Update on DocGurley's Trip To Haiti

Day 14 and counting: I woke up to these two emails from our lead organizers, mailed to all of us who are going as medical volunteers to Haiti on February 15 (you may notice some key developments buried within):

First up, from Randy Roberson, the brilliant person behind the Container Clinics, and a Jedi-level master of the understatement:

Randy Roberson

Greetings,

I am up and operational at the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince via solar
powered satellite uplink. Sorry for the lack of communication. It was a very interesting trip in from DR. We did however bring a few tons of rice, water and blankets along with all the supplies I brought from the states. To say there are huge medical opportunities here to help would be a gross understatement. We know of approximately 40 neighborhood groups who are crying out for aid. My feeling is that placing the container clinic on the back of a flatbed truck and moving to various locations would best serve profound needs in the short term, then place it permanently when the medical surge is reduced.

More to come

Randy

Closely on it's inbox heels came the second, a message from our local Bay Area organizer, Dr. Enoch Choi. So who's Dr. Choi? He's what I think of as a sleeper - the kind of person you may be tempted to think you know on the basis of some superficial characteristics, then,

Dr. Enoch Choi. He's on Twitter too!

bam, he blows you away with the unexpected or flat-out-remarkable. Sure, he's an Asian doc who works hard, full-time, in urgent care (probably the highest burn-out position imaginable). In groups, he seems kind of quiet. Not uncomfortable - in fact, the opposite - comfortable and content to watch others posture. And then, dropped nonchalantly into the conversation as people discuss iPhone apps, you find out he's a wild karaoke fiend. We're talking belting it out while sitting in an open convertible at public intersections. "Sure, why not?" he says. And, oh yeah, that full-time burnout job? He's also a cranking writer on the web, after his paying job lets him loose. I've only had a few phone conversations with him, but they tend to go like this, [imagine a quiet, calm male voice] "...so I think we have the planning in place to adequately--" [bellows like a fishwife to someone in background without pausing for breath: she's supposed to be admitted! don't wheel her away! we're waiting for ultrasound!] "--cover all our bases as far as the steps we can control now. Do you have any questions?"

I am often left stunned - by the volume, by the unexpected sides to his character, by the Olympic-level multi-tasking skills, by the passion for what he does, and by his effortless-seeming attention to detail. Here's his email message to us all today. Check out the detail, the itemized list of what you should bring to work in this disaster zone, how effortlessly it includes both those who already know the score, and those who've never done anything like this before (and keep in mind he's got an 80-hour a week brutal job breathing down his neck while he's typing):

Just want to verify that we all agree with the mission: safe & secure outpatient medical care to Haitians, in very austere conditions, sacrificing personal comforts and preferences for a week to support the group's success in providing the best care given a disintegrating environment that will cause
multiple changes in our best laid plans. To be a pioneering team that establishes an opportunity for future MD & RNs to come for 1 week missions in contrast to the existing inpatient-only 2+ week commitments.

Scope: cellulitis, post-op complications, lacerations, fracture
management, wound care, IV & PO medications, IV & PO analgesics

1) Valid passport

2) Copy of your health-related license (if you're in healthcare)

3) Immunizations: MMR, varicella, hep A & B, Tdap, seasonal & H1N1 flu, typhoid, rabies, weekly chloroquine 2 weeks prior to departure

4) Carry with you meds: HIV prophilaxis (2 sets for the whole team), cipro

5) Personal supplies of DEET bug repellent, hiking-style head lamp, your favorite snack to serve as lunch for 6 days (see more detailed list below)

6) Try to raise funds for the cost of your personal travel. Estimated $900 if we have to fly to Santo Domingo but hope to get private charter to increase luggage capacity

7) get personal medical emergency evacuation insurance, one that covers a disaster area, I'm researching this

Tentative details:

2/15 travel to Haiti (today, United canceled my reservations for 10 to PAP. Backup: fly to dominican republic, but looking for private plane)

2/21 return

Things are very fluid, and tonight's news reports from CNN highlight a
deteriorating security situation. We may need to operate closer to Dominican Republic where we can more readily secure our clinic. I'm very sensitive to maximizing safety over the needs of providing care, and will have multiple contingency plans for armed evacuation if necessary. Randy Roberson arrived in Haiti today to ensure we can locate a safe & securable location for the shipping container clinic.

Arrival:

From PAP airport, US marine armed transport by 3pm bus to US Embassy. Must make that bus since later one is 6pm which is after curfew, and less safe. Four Square Gospel armed transport to church headquarters 2 minutes down from the US Embassy on 'Eglise Quadrangulaire'. President Pastor Guy Thomas facilitates this.

Daily armed transport 1 hour from/to rented apartment just across the border in Dominican Republic. Both of these are facilitated by Jesse Mendoza of Jordan International Aid of San Jose, CA.

Departure:

From PAP airport if possible. This has not been secured yet. If flights canceled, will have backup plans to leave from DR. Green card holders expect a 2 h delay at PAP to leave.

In disaster medical relief things are very fluid. In past disasters such as Katrina, we had to resort to a 3rd unplanned backup lodging plan, and ditched potential clinic locations until we found where the most need was. In Katrina, this location dovetailed with the safest place (national guard surrounded us), but this will not be the case in Haiti so we'll be very vigilant of ensuring that our clinic is safe.

FAQ:

Who is your contact person? Randy, who's there now. Also http://www.jordaninternationalaid.org/ has been there since day 5 Jesse Mendoza, president, who will arrange for apartment on DR side of the border and armed transport

Will we be meeting other medical staff there from other places? Yes, will have the Cuban hospital as our staging ground, and place to send too sick folks.

Will we be replacing an already working team in the container or the first? The first

Haiti, January 22

Is there a source of more medical supplies once we run out? MedShare is bringing supplies in, donated from Sutter Health & PAMF, & I hope to access those there.

What kind of equipment and amount of supplies are on the shipping
container clinic? $100,000 worth, I'm unclear if that's just telemedicine devices or consumables we need. It has not been shipped yet, is in transit.

Is the Jordan relief group on the ground giving medical assistance at the same/close location? Unclear. They're mobile.

Where are they operating out of? Jordan operates out of DR

Can we get PAMF to let us take a bunch of supplies with us to supplement? Likely, if Katrina is an appropriate example. We took whatever we wanted. Will have to ask when we figure out how much luggage we have. For now, one 50lb bag, so we would need to get supplies over there.

Individual Traveler Packing List:

light weight, compressible sleeping bag (WalMart: Micro Tek Ultra-Compact 30-degree sleep bag; $34) & small emergency space blankets (small metallic pack, costs about a dollar at most camping stores, will provide insulation and additional waterproofing)

mosquito net

insect repellent

sunscreen

hat/sunglasses

hand sanitizer and hygiene wipes

Food items: protein bars, packaged nuts, jerky, ration packs (pack your favorite snack of 1000 calories per day) since we should have food in Dominican Republic apartment for breakfast/dinner

chlorine tablets (better than iodine at treating heavily contaminated water) and linen squares for filtering water before treatment (to remove sediment) OR bottled water (depending on resources where we are stationed)

heavy duty work gloves

Group supplies:

toilet paper

duct tape

tarps

oral re-hydration packets

post cards, pens or pencils (this is optional--we thought we might be able to have our translator take information from people trying to contact family in the US or other countries, and mail them when we got home--not sure how practical that is, I understand over half the population of Haiti is illiterate)

Consider 2 large sleeping tents, depending on space and location where you are stationed

Yikes. I had a United plane flight (5:30 am, Chicago). Now I don't. Apparently, this is all just normal for disaster relief work. Besides, I don't have time to worry about it. The bottom line is we're going, no matter what. My friend, Pam, the world's most incredible organizer, without even asking, called to say she's setting up a trust fund account at Wells Fargo tomorrow. "It seemed obvious that you would be able to use one - I've already heard from people who want to donate for your expenses - don't squawk, I know you'll need it." I try to pretend that my voice is not shaking, that I don't sound like I'm trying to not cry as I thank her. It's really a tangled ball of misery, gratitude and joy, knowing that I want to go help people in Haiti, but I couldn't do it without accepting what sometimes feels like uncomfortable help from people around me. Besides, the urge to weep is probably just because my arms are still achy, and I've got a low-grade fever from the vaccinations. But who has time to think about all that - I called in my prescriptions for my chloroquine pills and ciprofloxacin (even the Target pharmacist was lovely "you're going to Haiti? when do you need them?"). I had to hurry and get it done because, afterward, I called in to the Walnut Creek number and found out I have to report early tomorrow morning for (brace yourself) jury duty.

I draw a shaky breath and remind myself - hey, it's just another step. There's two weeks before departure. Fourteen days and counting. Jury duty is like everything else in life, you show up and hope for the best. We're going to Haiti, one way or another. Right?

So do you have a plane? Know someone who does? Cause, I'm telling you - Dr. Choi is the guy to contact. He'll soothingly talk you through the logistics of how it could be a life-saver (literally) for hundreds, if not thousands of people. But don't be surprised if, while discussing it, he discreetly bellows once or twice. It's all for a good cause.

Share in the comments section - and tune in for the next in the series to get details about the Haiti trip - what will I panic about next? Will I get sequestered? Hey, it's not like I have a plane ticket to prove I'm going... Keep up on the Haiti trip and the latest health issues in the news by signing up for a Doc Gurley RSS feed by clicking here. Look for future pics and other articles at Doc Gurley - discover the weird, the wacky and the everyday symptoms you want to know about, as well as practical expert tips on staying well. Want to express your inner fan-girl/boy? Become a Doc Gurley fan on Facebook! Want to be on the inside, fast track of health news and tips, as well as Haiti tweets? Get on the Twitter bandwagon and follow Doc Gurley! Also check out Doc Gurley's joyhabit and iwellth twitter feeds - so you can get topic-specific fun, effective, affordable tips on how to nurture your joy and grow your wellth this coming year.

Anne Hathaway feted at Harvard, Oscar Nominations host Tuesday

Anne Hathaway's the toast of Cambridge, or at least Harvard. The actress slated to host the Oscar Nominations Tuesday, February 2nd, is the Hasty Pudding Theatricals student drama troupe's Woman of the Year. According to the Hasty Pudding website:

Continuing to emerge as one of Hollywood’s most engaging talents, Anne Hathaway shot to stardom starring opposite Meryl Streep in the hit “The Devil Wears Prada.” She went on to receive an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Independent Spirit and SAG Award nomination for “Lead Actress” for her performance in Jonathan Demme’s recent critically acclaimed “Rachel Getting Married,” for which she was also awarded Best Actress by the National Board of Review, the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Film Critics Association. Hathaway has impressed audiences with her wide range as an actress, from her lauded dramatic performances in “Becoming Jane,” “Passengers,” and “Brokeback Mountain” with Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger, to her brilliant comedic turns in such films as “Get Smart” with Steve Carell, “The Princess Diaries,” and “Ella Enchanted.” An actress with theater roots, Hathaway took to the stage this past summer in Shakespeare in the Park’s production of TWELFTH NIGHT, receiving all around rave reviews for her performance as Viola.

Hathaway will next star in the ensemble romantic comedy “Valentine’s Day” to be released February 2010 and as the White Queen alongside Johnny Depp in Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” hitting theaters March 2010. Hathaway has also signed on to the Judy Garland biopic “Get Happy.” Hathaway will play Judy Garland on the stage and screen; two productions both being produced by the Weinstein Company. Of Hathaway, “Valentine’s Day” and “The Princess Diaries” (and its sequel) director Garry Marshall says, “The multi-talented Hathaway is a combination of Julia Roberts, Audrey Hepburn and Judy Garland.”

Celebrations for Ms. Hathaway will take place on January 28, 2010 and will include the Woman of the Year Parade down Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge at 2:30 PM, followed by a Roast in her honor at the New College Theater (12 Holyoke Street) at 3 PM.

If this video from Renee Zellweger's 2009 Woman Of The Year event are any indication, Anne Hathaway's having an awesome time today!

Oscar ads just $1 million less than Super Bowl ads - Oscar Buzz

As we near the February 2nd Anne Hathaway-hosted Oscar Nominations announcement meeting (which this blogger really should have been able to attend and AMPAS Leslie Unger should pay attention here), ad execs are looking to TV ratings for it as the big key to how well Oscar ads will perform this year. In 2010, and for the first time in recent memory, 2010 Super Bowl ads are just about $1 million greater than Oscar ads.

Because of the massive economic downturn, Super Bowl ads once priced at $3 million are now going for only $2.5 million; Oscar ads that could have closed the gap to less than $1 million are actually under-priced at $1.3 million, according to AdAge.com's Brian Steinberg.

Last year's Oscar telecast cost advertisers around $1.4 million for a 30-second ad, down significantly from 2008, when a 30-second spot commanded as much as $1.82 million...

And Steinberg reports that price is about the same this year. There are two factors: first, Oscar ratings have been horrible, with a near-decade-long drop that stopped last year because of the anticipated buzz surrounding The Dark Knight after the death of Heath Leadger, who was nominated for and won Oscar Best Supporting Actor for his roll as "The Joker". Second, the economy itself.

Oscar observers are counting on the fact that the Best Picture race will consists of ten movies, and not five, and now the winner will be selected with Preference voting.

To the extent AMPAS can communicate that this year's Best Picture competition is really a race, and it's not one already decided by Avatar's Golden Globe Best Picture win, Oscar ratings will go up.

The key is not the ratings for the February 2nd Anne Hathaway-hosted Oscar Nominations announcement meeting, but the buzz after it, including Twitter.

That's something Leslie Unger's staff must track.

Stay tuned.

California Politics: drawing state election lines - Aimee Allison/OaklandSeen

Apply for Commission to Redraw CA Election Lines - oh, yeah it pays $80K too. Get the scoop tonight 5:30pm.

Adam Briones of the Greenlining Institute is heading an effort to expand the pool of people of color applicants for a citizen's redistricting commission being formed (read http://bit.ly/9B6wxV for more). Redistricting is directly responsible for the amount of money that goes to schools, jobs and neighborhood in the community. It's one of those obscure but powerful groups that will define the political power and future of California communities like Oakland.

So apply - and for more information attend the Greenlining Institute's seminar TONIGHT at 5:30 pm at their office at 1918 University Ave, Berkeley. Or go to www.wedrawthelines.ca.gov and submit the short application.

From the Greenlining website's Q&A:

Q: What does redistricting mean?

A: Redistricting means to redraw the lines of an election district. In California these districts must be adjusted every ten years following the census.

Q: Why is redistricting important? What does it do for me?

A: Redistricting equals representation. It determines who is represented, how well they are represented, and what laws are passed.

More at http://www.greenlining.org/resources/pdfs/CitizensRedistrictingCommissionFactSheet.pdf

Chris Matthews forgot Obama was black; many forgot Obama was black

Today we find that MSNBC's Chris Matthews claim that he forgot Obama was black is raising a racism charge against Chris Matthews.    But that claim is not correct and misses Chris Matthews valuable point.

Chris Matthews is the popular political talk show host of Hardball on MSNBC. Frequent viewers of the show, like this blogger, are used to Chris Matthews paying close attention to capturing the African American point of view of a problem.

Chris Matthews has devoted entire episodes of Hardball to the black perspective on a political issue. Chris Matthews is rightly fascinated with how American politics and race relations have been impacted by President Obama.

Chris Matthews is rightly pointing to a sea-change in American Culture. Americans have been hard-wired to think of someone white when they think of a person on television talking from a position of authority.

Consider this: how many black TV pundits are there, not on public television? Answer? Zero. How many black rappers appear on TV daily? Answer: a lot.

That's the problem.

It's a still a problem for this blogger, who still gets called the "N-word" on video comments, or who has received death threats because of the existence of racist, bigoted idiots who can't stand that a black guy with a Jewish last name speaks with the same confident arrogance of his white American male friends.

Too bad.

While Chris Matthews forgot Obama was black, frankly so did I.

At first, when Obama came out and was introduced, I was praying that security protected him in the wake of the White House State Dinner Party Crashers incident and because there are nutcases (some who are black) who don't like that America's led by an African American man, but once Obama started his speech, all of those fears were jettisoned. President Obama was excellent last night, and in being Obama showed everyone that you can be anyone of any color, and be the best.

Greg Oden dirty pictures show NBA players can go nude

If the first overall pick from the 2007 NBA Draft Greg Oden has learned anything from his dirty nude pictures on the Internet, it's that NBA players can be exposed, too.

The possibility that posting Greg Oden nude photos was a publicity stunt aside, it's clear that Greg Oden's dirty pictures of his upper body and privates have become an Internet hit for Greg Oden and the website that posted them World Star Hip Hop.com

While it's too early to see what impact Greg Oden nude pictures are having on World Star Hip Hop, the website already has a healthy Alexa.com traffic ranking of 1,182; the prediction here is it will go up to 900 by Friday.

But NBA players like Greg Oden should be careful who's on the other side of whatever camera is pointed at them. Moreover, if they're in the buff, better not to have a camera pointed at them at all.

In this case, the photos, which Greg Oden apologized for, were taken, by someone said to be a "former girlfriend" which opens a new can of worms. Did he dumper her? Because if that's the case, hell hath no furry because she's certainly put his business into the street.

Literally.

But now that the nude photos are flying around, it's time to watch how it impacts Greg Oden's star power. Does his Internet traffic draw rank go up? For how long? With which demographic?

Stay tuned.

John Edwards splits from Elizabeth Edwards after Rielle Hunter affair

Former Senator and Vice Presidential Candidate John Edwards has separated from his wife Elizabeth Edwards. In a news report from CNN that contained the cryptic title "Ex-VP nominee splits from spouse", the story, which broke at 3 PM EST Wedneday, January 27th in People Magazine online, wasn't confirmed until 6: 28 PM with this statement by John Edwards:

"It is an extraordinarily sad moment, but I love my children more than anything and still care deeply about Elizabeth."

Then the following statement was issued by Random House, Elizabeth Edwards' book publisher:

"Elizabeth is moving on with her life and wants to put this difficult chapter behind her. It was an excrutiatingly (sic) painful period for her and she no interest in rehashing the past. Based on the limited portions of the book that have been made available, it is clear it contains many falsehoods and exaggerations. She will not engage in a dialogue on each of the false charges, but would like to set the record straight on two key points. First, the allegation that she sought to politicize her cancer is unconscionable, hurtful and patently false. Second, she believed Andrew Young to be the father of this child until her husband confessed his parternity (sic) to her this past summer. She will have nothing further to say."

At this point, calling John Edwards every terrible name in the book is a good idea had by many. John Edwards is probably one of the most disliked public figures in America, or at least not far away from Rush Limbaugh.

If one needs a reminder of what happened, briefly, then-former Senator John Edwards was rumored to have been sneaking around on his cancer-striken wife Elizabeth Edwards. The National Enquirer broke the story and a very small number of bloggers, including this one, followed it starting in October of 2007.



But Edwards denied it. Then, after being caught in a kind of reporting sting by The National Enquirer's reporters, Edwards admitted to the affair.

All of that was after he lost the presidential campaign, but was still a delegate player. The news blasted him out of the party and embarrassed his supporters, most notably his wife.

More: John Edwards admits he's the father of Rielle Hunter's kid.

Haiti Earthquake update: answer to Doc Gurley

In her brilliant blog post, Doc Gurley explained her Haiti trip plans in great detail and offered this brain-twister:

Algebra Problem of the Day: If I board my connecting flight to Chicago, hurtling at 31,267 feet for 3.87 hours, while carrying a 4-liter grocery bag of donated 2 oz. pill-bottles labeled with 34 different individual names, and each bottle is 3/4 full of highly regulated narcotics, then please calculate how many DEA agents, on arrival at O'Hare, will force me to undergo how many body-cavity searches? Please express your answer in mucosal centimeters. Extra Credit: And, more importantly, given an estimated factor of X minutes per search will those body-cavity searches cause me to miss my Haiti flight? Hmm...

The answer I provide is simple: zero. The reason is Doc will never get through TSA Security at SFO carrying "a 4-liter grocery bag of donated 2 oz. pill-bottles labeled with 34 different individual names". That is one huge bag, more like a trash bag that's oversized to start with, thus can't even be allowed on a plane.

Better to check the bags. But that brings up the issue of baggage claim at Haiti and other what would seem to be wild details.

Stay tuned.

Obama State of The Union Address; Geitner and Summers should go

In his great, second State of The Union Address (SOTU), President Barack Obama kept his focus on creating new jobs, and called for a new sprit of bipartisanship, but without caving in on Heath Care Reform. But left out of the SOTU was what would have been his boldest stroke of all: firing Treasury Secretary Tim Geitner and Chief Economic Advisor (title: Director of the National Economic Council) Larry Summers.

Larry Summers

This blog post is more directed at Larry Summers than Tim Geitner, because according to The New Yorker's January 28th edition, Larry Summers failed to present the $1.2 trillion Economic Stimulus Plan Option to President Obama, even though his colleague, Berkeley Professor Christine Roemer said that all of the models she ran pointed to that size of stimulus as the best plan:

The most important question facing Obama that day was how large the stimulus should be. Since the election, as the economy continued to worsen, the consensus among economists kept rising. A hundred-billion-dollar stimulus had seemed prudent earlier in the year. Congress now appeared receptive to something on the order of five hundred billion. Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel laureate, was calling for a trillion. Romer had run simulations of the effects of stimulus packages of varying sizes: six hundred billion dollars, eight hundred billion dollars, and $1.2 trillion. The best estimate for the output gap was some two trillion dollars over 2009 and 2010. Because of the multiplier effect, filling that gap didn’t require two trillion dollars of government spending, but Romer’s analysis, deeply informed by her work on the Depression, suggested that the package should probably be more than $1.2 trillion. The memo to Obama, however, detailed only two packages: a five-hundred-and-fifty-billion-dollar stimulus and an eight-hundred-and-ninety-billion-dollar stimulus. Summers did not include Romer’s $1.2-trillion projection. The memo argued that the stimulus should not be used to fill the entire output gap; rather, it was “an insurance package against catastrophic failure.” At the meeting, according to one participant, “there was no serious discussion to going above a trillion dollars.”

“There was no serious discussion to going above a trillion dollars," even as economists were talking about a stimulus package that had to be over $1 trillion. Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research was quoted as saying "You're talking about a gap on the order of twelve-hundred-fifty billion dollars, and we're trying to plug that with four-hundred-something, so we've got a long way to go."

Paul Krugman said "I'd like to see it bigger." Krugman said. "I understand that there's difficulty in actually spending that much money, and I--they're also afraid of the--of the T word."

The "T" word is "Trillion" but with the economic stimulus package already close to that number, and the country in deep trouble, worrying about what Congress would think - rather than letting Congress deal with the truth - was a big mistake.

China's Economic Stimulus Package was 20 percent of GDP, and many eonomic observers used that as the benchmark for what the size of a U.S. Economic Stimulus Plan would be. Instead, it came in at just about 5 percent of U.S. GDP. The problem feared the most: of doing too little, too late is now facing America, just as it did Japan in the 90s.

Fears of the "T" word and the total U.S. Debt have backed us into this corner. The misunderstanding is that GDP growth guarantees a smaller percentage of GDP that is debt. The Economic Stimulus Package is supposed to jump-start growth. The fact that even the $800 billion version did is proof that the theory is sound, but it didn't boost American Economic Growth to levels that would reduce the record high unemployment rates around the country.

Larry Summers is to blame for this problem:

Summers brought a third argument to the debate, one that echoed his advice to Bill Clinton sixteen years earlier, when his Administration was facing persistent budget deficits that Summers believed were suppressing economic growth. He, like Romer, was guided by an understanding that in financial crises the risk of doing too little is greater than doing too much. He believed that filling the output gap through deficit spending was important, but that a package that was too large could potentially shift fears from the current crisis to the long-term budget deficit, which would have an unwelcome effect on the bond market. In the end, Summers made the case for the eight-hundred-and-ninety-billion-dollar option.

If Larry Summers had done the opposite: that is make an argument for the trillion-dollar option, there's clear evidence America's economic recovery would have been larger and more robust, as the extra $400 billion could have gone to a temporary injection of, say, $5,000 for every American taxpayer under $100,000, thus buying time for the other parts of the stimulus plan to take effect, and boosting consumption at the same time.

But that did not happen, and now America still has its employment problem and a Congress shy to spend more money, even though its badly needed. America has lost $976 billion in wealth due to jobs moving overseas over the last 30 years; over $400 billion just in the last eight years. Turning that problem around is going to take a lot of money.

Stay tuned.

Journey To Haiti With DocGurley!

14 days and counting. I got the message yesterday that a group would like me to go to Haiti. I'd already thrown my name in the hat in the beginning, but they all needed (appropriately) surgeons. Or nurses. But now the situation has morphed, and when the call came my insta-gut response was "yes." Afterward, a tiny flicker of stomach-butterflies set it. Maybe it was the fact that I don't (and maybe won't) have a confirmed return flight home. The estimated time for being there is a week (very do-able), but no guarantees on that estimate (um, less do-able?). Or maybe the butterflies were in part because of the way the lead doctor emphasized (three times!) the fact that we would always have Security with us (clearly said with a capital S). But I knew I wanted to go. When it comes to Haiti, so many of us want to do something. And so I thought you might like to go with me. Which is why I'm going to write about the trip, probably more openly and personally than anything I've written to you before. But first, just so we're all clear, here are the rules:



Doc Gurley's Haiti Manifesto



Rule #1: Why me? Altruism is a gift that benefits the giver. Never more so than when despair hovers. It is amazing how, when I told family, friends and co-workers that I was going to a life-threatening disaster zone, rife with disease and unspeakable deprivation, the uniform first response has been a blurted out: "You're so lucky!" followed a shocked moment of horror-filled realization as they heard their own words, then "Not lucky, I mean, it's going to be hard, really hard, it's just that I wish I could do something like that, well, you know what I mean..." Sometimes it's even difficult to verbalize exactly why we feel that spike of jealousy. I think it's because we all wish we could do something tangible. Something with our hands and our backs. Heavy lifting. Hey, we all know the checks are important (VERY important), but after a while they feel the same as handing your kid a twenty on her birthday. Like something crucial is missing in the act. Could that urge to do something, anything, be the reason I'm going? I've thought about it - am I taking the place of someone else who should go instead (keeping in mind that it can be too easy to think that maybe someone else ought to go, and, if we all do that - no one goes). But I don't think I am taking someone else's place. Here's why: a) I'm an internist, a grunt, a flea, a sickest-of-the-sick-adults'-doctor, one with extensive ER and hospitalist experience, the type of doctor (after the surgeons have left) that they need now, and b) I currently see patients in a homeless clinic with a strong culture of collaborative care so - while it's admittedly still not Haiti - I don't tend to have the typical easily-offended doctor amount of either ego or fastidiousness, and c) I speak good-enough French to have worked for three months in a monolingual medical environment, and d) I did those French-speaking healthcare months in a Third World country in Africa, a place somewhat like Haiti in that the generators turned off every night and mosquito netting and hungry bats were our major malaria interventions, and e) frankly I am lucky enough to have the job/benefits/luxury of being able to go on short notice while not paid to do so like a disaster team is, and f) while the fact is that I'm not a nurse (okay sure, I ran an IVAC once, but all I remember of the experience is a panic-filled blur of jabbing buttons while machines beeped at me in a decidedly contemptuous fashion), and would never claim to be a nurse, I can honestly say that if there's a bandaging, dosing, vital-sign-taking, bedpan-changing, spongebath giving, floor-mopping job to do, well, like most of us peri-menopausal moms, I'm your Gurley. All of which leads to Rule #1 - the better candidate goes. That means if someone more qualified or adept can take my slot, I step out. Even at the eleventh hour (that would be 4:30 am, February 15, in a United terminal at Chicago's O'Hare, in case anyone's keeping track).

Rule #2: We go there to work. There will be NO ethically weird moments when the camera swings, Gupta-like, in my direct and I orthodontially blind you while simultaneously performing surgery. I'm going there to work. As a doctor. I'll be sweaty, I won't waste suitcase space on make-up, and God knows what my hair will be doing. Sweaty doctor - that's it. There is no sub-clause, no asterisk, no employer, no other job title. There is no conflict-of-interest. The Chronicle/SFGate is not paying me anything, not transport, nada. Heck, I can't even get a satellite cell-phone out of them to make sure I can send and/or upload posts (but maybe! they're working on it!). Any sharing of the experience from me to you happens after the work is done. But as much as is humanly possible, we'll go together. Every step we can. Because whether you're frustrated, or despairing, or hungering to do something, or rage-filled about our own neglected problems at home, there are moments when it's best to share. And an epic disaster is one of them. Join me. We'll go together and do what we can to help.

Rule #3: HIPPA goes to Haiti. People the world over deserve their medical privacy. And no one - especially the very desperate - should have to wonder what their doctor's motivation really is. If I write/blog/video/audio record about a patient, or a situation, either that person will NOT be one of my patients, or their identity will be so changed that no one will ever be able to know exactly who that 12-year-old girl with a head injury really was.

Rule #4: It takes a village to help a village. It's been less than 24 hours since I found out I was going and friends have already stepped up. An Eagle Scout mom has an ultra-small sleeping bag for me (so I'll have more room for medical supplies in my luggage). Colleagues are pitching in to cover shifts they have NO obligation to work (thank you, Barry! thank you, Mary!). Churches - here and there - are helping with logistics and food. Total strangers are coming forward with airline miles for me to use, and a place for me to bunk in Chicago while I wait for my flight out. You too are welcome to go with me to Haiti in spirit. And if you would like to go with me in a more tangible way, I'll let you know of opportunities. But, when it comes to "stuff," I am limited to one 50-lb checked bag. In contrast, there is no limit on goodwill, or funds for those suffering there. I am not wasting time or energy picking apart anyone who wants to help - I don't care about your politics, religion or cash reserves. You want to roll up your sleeves too, well, you're my kind of Gurley...



So here we are, Day 14 and counting:

1) Told my kids I was going. Squeals, hand-flapping, "I'm so jealous," then silence while it sunk in. They're teens, they'll be fine. But I notice how the 15 year old wants to sit closer to me on the couch than she has in years, virtually sinking into my right side. I don't say anything about it, of course. I just let her sink into me too.

What is WRONG with these DPH Travel Clinic people? Don't they know medical visits aren't supposed to be (gasp) pleasant?

2) Shots today. I went to the phenomenal folks at the Traveler's Clinic at the Department of Public Health (conflict-of-interest disclosure: NONE. They don't pay me, I never saw them before today). Dropped in without an appointment at 12:45 pm, was asked by the receptionist in a stricken voice "Would 1:10 work?" After a stunned silence, I squeaked out a "You mean today?" and when she nodded (apologetically) "yes," I had to do a double-take to make sure I was actually standing in an American medical clinic. Who are these people? This is so NOT how medical care works. I got three shots - a hepatitis A, tetanus, and typhoid shot ("ooh, those are going to ache" the lovely NP said, as well as "too bad there's not time for the rabies series - you know it's rampant there, don't you? Just be sure and get airlifted out if anything furry breaks your skin"). The ooh-that's-going-to-hurt shots didn't seem to hurt at all. Being a macho internist, I nodded in agreement while thinking to myself good thing I'm stoic and not a big weeny like their other patients are. Three hours later, I promise you, I'm so sore I would not lift my arms up from my sides unless my hair caught fire. Even then I'd have to think about it. I'm getting a little panicky, in fact, about which side I'm going to sleep on - I'm imagining a night ahead of me composed of "ow" and then "ouch" muttered in the dark as I roll endlessly from side to side in my sleep.

3) Am now panicked about my "functional" French. I have been known on two prior occasions, when I spoke French in Paris, to provoke, from Gauloises-smoking, too-cool-to-sneer citoyens, a shocked guffaw of snorted laughter. One Parisienne laughed so hard she hiccuped. Apparently I tend to speak French with a thick West African accent. But see, French is the only foreign language it's almost impossible to use in the Bay Area (at least medically). Oh God, what if I've forgotten it all? So I ran to my town's fabulous library and checked out every single (non-beginner) French language item (yes, I am the pig who took them all, staggering out of the library under a teetering skyscraper of perilously stacked books): four textbooks - including one Haitian-Creole dictionary - and five massive boxed sets of CDs. Including one two-disc set from The Language Teacher To The Stars - Mel Gibson! Barbra Streisand! Woody Allen! Which makes me wonder what will happen if I visit Paris and speak french to sneering Gauloises-smokers in a thick Mel Gibson accent?

So, in the few moments while I'm not going ow and then ouch during the night tonight, I plan to be subliminally absorbing the nasal tones of a total 189 hours of French audio-lessons I checked out ("ne mange pas ce gateau"...).

But who am I kidding? Sleep is unlikely to occur. Because I've already started fretting over Ethical Haiti Dilemma #1. Let me lay it out for you:

Exhibit A: The supplies MOST in need in Haiti now are wound care, debridement/incision kits, rehydration and dressing supplies, as well as antibiotics and analgesics.

Exhibit B: Most of those supplies are too bulky for me to bring many of them in a suitcase. Except for pills (which are surprisingly heavy, but compact).

Exhibit C: Expiration dates on drugs are arbitrarily set by pharmaceutical companies (who have an obvious conflict of interest), and reliable sources have studied the issue and found that almost all pills and powders are still completely effective years after they "expire."

Exhibit D: I have a legion of eager-to-give-something neighbors, friends and acquaintances with bathroom medicine cabinets bulging with leftover pills.

Ergo: Should I take a half-suitcase of potentially expired, but still-effective antibiotics to Haiti? And...

Algebra Problem of the Day: If I board my connecting flight to Chicago, hurtling at 31,267 feet for 3.87 hours, while carrying a 4-liter grocery bag of donated 2 oz. pill-bottles labeled with 34 different individual names, and each bottle is 3/4 full of highly regulated narcotics, then please calculate how many DEA agents, on arrival at O'Hare, will force me to undergo how many body-cavity searches? Please express your answer in mucosal centimeters. Extra Credit: And, more importantly, given an estimated factor of X minutes per search will those body-cavity searches cause me to miss my Haiti flight? Hmm...

Should I "recycle" drugs for Haiti? Or is it ethically wrong to dump them on a people who have no choice? Share in the comments section - and tune in for the next in the series to get details about the Haiti trip - what will I panic about next? What DO they advise you to bring to a disaster? Keep up on the Haiti trip and the latest health issues in the news by signing up for a Doc Gurley RSS feed by clicking here. Look for future pics and other articles at Doc Gurley! Also check out Doc Gurley's joyhabit and iwellth twitter feeds - so you can get topic-specific fun, effective, affordable tips on how to nurture your joy and grow your wellth this coming year.

Megan A. Fox on Rush Limbaugh Haiti tampons comment

Since his insensitive comments on Haiti, including his blast on "April" a female caller who he told to take the tampon out of his ears, Rush Limbaugh has gained a firestorm of criticism and has been silent for a week (that is, no blasts). The Daily Beast commenters were all over Rush.

Amanda Terkel took up the Rush Limbaugh blast at Think Progress. Reid Report wondered what was wrong with Rush Limbaugh.

At Zennie62.com, we wondered what Megan Fox would say about Rush Limbaugh's comments. To that end, Megan Avalon and this blogger came up with Megan A. Fox, a mix of a female bodybuilder and Megan Fox, who's middle name starts with a "D" and not an "A", but we're calling our hero Megan A. Fox.

Megan's a composite of the angry comments and emails and videos I've gotten from viewers, like this one sent to Zennie62 from a woman who actually put tampons in her ears!:




Megan A. Fox got rather heated about Rush Limbaugh's comments and took it out on the host, but given what Rush Limbaugh said, that's OK. Rush Limbaugh really should apologize for what he said as it offended women and good people everywhere. Of course, since that's one of the many ugly ways Rush Limbaugh justifies his $400 million contract, Megan A. Fox and others aren't holding their breath.

Stay tuned.

Apple iPad tablet called iTampon on Twitter; women tweet

The Apple iPad was introduced today at a presentation by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, and with a cost below $600, the iPad price is sure to move inventory. While the iPad's 9.7 inch ips display is certainly bright, and the iPad specs are attractive to all but video-bloggers, the one problem is a glaring one: it's name. The Apple iPad tablet is called "iTampon" on Twitter.

The name "Apple iPad" name was around even before today's announcement of the Apple iPad. In 2006, Mad TV created a satirical skit around the then-new iPhone, calling it "iPad" and advancing it as a clear replacement for the 'common tampon'.

Apparently that idea was fresh in the mind of women this week, because when the Apple Tablet's name was introduced as "iPad", almost immediate references to tampons sprouted up all over the Internet, especially on Twitter where the iPad has become the butt of tweet jokes calling it iTampon:

ChelleC79 RT @helenrazer: Can your docking bay accommodate an iPad, ladies? #iTampon #Apple
less than 10 seconds ago from Seesmic

michelleleung @sunvictoria oh look, itampon is actually a trending topic. lulz
less than 20 seconds ago from Digsby

xhelloxgoodbyex RT @DazzlinSN: itampon? really... did everyone on twitter take an immature pill this morning? such B.S.

Linda_Lum RT @WewillroastU: Steve, I'ma let you finish, but Moses had the greatest tablet announcement of all time #iPad #Apple #iTampon

Guroftw RT @bmxr761: Haha the iTampon trend is more popular then the iPad
less than 20 seconds ago from web

xddlovatoo Wtf is an itampon is that like a computer tampon? Eww maybe nerds could use them xD
half a minute ago from UberTwitter

cassiet1123 iPad = Fail. #iTampon
half a minute ago from web

fiosalvo Just in case you haven't already noticed, just wanted to point out that #iTampon is the top trending topic in the US haha
half a minute ago from web

And the vast majority of tweets referencing the iTampon are issued or retweeted by women. And adding Apple's self-inflicted insult to that injury is the Apple iPad video itself, presented by three white male Apple senior level employees and including no women, and one very provocative segment where a man is using the iPad, where it's placed between his legs and at his crouch, and the woman points to a feature on the iPad right near his crouch.

All of this leads women to wonder, as Boo Jarchow did at Shewired.com, if Apple Computer has any women in its marketing department. Well, the head of Apple Marketing is Phil Schiller, who's featured in Apple's iPad video, and there's no indication of a powerful female voice or staff in Apple's Marketing department.

Equally disturbing is the almost total lack of concern for the name of the device among the ranks of male bloggers and vloggers. Again, women are leading the charge here like Ann Althouse:

When you make something light, you should think about how important the product will be to women, who are touchy about carrying things. Anyway, for our light days, we have iPhones. For our heavy days, we have the iPad? The iMaxiPad? Come on, guys!

With all the attention Apple's getting from the name, and given Internet marketing tricks like the one used around Emma Watson's missing leg a while back, it's possible this was a deliberate trick.  If so, it was a very nasty one and could work against Apple's to-this-day all-accepting cultural image.

Stay tuned.

NY Newsday's pay for news fails: draws 35 people in 3 months

The idea of paysites - where subscribers has been touted as the model that would save Old Media. A recent study claimed that news consumers would spend $500 per year for online news. Tell that to New York Newsday.

Placed behind a pay wall last fall, New York Newsday.com only attracted 35 people at $5 per person. The reason for this awful performance, according to Newsday, is that the website's offered for free to "Millions of Cablevision customers in the New York tri-state area and 75 percent of Long Island households, including all Newsday home delivery subscribers, now have exclusive access to newsday.com at no additional charge," Newsday said in a statement reported at Paid Content.

Watching the listed reasons why Newsday got only 35 people in three months is totally funny, and shows to what lengths people will go to protect a dumb idea. All of the points made miss a common fact of Internet life: people pay to be entertained, not informed. It's easy to click from one site to the other to get what the user considers is the same information. A report on the Iranian resistance in the New York Times is hampered by the free, and real-time reporting that Twitter offers.

Moreover, the next Twitter-level-impact social network is just around the corner. And that proves why the news organizations just don't get what's happening. Media is in a constant state of flux; to spend millions of dollars on new sites without some understanding of how technological change will impact them is a waste of money.

Pay walls do not work for news. But it will take more and more news organizations spending millions on new websites with pay walls that do not attract enough subscribers to pay for the site before they get it. By then it may be too late.

Stay tuned.

Obama State of The Union Address: Obama need to reclaim his course

The Obama State of The Union Address is tonight, and presents what could be the beginning of the end of his problems depending on his course of action. President Barack Obama, normally politically brilliant, has made a critical intellectual error in the decision to place a freeze on discretionary spending for three years.

It's a proposal President Obama claims will save $250 billion. The problem with his proposal is its timing; there's no evidence that the freeze is needed now. While U.S. debt level is high at 11.4 trillion, the country's debt load capacity is by no means threatened. The need is to increase economic production, thus lowering the percentage of Gross Domestic Product that is the U.S. Debt.

That's the objective missing in the Congressional Budget Office's irresponsible debt statement today.  Irresponsible because it failed to discuss the need to grow the economy to reduce the debt.

What President Obama and his economic team needs is a refresher course in basic economics. Aggregate Demand (AD) is Consumption plus Business Investment, plus Government Spending, minus Imports, plus Exports. Right now, Consumption, Business Investment, and Exports are all lower than they were even three years ago; so low the overall economy contracted where GDP was less than that three years before, thus the recession. The need is to rapidly increase AD and the only way to do that is via Government Spending.

The problem is that the Economic Stimulus Package was not large enough; it should have been $2 trillion in size. It is focused too much on maintaining the social safety net and helping local government infrastructure. But the vast majority of America's economy is based on small service businesses. We now have the cottage-industry economy futurists like Daniel Bell predicted decades ago in The Coming of Post-Industrial Society.

In a 21st Century America where technical jobs and services have been creamed by the credit-crunch, the Obama path ignores the post-industrial sector purely in favor of construction. Even as roads and bridges are built, the small business service sector goes without assistance. The idea was for service firms to be helped by spending in infrastructure, but that trickle-down concept does not have the same wide-spread impact as in saving an auto plant or General Motors.

The Economic Stimulus package is missing direct subsidies for firms that make products in the United States, and a basic "tax-payer bailout" of $5,000 for every American taxpayer below $100,000 in income. That amount, even if some use it to pay off credit card debt, will result in improved credit ratings.

The President could issue a controversial executive order establishing credit card rate controls. The end result would be a dramatic spending spur that would save jobs, create new ones, and fuel business development investment. The consumer is key but needs Government's help to be effective.

Somewhere in the course of the first year of his first term, President Obama got bad advise, probably from Larry Summers, who has no business being the head of Obama's Economic Team. Larry Summers and U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geitner should be fired and replaced by Princeton Economist Paul Krugman and TIAA-CREF CEO Roger Ferguson, respectively.

It's time for Obama to right his ship and get back on course. The President will not do it with the State of The Union Address, but he can do it before the year is over.

Stay tuned.

City of Oakland stupidity: parking meters cost more than revenue gain

In this dramatic example of City of Oakland fiscal stupidity: the proposed 250 parking meter locations for new meters will cost more to install than the $146,000 revenue gain expected.

The previous Oakland Parking blog post on this focused on this email sent out by Oakland Councilmember Nancy Nadel's (District 3 - downtown Oakland, West Oakland) Office:

From: Todd, Amber On Behalf Of City Administrator's Office
Subject: RE: Locating additional parking meters per Council direction on
October 6, 2009

Dear Council Members:

To realize $146,000 in additional revenue in FY 2009-10, the Oakland
City Council directed staff at the October 6, 2009 meeting to identify
250 possible locations to install additional parking meters. Staff in
Parking Administration and Public Works worked together and produced the
attached list which suggests possible locations where additional meters
could be installed. To give flexibility in generating revenue, the
attached list contains 470 possible locations for additional meters.

Staff plans to return to the Finance and Management Committee in
February to obtain approval for installing additional meters. During
the month of January, Parking Administration and Public Works staff
would like to work with members of your staff to reach out to and seek
feedback from potentially impacted merchants and other stakeholders.
Parking staff will contact members of your staff this week to discuss
the development and implementation of outreach efforts related to
installing additional parking meters.

Should you have any questions, you may contact Tom DiSanto in Parking
Administration at 986-2687.

Sincerely,

City Administrator's Office

At the same Oakland City Council meeting of October 6, Councilmember Desley Brooks asked for an estimate of the cost to install parking meters; she did not receive an answer to her question that night.

Here's the answer:

In 2007 the City of Oakland arranged $4.8 million in financing to purchase 500 parking meters. At $4.8 million, it costs $2.4 million to install 250 new parking meters. That means the City of Oakland will spend $2.4 million just to raise $146,000.

That's stupid.  There's no other kinder word for this, and its time for tough, no-holds-barred talk here.  If the City has $2.4 million to spend, that means it does need to raise $146,000, it just needs to reassign the $2.4 million in spending.   What's going on in Oakland City Hall?

Stay tuned.

City of Oakland Parking Issue: Oakland wants more parking meters

The City of Oakland's desire to earn more revenue on the backs of Oakland's poor continues. This email, sent out by Oakland Councilmember Nancy Nadel's Office, reveals the first hand insensitivity of the City of Oakland during what many are still calling an economic recession and in a city with 17 percent unemployment and even more not working or underemployed. 

Oakland City Council squeezes Oakland

The email below calls for locating additional parking meters "as Per Council Direction" on October 6, 2009. This is in reverse of the desires of Oaklanders for fewer parking meters.


Parking meters call for the same kind of draconian ticketing and enforcement practices that have overloaded Oaklanders with parking tickets and resulted in the towing of cars after five tickets were accumulated. Here's the email that shows the City of Oakland's irresponsiblity toward Oaklanders, and why the Oakland City Council should reconsider its policies or risk losing office, one-by-one, when each councilmembers reelection time comes up.

From: Todd, Amber On Behalf Of City Administrator'
s Office
Subject: RE: Locating additional parking meters per Council direction on
October 6, 2009

Dear Council Members:

To realize $146,000 in additional revenue in FY 2009-10, the Oakland
City Council directed staff at the October 6, 2009 meeting to identify
250 possible locations to install additional parking meters. Staff in
Parking Administration and Public Works worked together and produced the
attached list which suggests possible locations where additional meters
could be installed. To give flexibility in generating revenue, the
attached list contains 470 possible locations for additional meters.

Staff plans to return to the Finance and Management Committee in
February to obtain approval for installing additional meters. During
the month of January, Parking Administration and Public Works staff
would like to work with members of your staff to reach out to and seek
feedback from potentially impacted merchants and other stakeholders.
Parking staff will contact members of your staff this week to discuss
the development and implementation of outreach efforts related to
installing additional parking meters.

Should you have any questions, you may contact Tom DiSanto in Parking
Administration at 986-2687.

Sincerely,

City Administrator's Office

Note the email does not consider Oaklanders, and impacted merchants don't want the meters either. As this blogger calmly told one Oakland Councilmember after that person yelled in my ear, there are other ways to raise $146,000, but on the other hand, the City Council will have to do what President Obama's doing, and ordering a spending freeze where possible. That should include a reduction in salaries.

It's about time the City of Oakland adjust to economic realities and stop trying to act like some thuggish gangster, throwing a fiscal choke-chain around Oaklanders, shaking them down and forcing them to cough up money they don't have.

Stay tuned.

Haiti Earthquake update: the human trafficking problem

In this Haiti Earthquake update: the human trafficking problem. As Haiti works to recover from the 7.0 Earthquake an the estimated 50 aftershocks (many over 5 on the Richter Scale), another problem has surfaced: fears of human trafficking.

"Human Trafficking" is the inhumane process of kidnapping primarily women and children for the sex trade, "forced" marriages, or bonded labor markets like domestic servitude, sweat shops, and agricultural plantations. Since the Haiti Earthquake, UNICEF has reported incidents of child trafficking in the wake of the thousands of newly orphaned kids after the Haiti Earthquake.

Human trafficking was a problem even before the Haiti Earthquake. With an 80 percent poverty rate in Haiti, a poor family sending or "trafficking" its children to wealthier families was common. With the new family the child would live often in substandard, unsupervised or policed abusive conditions.

Now, with escaped Haitian prisoners (because of the quake), little security infrastructure relative to the population, and again a large number of unaccounted for, but living minors, the fear and reports of allegations of child trafficking are on the rise.

UNICEF is not the only organization or person complaining about the poor state of security for kids in Haiti. On CNN's Larry King Live, Anderson Cooper reported from Haiti, explaining that many kids are in what he calls "ad hoc" groups, with little or no established organizational oversight. That has led to the kind of reported activity that was the basis of UNICEF's to this writing unsubstantiated charges.

I called and emailed UNICEF Communications Representative Alissa Pinck in the hope that more light could be shed on this problem. The question is, does UNICEF know who was doing the alleged trafficking and were they brought to justice? It's reported that 15 children were unaccounted for as of this writing in Haiti hospitals. But if those children belonged to wayward parents who survived the Haiti Earthquake, is it possible their parents may have simply arrived to get them?

With all of the uncertainty and chaos, it's hard to tell which end is up with this terrible issue in Haiti. But given Haiti's past, human and child trafficking is likely to remain a problem unless international forces step in.

Stay tuned.

R.T. Rybak: How money warps politics, and campaigns.

In the wake of the Supreme Court decision freeing up corporations to spend freely on political advertising campaigns one can only imagine the slander, innuendo, and deliberate misinformation will be getting worse -- more diverse and numerous -- right through Election Day in November. In Minnesota, it's already begun as a shadowy smear campaign evidently intended to convince Minnesotans to stay home on caucus night, February 2, 2010 -- especially if they’re thinking of supporting Minneapolis Mayor Raymond "R.T." Rybak in his bid to secure the party endorsement to run for Governor of Minnesota in November.

The facts are chasing the lies in Minnesota, and nobody's quite certain who paid to send the misinformation - yet.

In brief: For years Minneapolis taxpayers had been overcharged by two pension funds that have been closed to new members for almost 30 years. No police officer or firefighter hired since 1980 draws any benefit from these funds — but all Minneapolis taxpayers contribute to it.

Follow the money

Mayor Rybak and other city leaders stepped up to put a stop to the overcharging by the pension funds after the State Auditor alerted them to the problem. They approached the fund managers and the MN Legislature, but ended up taking the pension funds to court — and they won.

One can only infer that high-priced lawyers and lobbyists who represent those who've been overcharging Minneapolis taxpayers are smear-mongering to get revenge for the money they lost.

To read more, and get links to Star-Tribune investigative reports, visit: Rybak Targeted for Recovering Taxpayer Money!

And remember, it's all about following the money.

Nancy Kerrigan's father dies, brother held on bail - by Cat

Nancy Kerrigan is in the middle of devastating family issues. Although there are conflicting reports, authorities say there was a violent struggle at her home which resulted in Daniel Kerrigan, Nancy's father,  dead and her brother, Mark Kerrigan, arrested. 

What is known for a fact is that family members reported a large dispute on Sunday between father and son resulting in Daniel having "a massive heart attack." There is uncertainty as to whether or not the argument had anything to do with his death. There are conflicting reports.

Police said that Mark Kerrigan appeared intoxicated and belligerent upon arrest. Mark Kerrigan is being held on $10,000 bail.

Stay tuned.

posted by Cat of someredcat.tumblr.com

The Hurt Locker wins Producers Guild Best Picture Award - Oscar Buzz

The widely celebrated movie The Hurt Locker won the Producers Guild "The Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures" Award on .

The Hurt Locker, directed by Katheryn Bigelow and about a risk-taking bomb disposal group during the Irag War , beat Avatar, District 9, An Education, Inglourious Basterds, Invictus, Precious, Star Trek, Up, and Up In The Air for the Producers Guild award. All of these movies are considered as possible Best Picture nominees for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards.

Oscar Nominations are scheduled for Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 5:30 a.m. And this blogger will continue to mention that the Oscar Press Credential process needs a metric system to be considered fair, measuring web traffic, TV ratings (where applicable), subscription reach, and views.

As I state in my video below, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a non-profit organization. A firm that gets government help, and invites bloggers to apply for a press credential, should have a more "name blind" system of press credential submissions. The criteria should be media "reach".



Stay tuned.

Craigslist Founder on media, Obama, and Google Nexus One

On Friday, Craigslist Founder and SFGate.com blogger Craig Newmark was kind enough to open his cool Cole Valley, San Francisco home to me for a vlog interview on the future of media. This is the second "City Brights" video interview I've conducted; the first one was with Doc Jan Gurley, or "Doc Gurley."

For those of you who don't know Craig Newmark, he's a San Franciscan who 15-years ago started what was to be a simple website to help friends make connections with services, resources, and each other. It grew to a 500-city website system of which while he's the founder, is no longer the owner. By agreement, we did not talk about Craigslist business.

The talk with Craig (which was impacted by network problems that were vexing Craig when I arrived) really turned from a look at the future of media, to focus on a lot of pressing media problems today, then on Obama and the Google Nexus One. But to be sure, many people have been talking about The Future of Media. Just a Google search of the term reveals a number of relevant results out of the 199 million recorded.

When I asked Craig Newmark why this was the case -- why the concern? Craig said "A lot of people do realize that a trustworthy and viable press that asks questions is vital to the survival of our country, however, there's more and more problems that come up."

Craig Newmark does not consider himself a media expert, but says that he talks to a lot of people in media and journalists and from his base as a customer service rep for the Craigslist site, he has a view "from the ground."

Craig says there's a great concern for accuracy and fact-checking in media today. Craig also reports that, "In a lot of publications, there's a tendency to make things up...Even TV network or two seeks to propagate that disinformation." What he's talking about has many examples, the latest being the rumored breakup of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, or the fake news death of Johnny Depp. In politics, the Right Wingnuts propagated the view that President Obama was Muslim and Fox News helped spread the idea.

This blogger thought the blogsphere was supposed to take care of correcting such information problems, but Craig correctly states that blogs also put out false information. The problem will persist until more media institutions do something about it.

With this, Craig's view of the future is optimistic because more and more people are working in what he calls "Networks of trust", doing fact-checking and news curation. Craig says that the main problem in media and journalism today is money; there' so much media that revenue does not flow to the newspapers of the past or present, leading to staff budget cuts and in some cases closures of entire publications, like The Rocky Mountain News, or Editor and Publisher.

Craig says there are a number of new media business models unfolding that are interesting, most notably the new non-profit initiative funded with $5 million from San Francisco financier Warren Hellman, called the Bay Area News Project. The BANP - which came under fire from local traditional journalists because they see it as taking jobs away from them - just hired Lisa Frazier as its CEO, and new Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Weber; Frazier will reportedly earn $400,000 per year.

Nice for a non-profit.

At any rate, Craig looks favorably on the BANP effort, which will supply Bay Area stories to the New York Times. Newmark sees the New York Times as a bastion of media accuracy, which I disagree with, but this space is not the place for that. He points to the NY Times as one publication that focuses more on important stories than others, and derides the habit of reporting "non-important" stories over stories of importance.

I asked Craig about this because as a person who earns a living via the development of media traffic I will post a celebrity blog entry over a political blog entry because it's clicked on more. That's just human nature. Craig says that's OK as long as important stories are mixed in. "People need to make money," he says. But regardless of the type of story, he wants to see more accurate blogs and news sites.

Craig recommends a good 30-second Google "sanity check" to make sure a story is accurate, and avoiding putting someone on as a news guest or source who's intentionally putting out a false story. Now with all of this, you may think Craig doesn't like TMZ.com, the "Three-Mile-Zone" celebrity news site with the habit of breaking big entertainment-related stories and getting news that other publications wish they could have. Craig appreciates what TMZ has done, he just hasn't got around to reading it. "My focus is elsewhere, and I need a break."

On Barack Obama and the media

We turned to how the media has covered President Barack Obama. Both Craig and I were among the first to support then-Senator Barack Obama (for me, December of 2006), for President. Craig is saddened by what he sees as the media covering the "sensational" aspects of Obama's presidency, but not the substance of what Obama is doing or has done. "Most of the media has badly or unfairly covered Obama," Craig observes.

Craig calls for bloggers to promote the truth about Obama, and on matters of how Obama has insisted on accountability and transparency in government "There's been a lot more accomplished in the first year (of Obama's Presidency), than the last eight (under George W. Bush)."

On Craigslist and society

From his ground level view at Craigslist, Craig see a "benevolent" society. "The big change I think I've seen," Craig says, "is that using the net people see that they can help each other out, and its easy to do."

Google Nexus One vs. iPhone

Craig Newmark is testing the Google Nexus One against the iPhone, and had both out for view in the video. "Right now, I think I'm heading, I think, towards the Nexus. The iPhone is a great phone, but right now it's on AT&T. There a few year behind where they need to be in in terms of networks...I may wind up with an Android phone on the Verizon network. I like the Nexus. As soon as I can figure out Google Voice, I can network all of my phones and make my life a little easier."

The 25-minute video features a deeper conversation on governance and technology, which I will post later this week. But Craig has also agreed to do another video talk so we can better flesh out many of the topics we touched on today.

Stay tuned.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie split news called false

The Internet was inundated with rumors that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were breaking up or had already split and were filing for divorce.

One blogger claimed to have been "vindicated" by the news from a UK publication, because he claimed Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie broke up last April.

The news originally came late Saturday night, from a British news website called News Of The World which reported a $205 million divorce settlement as in the works. But today, that news was declared false by People Magazine and TMZ.com.

TMZ:

There's a report out that Brad and Angie are calling it quits. One source -- who should know -- says, "It's B.S."

The news by News Of The World was detailed and claimed that a divorce agreement was finalized.

The reason for the constant rumors of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's splitting up is that the two have heavy schedules that keep them on the road and apart. People Magazine reports that while Brad Pitt was in LA for the Hope for Haiti Telethon, Angelina Jolie was in New York city for a Vanity Fair photo shoot.

Oakland News: Glenview Neighborhood gets new website

Over at Zennie62.com, Patsy Eagan announced that there's a new website especially for the Glenview Neighborhood in Oakland. The rest of this blog post is her presentation of the website GlenviewNeighbors.com:

(Glenview street banners, courtesy of Maja Brugos Design: www.brugosdesign.com)

Yesterday's clouds dumped another inch of rain onto Oakland. More t-storms may be in the stars for the Bay today, with more precip. into next week.

Some of the banners along Park Boulevard have buckled in the harsh weather, flapping in the high winds and in some places, coming loose from their streetlight mounts. Below them runs the garden median; the city nearly shut off its drip water system last year due to budget cuts. Today it's soaked. Water brims, then runs down the Glenview slope and into the sea.

Next spring, the Glenview Neighborhood Association (GNA) plans to host a gardening party on the median. But while winter still reigns in Oakland, they've been busy with a little virtual refurbishment.

Yesterday the GNA launched a new Web site, and invite you to tour their virtual home today: GlenviewNeighbors.com.

Visit your GlenviewNeighbors online and consider making a donation. Your membeship will go to feed the plants on the median; they will fund online projects with the neighborhood youth. It could also purchase new flags for the Glenview—a nice distraction from the potholes on Park.

Saints v. Vikings: NFC Championship game a shootout

Saints v. Vikings UPDATE:

The Saints v. Vikings game is underway. The Minnesota Vikings shocked the New Orleans Saints by using a masterful short passing game featuring QB Brett Favre. They drove 80 yards in 10 plays, ending the drive with Adrian Peterson's 19 yard run.

Then the Saints answered back on their first drive: a mix of no-huddle, play action, screens, and quick throws. Pierre Thomas scored on a 38-yard screen, and we have a shootout: Saints 7, Vikings 7.

Stay tuned.

The Game Preview:

The 2010 NFC Championship Game is the Saints v. Viking on Sunday. The Minnesota Vikings visit the New Orleans Saints in this battle to determine which team will represent the NFL's National Football Conference in the Super Bowl in Miami. The game will be a battle of quarterbacks: The Vikings' Brett Favre v. The Saints' Drew Brees.

Brett Favre is coming off what many are saying is the best year in his history. Brett Favre's thrown 4,202 yards, 33 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions. Drew Brees has thrown for 4,388 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Both offenses are potent, but the Saint's Offense is the league's 3rd best; the Vikings have the league's 2nd best defense.

The Saints Offense is indeed potent, but the key is not just in Drew Brees' passing, but the game planning and play calling of Head Coach Sean Payton. Coach Payton has not only developed an offense that consists of a plays that he uses as tools to attack a defense' weaknesses in formation structure, he and his staff do a great job of changing their game plan to adjust to a defenses approach.

The Saints did this in their game against The Dallas Cowboys in 2009, when, down 24 to 7 in the third quarter, the Saints went to a hybrid four-receiver set to march back, only to lose 24 to 7. The the one factor of that contest which also works in the Vikings favor is the rush of the Cowboys' front four when they used a four-man rush, which harassed and hurried Brees all evening long.

The Vikings led the NFL in sacks with 48, and have a defensive line paced by Defensive End Jarod Allen, which is every bit as physical as that of the Cowboys. Look for the Saints to use more play-action against the Vikings, but if the Vikings scout well and pass rush and blitz when the Saints line up in single back sets, it could be a long day for Drew Brees.

The Vikings Offense consist of Favre, second-year Runing Back Adrian Peterson, and a set of excellent wide receivers paced by Sidney Rice (with 1,312 yards on 83 catches, and 8 touchdowns). But Percy Harvin, who was not expected to play, practiced with the team Saturday. Harvin has 790 yards on six touchdowns and 60 receptions. Percy Harvin is the Vikings weapon, used in reverses, and even as a running back.

Adrian Peterson is incomparable. He's good for 4.4 yard a carry, has 1,383 yards and 18 touchdowns. But Adrian Peterson hasn't had a breakout 100-yard game since earlier this year when he went crazy against the Cleveland Browns. Adrian Peterson is the key in this entire game; if the Saints can't stop him, they'll lose.

The other factor here is the emerging talent that is the Saints' Reggie Bush. The man who should have been drafted by the Houston Texans in 2006, is finally seeing the field and as a result has become a better running back. His pair of long-distance touchdown runs against the Arizona Cardinals helped them when their NFC Divisional Playoff game 45 to 14.

But that was against Arizona. The Vikings have a better defense. The one question is their ability to craft an offensive game plan that takes the pressure off Brett Favre and keeps the Saints Offense off the field. The key is Adrian Peterson. The Saints' Defense is ranked 25th in the NFL and has given up 400 yards in six games this season.

The other key is the desire of New Orleans itself to escape the shadow of Katrina. That's hard to quantify.

Score: Vikings 24, Saints 21, OT.

Colts 30 Jets 17: Colts AFC Champions, wait for Saints, Vikings

Colts 30 Jets 17. The Indianapolis Colts (15-2) are AFC Champions, having beat the New York Jets and now wait for the winner of the Saints - Vikings game as their challengers in Super Bowl XLIV in Miami.

The way the Colts earned their second trip to the Super Bowl in three years was with a strong defense to go with their quick-strike offense, as they marched back from 11 points down in the first half of the game. The Colts held the NY Jets , the NFL rushing leader, to an average of under three yards per carry.

But it was a story of Quarterback Peyton Manning.

After solving the riddle of the Jets overload blitz by using "three-and-one formations" and taking advantage of key Jets defensive losses, the Colts' Manning threw for 377 yards, and was 26 for 39 and three touchdowns for a passer rating of 123.55. The key was his rookie receivers: Pierre Garcon and Austin Colley. They combined for 274 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

As successful as the Colts were, it didn't start out well. The NY Jets came out to a 17-6 lead with a mix of power running and play-action passing. Mark Sanchez didn't look like the rookie he was here at the 2009 NFL Draft:



His success is a tribute not just to his New York Jets coaches, but to former-USC Coach Pete Carroll and his staff where Sanchez was signal-caller in college. Sanchez was well-prepared for the systems and speed of the NFL. Sanchez' advance to the AFC Championship game as a rookie will not be the rare happening it has been in the past.

But that will come in the future. Today is the Colts day. More on how the Colts did it later.

Johnny Depp on Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

While the "Johnny Depp dead" (or "RIP Johnny Depp", "Johnny Depp died") hoax is still flying around the Internet, Johnny Depp himself, found by Crispin Glover to be in France, has issued his thoughts on the hyper-celebrity life of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Johnny Depp

Once the favorite to win Oscar Best Actor for Public Enemies, Johnny Depp hates the spotlight. He hates it so much so that he lives on a private island with his partner Vanessa Paradis, and their children ten-year-old Lily-Rose, and seven year old Jack. He loves being an actor, but hates being a celebrity. (And with a reported $30 million take from Pirates 4, Johnny Depp can afford the island.)

According to Hollyscop.com Johnny Depp said:

“I don’t leave the house anymore. If it isn’t necessary I don’t go anywhere. I stay at home. I’m adamant when it comes to that. I will never get used to it. If you do, you must be insane.

"I’m thankful for everything, but there’s a limit to what a person can endure. I don’t know how Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie can bear that kind of life, because personally it’s an issue for me.”

He adds, “Because I never leave the house I live outside society. But I’m a witness of my children’s lives. I see how they’re doing at school and how they treat their friends. My kids are a lot smarter than me. When I watch them I learn a lot. I don’t think there’s anything they could learn from me.”

In related news, Johnny Depp is set to film The Tourist with Angelina Jolie.  According to PopEater, the script calls for the two to be in a "steamy sex scene."

Stay tuned.

Johnny Depp died in car crash? NO Depp's in France

Johnny Depp died in car crash? The Internet is, once again, swirling with the kind of false information that drives Craigslist Founder Craig Newmark nuts. In this video interview, Craig Newmark talked about the false information that's consistently issued. This story of "Johnny Depp, died in car crash" is a good example.

Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter in Alice and Wonderland

This started on Twitter and as of this writing continues with the hashtag "RIP Johnny Depp", but the vast majority of tweets report that the story is a hoax. But even with that, a website URL www.angelfire.com has a fake CNN webpage that reports Johnny Depp died in a car crash in...2004.

This is a terrible hoax on Johnny Depp and CNN. Johnny Depp was very much alive and about to film Pirates of The Caribbean Dead Man's Chest, which was released in 2006. Angelfire is a web hosting service. It's hard to tell just who made the fake CNN page, which is so detailed that if you click on the CNN logo, it takes you to the CNN home page, just as a regular CNN webpage would do.

But the question is who and why?

Regardless, Crispin Glover reportedly ended the talk by calling Johnny Depp via cell. Depp responded: Nope. In France, according to NBC Chicago's Courtney Hazlett, who issued the news last Monday.

Stay tuned.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie split news not new

The rumors that super celeb couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are getting a divorce are not new; In April of 2009, Blogger Ian Halperin reported that Brad and Angelina split and were trying to work out custody of their children, according to ShowBiz Spy:

Brad has told pals that he “can’t take Angie’s volatile temper anymore” and recently met up with ex-wife Jennifer Aniston to seek advice...According to blogger Ian Halperin, a vicious custody battle has started, with Jolie seeking full custody of all the couple’s children — adopted kids Maddox, Pax, and Zahara; and biological children Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne.. The Changeling actress has apparently hired a top lawyer and plans to seek a restraining order against Pitt until the case is resolved.

“At one point she was considering moving to Washington but in the past few days she’s changed her mind. She thinks Brads become an old coot.

At his blog, Halperin says he was roundly criticized for the blog post, which he removed, but now he says he's vindicated.

Stay tuned.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie break up rumors swirl

The rumors are all over that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie will break up. The basis for them is an "exclusive" report by the Sunday, January 24th UK publication called News of The World. It claims that "Bradgelina" have hired divorce lawyers to split their $205 million wealth.

 

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, actor and actress, have been a Hollywood gossip stable as publications have hired paparazzi to follow their every move, paying as much as $1 million for a photo. As their fame has grown, the couple have taken on various charitable causes, from famine relief to the rebuilding of New Orleans. In all of this, there was no outward sign of marital trouble. The grew a family of six kids and settled in New Orleans. After Katrina, Brad Pitt started a rebuilding effort. Eventually, Brad Pitt was honored for his work in New Orleans:



Meanwhile, Angelina Jolie has traveled around the World for the past eight years as the Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency. Here she talks about her experiences, particularly in Darfur.



The details of their rumored breakup aside, it will be a shame to see them not working together on their projects. But perhaps they're so busy saving the World, they forgot to save their relationship. That's only if this rumor is true. What is true, is that Pitt was seen backstage at the Hope for Haiti benefit without Angelina Jolie. However, his ex-wife Jennifer Anniston was there, but not with Pitt.

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston were married for four years until their breakup in 2005. Pitt left Jennifer Anniston for Angelina Jolie.   Jolie was married to Jonny Lee Miller and then Billy Bob Thornton before Brad Pitt.

Stay tuned.

Oakland's Lake Chalet reviewed by NY Times

In what's supposed to be a restaurant review, but comes off as more of a general commentary, the New York Times reviewed my favorite Oakland Restaurant, Lake Chalet. (As a note, Lake Chalet was where I had the Oakland YouTube Meetup and I've served as spokesperson which started because I just plain love the place.)

I had to read the review in an effort to get out of my Oscar funk in the wake of the very weird treatment by their communications staff, but I digress. I don't understand what the reviewer means by "inconsistent menu" because the food's quite the same and I might add the menu's new. They changed it about a month ago. The new Half Chicken is fantastic.

What I'm wanting and waiting for is the Zennie62 Burger. It's my dream burger and would consist of:

1 lb. ground italian sausage
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper
sliced mushrooms, drained
sloppy joe and salsa sauce
kaiser rolls, toasted
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese

Then...

In a large skillet saute sausage and onion, and bell peppers, then drain.
Then stir in mushrooms and special sloppy joe and salsa sauce
Heat until almost hot
Place mixture on rolls and top each with 1/4 cup cheese

That's the Zennie62 Burger! Great with a glass of Merlot!

Jeff Bridges wins SAG Best Actor Award for Crazy Heart

Jeff Bridges just won the SAG Best Actor Award for Crazy Heart. It's his first SAG Award. He took the stage to accept his award to a standing ovation. And is now congratulating the actors he competed against, including "My buddy George (Clooney)." Jeff Bridges mentioned his co-workers, his teachers in life, and his wife Sue. "Thank you guys!" Bridges said. "I love playing with you!'

Here's a scene with Jeff Bridges from Crazy Heart:



Stay tuned.