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Defense Documents
[The Van Pelt Report]: Electronic Edition, by Robert Jan van PeltTable of Contents
|< Preface
|Part One >
(In color): We are moving at a walking pace across a verdant landscape; a blue sky filled with fluffy clouds.
[Narrator:] "A peaceful landscape ..."
Barbed wire nailed to high wooden posts. Then moving along another field; a cottage on the horizon; birds take wing.
"An ordinary field with flights of crows, harvests, grass fires."
Moving along another fence, the wires severed and limp.
"An ordinary road where cars and peasants and lovers pass."
Moving past abundant grass in bright sunlight. Two walls of wire appear, weeds growing high between them, a watchtower in the distance.
"An ordinary village for vacationers--with a marketplace and a steeple--can lead all too easily to a concentration camp."
A camp today, surrounded by wires and posts cutting across the field.
"Struthof, Oranienburg, Auschwitz, Neuengamme, Belsen, Ravensbruck and Dachau were names like any others on maps and in guidebooks."
Still moving, a closer view of the maze of wires, with weeds growing around the fence posts.
"The blood has dried, the tongues are silent. The blocks are visited only by a camera. Weeds have grown where the prisoners used to walk. No footstep is heard but our own."Alain Resnais and Jean Cayrol, Night and Fog 22
The following pages aim to assist the Court in gaining insight in the complex spectrum of issues embodied in the proper name "Auschwitz," and the nouns "Holocaust," and "Holocaust Denial," and seek to establish the way David Irving has engaged this nexus, concentrating on the decade 1987 to 1997.23 The report attempts to provide material and a consideration of that material that can allow us to answer what I see to be the central issue at stake in the complaint of the plaintiff against the defendants where it concerns my own expertise. This can be summarized in the folowing 10 questions:
- (i) Has it been proven beyond reasonable doubt that Auschwitz was equipped with homicidal gas chambers, and has it been proven beyond reasonable doubt that these gas chambers were systematically used?
- (ii) Has it been proven beyond reasonable doubt that Auschwitz functioned between the summer of 1942 and the fall of 1944 as an extermination camp for Jews?
- (iii) Has it been proven beyond reasonable doubt that most of the Jews who arrived in Auschwitz were murdered shortly after their arrival in the aforesaid gas chambers?
- (iv) Has it been established beyond reasonable doubt how many Jews were killed in the gas chambers upon arrival in Auschwitz, how many Jews were killed or died from the effect of incidental cruelty, general deprivation, exhaustion or disease whilst in the camp, and how many others died in the camp as the result of various causes?
- (v) Did David John Cawdell Irving deny that Auschwitz had homicidal gas chambers and that these gas chambers were systematically used?
- (vi) Did David John Cawdell Irving deny that Auschwitz functioned between the summer of 1942 and the fall of 1944 as an extermination camp for Jews?
- (vii) Did David John Cawdell Irving deny that most of the Jews who arrived in Auschwitz were murdered shortly after their arrival in the aforesaid gas chambers?
- (vii) Did David John Cawdell Irving deny, without having done any serious research in the matter, the results of studies into the number of people who died in Auschwitz done by responsible scholars?
- (ix) Did David John Cawdell Irving ally himself with well-known Holocaust deniers, including individuals such as Dr Robert Faurisson, and Ernst Zündel?
- (x) Was David John Cawdell Irving, by the time Deborah Lipstadt's Denying the Holocaust went to press, a Holocaust denier?
Part One, entitled "Concerning History," seeks to introduce the reader to the most important elements that shape current knowledge of the Auschwitz extermination camp, and discuss the great complexity of the camp's history and the way this occasionally creates confusion for the uninitiated and opportunity for those who seek to deny the Holocaust. In this section of the report, I will discuss why Auschwitz became the symbol of the Holocaust, and the attempts by modern scholarship to come to an assessment of the number of victims.
Part Two, entitled "Concerning Evidence," presents and reviews the blinding evidence of the use of the camp as a site for mass extermination as it became slowly available during the war as the result of reports by escaped inmates, as it was narrated in the eye-witness accounts by former Auschwitz inmates immediately after their liberation in other concentration camps, as it was confirmed in forensic investigations undertaken in 1945 and 1946, and as it was corroborated by confessions of leading German personnel employed at the camp during its years of operation. In this section of the report it will become clear that it is highly implausible that knowledge about Auschwitz was a war-time fabrication by British propagandists, as Irving has claimed. Instead it will be shown how our knowledge about Auschwitz emerged from a convergence of independent accounts, how it emerged cumulatively, in geometrical progression, acquiring an epistemological status located somewhere in the realm framed on the one hand by a judgement that knows a fact "beyond reasonable doubt," and on the other hand by the always receding horizon that promises unqualified certainty. It will be shown that, in the words of John Wilkins, we may assert as "moral certainty" the statement that Auschwitz was an extermination camp where the Germans killed around one million people with the help of gas chambers, and where they incinerated their remains in crematoria ovens.24
Part Three, entitled "Concerning Documents," discusses the few surviving German documents, produced during the war, that confirm the use of Auschwitz as an extermination camp, and allow us to gain an insight into the course of development that changed an "ordinary" concentration camp designed to incarcerate (political)opponents into an extermination camp for a whole ethnic group. Only a few documents survived the general systematic destruction of evidence which took place as the Final Solution unfolded in Auschwitz, and which was completed with the burning of the archives of the Auschwitz Kommandantur in January 1945. Together, the first three parts will amply establish beyond reasonable doubt that Auschwitz was an extermination camp that claimed by means of purposefully designed crematoria equipped with gas chambers the deaths of at least a million people, most of whom were Jews.
Part Four, entitled "Concerning Denial," analyzes why Auschwitz became the focus of Holocaust denial, and reviews the most important aspects of the so-called "Faurisson Affair" which brought Holocaust denial into the public eye. It reviews the false dichotomy that forces everything that cannot be established as absolute truth into the rubbish-bin of manufactured falsehood, and refutes the hermeneutical and pseudo-scientific arguments created by various Holocaust deniers such as Paul Rassinier, Arthur Butz, Thies Christophersen, Wilhelm Stäglich, Fred Leuchter and, most importantly, Robert Faurisson to cast doubt or even reject the use of Auschwitz as an extermination site. Since the late 1980s, David Irving has made eclectic use of the trumpery produced by Rassinier, Faurisson, Butz, Christophersen, Stäglich and Leuchter. In his endorsement and subsequent publication of the Leuchter Report, Irving embraced the form of hard-core Holocaust denial developed, refined and propagated by Faurisson in the preceding years--a position that centered on the thesis that the gas chambers of Auschwitz did not work. Irving's position regarding Auschwitz, in other words, is not one of his own invention. He very much adopted Faurisson's line, and therefore one may legitimally claim that the resulting developments--the publicity Irving generated at the time of the trial when he was quoted as saying that as few as 100,000 Jews may have been killed,25 the account of Irving's participation in the trial given in Lipstadt's Denying the Holocaust and the present legal case--are to be considered aftershocks of the original Faurisson Affair.
Part Five, entitled "Concerning Irving," finally discusses the way David Irving has used his contacts with Holocaust deniers, and arguments derived from their writings, to further his own ends. It will demonstrate how in the early 1990s he became, as a publisher and a public speaker, the most effective evangelist of the negationist gospel wrought by Rassinier, Faurisson and others, and how he changed his tactics, but not his strategy, in the mid 1990s.
The Conclusion will raise these questions again, and provide my answers.
Whilst having been commissioned by the lawyers for the defendants, I have written this report salvo jure towards the plaintiff. I do not believe that questions of history belong in the courtroom, and have opposed in the past the prosecutions of Holocaust deniers like Zündel in Canada, Faurisson in France, and Irving in Germany. If Irving had been the defendant in this case, I would not have consented to give, under instructions of a prosecuting attorney, the questions raised by the nexus of "Auschwitz," "Holocaust," "Holocaust Denial," and "David Irving" much thought.
Yet while I set out without prejudice to the plaintiff or the defendants, I did and continue to have a commitment to those who cannot speak for themselves. With Edith Wyschogrod, I believe that the primary responsibility of the historian is not to the living--may they be right or wrong, good or evil --but to the dead. The historian must be the spokesman for those who have been silenced.I believe that no historian can responsibly touch the world of Auschwitz without, in some way or another, becoming a "heterological historian." I believe, too, that the first question one should ask about any historian's attempt to deal with the history of an extermination camp--or for that matter any other atrocity-- is the way he or she either accepts or rejects the ethical responsibility that comes with all history, but especially with the history of Auschwitz. No historian should ever play games with the past--especially not a past such as that marked by the word "Auschwitz," a past marked by the massive betrayal of human solidarity.
The promise to convey the truth about the past presupposes that the presentation of that which was is always already implicated in a pre-discursive ethics before it is a conveying of facts. But this space prior to historical description is one in which signs disappear, of designing. The historian when bound by a responsibility toward the dead for whom she claims to speak becomes what I call the "heterological historian." She assumes liability for the other, feels the pressure of an Ethics that is prior to her construal of the historical object. Responsibility thus interpreted is Janus-faced: its moral authority is expressed in its disinterestedness, but its psychological force is experienced as a sense of inescapable urgency. The heterological historian is driven, on the one hand, by an impassioned necrophilia which would bring to life the dead others for whom she speaks. On the other hand, as "objective," she consciously or otherwise assumed responsibility for a dispassionate relation to events.26
And so, while I wrote this report as an amicus curiae without prejudice for the defendant and against the plaintiff, I do declare my loyalty with the victims of Auschwitz and against their murderers. And with that, I declare my purpose to ensure that the aim of the men who conceived, constructed and operated the camp will not come to be--an aim sadly shared by most civilized people, because there is a fundamental collusion between the wish of the murderer to deny the crime, and the wish of the bystander not to bear witness. Alexander Donat, who ascribed his survival of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and his subsequent deportation to Maidanek Auschwitz to his sense of having been "charged with the sacred mission of carrying the Ghetto's history through the flames and barbed wire until such time as I could hurl it into the face of the world," recorded in his The Holocaust Kingdom how a fellow inmate in Maidanek, Dr Schipper, anticipated the difficulties the survivors would have in preserving their story. Even if some were to survive, and "write the history of this period of blood and tears--and I firmly believe we will--who will believe us? Nobody will want to believe us, because our disaster is the disaster of the entire civilized world..... We'll have the thankless job of proving to a reluctant world that we are Abel, the murdered brother...."27
The Italian survivor Primo Levi recorded in his The Drowned and the Saved the following admonishment that the SS guard enjoyed to give to the prisoners.
However this war may end, we have won the war against you; none of you will be left to bear witness, but even if someone were to survive, the world will not believe him. There will be perhaps suspicions, discussions, research by historians, but there will be no certainties, because we will destroy the evidence together with you. And even if some proof should remain and some of you survive, people will say the events you describe are too monstrous to be believed: they will say that they are exaggerations of Allied propaganda and will believe us, who will deny everything, and not you. We will be the ones to dictate the history of the Lagers.28
I believe that both Dr Schipper, Alexander Donat, and Primo Levi saw the central historiographical problem facing anyone who approaches the history of Auschwitz--historian, lawyer, survivor, bystander, perpetrator. And they touched on a metaphysical problem which, in the early 1980s, the French philosopher Jean-Francois Lyotard subjected to his rigorous analysis.Therefore Lyotard defined the task of the historian of Auschwitz as one that forced him or her not only to look at positive evidence, but also to venture forth "by lending his or her ear to what is not presentable under the rules of knowledge." This, of course, applied to every fact of history, in which one moves from the evidential to what it implies. Only in the case of Auschwitz, this applies evenmore. And Lyotard concluded that "Auschwitz is the most real of realities in this respect."30
"It's not for nothing that Auschwitz is called the 'extermination camp'." [Auschwitz physician Dr. Kremer in his diary entry of October 3,1942 ] Millions of human beings were exterminated there. Many of the means to prove the crime or its quantity were also exterminated.[....] What could be established by historical inquiry would be the quantity of the crime. But the documents necessary for the validation were themselves destroyed in quantity. That at least can be established.[....] But the silence imposed on knowledge does not impose the silence of forgetting, it imposes a feeling. Suppose that an earthquake destroys not only lives, buildings and objects but also the instruments used to measure earthquakes directly and indirectly. The impossibility of quantitatively measuring it does not prohibit, but rather inspires in the minds of the survivors the idea of a very great seismic force. The scholar claims to know nothing about it, but the common person has a complex feeling, the one aroused by the negative presentation of the indeterminate. Mutatis mutandis, the silence that the crime of Auschwitz imposes upon the historian is a sign for the common person.[....] The silence that surrounds the phrase, Auschwitz was the extermination camp is not a state of mind, it is the sign that something remains to be phrased which is not, something which is not determined. This sign affects a linking of phrases. The indetermination of meanings left in abeyance, the extermination of what would allow them to be determined, the shadow of negation hollowing out reality to the point of making it dissipate, in a word, the wrong done to the victims that condemns them to silence--it is this, and not a state of mind, which calls upon unknown phrases to link onto the name of Auschwitz.--The "revisionist" historians understand as applicable to this name only the cognitive rules for the establishment of historical reality and for the validation of its sense. If justice consisted solely in respecting these rules, and if history gave rise only to historical inquiry, they could not be accused of a denial of justice. In fact, they administer a justice in conformity with the rules and exert a positively instituted right. Having placed, moreover, themselves in the position of plaintiffs, who need not establish anything, they plead for the negative, they reject proofs, and that is certainly their right as the defense. But they are not worried by the scope of the very silence they use as an argument in their plea, by this does one recognize a wrong done to the sign that is this silence and to the phrases it invokes. They will say that history is not made of feelings, and that it is necessary to establish the facts. But, with Auschwitz, something new has happened in history (which can only be a sign and not a fact), which is that the facts, the testimonies which bore the traces of here's and now's the documents which indicated the sense or the senses of the facts, and the names, finally the possibility of various kinds of phrases whose conjunction makes reality, all this has been destroyed as much as possible.29
Given this context, the question of whether Holocaust Denial serves some current purpose seems to me irrelevant compared to the question if it serves the historic interest of the men who conceived of Auschwitz and who operated with the aim of destroying not only countless human beings, but also the evidence of their own acts--men like Himmler, Heydrich, and Höss.
22. Jean Cayrol, "Night and Fog," in Robert Hughes ed., Film: Book 2--Films of Peace and War (New York: Grove Press, 1962), 234f.
23. I do not have any hope nor ambition to convince the negationists. At worst they are of a bad faith and use the issue to support various political and/or ideological agendas that will not allow them to concede their interpretation of Auschwitz even if they were convinced otherwise. At best they are of what I would like to think of as good faith, but of such a mental disposition that they truly believe that the "Auschwitz Legend" was, in the analysis of Arthur R. Butz, a war-time conspiracy created by a allied military intelligence. These latter people who sincerely believe, in the words of one of the founding the Royal Society John Wilkins, that "the rest of Mankind might have combined together to impose upon them by these relations," will not be able to be convinced by anything. Yet, in turn, I hope that those who maintain an unwarranted skepticism will not be able to convince those who are prepared to consider, with common reason and without prejudice, the evidence. And perhaps they will agree with Wilkins that "those who will pretend such kind of grounds for their disbelief of any thing, will never be able to perswade others, that the true cause why they do not give their Assent is because they have no reason for it, but because they have no mind to it." John Wilkins, Of the Principles and Duties of Natural Religion (London: A. Maxwell, 1675), 26.
24. Wilkins's typology of the various levels of certainty provides a useful compass when one undertakes a journey through a landscape of awful historical facts and offensive lies. For Wilkins neither Physical Certainty, based on the direct experience of the senses, nor Mathematical Certainty, obtained through proof, were epistemologically problematical. But in the realm of Moral Certainty the question of evidence became central. "I call that Moral Certainty, which hath for its object such beings as are less simple, and do more depend upon mixed circumstances. Which though they are not capable of the same kind of Evidence with the former, so as to necessitate every man's assent, though his judgement be never so much prejudiced against them; yet may be so plain, that every man whose judgement is free form prejudice will consent unto them. And though there be no natural necessity, that such things must be so, and that they cannot be possibly otherwise, without implying a Contradiction; yet may they be so certain as not to admit of any reasonable doubt concerning them." Wilkins, Of the Principles and Duties of Natural Religion, 7f
25. Paul Lungen, "The Zündel Trial: Witness disputes view 6 million Jews killed," The Canadian Jewish News (April 28, 1988), 6.
26. Edith Wyschogrod, An Ethics of Remembering (Chicago and London: The Chicago University Press, 1998), 3.
27. Alexander Donat, The Holocaust Kingdom (New York: Holocaust Library, 1978), 183, 211.
28. Primo Levi, The Drowned and the Saved transl. Raymond Rosenthal (New York: Summit Books, 1988), 11f.
29. Jean-Francois Lyotard, The Differend: Phrases in Dispute, transl. Georges Van Den Abbeele (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1988), 56f.
30. Ibid., 58.
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text: If you haven't heard of Digsby yet, you have probably been living in some kind of a virtual cave or have no friends. Digsby is a multi-network instant messenger application, similar to Trillian, Pidgin (GAIM), or Miranda. I said 'similar', so what makes Digsy special? Reviews I read so far don't give the real reasons and don't dive into the features in depth. Instead, you get a standard load of marketing BS and in the end to you, the user, Digsby may end up being "yet another IM program." Some reviews describe certain features, …[Read more...]

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TRUCKEE, Calif. — It was lunchtime Monday the Church of the Mountains preschool and the smell of peanut butter and jelly permeated the air. The preschool's director, Eileen Lyon, was sitting at one of two round tables."Who here is 5? Raise your hand," said Lyon. Five children raised a hand."Who here is 4? Raise your hand," Lyon said. Four children raised a hand.Five 5-year-olds and four 4-year olds — the children giggled at the thought.Lyon also found the class size funny, but not for the same reason."We don't have a enough kids," she said. "The school has room for 60. Last year we had 35. This year we had 20. Next year — four." She laughed at the thought, and then added: "We're not closing by choice."
The preschool, which has operated out of a room below the chapel of the United Methodist Church on Church Street in Truckee for the past 28 years, is more like Hollywood's rendition of Munchkinland in the Wizard of Oz than a cinder block basement.Colorful and filled with songs, this room is the place many of Truckee's youngest residents have taken their first fledgling steps on the long, fantastical road of lifelong learning.But the school is at a crux it cannot overcome. Changing economic conditions, as well as Tahoe Truckee Unified School District's rollout of a transitional kindergarten program aimed at serving incoming 4-year-olds, have caused enrollment numbers at Church of the Mountains preschool to drop to unsustainable levels, Lyon said. Last week, the preschool announced it will close at the end of this school year.It's a life change for Lyon."I've never woke up and thought, 'Damn, I need to go to work today.' I love my job," she said. "But for a month I've been going through and separating out all my personal stuff. It's no longer a toy for the school; it's a toy for my daughter."Lyon's own mother, Dianne Fix, who Lyon refers to still today as Mrs. Fix, founded Church of the Mountains in 1985 with a seed grant of $1,200 from the Derbyshire Family. The grant paid for licensing fees and a few toys, including a wooden climber that is still with the school. From there the school grew into its own, creating a curriculum defined by an appreciation for world cultures and a love for literacy."The walls in her garage are entirely filled with book bags from floor to ceiling," wrote former teacher and parent Kristi Morgan in an email. "The bags are sorted by culture, season, psychological development, holidays, not to mention by special authors such as Dr. Seuss."Each topic has its own bookbag — both Lyon and Morgan talked about the handmade bookbags — with stories about frogs in a frog-themed bag and books about trees in a tree-themed bag."Mrs. Fix inspired my first collection — Christmas books. I must have over 25 children's Christmas books now," said Morgan. "I put them away with the ornaments and pull them out each year."Morgan estimates Mrs. Fix and Lyon put thousands of books in the hands of area children by giving books as gifts not only for celebratory times such as holidays, birthdays and the start of school, but also for life events including births, deaths, divorce, sickness and loss of pets, to name a few.
Parents Jon and Julie Halvorsen (John is a teacher with the TTUSD and an active member of the local teachers union) sent four of their five children to the preschool. Julie said she is disappointed her youngest child, currently 3 months old, will not have the opportunity to attend the preschool."Church of the Mountains knew how to foster a love of learning," said Julie, "and for that Jon and I are just incredibly grateful."Church of the Mountains preschoolers didn't learn to read at the school, Julie said, but they were encouraged to handle books, to recognize them and to turn the pages."It gives them the building blocks that you don't realize are important until you look and see what has been built," she said. Julie credits the preschool with her children's love of school in general."Is it Monday?" she remembers them excitedly asking her.Morgan said her memories are of a preschool focused on allowing children to explore through friendship, song, play and art."Open-ended art was a strong point and philosophy at Church of the Mountains. I never saw worksheets, flash cards or heard that kids did their art the 'wrong way,'" she said."My dad used to complain about glitter in the coffee cups," said Lyon, who was wearing a pair of ruby-red, glitter Converse shoes. "Now my husband does. My husband is a teacher."She let out another hearty laugh as she finished her story."My dad was a CHP officer; for him it was a little more awkward."


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Google to Follow Apple into Health Tracking: Report
Google is joining the race to track your health.
The search giant plans to launch a new health service called Google Fit, according to a report from Forbes, that would aggregate data from fitness trackers and other health related apps.
The product is expected to be announced at Google's developer conference at the end of the month, according to Forbes. A Google spokeswoman declined to comment.
If true, Google would be entering the space on the heels of Apple, which launched its own health initiative at its developer conference last week. Apple's effort includes an app called "Health" as well as a tool for developers called "HealthKit" that will allow them to access an iPhone user's health information, with the user's permission. Developers will also be able to send data their apps capture back into Apple's Health app.
Wearable devices are expected to be a big theme at the Google conference, as the company earlier this year announced a new operating system for wearable devices, Android Wear. LG Electronics and Google's Motorola unit said in March they would begin selling smartwatches running Android Wear in the coming months.
Tracking activity information, like steps and heart rate, are expected to be key features or wearable devices.
This is not Google's first attempt at tracking health information. In 2008 it launched a personal-health records service called Google Health, which was shuttered in 2011 due in part to "limited usage," the company said at the time. A person familiar with that project said that among the many problems it experienced was difficulty capturing data and the lack of compelling reasons to keep it updated.


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Traffic crashes are the number one cause of death among children and young adults.
Numbers from the National Safety Council show more than 3800 young drivers are killed every year in traffic crashes.
In a special assignment, News 12's Stephanie Baker investigates why the numbers are so high, and what Columbia County is doing to try and lower them.
The radio, cell phones, eating on the go, and even putting on make-up.
Drivers of any age can be distracted, and experts say it's especially true for teens.
So Juvenile Court in Columbia County is using real life examples to show teens the deadly consequences.
A warning: some of what you're about to read may be disturbing.
911 Emergency, July 2003:
Driver: "Oh my God!!"
Operator: "911 emergency"
Witness: "It's caught on fire, it's caught on fire!! Oh! It caught fire!!
Three teenagers, one deadly accident. And a memory that lingers on William Few Parkway.
911 Emergency, July 2003:The July 2003 crash killed Keith Kroggman and Brad Thornton after driver Jennifer McElmurry lost control of her car. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers, so Juvenile Court probation officer Kari Poss doesn't hesitate to take learner's permits and licenses away. About fifty sit in her drawer right now.
Witness: "There's two unconscious people in the car.
Operator: "How old are they?
Witness: Are they children?"
Driver: "16...and I think 17."
Witness: "16 and 17-year-old children in the car, burning, s&*t, they're burning, oh my God."
"Their car is a weapon, driving is a privilege, not a right, and we can take it away at any time," Poss says.
The fear of losing the privilege alone doesn't seem to be working...but seeing the worst that can happen might.
Almost a quarter of Georgia's traffic deaths are teenagers like these Columbia County children. Soon, kids who wind up in traffic court will hear the stories of their peers who didn't make it...and from others like Donny Thigpen who survived, but will never be the same.
"It takes a few seconds to lose something, but a whole lot to get it back," Thigpen says. A drunk driving crash ten years ago left him a paraplegic.
But will coming face to face with the evidence work? Family psychologist Dr. Joe Holt says maybe.
"They're not going to think about that any more than we did at that age."
He says the brain isn't fully developed until around age 22. And during adolescent years, new hormones can make it harder for kids to connect consequences to their actions.
"Their inexperience tells them...we're fine, nothing will happen," Dr. Holt says.
Don Brock has spent three decades teaching teens to drive, and he agrees with Dr. Holt.
"They don't have a lot of experience, and they make a lot of bad decisions," says Brock.
His student, 16-year-old John Schurtleff, just started driving. He's in a high-risk category...sixteen-year-olds are more likely than any age to die in a crash. The risk increases when friends are in the car. "It makes you more cautious 'cause you just don't want it to happen to you," Schurtleff says.
After hearing about the William Few tragedy, Schurtleff says he plans to slow down and pay closer attention to the road.
According to the accident report, the 16-year-old driver was going too fast, and lost control around the curve in the road.
The vehicle hit a pine tree.
911 Emergency, July 2003:Officers say McElmurray just got her license several days before the crash.
Witness: "Who is in the car?"
Driver: "Brad and Keith."
Operator: "Okay, there's two people in the vehicle then."
Witness: "There's two young children trapped in the car that's burning. There's nothing we can do, there's nothing we can do!! We need a fire department. Come on up with me before that car blows up."
"Their lives were taken for no reason at all," says Poss.
That's why Poss won't show any leniency to teenagers who break the law.
"It's not worth it, 'cause you'll lose more than you're ever going to gain," she says.
That's something Donny Thigpen knows well. He is alive to tell his story...and to warn others of what may happen.
911 Emergency, July 2003:Jennifer McElmrray was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide. That case is now closed. Kari Poss says the best thing parents can do is pay attention to where their kids are going. Her first seminar for youth offenders was this past Saturday.
Witness: "These children are getting burned and there's nothing we can do."
Driver: "Oh my God!" (screams)
Witness: "I wish we could have gotten them out in time, sweetie."
Driver: "We couldn't have..it was already...fire...(more screaming)
Operator: "Mam, can the men not get out of the car?"
Witness: "They're burned up, they're dead. They're dead!!! They're in the car burned up."
Officers say the driver broke the law by driving with two other teenagers.
There are some serious restrictions for teen drivers already in both Georgia and South Carolina. There are curfews for drivers under 18, and both have restrictions on who can be in the car.
For a complete breakdown of the teen driver laws, visit the following links:
South Carolina laws: http://www.scdmvonline.com/DLinitial.aspx
Georgia laws: http://www.dds.ga.gov/teens/index.aspx


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The economy has finally regained all the jobs it lost in the recession. Check out the cities with the lowest jobless rates.
Cities with the lowest jobless ratesUPDATED 10:30 AM CDT Jun 06, 2014
CommentsThe views expressed are not those of this site, this station or its affiliated companies. By posting your comments you agree to accept our terms of use.blog comments powered by Disqus


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the thing for dunking in a mug of tea, or grinding with butter to make
into a crust for pumpkin cheesecake squares, say. These just aren't them.
If you lack a kitchen scale, you might consider putting one on your wish list this holiday season.
I recommend weighing the ingredients for these (and all) cookies as slight variations in amounts can cause the cookies to spread too little or not enough. (Besides, measuring molasses into a cup and then trying to get it back out again is no fun.) I used a dark, unsulphured molasses here, but I'm guessing that blackstrap or light molasses will work, too, though blackstrap will have a more assertive molasses flavor, whereas the light stuff will yield a more mild, kid-friendly cookie. Sweet rice flour is stickier than regular, and recommended here; if you only have regular rice flour, try increasing the xanthan gum to 1/2 teaspoon.


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Report: Facebook Moves Deeper Into Mobile Payments
Facebook goal is to connect the world. Now, it seems the company wants to connect world's wallets.
According to a report in the Financial Times, Facebook has taken steps to get regulatory approval for a mobile payments system in the United Kingdom.
It's long been rumored that Facebook might start a mobile-payments system. Like PayPal, Facebook could charge a commission for each transaction and collect a portion of payments, giving the company a new revenue stream beyond just advertising.
Facebook declined to comment.
A mobile payment system would also allow Facebook to gather even more personal information about people that it could use for targeted advertising, which is at the core of the company's business. Knowing the spending habits of its customers also could allow Facebook to match purchases with ad campaigns, helping the social network prove the efficacy of its advertising. Right now, Facebook partners with third party data brokers to accomplish that goal.
Facebook already dabbles in this arena, collecting payments from videogame makers who develop apps for Facebook. But as more people move from desktop computing to smartphones, that business has been shrinking.
Facebook has been on a tear recently, pushing to expand its business beyond just social networking and onto new platforms. It acquired mobile-messaging service WhatsApp in January for $19 billion and virtual reality goggle maker Oculus VR for $2 billion last month.


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Latest update : 2012-09-11
How do artists and writers see the world? We take you to the crossroads where culture meets the news and engages with what's happening in our lives today. From Monday to Friday at 12.15 pm Paris time.
2016-08-30 literature
Video: Harlan Coben on suspense, suburbia and success
He's sold over 60 million copies of his twist-in-the-tail crime novels and had his work translated into over 40 languages. Harlan Coben is the New York Times bestselling writer...
2016-08-29 culture
Music show: Video Music Awards, Rock en Seine and Puppa Lek Sen
Queen Bey sweeps the board: Beyonce scores a record amount of prizes at this year's Video Music Awards. The ceremony also crowns Rihanna for her achievements and sees Britney...
2016-08-26 culture
Alexis Michalik: treading the boards in the footsteps of 'Edmond'
He's a regular on the stage in Paris and this Franco-British actor and director scooped France's top theatre prize for his first self-penned play. Alexis Michalik joins us to...
2016-08-24 cinema
Film show: Star Trek Beyond, Toni Erdmann, Staying Vertical
Today on "Encore!", we boldly go where no man's gone before, as the Star Trek saga returns to the big screen. We also talk about German tragicomedy "Toni Erdmann" strikes a...
2016-08-22 culture
Music show: Céline Dion, Frank Ocean and Lindsey Stirling
Today on "Encore!": A lyrical goodbye, Céline Dion pays homage to her late husband René Charles with a personal and poignant new album "Encore un soir". And, RnB star Frank Ocean...


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SANTA CLARA — The 49ers have fallen from the unbeaten ranks, and escorting their 29-3 loss Sunday night in Seattle was a troubling trend: penalties.
Overall, the 49ers are the second-most penalized team in the league: 25 penalties for 206 yards. Only the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers have more (26 penalties, 220 yards).
At Seattle, the 49ers got penalized 12 times for 121 yards, the highest total since coach Jim Harbaugh's 2011 arrival. The record-setting crowd noise couldn't be blamed for all the 49ers' mishaps, as they had two false starts and one delay-of-game call.
No, the 49ers struggled in several areas before losing their cool down the stretch. That effort came in the wake of their 11 penalties for 85 yards in a season-opening win over Green Bay.
Linebacker Patrick Willis demanded after Sunday's game that his teammates — not coaches -- take accountability for this yellow-flag barrage.
"You're going to have some (penalties) for fanatical efforts, but some can be prevented and we need to take ownership of them," Willis said.
Tight end Vernon Davis offered a stark assessment, too.
"If any team continues to stock up the penalties, just penalty after penalty, it can cost you the season if you do it every game," Davis said. "But we're not going to allow that to happen. We're better than that. It was just a game where we just acted instead of thinking."
Here is a penalty-by-penalty description of Sunday's infractions:
1. False start, Anquan Boldin (5 yards): This third-series snafu resulted in a second-and-11 situation and eventual punt.
2. Delay of game, Colin Kepernick (5 yards): One play after Boldin's error, the 49ers failed to get the snap off in time on third-and-11. Surprisingly, this was their only delay-of-game call all night.
3. Pass interference, Carlos Rogers (7 yards): Russell Wilson was 0-of-5 when he started the Seahawks' third series with a short pass to Sidney Rice when Rogers interfered.
4. Holding, Bruce Miller (4 yards): Miller tackled Malcolm Smith to the ground in the end zone to result in a safety and a 2-0 deficit.
5. Holding, Tramaine Brock (0 yards): Called for three special-teams penalties last week, Brock committed a hold on a second-quarter punt return that ended the first half.
6. Face mask, Ahmad Brooks (10 yards): Russell Wilson had conceded an 8-yard sack when Brooks' hand met Wilson's facemask. "I didn't mean it," Brooks said afterward.
7. False start, Mike Iupati (5 yards): Two snaps after getting plowed over, Iupati committed a false start. The 49ers have six false-start penalties through two games.
8. Pass interference, Nnamdi Asomugha (40 yards): Asomugha ran with Golden Tate down the right sideline without looking back for the football before it was too late.
9. Unnecessary roughness, Aldon Smith (14 yards): The 49ers' frustrations became evident by this point, when Smith slapped a Seahawks helmet after a 15-yard completion. Smith, who had two sacks, tackled Wilson for a 3-yard loss on the next play.
10. Unsportsmanlike conduct, Vance McDonald (15 yards): The rookie tight end lost his cool and shoved linebacker K.J. Wright after a fourth-quarter play.
11. Holding, Perrish Cox (10 yards): Trailing by 19 points with 5:13 left, Cox held on a punt return and the 49ers' final series started at their 13-yard line.
12. Unnecessary roughness, Anthony Davis (6 yards): Davis capped off the line's miserable night with a shove that he tried justifying later on Twitter: "The penalty. In physical combat/Oline play it's human nature to fight or flight when your backs against the wall. Never flight. Sue me."
Asked if the 49ers lost their composure, Harbaugh said: "We definitely made things harder on ourselves, yes."


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NEW: For a prettier blog interface, see the Wordpress version!
1. Where to find entries
My mom noticed I hadn't been updating this blog. If you're looking for some news on my life, they're over at http://www.livejournal.com/~sachachua/ . Many of the entries are friends-only, but so far I am fairly liberal with the definition of "friend" and will probably add you if you want. =) Set up an LJ account at http://www.livejournal.com and add me to your Friends list; I routinely check to see if anyone new has added me.
That way, I don't have to clutter up the tech-related aggregators like Pinoy Tech Scene with my sentimental mush. ;)
私は先月新しいコンピュータを買いました。 I bought a new computer last month.
What's this script do? unzip ; touch ; finger ; mount ; gasp ; yes ; umount ; sleep Hint for the answer: not everything is computer-oriented. Sometimes you're in a sleeping bag, camping out. (Contributed by Frans van der Zande.)
I'd love to hear about any questions, comments, suggestions or links that you might have. Your comments will not be posted on this website immediately, but will be e-mailed to me first. You can use this form to get in touch with me, or e-mail me at [email protected] .


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This week (download here) the Geeks are excited to be talking to the one, the only, Mr. Bart Yasso (@bartyasso), Chief Running Officer at Runner's World and author of My Life on the Run! He sheds some light on our upcoming first marathon as well as lists some great info on running your first marathon. What marathon do you sign up for? How do you know you're ready? What's your plan for race day? Get Bart's take on running your first 26.2!
Until next time, leave feedback on iTunes, email questions and comments to feedback [at] GeeksInRunningShoes [dot] com or just 'like us' on facebook! Also follow us on Twitter, Jason (@guttocutwl) and Ray (@adeyemiking).


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STOCKTON - The Stockton Police Department put approximately 1,300 applicants through physical agility testing Wednesday morning at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds.
Those who performed well enough were invited back to take a written test in the afternoon, said Officer Joe Silva, a spokesman for the Stockton Police Department.
Silva said a record number of applicants responded to advertisements on Facebook, Twitter and the Stockton city website. The physical agility testing included an obstacle course that required recruits to jump hurdles, climb a fence and drag a 150-pound dummy.
"There were unprecedented numbers for this test, and that's something very encouraging and positive," Silva said. "What we saw today were a lot of energetic applicants who want to make a difference by working for the Stockton Police Department."
Location, ST | website.com


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PHOENIX -- Last fall, Sonny Gray, just 23 years old and 10 starts into his big league career, was the A's pick in Game 5 of the American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers over 18-game winner Bartolo Colon.
This year, he's the choice as the A's opening day starter over everybody.
The 24-year-old right-hander got the nod from manager Bob Melvin on Sunday morning with the regular season beginning in just a week. He's young, but the A's like his makeup, not to mention his pitches.
"It was a hard call last year," Melvin said, suggesting this year's call was less so once it became clear Jarrod Parker's Tommy John surgery eliminated the favorite for the job. "But he's always shown poise, always been a complete competitor."
Gray said that while he'd read about the opening day possibility, he didn't try to count days to figure out if he was on path to that and "I just found out today," he said.
Melvin said Gray had been used to the pressure being a "Friday night guy," at Vanderbilt, meaning Gray would start the first game of every weekend series for the Commodores.
And Gray, who pitched well but lost Game 5 to the Tigers, liked the analogy.
"It was always the game that would set the tone for the series, like this will," Gray said. "You'd go into Saturday either 1-0 or 0-1, so Friday was a big, big game."
Gray will be followed in the rotation by Scott Kazmir, Jesse Chavez, Dan Straily and Tommy Milone. Even with Parker, Gray was considered a contender for the opening day assignment against Cleveland on March 31.
"He's very quickly become one of those guys," Melvin said of Gray, who was 5-3 with a 2.67 ERA after his promotion to the big leagues last year and then pitched eight shutout innings in Game 2 of the playoffs against Detroit before taking the 3-0 loss in Game 5.
Kazmir was the other candidate to go in the opener.
Chavez and Milone had to be added to the rotation when Parker and A.J. Griffin exited, so "we're comfortable with any of those guys" pitching anywhere in the rotation, the manager said.
By avoiding big league games for the rest of the spring, those three will be eligible to come off the D.L. on April 5 having missed only the first five games of the season.
Cook came into spring training with shoulder discomfort, Rodriguez had Tommy John surgery about a year ago, and Gentry has been battling lower back pain. All three are feeling good now, and the extra time may be enough to have them ready to go.
"They will continue to play in minor league games so that we can backdate them," Melvin said, adding the three were put on the D.L. retroactive to last week.
The team says it was detected early, and he is expected to make a full recovery. DeFrancesco, 50, will undergo treatments for five to six weeks at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
Tom Lawless will serve as Oklahoma City's interim manager until his expected return in May.
DeFrancesco has managed the RedHawks since 2011 and led the team to a Pacific Coast league-leading 82-62 record last season. In 2012 he was the Astros' interim manager for the last 41 games after Brad Mills was fired. In 2008, DeFrancesco was the A's third base coach. He also managed the A's Triple-A team in Sacramento for six seasons.


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Ryan J. Rector, 19, of 33 Clark St., Naples, was charged Oct. 18 with violating the Ontario County social host law, said Ontario County sheriff's deputies.
According to police, the suspect hosted a party where individuals under the age of 21 were consuming alcohol.
He was issued an appearance ticket and will appear at the Town of Naples Court at a later date.
Location, ST | website.com


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Telling your wife you are sorry in the right way has immense power. Here's how to S.H.A.R.E the components of that apology. read more
Page 55 of 124
10 Marriage Trials and How to Survive Them
If you are intentional about your marriage then these tips, along with daily prayer, will help you through the tough times. read more
Temptation Doesn't Take a Summer Vacation
Some churches give their men's groups a break during the summer months. Here's why that's not a good idea. read more
How Sarcasm and Snark Can Destroy a Marriage
Instead of tearing your spouse down, here's how you can use your words in a way that will make you your wife's hero. read more
5 Reasons Why Some Wives Don't Want Sex
If you and your spouse are not having sex regularly, then there obviously are some issues. But men, don't simply point the finger at her like it's her fault. read more
The Surprising Key To Successful Men's Ministry
In an interview with G. Allen Jackson, pastor of World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Phil Cooke explores what it will take to reach the church's men in the 21st century. read more
A Father Carries on Through Tragedy and Pain
While it's difficult to imagine losing one child—much less two—Alpha USA Executive Director Gerard Long and his wife Jeannie know that God is still on the throne. read more
5 Things to Remember When Looking for Employment
In today's economy, searching for a new job can be challenging. Here are some things to remember while going through the process. read more
Courageous Manhood: A Spiritual Breed of Men
There are no limits for men who become champions for Christ. Here's why we should honor such special men on this Father's Day. read more
No Matter How Difficult, Resolve to Honor Your Father
Are you estranged from your earthly father? Do you have a story similar to this one that could serve as a blessing to someone else? read more


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Opinions vary on black bear question
May 3, 2013
PARKERSBURG— Opinions on what local authorities should have done to the black bear that was wandering in the Jackson Avenue area vary from they should have made efforts to use a tranquilizers to the......
stinkbomb, The poor bear will have to smell something besides a twinkie. They don't make those anymore! ;)
0 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
@JoeBob BECAUSE JoeBob, we're discussing "losing jobs" on the NEXT page.
We be talking bout bears here, and though I'm unemployed, I don't want to talk about the idiots who run this country. I wanna talk about bears here on the bear page.
Thank you, thank you very much.
1 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Obviously there ARE bears in the area. Why hasn't anyone a plan for this situation?
Did they discuss what they would do if it happened again? NO
So, next year when some poor bear smells a twinkie, they will do the same thing, and everyone will ask the same DUMB questions.
I hope the bear's mamma gets you.
1 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
@Educated: If the cops would have started issuing citations, chances are that most of the gawkers would have gone home to avoid a citation. The cops didn't even try to control the situation because they were too busy looking at the bear and hoping they would be the one to shoot it.
The city has lost some good cops because of mismanagement and ego trips. They make better money elsewhere. The police department management (including the mayor) doesn't think with their heads. They just like to make bad decisions, and if no one likes it, tough! I won't even go into what I think about Newell.
You're right about one thing: the guys needed common sense, but didn't have it.
3 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
First of all you should make sure you can spell stupid if you are going to call someone stupid. Secondly, the cops are stupid because they don't have the man power to keep hundreds of people back while answering calls? People don't stop fighting and being drunk just because there is a bear in town. They did not have any resources available to deal with a bear, they did the best they could with what they had. Maybe they need to learn from this, but you can't fault the guys working for not having what they need.
1 Agrees | 4 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
I have heard nothing but bad reports about the DNR. Seems they're more in the business of killing then protecting!
5 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
A bear is at the mercy of the elements. The job situation was created by the greed of the 2 legged animals misnomerly called 'humans'!!!There are jobs out there to be filled; however you drug addicted low lives with not even a high school degree will not find them,a fault entirely created by you.
5 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
@JoeBob...job loss is an economy issue that the government doesn't care about. As long as the employer wins in the end, they don't care about the people/person who has lost their job. They see it as 'saving the company money', thereby making themselves look good.
The bear was killed because the cops don't get to play with their guns very often, and the bear presented a good opportunity for the testosterone laden men to show their stuff.
The reason for no crowd control is obvious~~the cops were outnumbered and they didn't know what to do.
I used to think the show "Buckwild" was an embarrassment to West Virginians, but now, I see that some people in the state really are stupid, like the morons who took their flashlights and kids out in the middle of the night to look for a bear!!
God forbid a serious issue arises here where people will depend on crowd control. And, we have our own marathon coming up. Don't say, 'it won't happen here'. You never know who lives among us
6 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
how could ppd control a large crowd? They can only keep 5-6 on a shift because the city can't hire anyone.
3 Agrees | 4 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
The failure of the police to do their job of crowd control led to the death of this beautiful animal. I find it interesting that the person who did nothing to save the animal, which was his job, is now in possession of the pelt! I hope the meat went to a food bank. Like I said before, if the P D can't control that crowd, God forbid we have a bomb or mass shooting, etc. If someone had been hurt or eaten by the bear, they were dumb enough to be out chasing it. Obviously, it didn't have cubs, it was a male. Duh. Do consider~ crowd control in that part of town can be dangerous to a law enforcement officer, and they know it. You figure it out.
8 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
It's sad thyey had to kill the bear because of the idiots with flashlights trying to get a glimpse of him. Had these people mlistened and stayed indoors, they could have given him a tranqualizer without having to worry about him going after someone while the drug took affect. This is just one more instance where peopele were the problem, not the animal.
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It's sad thyey had to kill the bear because of the idiots with flashlights trying to get a glimpse of him. Had these people mlistened and stayed indoors, they could have given him a tranqualizer without having to worry about him going after someone while the drug took affect. This is just one more instance where peopele were the problem, not the animal.
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Sounds like the DNR really adores our State Animal, but only after it's been skinned. Maybe he'll make a suit and wear the bear skin next to his body ... like in that "Lambs" movies. "The DNR has the pelt in one of its freezers." Clarisse ... "It was a beautiful pelt, I hated the thought of it going to waste."
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They couldn't shoot a tranquilizer because so many people were out - yet they shot a gun. Sorry makes no sense to me to not even try.
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You know JBA, the reason we're not hearing about alot of job losses, is because some of them are collecting through our hard earned paying taxes, called welfare! Now for the bear story, seems our police force needs to have some training in crowd control. They were given that training in the 60's,70's, and 80's, by a professional, as well as at the State Accadamy, however, after 9-11, they didn't seem to need that kind of training anymore, or so they thought. Then there are the citizens, out looking for the bear. How STUPID!! Now DNR, where were you? Sounds like a job you could have handled. As for the bear, seems innocent enough, just looking for food in the wrong places. But at least it had a ligitament reason for doing what it was doing, it was hungry!!!
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The people out roaming the streets looking for the bear share a big part in the bear being put down. Dont blame the DNR or the Police. If all those idiots wouldnt have been outside chasing the bear then they wouldve made the decision to just let the bear wander away.
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DNR biologist Jeff McCrady states: 'It was a beautiful pelt,' McCrady said. 'I hated the thought of it going to waste.' I hate the reality of this beautiful animal senselessly killed and mutilated. If this bear was a female with cubs her instinct would have been to send them up a tree to safety, and if just left alone, she would call them down when she no longer felt threatened. Based on some of the uninformed comments in the article, education on the true nature of black bears is seriously needed in this community. We can peacefully co-exist with these magnificent animals. ***********bearsmart****/ It's truly sad that the first "solution" to an incident like this is a lethal one - People destroy what they fear and do not understand.
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maybe the bear was a pet? or part of the circus that was in Charleston and escaped the truck? No win situation for police . If the bear ate little Jimmy everyone would be made about that.
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It's amazing how much coverage and comment this kind of event generates. Regardless of how one feels about the demise of this particular bear, why can't this level of concern and response be forthcoming when we learn of human beings losing their jobs?
"In today's news only 10 people lost jobs in the latest cutbacks at so-and-so company." Few if any questions about why those jobs can be done better in China. Few if any explanations from the comfortably paid 'economic development' officials.
But if someone shoots a bear in the middle of town - WHY WHY WHY?
Give me a break.
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Childcare and family services in Hampshire
The Hampshire Family Information Directory (FID) is for parents, carers and practitioners looking for childcare and family services in Hampshire.
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Retired computer consultant. Not totally happy with our present administration.
Author of historical and science fiction novels.
Author page at http://asmwizard.com/home/my-published-works/
To correct Lincoln somewhat, he should have said, . . . that government of the people, by the politicians, and for the politicians shall not perish from the earth.
Government's view of the economy: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. — Ronald Reagan
In the United States, the majority undertakes to supply a multitude of ready-made opinions for the use of individuals, who are thus relieved from the necessity of forming opinions of their own.
-- Alexis de Toqueville
Your masters live in luxury, with fine homes, cars, and servants. They have the best goods, the best food, and freedom to travel to resorts. You have mediocre food, a bare-bones home, only public transportation, and no travel without the permission of your masters.
You live, with many others, at the mercy of your masters. They can punish you, even unto death, at their whim, so you obey them and pretend respect. You live where they tell you, work at whatever job they assign. In school, if you do well, you may be picked to go on to a higher school, or not. Your only chance to advance is to do well. You can't leave your job, which is whatever your masters say it is.
Your standard of living is the same as everyone else who is not a member of the privileged class. Equality is the rule, but what is divided equally is essentially poverty. You don't own much, in fact, you aren't allowed to own more than a few articles of clothing and toilet products. Your masters own everything. Or, the government does, and they are the government.
Have I described military service? Not totally. In the service, your masters are the officers, and it's true they receive more, but they live by the same rules as you. You and your masters share a common and noble purpose, and they mostly look out for you when they can. For the most part, they don't punish on a whim, and the food isn't bad. You will eventually retire or be discharged.
Have I described the institution of slavery? Could you be a slave, if all the above were true? Yes, or you could be an ordinary citizen of a communist country, in particular: Cuba, North Korea, or China. Russia is a bit more liberated that the first three but the same is essentially true there.
The party leaders are the privileged class in communist countries, all of which are dictatorships. They are more important, so they allocate more resources to themselves. The government owns everything and makes up the rules. Bureaucrats in the government plan everything, and their plans are usually poor.
Like a slave of the old south, an ordinary citizen of a communist country does only what he or she is forced to do, because working harder and taking risks brings no reward. All are paid the same, and live by the same rules. Production is less where there is little incentive, so communist countries tend to be poor – except for China, which benefits from a huge trade surplus received from the United States.
The left is constantly trying to pull us in the direction of communism. The first step from where we are today would be cradle-to-grave entitlements (given whether you choose to work or not) and greater government control of everything. Oh, it's seductive. You want more security? Let the good old government, which has endless money, eliminate life's risk in exchange for a rationed life. For that security, you are like a slave – stuck in one slot for your entire life, with no chance to have spending money or become wealthy.
Before we arrive at communism, we'll make a brief stop at socialism, where the government owns or tightly controls all business. The privileged class are the wealthy and the politicians. Or, perhaps we'll take a detour to a Nazi socialism, making our own country wealthy by conquering and plundering our neighbors. Canada and Mexico are lightly defended and ripe for the picking. South America is becoming quite wealthy. But no, we're a bit too moral for that.
It's as if a big tractor had a chain attached to our political system and was pulling leftward. Barack Obama (the tractor,), the mainstream media, and Obama's leftist supporters are dragging us in that direction, with the unconscious support of the uninformed (the so-called "Low information") voters.
More government spending, more borrowing, more entitlements, more regulations, and higher taxes power Mr. Obama's effort. I, for one, would prefer a bit less security, a bit more freedom, and more opportunity – over the total security and poverty we'll get from socialism or communism.


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Driving to the state Capitol over the last three weeks has been a déjà vu experience for Jim Frazier -- with one big difference.
The freshman assemblyman from Oakley who cut his teeth in politics before he held any office is headed to Sacramento to represent constituents of his own.
Frazier settled into an armchair at his home recently to discuss the milestone, pausing now and then to rein in Rocky, an enthusiastic black Lab intent on playing.
"I was just a working guy trying to provide for my family," said Frazier, 53, recalling the personal tragedy that led to his first step on this 12-year journey.
His 20-year-old daughter died in a wreck on Highway 50 just east of Pollock Pines in December 2000 when a driver in the oncoming lane lost control on a patch of black ice and veered across the center divider into her car.
The loss prompted Frazier to contact former state Sen. Tom Torlakson for help making the route safer.
Torlakson, then-chair of the Senate's transportation and housing committee, brokered a meeting with the director of Caltrans, and as a result, the agency not only widened that stretch of highway but paved it with a material that prevents ice from sticking.
The senator subsequently invited Frazier to join an advisory group dedicated to reducing the number of accidents on Vasco Road and, when a position on Oakley's planning commission opened up, encouraged him to apply.
As a commissioner, Frazier also began attending city council meetings, and his interest in becoming a part of the action grew as he watched local government operate.
In 2008, he won a seat on the council and, in keeping with his interest in improving public roads, served on five regional transportation boards and agencies during his term.
Frazier also represented Oakley on East Contra Costa Fire District's board of directors, and earlier this year was appointed to the California Delta Protection Commission.
Now Frazier has climbed another rung on the political ladder, and on Monday he will become the first Oakley resident sworn into a state office.
For at least the next two years he will be representing 13 times more people as before -- 466,986 at last count -- spread over three counties.
Frazier admits to having a few butterflies as he checked out the Assembly chamber ("You've got one big floor") and the rest of the Capitol building ("larger than life") while he was there for the training new lawmakers receive.
As Frazier pondered the possibility that there are as many different viewpoints in the Assembly as there are members, he wondered how he'll meet what he expects to be the biggest challenge in accomplishing his goals -- overcoming the gridlock of partisan politics.
"You want to be able to do the best for the people you represent," he said.
One of them is 65-year resident Rico Cinquini, who has seen Oakley evolve from being under the county's control into a city and now hopes that Frazier will raise its profile even more.
"We finally have a voice for Oakley," said Cinquini, who calls Frazier a "can-do" man. "I've been looking for that voice for many years."
Torlakson agrees that even though Democrats now comprise two-thirds of the Legislature, getting a bill passed isn't a slam dunk.
"Not everybody's going to agree with (Frazier's) policies. You have to work hard to get the trust of other members."
State Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, who encouraged Frazier to run for her former seat, thinks her colleague has the perseverance -- and boldness -- it takes to get things done.
"In Sacramento things move at a very slow pace," Bonilla said, noting that changing policies requires the willingness to apply pressure over time. "(Frazier) doesn't understanding quitting."
Nor is he one to shrink when met with resistance, Bonilla added.
"He will speak his mind on behalf of his community," she said. "You have to be able to function within a group of other people who are also being bold and persistent because your voice can be drowned out otherwise."
Frazier can be opinionated and stubborn, "but if you're meek and mild you're not going to be in that position," said Oakley real estate broker Aaron Meadows of his friend.
At the same time, Frazier is receptive to what others have to say, Meadows said.
"He'll listen," he said. "He doesn't always agree with me, but he listens."
Making money work
Frazier's to-do list includes getting taxpayers the biggest bang for their money, in part by making government more efficient. He wants to eliminate the duplication of effort among various agencies as well as ax programs that aren't fulfilling their purpose.
Reducing California's 10.1 percent unemployment rate is another goal: Frazier envisions lobbying for funds to undertake projects that will create jobs. The more disposable income people have, the more buying power they have to reinvigorate the economy, he said.
And his two decades of experience as a general contractor will help him identify construction projects that make the best use of taxpayer dollars, Frazier said.
If there's one promise he's making to constituents, it's that he won't be going about the people's business by half measures.
"If there's an 'ask' from anybody, I'm going to work hard for them," said Frazier, noting that he soon will be trying to help a Brentwood family get a loan modification.
He considers that willingness to go full-bore among his biggest strengths; Frazier demonstrated it during his campaign by talking to some 9,000 people as he walked precincts.
Although he won handily by capturing just over 64 percent of the vote, whether the fallout from a lucrative housing deal that Oakley City Council struck with its city manager last year will continue to dog him in higher office remains to be seen. The decision triggered an outcry among residents who considered the fringe benefit a misuse of public money and denounced the closed-door meetings in which it was negotiated.
Meadows was among those who thought the benefit was too generous, but notes that Frazier has acknowledged the decision was a mistake.
Although he's a Republican, Meadows said the Democrat assemblyman won his vote because of the good he has done for the city and doubts that the incident will hurt him.
"Was Jim elected? Did Jim win? By a lot?" Meadows asked rhetorically. "If it didn't matter in this election, I don't think it'll be an issue in future elections."
Contact Rowena Coetsee at 925-779-7141. Follow her at Twitter.com/RowenaCoetsee.


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LODI - The Lodi Salvation Army has scheduled its annual dinner for 6:30 p.m. March 11 at the Temple Baptist Social Hall.
The event includes a dinner prepared by the Hope Harbor Culinary Class of 2013, the installation of new officers, guest speakers and a silent auction.
Proceeds of the fundraiser will benefit programs offered through the Salvation Army's Lodi Corps. The event's theme is A Hand Up, Not a Hand Out, the Lodi Corps motto.
For information, contact Janice Roth at (209) 368-3825.
Location, ST | website.com


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After Brady Bunch, Partridge Family, and disco revivals, finally a 1970s comeback worth welcoming: the return of the Fania All-Stars.
Many of the masters of salsa have re-united for a three-city tour (San Juan, Miami, and New York) commemorating the 30th anniversary of the record company whose releases defined Afro-Cuban popular music for two decades. The tour came to New York's Madison Square Garden during a mid-June weekend of tropical heat and humidity.
The show was a smoothly produced, four-hour nostalgia trip featuring venerable artists (all either over 50 or close to it.) playing their oldies. Besides the singers and musicians, there were other reminders of salsa's golden age. Veteran radio disc jockey Polito Vega and salsa impresario/kibitzer Izzy Sanabria handled announcer's duties, along with disco-era DJ Paco Navarro. Video monitors provided visual counterpoint to the performances with vintage still photos and film clips of Fania artists in their youth.
Before the veteran salseros, and one incomparable salsera, took the stage, there was a 45-minute set by disco singer-turned sonero Marc Anthony. The Bronx native has vocal power and an ardent, accomplished delivery; he ought to lose the hair-tossing Mr. Vulnerable stage shtick.
Anthony acknowledged his debt to the Fania greats, noting that he'd be nothing without them. And he showed good taste in the tunes he chose to cover "Ban Ban Guere," and Ruben Blades' "Patria," which, being one of the Panamanian's lesser-known, post-Fania works, seemed a surprising choice. But it soon became apparent why he'd picked it: as an excuse to trot out "la bonita bandera" for the first of the night's too-frequent bouts of flag-waving Puerto Rican nationalism.
Anthony was joined by that other twenty-something bright hope of '90s salsa, La India, for "Vivir Lo Nuestro," their duet from La Combinacion Perfecta.
The main event got off to a shaky start with musical director and Fania co-founder Johnny Pacheco leading the orquesta in a ragged "Descarga Fania." Chunky, but agile, Adalberto Santiago gave his all on "Quitate la Mascara" and Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez, as lithe and aristocratically handsome as ever at age 60, was in good voice on "Azuquita Mami," which also featured the first of Papo Lucca's riveting piano solos.
The concert didn't really take off, however, until Ismael Miranda delivered a searing "Borinquen Tiene Montuno" that electrified the house. From then on the show was mostly peaks. Eddie Palmieri and Ismael Quintana recaptured the magic of La Perfecta, the pianist's brilliant 1960s aggregation, on "Puerto Rico/Adoración." Palmieri, who also played with Cheo Feliciano and joined Papo Lucca and Larry Harlow for a "tres pianos" descarga, can be a maddeningly erratic performer. But at the Garden he was consistently brilliant, even awe-inspiring, as he alternated harmonically advanced jazz improvisations with driving montunos.
Cheo Feliciano teamed up with a dapper, trombone-brandishing Willie Colón for "El Raton." Colón reminded us that not only does he blow a mean 'bone but he's also a superlative coro singer. Then, when the duet ended, he touted his recently-announced bid for the U.S. Congress. After nearly 30 years of recording and performing, he apparently wants a new challenge, a la his compadre Rubén Blades. His political commitment is praiseworthy, but the quest seems quixotic, not to mention a waste of his real talents.
As good as everyone was, the epiphany came with the appearance of Celia Cruz. La Reina, in a flowing gold lamé gown, blonde wig upswept and fastened to a sort of rhinestone trellis, went beyond regal. She was an apparition Yemaya herself! The crowd exploded in a joyous frenzy at the sight of her outrageous self. And the voice dios mio, its power and resilience on "Bemba Colora" left all the male singers in the dust.
The show neared the home stretch with two All Stars standards, "Quitate Tu" and "Ponte Duro." Both numbers featured all the vocalists, but the first showed off el maestro del cuatro, Yomo Toro, whose long solo incorporated bits of "Viejo San Juan," "Bonita Bandera," and "Rock Around the Clock." The short, chunky, and sixtyish Toro ended up playing flat on his back, while the video monitor displayed a twenty-year old clip of him soloing while lying on his back.
The artist whose presence was sorely missed, the late Héctor Lavoe, was evoked through Polito Vega's spoken encomium and a taped medley of his hits accompanied by a video collage of concert performances. Then the entire ensemble performed one of Lavoe's signature tunes, "Mi Gente;" unfortunately, all the massed voices and instruments blurred into an indistinct mess and the show ended on a anticlimactic note.
The Fania All-Stars reunion didn't disappoint, and often exceeded this writer's expectations. Two items on my wish list never materialized a mini-set featuring Celia, Johnny Pacheco, and Pete "El Conde" doing, say, "Asi Cantaba Papa" or "La Dicha Mia," or, just as glorious, if far more improbable, a re-teaming of Willie Colón and Rubén Blades. Given Blades' enduring bitterness about Fania's business practices, that's about as likely as Colón getting elected to Congress.
The All-Stars reunion was billed as "el ultimo concierto de los grandes de la salsa." Whether that's hype or the real deal, the clock is ticking on the aging lions, and lioness, of salsa. And despite Marc Anthony, La India, and a few others like the young Cuban sonero Miles Peña, sangre nueva seems in short supply.


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Think back for a moment to the fun, the adventure, the mischief of getting home from school, throwing on your play clothes, hopping on your bike and shredding around the neighborhood with your friends, getting all muddy and dirty and maybe cursing like mini sailors before your mom called you home for dinner.
This may not be traditionally ladylike behavior, but it's the abiding inner-kid spirit of Team Jortz, billed as the Bay Area's first women-only team in cyclocross, one of the toughest cycling sports around -- basically a hard-core parkour for bikes with multiterrain courses, obstacles and steep inclines. The team started competing last year.
The original three-member Jortz team, now a complement of seven, got noticed right away for their mad skills on the course, but even more for their, um, style -- they refuse to wear slick skinsuits slathered in corporate logos, instead opting for ragtag thrift-store wool jerseys and cutoff jeans shorts, the latter condensed into their team name and the fun-to-say term "jortz."
"We get some looks, for sure," said Jortz founding member Katie Styer, 27, of San Francisco. As the fog puffed over the Oakland hills on a recent Wednesday, Styer and fellow founding teammates Sam Bell, 29, of San Francisco, and Caitlin Trahan, 29, of Oakland, took a breather after a post-workday ride on favorite trails in Joaquin Miller Park.
And yes, they were all wearing their "jortz" -- over leggings, though, because of the evening chill.
"All last season, people gave us the crazy eye as we lined up for races," said Styer, who does social media for a youth mountain-biking nonprofit. "People would say, 'Are you really gonna race in that?' Yes, I'm gonna race in this. And maybe beat you."
It's the "run what you brung" ethos. "That's one thing we represent," Trahan said. "That you don't have to have all the expensive outfits to participate and go out and ride your bike and have fun. And the first race of the season, we really represented -- Sam and I were up on the podium in second and third, high-fiving each other.
"Some people laughed at us at first, but by the end of the season, a bunch were cheering us on," added Trahan, who works in research and development for Clif Bar. "Maybe partly because it's just fun to yell 'Jortz!' "
Bringing it on
Team members may indeed be little kids in women's clothing, but they can shred with the best of 'em. And they have to be at the top of their game. Cyclocross is not for wimps.
"You're racing at the top of your ability. You're going really fast and really hard," Bell said, adjusting her "intimidation factor" of neon orange Mercury wings on her shoelaces.
The idea of cyclocross is to race multiple times around a short course -- the number of laps is established by the leader -- riding cross-country on everything from pavement, wooded trails, grass and even bark chips. The event lasts about 40 minutes. Riders race fast, then hop off their bikes and shoulder them up steep muddy hills or over short obstacles. Some even try to stay on their bikes to jump the barriers.
"I actually broke my nose two years ago trying to do that," Trahan said, laughing and touching her now-healed nose.
The grueling discipline -- a fall and winter sport originally developed in the early 20th century as a way to keep cyclists in shape between road racing and mountain biking seasons -- is big in Europe, drawing crowds of 60,000 and more. It was introduced in the United States in the 1970s and has been gradually picking up speed, especially in the Northwest and Northeast. Many local events are governed by the Northern California and Nevada Cycling Association.
Still, cyclocross remains a small community -- only about 6,000 spectators show up at the largest events, Styer said. And good-natured heckling is encouraged.
Cyclo chicks
Like cycle racing in general, cyclocross is a male-dominated sport. In the Bay Area, male cyclocross racers outnumber women nine to one, according to the East Bay Bicycle Coalition. There are coed teams, but women-only teams are rare. A few have popped up around the country, such as the Sweetpea Ladies Auxiliary in Oregon and Les Petites Victoires from Chicago.
For Team Jortz, forming a female space in the sport is a big part of what they're about.
"There's a lot of value in creating female spaces," Styer said. "It's very empowering and exciting when you find women you really respect and enjoy riding with."
Plus, Trahan added, "we want women to know it's not just a dude-fest out there. Guys have been pretty supportive. Sometimes they tease us that it's sexist to have a women-only group, but whatever. You get out at the start line, you're laughing with the girl next to you. It's totally fun. It's a community."
Jortz members have all raced in other cycling disciplines for years but love the challenge of cyclocross because, according to their blog: "A) we like each other, B) we like to shred, C) we love dirt, and D) we think women-only teams are the bee's knees and the best way to get more women interested in a traditionally male-dominated space."
As to their logo-free "uniforms," it's not that they're anti-sponsorship. In fact, they welcome sponsors, but with the caveat that they won't brandish logos. The most they will do is carry water bottles from a sponsor, such as Spoke Cyclery.
"It's because we're sending a different message," Styer said. "We're not about that. We're about, after we get out of work it's: 'Yeah, I'm out of work and I'm going for a bike ride with my friends! What's better than that?"
Follow Angela Hill at Twittercom/giveemhill, or read her Sunday Give 'Em Hill column.
Bike to work day
May 9 is Bike to Work Day, and cycling organizations are encouraging Bay Area commuters to get on two wheels and enjoy the ride.
For safety tips and a list of energizer stations handing out free refreshments that day, go to www.ebbc.org or www.bikesiliconvalley.org.