As always when disasters like this strike we have to watch not only for the best in people (as seen in the rescue workers) but also the worst. One of the worst aspects of these kinds of events is when crooks and scam artists start up fake charities to scam money from us. If you want to help the victims either in Japan or here in the US, be sure to donate to a well recognized charity like the Red Cross and make sure you go to them. Don’t give money to telemarketers or other possible scammers.

Reports now indicating at least one fatality has occurred when a bystander in California was swept out to sea by the waves. Amid the damage and destruction caused by the 8.9 quake in Japan is devastation of boats and docks all along the Pacific coast. Living in Northern California I am able to watch the local coverage and in places like Santa Cruz, Crescent and Moro Bay we are seeing millions of dollars in damages. Much like with Katrina, there were early hopes that the damage would not be too bad...

Amid the coverage of the horrible tragedy in Japan we are hearing stories saying that the experts now think that Libyan strongman Ghadaffi will prevail and stay in power. Yesterday a top US intelligence officer said that he thinks the dictator will prevail and talk of no fly zones are now fading, even as some European governments move to recognize the rebels. It could be the wave of revolt is ebbing

An earthquake measuring 7.9  (new reports now say 8.8) on the Richter scale has struck Japan. The quake was centered 60-80 miles off the coast nearest to the Miyagi Prefecture. Reports are of a 24 km depth which is relatively shallow. There are reports that a tsunami could have been created, possibly as high as 20 feet and of course this could come in several waves. Areas all over the Western Pacific could be impacted by the tsunami. At this point it does not appear there was major damage on the...

Perhaps the first of many to recognize the new government of Libya.

I think wow pretty much sums it up. 1906 Quake Color Photos

The Land Of Lincoln becomes the 16th state to abolish the death penalty. I must admit to mixed views on this topic. I am a strong law and order kind of guy, I do not rush to excuse criminal behavior and I think people should be punished for their crimes. Certainly we can take into account their background but the fact is many people have bad backgrounds but only a few commit crimes. This is especially true when it comes to capital offenses. At the same time, the death penalty is the one irreversable...

I’m not sure if this is funny or proof we are doomed.

For the very last time, the Space Shuttle Discovery has landed at the Kennedy Space Center. During her lifetime she spent the equivalent of a full year in orbit around mother Earth. Godspeed Discovery !

Reports are circulating that Korean nutjob Kim Jong Il has deployed tanks around his palaces to protect against a possible revolt or pro democracy movement. I find it hard to believe anyone in North Korea even knows about protest movements unless Kim wants them to know, but it is an interesting rumor to say the least.

As some of you may have heard, Brigham Young University has suspended the star forward of their basketball team just a couple weeks before the start of March Madness. The reason for the suspension is that he had sex with his girlfriend, and the BYU honor code states that premarital sex is not allowed. With the money to be made off of success in March Madness there are some who question the wisdom of the choice. Others are condemning BYU for what seems to be a narrow minded or outdated viewpoint about...

For your weekend fun… the world of iPhone autocorrect

It sounded like a Cinderella story come true. A high school basketball team with a 19-0 record going into the final game of the season. They were behind but manage to make it into overtime and at the last second of overtime their star player hits a winning shot. The gym erupts in celebration. But this celebration was cut short as the player, 16 year old Wes Leonard, suddenly collapsed to the floor with cardiac arrest. He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The cause of this sudden...

One hundred and fifty years ago today Abraham Lincoln stood on the steps of the Capitol to take the oath as the 16th President of the United States. Certainly few, if any Presidents faced a greater crisis on taking office. A significant portion of the country had left the union and even many of those who remained were hardly enthusiastic supporters of the new leader. Over the next four years he would carry the nation through some of the greatest trials it would ever face. He would face the pain of...

Kamala Harris, the new Attorney General of California, has asked the 9th Circuit Court Of Appeals to lift the stay on the order which would have allowed same sex couples to marry while the issue is being reviewed by the courts. If the court agrees then couples could start marrying now rather than later. Although I thought the stay was wrong in the first place I doubt the court will reverse itself now.

I’m not sure if the Bible specifically mentioned this show as a sign of the Apocolypse but they should have.

Some more amazing music

I first heard this Welsh lullaby in the film Empire Of The Sun (a brilliant film if you’ve not seen it before). But the song itself is hauntingly beautiful. Sleep my baby, at my breast, ’Tis a mother’s arms round you. Make yourself a snug, warm nest. Feel my love forever new. Harm will not meet you in sleep, Hurt will always pass you by. Child beloved, always you’ll keep, In sleep gentle, mother’s breast nigh The story of the song can be found here, but first enjoy the performance.

Just when you thought Charlie Sheen was the king of stupid statements. Iran is calling the logo for the 2012 London Olympics racist because they say it resembles the word Zion and thus is offensive to Muslims. I don’t see it but some have said if you read vertical rather than horizontal and if you really squint you might be able to make it out. Then again for Iran to condemn anyone for being racist is kind of like Dom DeLuise telling someone to go on a diet.

The last living US veteran of World War One has died at the age of 110. Frank Buckles was born in February 1901 and dropped out of high school to join the military during World War One. He served as an ambulance driver and while he was not in direct combat he was often subjected to dangerous conditions. Somewhat ironically, the man who fought in ‘the war to end all wars’ saw at least 5 more before his death.

From 1986 celebrations for the Statue of Liberty… Wow… I hope we can all enjoy this celebration of liberty

Just remember when you feel too small (or too self important….)

Turn on your TV folks… the Discovery has launched for the last time. HD Net is showing it in HD

Word coming out today that President Obama has ordered the Justice Department to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act on the grounds that it is unconstitutional. This does not mean they will stop enforcing it (to the degree the federal government has enforced it) but they will no longer argue in favor of the law against lawsuits pending in the 1st and 2nd Federal Districts. I’ve long felt the law was unconstitutional on the grounds that the federal government has no power to legislate...

Today is primary day in Chicago and since the Republican voters of the city can meet in a small room it means that the next mayor will be a Democrat (correction from earlier post, I had forgotten they went to primary/runoff versus primary general). According to the official returns Rahm Emanuel leads Gery Chico (the closest thing we got to a reformer) by a commanding 55-25 margin with almost 75% counted. Given the margin I doubt we will see any sort of runoff which means Rahm is going to be da Mayah....