A new study by a University of Scranton professor, Jon Vinson, has found that coffee is the best natural source of antioxidants, substances in many foods that, according to the National Cancer Institute, help protect cells in the body from damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Among other harms, free radicals may cause cancer.
Along with other good news -- that red wine improves cardiovascular health and life expectancy and wards off the common cold; that dark chocolate helps prevent diabetes and lowers blood pressure; that virgin olive oil, is not only good for the heart, but also helps block the development and spread of colon cancer; and that garlic, the staff of life, will cure everything from cardiovascular disease to the plague -- I feel blessed to have spent so many years doing the right thing.
Given what she was told, your mother was doing the best she could when she tried to get you to eat your broccoli, but she might have done better to have poured a little vino on your Cocopops.
And now, it turns out, java is superior in the antioxidant department to such foods as carrots, collard greens, wheat germ and kale that we have been made to feel guilty about not eating. It only remains for someone to document the incontrovertable health benefits of Häagen-Dazs coffee & almond crunch....
Senator Clinton for President -- not
On another trip to the East Coast. There's got to be something in the water. Right coast liberals, apparently without irony, pine for a Hillary Clinton run at the White House.
No candidate put forth by the Democratic Leadership Council ought to be taken seriously by real Democrats, nor, unless we are completely incapable of learning from
experience, will any be. Bill Clinton aside, Democrats can't win as GOP-lite. And though it may be gaining her ground in troglodytic villages upstate, Mrs. Bill's recent, um, flexible embrace of "moderation" doesn't recommend her as the standard bearer of the people's party.
President Clinton -- bless his icy heart, he'd clobber the Republicans again if only he could run -- was the greatest Republican president since Lincoln, but we don't need another.
It is way past time for a Democratic candidate for president who stands for something, in the manner of FDR, HST and LBJ.
Senator Clinton is positioning herself as the next John Kerry; how do you expect that will turn out? The last thing needed is another "progressive" campaigning on the promise that s/he will run the empire better than the other guy.
How about this?: Let's move the 2008 convention up to, say, next week. Let's nominate Hillary and, so we can feel really good about ourselves, let's make the candidate for veep someone, such as the sainted Barack Obama, we might actually wish to have as president.
Then, facing certain defeat anyway with the newly "centrist" Senator Clinton heading the ticket, we can concede immediately, and save ourselves a lot of time, money and heartbreak.
No candidate put forth by the Democratic Leadership Council ought to be taken seriously by real Democrats, nor, unless we are completely incapable of learning from
experience, will any be. Bill Clinton aside, Democrats can't win as GOP-lite. And though it may be gaining her ground in troglodytic villages upstate, Mrs. Bill's recent, um, flexible embrace of "moderation" doesn't recommend her as the standard bearer of the people's party.President Clinton -- bless his icy heart, he'd clobber the Republicans again if only he could run -- was the greatest Republican president since Lincoln, but we don't need another.
It is way past time for a Democratic candidate for president who stands for something, in the manner of FDR, HST and LBJ.
Senator Clinton is positioning herself as the next John Kerry; how do you expect that will turn out? The last thing needed is another "progressive" campaigning on the promise that s/he will run the empire better than the other guy.
How about this?: Let's move the 2008 convention up to, say, next week. Let's nominate Hillary and, so we can feel really good about ourselves, let's make the candidate for veep someone, such as the sainted Barack Obama, we might actually wish to have as president.
Then, facing certain defeat anyway with the newly "centrist" Senator Clinton heading the ticket, we can concede immediately, and save ourselves a lot of time, money and heartbreak.
So you're the little woman who stopped the Iraq war
The Bush-Cheney-Rove conspiracy's reputation for political genius is undeserved. They may have successfully seized power in the United States, but with the Democrats apparently comfortable in the role of the 98-pound weakling, the GOP's dominance is that of the schoolyard bully.
Imagine if Lyndon Johnson or Bill Clinton was president when Cindy Sheehan came knocking. Either would have come down to the driveway, embraced Sheehan, listened to her, cried with her, felt her pain. It matters not, politically, whether the presidential gesture was heartfelt or calculated: it would have instantly neutralized Sheehan as a focal point for opposition to the war.
But, as Frank Rich points out in the Times (The Swift Boating of Cindy Sheehan, New York Times, August 21, 2005), the only political weapons at the disposal of this administration are blunt and ugly. "The most prominent smear victims," Rich writes,
That pattern continued when Sheehan blundered into the vacuum created by the lack of political leadership opposing the president. When it became clear that opposition to the war finally had a focus, Faux News instantly filled with tales about Sheehan's divorce, her angry Republican in-laws, her supposed political flip-flops, her incendiary sloganeering, her association with card-carrying opposers of the brave and noble president. "But this time," Rich concludes, "the Swift Boating failed, utterly, and that failure is yet another revealing historical marker in this summer's collapse of political support for the Iraq war."
Because, make no mistake, by setting up camp in Crawford, Sheehan has changed the political landscape. As Paul Harris reported in the Observer (Mother Tips the Balance against Bush, The Observer UK August 21, 2005 ), Cindy Sheehan's vigil outside Bush's vacation spot has galvanized the anti-war movement. The president's little war hasn't been going splendidly for some time, but, though widespread, opposition has been diffuse. It appears that the sight of Cindy Sheehan's beat-up red, white and blue bus, with "Impeachment Tour" scrawled on its side, has provided the tipping point to turn isolated unease and discontent into a national movement (see, Cindy, Don, and George: On Being in a Ditch at the Side of the Road by Tom Engelhardt).
As Harris concludes, Sheehan's lone voice has kick-started a chorus. Whether Bush agrees to her demand for a meeting, the political legacy left by her summer of protest will last far longer than the ramshackle tents of Camp Casey lining the roads outside Bush's ranch. If the media spotlight turns away tomorrow, as it likely will, Sheehan has given many others confidence that they didn't have before to speak out against the war. Finally, its OK in America to be anti-war, and that turnaround will help to put steel in the spines of politicians who have been fearful of getting out in front of the public in fighting the party of war.
The 1647 vigils last week in support of Cindy Sheehan demonstrated the antiwar movement's growing numbers, but with the attack on Sheehan and her supporters becoming increasingly vitriolic, it is important that the movement demonstrate the same degree of dedication and fearlessness as Sheenhan herself. Locally, Santa Monica's Peace Table is not waiting for MoveOn.Org and True Majority to call another action. They'll hold a Vigil for Cindy Sheehan & 4000+ Dead on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the entrance to the Santa Monica Pier where thousands of people will be passing on their way to the summer concerts series. You can join them by showing up or send an email to PeaceTable@earthlink.net for more information.
Imagine if Lyndon Johnson or Bill Clinton was president when Cindy Sheehan came knocking. Either would have come down to the driveway, embraced Sheehan, listened to her, cried with her, felt her pain. It matters not, politically, whether the presidential gesture was heartfelt or calculated: it would have instantly neutralized Sheehan as a focal point for opposition to the war.
But, as Frank Rich points out in the Times (The Swift Boating of Cindy Sheehan, New York Times, August 21, 2005), the only political weapons at the disposal of this administration are blunt and ugly. "The most prominent smear victims," Rich writes,
have been Bush political opponents with heroic Vietnam resumes: John McCain, Max Cleland, John Kerry. But the list of past targets stretches from the former counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke to Specialist Thomas Wilson, the grunt who publicly challenged Donald Rumsfeld about inadequately armored vehicles last December. The assault on the whistle-blower Joseph Wilson - the diplomat described by the first President Bush as "courageous" and "a true American hero" for confronting Saddam to save American hostages in 1991 - was so toxic it may yet send its perpetrators to jail.
That pattern continued when Sheehan blundered into the vacuum created by the lack of political leadership opposing the president. When it became clear that opposition to the war finally had a focus, Faux News instantly filled with tales about Sheehan's divorce, her angry Republican in-laws, her supposed political flip-flops, her incendiary sloganeering, her association with card-carrying opposers of the brave and noble president. "But this time," Rich concludes, "the Swift Boating failed, utterly, and that failure is yet another revealing historical marker in this summer's collapse of political support for the Iraq war."
Because, make no mistake, by setting up camp in Crawford, Sheehan has changed the political landscape. As Paul Harris reported in the Observer (Mother Tips the Balance against Bush, The Observer UK August 21, 2005 ), Cindy Sheehan's vigil outside Bush's vacation spot has galvanized the anti-war movement. The president's little war hasn't been going splendidly for some time, but, though widespread, opposition has been diffuse. It appears that the sight of Cindy Sheehan's beat-up red, white and blue bus, with "Impeachment Tour" scrawled on its side, has provided the tipping point to turn isolated unease and discontent into a national movement (see, Cindy, Don, and George: On Being in a Ditch at the Side of the Road by Tom Engelhardt).
As Harris concludes, Sheehan's lone voice has kick-started a chorus. Whether Bush agrees to her demand for a meeting, the political legacy left by her summer of protest will last far longer than the ramshackle tents of Camp Casey lining the roads outside Bush's ranch. If the media spotlight turns away tomorrow, as it likely will, Sheehan has given many others confidence that they didn't have before to speak out against the war. Finally, its OK in America to be anti-war, and that turnaround will help to put steel in the spines of politicians who have been fearful of getting out in front of the public in fighting the party of war.
The 1647 vigils last week in support of Cindy Sheehan demonstrated the antiwar movement's growing numbers, but with the attack on Sheehan and her supporters becoming increasingly vitriolic, it is important that the movement demonstrate the same degree of dedication and fearlessness as Sheenhan herself. Locally, Santa Monica's Peace Table is not waiting for MoveOn.Org and True Majority to call another action. They'll hold a Vigil for Cindy Sheehan & 4000+ Dead on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the entrance to the Santa Monica Pier where thousands of people will be passing on their way to the summer concerts series. You can join them by showing up or send an email to PeaceTable@earthlink.net for more information.
Broadband Reality Check:Americans woefully behind in internet access
A new report by Free Press, the Consumer Federation of America and Consumers Union shows that affordable, high-speed internet access in the U.S. lags far behind what's available in the rest of the digital world, this in contrast to the rosy picture painted recently by an FCC communique.
"Despite claims to the contrary, the digital divide in America remains large and will continue to grow unless some real changes are made," said Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press. "By overstating broadband availability and portraying anti-competitive policies as good for consumers, the FCC is trying to erect a façade of success. But if the president's goal of universal, affordable high-speed internet access by 2007 is to be achieved, policymakers in Washington must change course."
In July, a report by the FCC hailed recent progress in improving broadband access here. Upon closer scrutiny, however, according to an independent study by Free Press research fellow S. Derek Turner, the claims made by the feds - repeated in a subsequent WSJ op-ed bloviation by FCC chairman Kevin Martin - are, to be kind, wildly optimistic.
Broadband Reality Check, the new study from the consumers' groups calls into question the FCC's findings. Among its conclusions:
"The FCC is trying to put the best face on this problem it can, but the people who can't afford or don't have access to high-speed internet know the truth," said Mark Cooper, research director of the Consumer Federation of America. "Affordable high-speed internet means stronger economic growth, more educational opportunities and exposure to diverse points of view. If the FCC continues to ignore reality, the gap between the haves and have-nots will become too wide to bridge."
The three groups call on Congress to enact clear policies that will free the broadband market from domination by a handful of large cable and telecommunications companies. Their recommendations include ensuring open access to all high-speed communications networks, removing restrictions on public entities that seek to offer broadband services to consumers, and opening up more of the broadcast spectrum for wireless internet applications.
"Fudging the facts won't provide high-speed internet access to those who need it most," said Jeannine Kenney, senior policy analyst for Consumers Union. "If the FCC is content to let cable and phone companies control the broadband market, then consumers need a third option - wireless broadband that is less expensive and which doesn't depend on DSL or cable modems. It offers the best and perhaps now the only way to close the digital divide."
Waiting on a Congress bought and paid for by telecommunications giants or on the city council in Santa Monica, crippled as it is by bureaucratic ossification, is pointless. Santa Monicans needs to move now to create a city-wide cooperative to provide free access to everyone.
To read Broadband Reality Check in full, please go here: <http://www.freepress.net/docs/broadband_report.pdf>
See previous IPSM posts on this topic:
Needed: Universal Wi-Fi Access
Municipal broadband is coming...but is it coming here?
Falling Behind
Did we come in lower than Old Sturbridge Village?
Some Free Wi-Fi Spots in Santa Monica
Free Press: <http://www.freepress.net/>
Consumer Federation of America: <http://www.consumerfed.org/>
Consumers Union: <http://www.consumersunion.org/>
"Despite claims to the contrary, the digital divide in America remains large and will continue to grow unless some real changes are made," said Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press. "By overstating broadband availability and portraying anti-competitive policies as good for consumers, the FCC is trying to erect a façade of success. But if the president's goal of universal, affordable high-speed internet access by 2007 is to be achieved, policymakers in Washington must change course."
In July, a report by the FCC hailed recent progress in improving broadband access here. Upon closer scrutiny, however, according to an independent study by Free Press research fellow S. Derek Turner, the claims made by the feds - repeated in a subsequent WSJ op-ed bloviation by FCC chairman Kevin Martin - are, to be kind, wildly optimistic.
Broadband Reality Check, the new study from the consumers' groups calls into question the FCC's findings. Among its conclusions:
# The FCC overstates broadband penetration rates. The FCC report considers a ZIP code covered by broadband service if just one person subscribes. No consideration is given to price, speed or availability of that connection throughout the area.
# The FCC misrepresents exactly how many connections are "high-speed." The FCC defines "high-speed" as 200 kilobits per second, barely enough to receive low-quality streaming video and far below what other countries consider to be a high-speed connection.
# The United States remains 16th in the world in broadband penetration per capita. The United States also ranks 16th in terms of broadband growth rates, suggesting our world ranking won't improve any time soon. On a per megabit basis, U.S. consumers pay 10 to 25 times more than broadband users in Japan.
# Despite FCC claims, digital divide persists and is growing wider. Broadband adoption is largely dependent on socio-economic status. In addition, broadband penetration in urban and suburban in areas is double that of rural areas.
# Reports of a broadband "price war" are misleading. Analysis of "low-priced" introductory offers by companies like SBC and Comcast reveal them to be little more than bait-and-switch gimmicks.
# The FCC ignores the lack of competition in the broadband market. Cable and DSL providers control almost 98 percent of the residential and small-business broadband market. Yet the FCC recently eliminated "open access" requirements for DSL companies to lease their lines, rules that fostered the only true competition in the broadband market.
"The FCC is trying to put the best face on this problem it can, but the people who can't afford or don't have access to high-speed internet know the truth," said Mark Cooper, research director of the Consumer Federation of America. "Affordable high-speed internet means stronger economic growth, more educational opportunities and exposure to diverse points of view. If the FCC continues to ignore reality, the gap between the haves and have-nots will become too wide to bridge."
The three groups call on Congress to enact clear policies that will free the broadband market from domination by a handful of large cable and telecommunications companies. Their recommendations include ensuring open access to all high-speed communications networks, removing restrictions on public entities that seek to offer broadband services to consumers, and opening up more of the broadcast spectrum for wireless internet applications.
"Fudging the facts won't provide high-speed internet access to those who need it most," said Jeannine Kenney, senior policy analyst for Consumers Union. "If the FCC is content to let cable and phone companies control the broadband market, then consumers need a third option - wireless broadband that is less expensive and which doesn't depend on DSL or cable modems. It offers the best and perhaps now the only way to close the digital divide."
Waiting on a Congress bought and paid for by telecommunications giants or on the city council in Santa Monica, crippled as it is by bureaucratic ossification, is pointless. Santa Monicans needs to move now to create a city-wide cooperative to provide free access to everyone.
To read Broadband Reality Check in full, please go here: <http://www.freepress.net/docs/broadband_report.pdf>
See previous IPSM posts on this topic:
Needed: Universal Wi-Fi Access
Municipal broadband is coming...but is it coming here?
Falling Behind
Did we come in lower than Old Sturbridge Village?
Some Free Wi-Fi Spots in Santa Monica
Free Press: <http://www.freepress.net/>
Consumer Federation of America: <http://www.consumerfed.org/>
Consumers Union: <http://www.consumersunion.org/>
Benefit: 10th Ellen's Run includes concert with Foreigner
Tomorrow is the tenth annual iteration of Ellen's Run!, this year including a concert on Tuesday evening, as well as a mini auction and barbecue tonight.
The 10K run -- well, run, walk, hop, skip, jump...however you choose to do it -- takes place Sunday, August 21 at 9 a.m. -- rain or shine -- from East Hampton High School.
Tonight's mini auction and barbecue, at a home in town right off the main drag, is from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. If you want to join in, call 631-907-1952 for more information and directions.
Proceeds from Ellen’s Run have benefitted important programs such as a new mammography center for the South Fork, a screening program for women on the Shinnecock Reservation, a unique support program for women undergoing chemotherapy at the Post-Treatment Resource Program of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and Ellen’s Well providing psychosocial support under the leadership of a specially trained certified social worker for breast cancer survivors on Long Island’s East End.
Foreigner, Garland Jeffreys and Suzanne Vega headline (who knows who'll show up to sit in) the "I Want to Know What Love Is" benefit concert for Ellen's Run, East
Hampton Day Care and Project Most on Tuesday (Aug 23) on the East Hampton High Athletic Field, 2 Long Lane. The gates open at 4:30 and the concert runs for four hours starting at 6:30 p.m. General admission is $50, reserved V.I.P. seating is $300, and $500 gets you a "Velvet Rop"e V.I.P. ticket that includes a party after the show. For more information call the benefit hotline, 631-725-7862, or visit http://www.hamptonsconcert.com/.
The 10K run -- well, run, walk, hop, skip, jump...however you choose to do it -- takes place Sunday, August 21 at 9 a.m. -- rain or shine -- from East Hampton High School.
Tonight's mini auction and barbecue, at a home in town right off the main drag, is from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. If you want to join in, call 631-907-1952 for more information and directions.
Proceeds from Ellen’s Run have benefitted important programs such as a new mammography center for the South Fork, a screening program for women on the Shinnecock Reservation, a unique support program for women undergoing chemotherapy at the Post-Treatment Resource Program of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and Ellen’s Well providing psychosocial support under the leadership of a specially trained certified social worker for breast cancer survivors on Long Island’s East End.
Foreigner, Garland Jeffreys and Suzanne Vega headline (who knows who'll show up to sit in) the "I Want to Know What Love Is" benefit concert for Ellen's Run, East
Hampton Day Care and Project Most on Tuesday (Aug 23) on the East Hampton High Athletic Field, 2 Long Lane. The gates open at 4:30 and the concert runs for four hours starting at 6:30 p.m. General admission is $50, reserved V.I.P. seating is $300, and $500 gets you a "Velvet Rop"e V.I.P. ticket that includes a party after the show. For more information call the benefit hotline, 631-725-7862, or visit http://www.hamptonsconcert.com/.
Community Input: Santa Monica General Plan
On Tuesday, August 16th at 6:30 p.m. at Ken Edwards Center, 1527 4th Street, the City's Planning and Community Development Department will host one of its pro forma community meetings to shape the discussion of its Opportunities and Challenges report, the second part of its Shape the Future 2025/Motion by the Ocean marketing campaign to build support for the city staff's version of new Land Use and Circulation Elements for the City of Santa Monica’s General Plan. While the staff makes an effort to keep a tight rein on these sessions and generally ignores the public's input in their aftermath, still they remain one of the few opportunities to have your say before the city rushes through adoption of the plan that will control the development of Santa Monica for the next two decades.
The report is available online <http://www.shapethefuture2025.net/pdf/oc_report_web.pdf>, at all branches of the Santa Monica Library and at the city planning department's public counter in city hall. Public hearings are currently scheduled for September 7 at the planning commission and at the September 27 city council meeting, with staff reports available prior to each meeting.
The report is available online <http://www.shapethefuture2025.net/pdf/oc_report_web.pdf>, at all branches of the Santa Monica Library and at the city planning department's public counter in city hall. Public hearings are currently scheduled for September 7 at the planning commission and at the September 27 city council meeting, with staff reports available prior to each meeting.
Nightlife: John Pisano/Thom Rotella
featuring
Thom Rotella
Tuesday, August 16 (8:00pm-12:00)
Spazio
4755 Ventura Blvd-Sherman Oaks (east of the 405 freeway)
818-728-8400(NO COVER CHARGE)
John Pisano and Thom Rotella-guitars
John Belzaguy-bass
Kendall Kay-drums
Some Free Wi-Fi Spots in Santa Monica
Panera - Wilshire and Fifth
CremaLita - 332B Santa Monica Blvd
Diedrich Coffee - 732 Montana Avenue
Temporary Main Library - 1324 5th Street - 310-458-8600
Infuzion Cafe - 1149 3rd St. #100 - 310.721.1754
Velocity Cafe - 2127 Lincoln Blvd - 310.314.3368
Apple Store - 3rd St. Promenade
Bolivar - cafe & gallery - 1741 Ocean Park Blvd - 310 581-2344
The Office - 256 26th St., Suite 101
18th St. Coffee House - 1725 Broadway - (310) 264-0662
Earth, Wind and Flour - 2222 Wilshire Blvd - (310) 829-7829
Hotel Carmel - lobby area and some rooms - 201 Broadway - (800)-445-8695
Travelodge - guest rooms - 3102 Pico Blvd - 310-450-5766
Radisson Hotel - rooms and public areas - Santa Monica Airport
CremaLita - 332B Santa Monica Blvd
Diedrich Coffee - 732 Montana Avenue
Temporary Main Library - 1324 5th Street - 310-458-8600
Infuzion Cafe - 1149 3rd St. #100 - 310.721.1754
Velocity Cafe - 2127 Lincoln Blvd - 310.314.3368
Apple Store - 3rd St. Promenade
Bolivar - cafe & gallery - 1741 Ocean Park Blvd - 310 581-2344
The Office - 256 26th St., Suite 101
18th St. Coffee House - 1725 Broadway - (310) 264-0662
Earth, Wind and Flour - 2222 Wilshire Blvd - (310) 829-7829
Hotel Carmel - lobby area and some rooms - 201 Broadway - (800)-445-8695
Travelodge - guest rooms - 3102 Pico Blvd - 310-450-5766
Radisson Hotel - rooms and public areas - Santa Monica Airport
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