Pyrrhic Victory for Foes of a New Lucasfilm Project
By Norimitsu Onishi
May 21, 2012
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — In 1978, a year after 'Star Wars' was released, George Lucas began building his movie production company far from Hollywood, in the quiet hills and valley of Marin County here just north of San Francisco. Starting with Skywalker Ranch, the various pieces of Lucasfilm came together over the decades behind the large trees on his 6,100-acre property, invisible from the single two-lane road that snakes through the area...
It's inciting class warfare!
...But after spending years and millions of dollars, Mr. Lucas abruptly canceled plans recently for the third, and most likely last, major expansion, citing community opposition. An emotional statement posted online said Lucasfilm would build instead in a place 'that sees us as a creative asset, not as an evil empire.'...
If the announcement took Marin by surprise, it was nothing compared with what came next. Mr. Lucas said he would sell the land to a developer to bring 'low income housing' here.
'It's inciting class warfare,' said Carolyn Lenert, head of the North San Rafael Coalition of Residents.
Mr. Lucas said in an e-mail that he only wanted 'to do something good for Marin,' waving away accusations of ulterior motives.
Louisiana Is the World's Prison Capital
By Cindy Chang, The Times-Picayune
May 13, 2012
Louisiana's incarceration rate is nearly triple Iran's, seven times China's and 10 times Germany's.
Louisiana is the world's prison capital. The state imprisons more of its people, per head, than any of its U.S. counterparts. First among Americans means first in the world. Louisiana's incarceration rate is nearly triple Iran's, seven times China's and 10 times Germany's.
Inmates: Richland Parish Detention Center (Scott Threlkeld, The Times-Picayune)
The hidden engine behind the state's well-oiled prison machine is cold, hard cash. A majority of Louisiana inmates are housed in for-profit facilities, which must be supplied with a constant influx of human beings or a $182 million industry will go bankrupt.
Several homegrown private prison companies command a slice of the market. But in a uniquely Louisiana twist, most prison entrepreneurs are rural sheriffs, who hold tremendous sway in remote parishes like Madison, Avoyelles, East Carroll and Concordia. A good portion of Louisiana law enforcement is financed with dollars legally skimmed off the top of prison operations.
Ultra-Orthodox Plan Huge NYC Meeting on Net Risks
By Karen Matthews - Associated Press
May 18, 2012
Women will not be permitted at either stadium but the rally will be broadcast live to audiences of women in schools and event halls in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Ultra-Orthodox Jews who believe that the Internet threatens their way of life have rented the New York Mets' stadium for an unprecedented gathering on how to use modern technology in a religiously appropriate way.
More than 40,000 ultra-Orthodox Jewish men plan to pack Citi Field for Sunday's gathering on the dangers of the Internet, and organizers have also rented the nearby Arthur Ashe Stadium for the overflow crowd.
"It's going to be inspiration and education about using technology responsibly in accordance with Jewish values," said Eytan Kobre, a lawyer who is the spokesman for the event's organizers.
All systems are go for this mornings launch of the unmanned private Space-X spacecraft which will rendezvous with the International Space Station and the eventual docking of the Dragon command module. Launch can be watched here and the broadcast is scheduled to begin one-hour prior to launch or at 3:45 AM EDT.
Note that NASA TV will broadcast a variety of programming prior to and after the launch.
Liftoff Time in Time Zones:
• 4:55 AM EDT
• 3:55 AM CDT
• 2:55 AM MDT
• 1:55 AM PDT
Other viewing options are available at NASA TV.
SpaceX Launch on May 19, 4:55 AM
Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, of Hawthorne, Calif., on Friday targeted May 19 for the launch of its upcoming demonstration mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff time is at 4:55 a.m. EDT, with a launch window that is instantaneous.
SpaceX DragonLab™ - a free-flying, fully-recoverable, reusable spacecraft capable of hosting pressurized and unpressurized payloads. Credit: SpaceX
This follows a launch dress rehearsal April 30 by the SpaceX launch team that concluded with a brief engine firing to verify the company's Falcon 9 rocket is ready to launch. The practice countdown also tested some of the systems on the Dragon spacecraft that will fly to the space station.
"Woohoo, rocket hold down firing completed and all looks good!" reported Elon Musk on his Twitter account. Musk is the owner and chief designer for SpaceX, or Space Exploration Technologies. The company's engineers are reviewing data from the test, SpaceX reported.
For the latest update go to the Space-X update page here.
Press Kit: NASA/SpaceX Launch and Mission To Station, COTS 2 (PDF)
Get some sleep, and some coffee. Tomorrow’s early morning launch webcast starts at 4:15 AM EST at spacex.com #DragonLaunch
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 18, 2012
House Republicans vs. Gay Troops
Don't Ask, Don't Tell is dead, but thanks to congressional Republicans, the fight over gays in the military is just beginning.
By Adam Serwer
May 17, 2012
Don't Ask, Don't Tell is history, but House Republicans are still waging a last-ditch guerrilla campaign against the acceptance of gay and lesbian servicemembers.
Two years ago, Democrats, along with a handful of Republicans, used a defense bill as a vehicle for overturning the policy that prevented gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military. Republican opponents of DADT repeal accused Democrats of using the military to pursue a "social agenda." But ever since, Republicans have used defense bills to further their social agenda—one contingent on limiting the rights and recognition of gay and lesbian servicemembers who are now allowed to serve openly.
Last year, Republicans tried to prevent military chaplains from conducting same-sex marriages for servicemembers—even if they wanted to. The GOP ultimately caved in that fight, but two amendments to this year's defense bill represent even more aggressive attacks on gay rights.
TEDChris claims "the audience at TED who heard it live (and who are often accused of being overly enthusiastic about left-leaning ideas) gave it, on average, mediocre ratings." Odd considering that at the end of the video you can see he received a standing ovation.
Text of the speech can be found at the National Journal.
It is astounding how significantly one idea can shape a society and its policies. Consider this one.
If taxes on the rich go up, job creation will go down.
This idea is an article of faith for republicans and seldom challenged by democrats and has shaped much of today's economic landscape.
But sometimes the ideas that we know to be true are dead wrong. For thousands of years people were sure that earth was at the center of the universe. It's not, and an astronomer who still believed that it was, would do some lousy astronomy.
The graphs:
As far as the true reasoning behind the video not being chosen by TED I'll leave that the reader. That is not important. What is important is Nick Hanauer's message and one that while oft repeated in certain circles is one that needs to be spread among all American citizens.
Knesset Rejects Marriage Equality Bill
By Lahav Harkov
May 16, 2012
"Freedom of Choice in Marriage" bill fails; Meretz calls rabbinate and halacha extremist, dark, anachronistic, chauvinist.
The Knesset voted down a bill on Wednesday that would allow same-sex, as well as interfaith couples to wed.
Nitzan Horowitz
The legislation, by MK Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz) opens the option of civil marriages for those who may not be wed according to halacha (Jewish law), as well as those who choose not to be married by the Chief Rabbinate. It was rejected, with 39 MKs opposed and 11 in favor.
Horowitz said there are tens of thousands of homosexual couples in Israel, and his law would help them and others who cannot exercise the basic right to be married and build a family.
'There is an extremist, dark institution deciding who may or may not get married,' the Meretz MK said. 'The public is sick of the rabbinate.'
According to Horowitz, coalition parties betrayed their secular voters by rejecting the bill, choosing to pander to haredi (ultra-orthodox) parties, instead.
Horowitz's 'Freedom of Choice in Marriage' bill would allow for any couple that is not recognized by the Chief Rabbinate to have a civil marriage. This includes same-sex marriages, as well as marriage between Jews and gentiles. -- JPost 5/16/12
Prom Chaperones Sprayed Lysol on Dirty Dancers
The Smoking Gun
May 15, 2012
MAY 15--Two parent chaperones at a Colorado high school prom sprayed Lysol on students engaged in 'dirty dancing' and called several teenage girls 'sluts and whores' for making it appear 'they were advertising butt sex,' according to cops.
Hannah Rockey
The bizarre incident last month at the Manitou Springs High School resulted in harassment charges being filed against Jennifer Farmer and Hannah Rockey, both 42-year-old mothers who allegedly dispersed the disinfectant in a bid to pry apart underage revelers.
Jennifer Farmer
According to a police report, the April 21 prom--which had a 'Lost in Pandora' theme--was held in the Manitou Springs city hall, where a crowd of students danced in a large auditorium that Saturday evening.
Cans of Lysol
Officer Scott Stone, who was working a security detail at the prom, told investigators that he had spoken with Farmer and Rockey after arriving at the dance around 8 PM. He recalled that the chaperones--who were dressed in combat boots, military fatigues, and military undershirt--noted that 'some of the kids were becoming disruptive and were being explicit while dancing.'
Ratko Mladic Led Ethnic Cleansing, War Crimes Trial Told
BBC News
May 16, 2012
Mr Groome said crimes of sexual violence had played an integral part of the process of "taking over and ethnically cleansing Bosnia".
Former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic intended to "ethnically cleanse" Bosnia, the opening day of his war crimes trial has heard.
Ratko Mladic
Gen Mladic faces 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide, in connection with the brutal 1992-95 Bosnian war.
Prosecutors in The Hague said they would show his hand in the crimes.
He has called the accusations "monstrous" and the court has entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Gen Mladic is accused of orchestrating the massacre of more than 7,000 Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) boys and men at Srebrenica in 1995.
He is also charged in connection with the 44-month siege of Sarajevo during which more than 10,000 people died.
