduled within 90 days of that time period. The next general election, Nov. 7, meets that criteria.
In the meantime, LaMont said he plans to stay the course.
"I firmly believe we're on the right track," he said. "We've done everything we humanly can for the city of Mandan."
Unless the three elected officials resign within 10 days, their names will automatically appear on the ballots. Anyone else who wants to run must get a petition from City Hall and gather a minimum number of signitures. The required number is 10 percent of the voters in the most recent election. Hager suggests gathering at least 300 signatures to assure sufficiency. Candidates running for the recalled positions must file the signed petitions by 4 p.m. Sept. 8.
Ulmer said he feels confident about the special election, and that it has been a distraction to the commission.
"I think generally we'd like to get this nonsense over with," he said.
Ulmer said the city made the best choice available in regard to the fuel settlement, and that those behind the recall offered no input at the time.
"These are after-the-fact Monday morning quarterbacks," he said. "I don't know any of these people - I never saw any of those people at any public meetings, including - and probably especially - Pulkrabek."
Tibke did not immediately return calls to the Tribune.
Pulkrabek said he does not intend to run for any of the offices.
"I did the recall, now it's up to other people if they want to be candidates," he said.
Cheney sued in CIA identity case
BBC breaking news
Last Updated: Thursday, 13 July 2006, 20:18 GMT 21:18 UK
A former CIA officer whose identity was leaked to the media is suing US Vice-President Dick Cheney.
Valerie Plame is suing Mr Cheney, his former aide Karl Rove, another official Lewis Libby, and 10 others, saying they tried to destroy.... her career.
Ms Plame's name appeared in the media in 2003 after her husband criticised the Bush government over Iraq.
Her husband, ex-US ambassador Joseph Wilson, who is also suing, had said the US twisted intelligence to go to war.
It was revealed last month that Mr Rove would not be charged over the leak.
But Mr Libby has been charged with perjury and obstructing justice. He has resigned pending trial.
Last Updated: Thursday, 13 July 2006, 20:18 GMT 21:18 UK
A former CIA officer whose identity was leaked to the media is suing US Vice-President Dick Cheney.
Valerie Plame is suing Mr Cheney, his former aide Karl Rove, another official Lewis Libby, and 10 others, saying they tried to destroy.... her career.
Ms Plame's name appeared in the media in 2003 after her husband criticised the Bush government over Iraq.
Her husband, ex-US ambassador Joseph Wilson, who is also suing, had said the US twisted intelligence to go to war.
It was revealed last month that Mr Rove would not be charged over the leak.
But Mr Libby has been charged with perjury and obstructing justice. He has resigned pending trial.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan get foreign Oscar nod
Eighty-three countries have been invited to submit movies to vie for next year's foreign film Oscar.
They include the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan, who have received their.... first invites this year.
A recent rule change means that films entered for the award need no longer be in the country's official language.
The 2007 Oscars will be handed out on during a ceremony at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on 25 February.
Dominant language
Since 1956, 102 different countries have submitted films to the foreign language competition.
South African film Tsotsi won the 2006 Oscar for best foreign film in March, beating titles from France, Germany, Italy and the Palestinian Territories.
Only one picture will be accepted from each country and must be submitted to the Academy by 2 October.
Under the new rules, announced last week, submitted films do not have to be in the country's official language as long as the dominant language is not English.
They include the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan, who have received their.... first invites this year.
A recent rule change means that films entered for the award need no longer be in the country's official language.
The 2007 Oscars will be handed out on during a ceremony at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on 25 February.
Dominant language
Since 1956, 102 different countries have submitted films to the foreign language competition.
South African film Tsotsi won the 2006 Oscar for best foreign film in March, beating titles from France, Germany, Italy and the Palestinian Territories.
Only one picture will be accepted from each country and must be submitted to the Academy by 2 October.
Under the new rules, announced last week, submitted films do not have to be in the country's official language as long as the dominant language is not English.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Blogger barters from red paper clip to keys to house
By BRIAN BERGSTEIN
The Associated Press
Workers fix up the Kipling, Saskatchewan, house that Kyle MacDonald of Montreal bartered for on the Internet.
DAVID BOILY / CANADIAN PRESS
Taking a paper clip and turning it into a house sounds like a cheesy magic trick or a phony instance of resourcefulness on the 1980s TV show "MacGyver."
Kyle MacDonald, however, has pulled it off.
One year ago, the 26-year-old blogger from Montreal set out to barter one.... red paper clip for something and that thing for something else, over and over again until he had a house.
On Wednesday the quest is ending as envisioned: MacDonald is to become the proud owner of a three-bedroom, 1,100-square-foot home provided by the town of Kipling, Saskatchewan. MacDonald and his girlfriend, Dominique Dupuis, expect to move there in early September.
"This is such a cool community project. It feels right," MacDonald said. "And now that I think about it, I can't believe that another small town didn't think of it. It will literally put them on the map."
What's in it for the town? The answer requires a quick MacDonald recap, featuring a menagerie of friendly folks, radio talk-show hosts and aging celebrities, all bound together by the Internet.
It began when MacDonald, an aspiring writer, doer of odd jobs and apartment dweller, advertised in the barter section of the Craigslist Web site that he wanted something bigger or better for one red paper clip. He traded it for a fish-shaped pen, and posted on Craigslist again and again.
Roaming Canada and the United States, he exchanged the pen for a ceramic knob, and in turn: a camping stove, a generator, a beer keg and Budweiser sign, a snowmobile, a trip to the Canadian Rockies, a supply truck and a recording contract. Next, in April, he got himself really close, obtaining a year's rent in Phoenix.
His adventure became an Internet blockbuster. He appeared on Canadian and Japanese television and "Good Morning America." He made dozens of local radio appearances — one of which, in Los Angeles, was heard by a man who ended up as a pivotal figure.
That man is Corbin Bernsen. You may remember him from his roles in "L.A. Law" and "Major League."
advertising
Hip to the publicity-generating machine that is Kyle MacDonald, Bernsen contacted him to say he was writing and directing a movie and would offer a paid speaking role as an item available for trade.
MacDonald was thrilled. But he feared the integrity of his journey would be compromised if he accepted the role without trading Bernsen something he really could use. Say what you want about "Major League 3," but Bernsen has done well enough that he doesn't need a free apartment in Phoenix.
So MacDonald kept Bernsen's offer off his blog, but plowed ahead with an eye to finding something Bernsen would legitimately want.
Seemingly disregarding good economic sense, MacDonald traded the year's rent for an afternoon with rock star Alice Cooper. (MacDonald's response: "Alice Cooper is a gold mine of awesomeness and fun.") Then in a move that really confused his blog readers, MacDonald bartered time with Cooper for a snow globe depicting the band Kiss.
Re-enter Corbin Bernsen.
You see, since the days when he would get free stuff on promotional tours for "L.A. Law," Bernsen has amassed a collection of 6,500 snow globes. "One off, they look sort of goofy," Bernsen said. "Put them all together and they sort of look like pop art."
So MacDonald gave Bernsen the Kiss model and encouraged his blog readers to send the actor even more globes in exchange for autographed pictures.
All this delighted the elders in Kipling, a town of 1,140 believed to have been named in honor of author Rudyard Kipling.
Like many rural towns, Kipling is eager to stave off the perils of dwindling population by attracting new businesses, tourism and, above all, attention. When the local development coordinator, Bert Roach, heard about MacDonald's odyssey, he suggested at the next council meeting that Kipling lure him.
Quickly the town purchased an unoccupied rental house on Main Street and offered it to MacDonald. Roach won't disclose the price because MacDonald says he doesn't want to know. But Roach says it was well under the going rate in Kipling, which is about $50,000 Canadian ($44,500 U.S.).
The town also pledged to put a giant red paper clip at a highway rest stop and hold an "American Idol"-style competition for the movie role. Participants will have to make a donation to the town's parks department and a charity.
When MacDonald agreed last week, "I was holding back tears, I was so bloody happy," Roach said. "It's going to be such a great project for our community."
Bernsen says that if the right person emerges in the talent show, he would be willing to cast him or her as a lead. "Maybe a career is going to get started. Maybe it's going to be huge. Maybe that's the magic of Kyle."
MacDonald doesn't expect to live in Kipling forever. But he says he'll make it home at least while he settles down to write a book.
Of course, even if the house came free, he'll have the usual homeowner headaches: taxes, utilities, upkeep. It should come as no surprise that MacDonald isn't worried.
"I'll figure something out," he said. "I can get a job. There's three grocery stores in town."
Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company
Kyrgyzstan 'expels US diplomats'
The US and Kyrgyzstan have clashed over a US air base
The Kyrgyz authorities are expelling two US diplomats for "inappropriate" contacts with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), reports say.
Spokesmen from the foreign ministry and another official body confirmed the reports, but it was unclear whether.... the diplomats had already left the country.
In a statement on its website, the US embassy in the capital Bishkek said the allegations were "simply not true".
It said the expulsions were a bid to "silence the voice of civil society".
And it vowed to maintain contact with "all sectors" of Kyrgyz society, including opposition figures and NGOs.
Confusion
The news agency AP quoted an unnamed Kyrgyz official as saying the expulsions were down to "inappropriate" contacts with NGOs, and the US embassy used the same word in its statement, which referred only to "reports" of the expulsion.
AP also quoted Tursunbek Akun, head of the official Human Rights Commission, as saying: "A decision has been taken, but the diplomats remain in the country."
But the local news agency 24.kg said "reliable sources" said two US citizens had been deported. It quoted one as saying that the expulsion was due to "gross interference in the internal affairs of the sovereign Kyrgyz Republic".
The apparent expulsions come on the eve of planned talks on the future of a US military air base, Manas.
The two nations have been locked in dispute over the base, after Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev demanded a one-hundred-fold rise in the annual rent to $200m.
President Bakiev came to power last year after popular protests swept the former President, Askar Akayev, from power after 15 years in office. The country's many active civil rights groups were a driving force behind the protests.
Monday, July 10, 2006
U.S. reaps what the Army sows
David R. Irvine
Recent headlines from Iraq are ugly: Marines charged with murdering Haditha civilians. A crippled man killed by Americans, who then planted a rifle and shovel near the body as if he had been burying roadside bombs. And a particularly gruesome charge that U.S. soldiers raped and killed an Iraqi woman, killed her family, and burned the bodies to cover the crime.
If these atrocities are carefully investigated, the.... likely deficiency may be sufficient command leadership and discipline. A recent book (May 2006) speaks to the issue of leader accountability with stunning eloquence. Tiger Force is a documented account of 120 U.S. soldiers who, between May and November of 1967, rotated through an Army special operations platoon. This platoon, Tiger Force, wreaked its vengeance in the vicinity of Duc Pho and Chu Lai in South Vietnam.
Operating largely on their own and only passingly accountable to a chain of command that rarely ventured into the jungles and paddies, these soldiers ruthlessly murdered hundreds of unarmed men, women and children. One soldier cut off a baby's head with a knife. Victims' ears were regularly sliced off, collected and fashioned into necklaces which some soldiers proudly wore. Other victims were scalped. Some were tortured. Teeth were kicked out to retrieve the gold from fillings. Virtually all of the civilian deaths were reported as "Viet Cong," even though, oddly, no weapons were ever found and none were ever reported. No officer in command ever questioned this glaring disparity.
That part of Tiger Force is grim enough. What the Army then did with the evidence is shocking, and what was covered up in 1974-75 may have sowed the headlines we are reaping in 2006. One of the most thorough Criminal Investigation Division (CID, the Army's internal FBI) investigations ever conducted, meticulously gathered the facts surrounding the war crimes committed by Tiger Force. The evidence was voluminous, certain and had been obtained at the risk of a few investigators' lives.
In 1974-75, Richard Cheney was a special assistant to President Ford. Ford's chief of staff was Donald Rumsfeld. The secretary of defense from 1973-75 was James Schlesinger. The case was made to disappear by these men who served presidents Nixon and Ford - probably out of considerations of politics. There were never any charges filed against the soldiers or the officers who ordered and participated in the routine killing of civilians.
The only reason the case file ever became public was that the CID officer who directed the investigation, and who later commanded the Criminal Investigation Division, kept a copy of the investigation file, and prior to his death in 2002 made provision for the file to be delivered to a reporter with the Toledo Blade.
Thirty years later, Mr. Rumsfeld refuses to discuss the Tiger Force case. Mr. Cheney declines to discuss much of anything. Mr. Schlesinger conducted one of the see-no-evil investigations at Abu Ghraib. The senior leadership of the Army and the nation prefers to characterize war crimes as the work of a few "bad apples." My Lai was pinned to Lt. William Calley, who suited the bad apple role.
Tiger Force was far larger, killed three times as many people, but involved too many "bad apples" and too much gore to maintain the right story line.
The common thread which runs from Tiger Force through My Lai, to Guantanamo, Bagram and Abu Ghraib, to a hundred episodes of sadistic brutality inflicted by U.S. soldiers in Iraq, is the remarkable fact that the official responsibility for all these tragedies never runs higher than the lowest-level trigger-pullers or body-stackers.
But suppose in 1975 that Mr. Rumsfeld and Mr. Cheney had made a different decision. Suppose the CID Tiger Force investigation had been permitted to charge the perpetrators and their superior officers with war crimes. Suppose a court-martial inquiry had asked why no battalion commanders bothered to check out the reports of Tiger Force ear collections? What if a colonel or two had been found guilty of failing to adequately control the troops under their command? For starters, those cases and leadership lessons would have been part of today's core curriculum in ROTC and at West Point.
This administration never holds anyone in senior positions accountable for derelict performance. However, unless there is full accountability for the war crimes of Iraq - wherever the evidence leads - there is a high probability that the lessons today's lieutenants and captains need to learn about the law of war and command leadership will never be sufficiently absorbed to make the crucial difference when those men and women become colonels and generals.
---
David R. Irvine is a lawyer in Salt Lake City and a retired Army Reserve brigadier general. He was commissioned as a strategic intelligence officer in 1967, and taught prisoner of war interrogation and military law for the Sixth Army Intelligence School for 18 years.
Recent headlines from Iraq are ugly: Marines charged with murdering Haditha civilians. A crippled man killed by Americans, who then planted a rifle and shovel near the body as if he had been burying roadside bombs. And a particularly gruesome charge that U.S. soldiers raped and killed an Iraqi woman, killed her family, and burned the bodies to cover the crime.
If these atrocities are carefully investigated, the.... likely deficiency may be sufficient command leadership and discipline. A recent book (May 2006) speaks to the issue of leader accountability with stunning eloquence. Tiger Force is a documented account of 120 U.S. soldiers who, between May and November of 1967, rotated through an Army special operations platoon. This platoon, Tiger Force, wreaked its vengeance in the vicinity of Duc Pho and Chu Lai in South Vietnam.
Operating largely on their own and only passingly accountable to a chain of command that rarely ventured into the jungles and paddies, these soldiers ruthlessly murdered hundreds of unarmed men, women and children. One soldier cut off a baby's head with a knife. Victims' ears were regularly sliced off, collected and fashioned into necklaces which some soldiers proudly wore. Other victims were scalped. Some were tortured. Teeth were kicked out to retrieve the gold from fillings. Virtually all of the civilian deaths were reported as "Viet Cong," even though, oddly, no weapons were ever found and none were ever reported. No officer in command ever questioned this glaring disparity.
That part of Tiger Force is grim enough. What the Army then did with the evidence is shocking, and what was covered up in 1974-75 may have sowed the headlines we are reaping in 2006. One of the most thorough Criminal Investigation Division (CID, the Army's internal FBI) investigations ever conducted, meticulously gathered the facts surrounding the war crimes committed by Tiger Force. The evidence was voluminous, certain and had been obtained at the risk of a few investigators' lives.
In 1974-75, Richard Cheney was a special assistant to President Ford. Ford's chief of staff was Donald Rumsfeld. The secretary of defense from 1973-75 was James Schlesinger. The case was made to disappear by these men who served presidents Nixon and Ford - probably out of considerations of politics. There were never any charges filed against the soldiers or the officers who ordered and participated in the routine killing of civilians.
The only reason the case file ever became public was that the CID officer who directed the investigation, and who later commanded the Criminal Investigation Division, kept a copy of the investigation file, and prior to his death in 2002 made provision for the file to be delivered to a reporter with the Toledo Blade.
Thirty years later, Mr. Rumsfeld refuses to discuss the Tiger Force case. Mr. Cheney declines to discuss much of anything. Mr. Schlesinger conducted one of the see-no-evil investigations at Abu Ghraib. The senior leadership of the Army and the nation prefers to characterize war crimes as the work of a few "bad apples." My Lai was pinned to Lt. William Calley, who suited the bad apple role.
Tiger Force was far larger, killed three times as many people, but involved too many "bad apples" and too much gore to maintain the right story line.
The common thread which runs from Tiger Force through My Lai, to Guantanamo, Bagram and Abu Ghraib, to a hundred episodes of sadistic brutality inflicted by U.S. soldiers in Iraq, is the remarkable fact that the official responsibility for all these tragedies never runs higher than the lowest-level trigger-pullers or body-stackers.
But suppose in 1975 that Mr. Rumsfeld and Mr. Cheney had made a different decision. Suppose the CID Tiger Force investigation had been permitted to charge the perpetrators and their superior officers with war crimes. Suppose a court-martial inquiry had asked why no battalion commanders bothered to check out the reports of Tiger Force ear collections? What if a colonel or two had been found guilty of failing to adequately control the troops under their command? For starters, those cases and leadership lessons would have been part of today's core curriculum in ROTC and at West Point.
This administration never holds anyone in senior positions accountable for derelict performance. However, unless there is full accountability for the war crimes of Iraq - wherever the evidence leads - there is a high probability that the lessons today's lieutenants and captains need to learn about the law of war and command leadership will never be sufficiently absorbed to make the crucial difference when those men and women become colonels and generals.
---
David R. Irvine is a lawyer in Salt Lake City and a retired Army Reserve brigadier general. He was commissioned as a strategic intelligence officer in 1967, and taught prisoner of war interrogation and military law for the Sixth Army Intelligence School for 18 years.
Friday, July 07, 2006
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Mandan recall petitions filed
By GORDON WEIXEL
Bismarck Tribune
For the second time this year, lawyer Ben Pulkrabek has turned in recall petitions for members of the Mandan City Commission - this time he expects there will be a special election.
Pulkrabek turned the petitions into the auditor's office just before lunch time on Wednesday. They are for Mayor Ken LaMont and commissioners Dan Ulmer and Sandra Tibke.
The reason remains the same, dissatisfaction.... with the commission's efforts regarding the settlement with BNSF Railway and the remediation effort. Last time Pulkrabek turned in recall petitions for all five commissioners including Tim Helbling and Stan Scott.
The petitions for Helbling and Scott were discounted since the commissioners were up for election in Tuesday's municipal election. Helbling retained his seat, receiving the most votes (1,375) of the five candidates. But Scott was ousted by downtown businessman Jerome Gangl who garnered 1,117 votes to the incumbent's 982.
"Some people may have thought that since Helbling was elected I wasn't going to go through with this (the recall)," Pulkrabek said. "But I feel this way: We got rid of one commissioner, and we're batting .500. You get a starting job in the big leagues if you're hitting like that."
Pulkrabek added that if anyone is interested in recalling Helbling, he'd be more than happy to help. But Pulkrabek's intentions are to stick to the three petitions he's turned in.
Helbling said his re-election does lend credibility to the actions the city commission has taken.
"I think it's a vote of confidence and lends support to what we're (city commission) doing," Helbling said. "But people have the right for a recall if they so choose. There are so many good things over the horizon. If we just can get over this hump we'll be there."
To recall the mayor and commissioners, Pulkrabek needed 492 signatures for each person. In the last attempt at recalling LaMont, Tibke and Ulmer, signatures were found to be invalid with instances of one person signing for another - in many cases it was a husband or wife signing for their spouse. By state law, one such occurrence on a page of 25 signatures invalidated the entire page. Because of this the recall attempt fell short of the necessary signatures.
This time Pulkrabek said much more attention was paid to the signatures to make sure each was valid. The Mandan attorney noted that the petitions were not due until July 27, and he and the petition sponsors were able to pull together the necessary numbers far more quickly.
The recall committee also was able to collect more signatures than the needed 492. For Tibke 563 were collected, LaMont 574 and Ulmer 559.
Ulmer and Tibke question the reason for the recall but agree Pulkrabek has the right to do so.
"I have mixed feelings," Ulmer said. "Frankly, I hope he has his stuff in order and we can get this over with."
Ulmer maintains the settlement is a done deal and there are no issues to debate.
"What are the people of Mandan really voting on here?" Ulmer said. "Pulkrabek hasn't told us, and no one on the sponsoring committee has. In fact, I don't know any of the people on the sponsoring committee. Who are they and what do they want? The people of Mandan need to know."
Tibke said that she's made many decisions as a city commissioner and the ones she was most sure of were the settlement with BNSF, the picking of the firm to handle the remediation and actually proceeding on the clean up.
"I feel very comfortable with our decisions," Tibke said. "I would like to hear how they would have done it differently. What is this group's vision. I haven't heard anything."
Deputy auditor Phyllis Hager said the city will go through the same process it did before in verifying the petitions, which will likely include telephone calls to many of the signers. The city has 30 days to verify the petitions. Once it's determined there are sufficient signatures the city will have to call a special election no sooner than 50 days or later than 60 days.
Hager said it's hard to determine how long verification will take, but added that it appeared the petitions had been critiqued more thoroughly than before.
How soon the petitions can be verified will depend on how many city employees will be available to help, according to Hager. It's the beginning of the vacation season, and the city has several time consuming projects in the works.
Pulkrabek noted that his recall campaign does not have any specific candidates to run for the commission, but several people have indicated to him they are interested.
Having just completed one election, another one may be held yet this summer in Mandan.
(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@;bismarcktribune.com.)
Bismarck Tribune
For the second time this year, lawyer Ben Pulkrabek has turned in recall petitions for members of the Mandan City Commission - this time he expects there will be a special election.
Pulkrabek turned the petitions into the auditor's office just before lunch time on Wednesday. They are for Mayor Ken LaMont and commissioners Dan Ulmer and Sandra Tibke.
The reason remains the same, dissatisfaction.... with the commission's efforts regarding the settlement with BNSF Railway and the remediation effort. Last time Pulkrabek turned in recall petitions for all five commissioners including Tim Helbling and Stan Scott.
The petitions for Helbling and Scott were discounted since the commissioners were up for election in Tuesday's municipal election. Helbling retained his seat, receiving the most votes (1,375) of the five candidates. But Scott was ousted by downtown businessman Jerome Gangl who garnered 1,117 votes to the incumbent's 982.
"Some people may have thought that since Helbling was elected I wasn't going to go through with this (the recall)," Pulkrabek said. "But I feel this way: We got rid of one commissioner, and we're batting .500. You get a starting job in the big leagues if you're hitting like that."
Pulkrabek added that if anyone is interested in recalling Helbling, he'd be more than happy to help. But Pulkrabek's intentions are to stick to the three petitions he's turned in.
Helbling said his re-election does lend credibility to the actions the city commission has taken.
"I think it's a vote of confidence and lends support to what we're (city commission) doing," Helbling said. "But people have the right for a recall if they so choose. There are so many good things over the horizon. If we just can get over this hump we'll be there."
To recall the mayor and commissioners, Pulkrabek needed 492 signatures for each person. In the last attempt at recalling LaMont, Tibke and Ulmer, signatures were found to be invalid with instances of one person signing for another - in many cases it was a husband or wife signing for their spouse. By state law, one such occurrence on a page of 25 signatures invalidated the entire page. Because of this the recall attempt fell short of the necessary signatures.
This time Pulkrabek said much more attention was paid to the signatures to make sure each was valid. The Mandan attorney noted that the petitions were not due until July 27, and he and the petition sponsors were able to pull together the necessary numbers far more quickly.
The recall committee also was able to collect more signatures than the needed 492. For Tibke 563 were collected, LaMont 574 and Ulmer 559.
Ulmer and Tibke question the reason for the recall but agree Pulkrabek has the right to do so.
"I have mixed feelings," Ulmer said. "Frankly, I hope he has his stuff in order and we can get this over with."
Ulmer maintains the settlement is a done deal and there are no issues to debate.
"What are the people of Mandan really voting on here?" Ulmer said. "Pulkrabek hasn't told us, and no one on the sponsoring committee has. In fact, I don't know any of the people on the sponsoring committee. Who are they and what do they want? The people of Mandan need to know."
Tibke said that she's made many decisions as a city commissioner and the ones she was most sure of were the settlement with BNSF, the picking of the firm to handle the remediation and actually proceeding on the clean up.
"I feel very comfortable with our decisions," Tibke said. "I would like to hear how they would have done it differently. What is this group's vision. I haven't heard anything."
Deputy auditor Phyllis Hager said the city will go through the same process it did before in verifying the petitions, which will likely include telephone calls to many of the signers. The city has 30 days to verify the petitions. Once it's determined there are sufficient signatures the city will have to call a special election no sooner than 50 days or later than 60 days.
Hager said it's hard to determine how long verification will take, but added that it appeared the petitions had been critiqued more thoroughly than before.
How soon the petitions can be verified will depend on how many city employees will be available to help, according to Hager. It's the beginning of the vacation season, and the city has several time consuming projects in the works.
Pulkrabek noted that his recall campaign does not have any specific candidates to run for the commission, but several people have indicated to him they are interested.
Having just completed one election, another one may be held yet this summer in Mandan.
(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@;bismarcktribune.com.)
Popular Painkiller May Cause Liver Damage
POSTED: 8:18 am EDT July 5, 2006
CHICAGO -- Healthy adults taking maximum doses of Tylenol for two weeks had abnormal liver test results in a small study, researchers found, raising concerns that even recommended amounts of the popular painkiller might lead to liver damage.
In the study, 106 participants took.... four grams of Tylenol - equivalent to eight extra-strength Tylenol tablets - each day for two weeks. Some took Tylenol alone and some took it with an opioid painkiller. Dummy pills were given to 39 others.
There were no alarming liver test results among the people who took the placebos. But nearly 40 percent of people in all the other groups had abnormal test results that would signal liver damage, according to the study that appears in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.
"I would urge the public not to exceed four grams a day. This is a drug that has a rather narrow safety window," said a study co-author, Dr. Neil Kaplowitz of the University of Southern California.
Heavy drinkers should take no more than two grams daily, Kaplowitz said.
Another co-author, Dr. Paul Watkins of the University of North Carolina, said he's less worried than Kaplowitz, noting that acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, has been used for 50 years and has a good safety record.
The maker of Tylenol, McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals, said its own research found much lower rates of abnormal liver results. The company's studies tracked high-dose users over longer periods than did the new study.
"It doesn't lead to liver disease and it usually resolves as patients continue to take acetaminophen," said Dr. Edwin Kuffner, senior director of medical affairs at McNeil.
The researchers had been hired by the drug company Purdue Pharma LP, maker of the prescription painkiller OxyContin, to find out why abnormal liver tests were showing up in people testing a combination drug containing the acetaminophen and the opiate hydrocodone.
Purdue Pharma stopped its hydrocodone study early because of the abnormal liver tests. Researchers Watkins and Kaplowitz thought they would find the culprit in hydrocodone's interaction with acetaminophen.
"Our jaws dropped when we got the data," Watkins said. "It doesn't have anything to do with the opiate. It's good ol', garden-variety acetaminophen."
Acetaminophen is more popular than aspirin or ibuprofen. Each week, one in five U.S. adults uses it for pain or fever, a 2002 survey found.
Acetaminophen is included in numerous over-the-counter and prescription medications, making overdose possible as people unwittingly combine drugs. Overdoses of acetaminophen are the leading cause of acute liver failure.
"A week doesn't go by when I don't have to talk to someone about how much they're taking," said Kathleen Besinque of the USC School of Pharmacy.
Watkins said people considering switching painkillers should know that others have their own side effects, such as internal bleeding and stomach irritation.
New research under way at the University of North Carolina may determine if acetaminophen's effect on the liver continues for long-term, high-dose users, or if the body adapts, Watkins said.
Facts About The Study
THE STUDY:
#
# Involved 106 participants
# Each took four grams of Tylenol each day for two weeks
# Some took Tylenol alone
# Some took it with an opioid painkiller
# Dummy pills were given to 39 others
Study published in Wednesday Journal of the American Medical Association
FINDINGS:
#
# No alarming liver test results among people who took the placebos
40 percent of others had abnormal test results that'd signal liver damage
RECOMMENDATIONS:
#
# Don't take more than four grams a day
Heavy drinkers should not take more than two grams a day
QUOTE:
#
Co-author, Dr. Neil Kaplowitz of University of Southern California:
"This is a drug that has a rather narrow safety window."
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
CHICAGO -- Healthy adults taking maximum doses of Tylenol for two weeks had abnormal liver test results in a small study, researchers found, raising concerns that even recommended amounts of the popular painkiller might lead to liver damage.
In the study, 106 participants took.... four grams of Tylenol - equivalent to eight extra-strength Tylenol tablets - each day for two weeks. Some took Tylenol alone and some took it with an opioid painkiller. Dummy pills were given to 39 others.
There were no alarming liver test results among the people who took the placebos. But nearly 40 percent of people in all the other groups had abnormal test results that would signal liver damage, according to the study that appears in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.
"I would urge the public not to exceed four grams a day. This is a drug that has a rather narrow safety window," said a study co-author, Dr. Neil Kaplowitz of the University of Southern California.
Heavy drinkers should take no more than two grams daily, Kaplowitz said.
Another co-author, Dr. Paul Watkins of the University of North Carolina, said he's less worried than Kaplowitz, noting that acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, has been used for 50 years and has a good safety record.
The maker of Tylenol, McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals, said its own research found much lower rates of abnormal liver results. The company's studies tracked high-dose users over longer periods than did the new study.
"It doesn't lead to liver disease and it usually resolves as patients continue to take acetaminophen," said Dr. Edwin Kuffner, senior director of medical affairs at McNeil.
The researchers had been hired by the drug company Purdue Pharma LP, maker of the prescription painkiller OxyContin, to find out why abnormal liver tests were showing up in people testing a combination drug containing the acetaminophen and the opiate hydrocodone.
Purdue Pharma stopped its hydrocodone study early because of the abnormal liver tests. Researchers Watkins and Kaplowitz thought they would find the culprit in hydrocodone's interaction with acetaminophen.
"Our jaws dropped when we got the data," Watkins said. "It doesn't have anything to do with the opiate. It's good ol', garden-variety acetaminophen."
Acetaminophen is more popular than aspirin or ibuprofen. Each week, one in five U.S. adults uses it for pain or fever, a 2002 survey found.
Acetaminophen is included in numerous over-the-counter and prescription medications, making overdose possible as people unwittingly combine drugs. Overdoses of acetaminophen are the leading cause of acute liver failure.
"A week doesn't go by when I don't have to talk to someone about how much they're taking," said Kathleen Besinque of the USC School of Pharmacy.
Watkins said people considering switching painkillers should know that others have their own side effects, such as internal bleeding and stomach irritation.
New research under way at the University of North Carolina may determine if acetaminophen's effect on the liver continues for long-term, high-dose users, or if the body adapts, Watkins said.
Facts About The Study
THE STUDY:
#
# Involved 106 participants
# Each took four grams of Tylenol each day for two weeks
# Some took Tylenol alone
# Some took it with an opioid painkiller
# Dummy pills were given to 39 others
Study published in Wednesday Journal of the American Medical Association
FINDINGS:
#
# No alarming liver test results among people who took the placebos
40 percent of others had abnormal test results that'd signal liver damage
RECOMMENDATIONS:
#
# Don't take more than four grams a day
Heavy drinkers should not take more than two grams a day
QUOTE:
#
Co-author, Dr. Neil Kaplowitz of University of Southern California:
"This is a drug that has a rather narrow safety window."
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
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