Thursday, July 31, 2008

World News Updates


Thursday July 31, 2008
http://www.thebereanchronicles.com/

VIDEO - Is Obama eligible to run for President or really African-American? (Part 1/5)
Here are some key questions the American voters need answers to. We call on the media and perhaps even the Justice Department (for Q#2) to get to the bottom of these questions:............

Blackwater protected Barack Obama in Afghanistan
During the Democratic primary battle, blasting the private security firm Blackwater USA as a bunch of unaccountable trigger-happy mercenaries was an easy crowd pleaser - particularly after the September 2006 Nisoor Square incident and a subsequent congressional report that stated the company's use of force was "frequent and extensive".

VIDEO - Classified US Military Documents Found on Sale in Pakistani Street Market
"I don't know where this stuff comes from. We don't ask."

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

World News Updates


Wednesday July 30, 2008
http://www.thebereanchronicles.com/

W trailer leaks: Film follows Bush from drunkard to president
A leaked trailer for Oliver Stone's new biopic W suggests the film will focus on George W. Bush's transition from youthful drunken lout to President of the United States with one question in mind: Just how did this happen?

After raid, Iowa town deals with Somali immigrants
Scores of Somali immigrants are taking jobs at the nation's largest kosher meatpacking plant, replacing Hispanic workers arrested in a huge immigration raid and forcing a remote Iowa town to make another cultural shift.

Audit questions millions in Blackwater US gov't contracts
A US federal audit says private security contractor Blackwater Worldwide and the company's affiliates may have misrepresented their size to win more than $100 million in government contracts set aside for small businesses.

5 more arrested from west Texas polygamist sect
The five men were indicted last week with Warren Jeffs, the already-jailed leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The charges stem from a state investigation into allegations that the sect forced underage girls into marriage and motherhood with much older men.

Food: Scientists want top security for GM crop tests
Trials of genetically modified crops should be conducted within a national high-security facility or in fields at secret locations across the country to prevent them from being attacked and destroyed by anti-GM activists, scientists said yesterday.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

World News Updates


Tuesday July 29, 2008
http://www.thebereanchronicles.com/

Obama-mania spreads to France as a row breaks out over publication of his private prayer
An Israeli newspaper is under fire after publishing a private prayer which Barack Obama left at Judaism's holiest site.

Man dead after shoot-out at Christian radio station
A man who had threatened a Christian radio station was shot and killed by police Friday after he fired at officers with a rifle and tried to run them over with his sport utility vehicle, authorities said.

State changes description of marriage amendment
When Californians get their ballot pamphlets in the mail, they'll see a new description of the proposed constitutional amendment to outlaw same-sex "marriage."

Tennessee man cites Unitarian Universalists' liberal values as reason for church shooting
The 58-year-old unemployed engineer accused in the Sunday morning attack at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, was driven to bloodshed in part by his "stated hatred for the liberal movement" as well as his hatred for gays, said Knoxville, Tennessee, police chief Sterling Owen. "We're certainly investigating it as a hate crime."

Also
Chief: Church gunman says he acted out of 'hatred for the liberal movement'
Police say a man opened fire at a Knoxville, Tenn., church yesterday because he couldn't find a job and "his stated hatred for the liberal movement."

Monday, July 28, 2008

World News Updates


Monday July 28, 2008
http://www.thebereanchronicles.com/

Russia Wields RICO Law Against U.S. Bank
Racketeering Law Applied In Moscow Court In $22.5B Lawsuit Against Bank Of New York Mellon Russian authorities are hoping to make legal history by applying an American racketeering law in a Moscow court as they seek to recover billions of dollars in damages from the Bank of New York Mellon.

NASA astronaut Edgar Mitchell claims alien contact cover-up
Former NASA astronaut and moon-walker Dr Edgar Mitchell - a veteran of the Apollo 14 mission - has stunningly claimed aliens exist.

Holy Moses! PBS documentary suggests Exodus not real
Abraham didn't exist? The Exodus didn't happen? The Bible's Buried Secrets, a new PBS documentary, is likely to cause a furor.

New Heroes Rule the Screen as Marvel Sits out Comic-Con
No one would have been surprised if anticipation for this year's Comic-Con were watered down a bit.

'Disaster' Looms Over 15 Million in Africa's Horn, WFP Warns
The World Food Program said $403 million is urgently needed to feed the hungry people in Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and Uganda until the end of the year, according to Agence France-Presse.

Belarus Fined Christian For Bible Study Group
A Christian in Belarus has been fined the equivalent of nine months minimum wage salary for attempting to organise an informal Bible study and discussion group, Christian rights investigators said Wednesday, July 23.

Televangelist's family prospers from ministry
Here in the gentle hills of north Texas, televangelist Kenneth Copeland has built a religious empire teaching that God wants his followers to prosper.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Google's Street Views

This is a Street View car which Google has been using to take 3D images of most but not all the streets in cities across the nation to show what the locations of a precise point on a Google Map will look like.


To capture these images, they have been driving a fleet of cars around the nation with a 3D camera on top and a GPS computer to plot what photo goes with which coordinate.

Below is a video clip showing how a Google Street View map works. Pretty interesting but quite invasive.

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Wednesday, July 23, 2008

World News Update



Wednesday July 23, 2008

Unstamped certificate suggests Obama may not be "natural born" US citizen
The "birth certificate" claimed by the Barack Obama campaign is not certified as authentic and appears to be a photoshopped fake.

Also
In Which Hospital was Obama Born? [UPDATE]
The Certification of Live Birth (COLB) proffered by Barack Obama may be a legitimate document issued by the State of Hawaii, although analysts such as Polarik aren’t convinced.

Also
Document forensics expert: Obama "birth certificate" a "horrible forgery"
Barack Obama may be on a world tour surrounded by a fawning media, but Sunday an expert in electronic document forensics released a detailed report on the purported birth certificate -- actually a "Certification of Live Birth" or COLB -- claimed as genuine by his campaign. The expert concludes with 100% certainty that it is a crudely forged fake: "a horribly forgery," according to the analysis published on the popular right-wing Atlas Shrugs blog.

Search for Alien Life Gains New Impetus
When Paul Butler began hunting for planets beyond our solar system, few people took him seriously, and some, he says, questioned his credentials as a scientist.

Discoveries Out There Require Preparation Right Here
Reports in 1996 that a meteorite from Mars that was found in Antarctica might contain fossilized remains of living organisms led then-Vice President Al Gore to convene a meeting of scientists, religious leaders and journalists to discuss the implications of a possible discovery of extraterrestrial life.

Messianic leaders say Hebrew tablet validates Jesus' claims
Israeli Jewish believers in Jesus say the recently publicized Hebrew tablet describing the death and resurrection of a messianic figure challenges centuries of teachings by rabbinic Judaism that the redemptive process of Jesus was a departure from biblical Jewish understanding, according to a story carried on www.israeltoday.co.il

Lawyers Charged With Offering $100k Hush Money to Teen Sexual Assault Victim
Two local attorneys are accused of trying to bribe a teenage girl with $100,000 to keep quiet after, she says, she was sexually assaulted by her boss.

Kucinich: impeachment will be heard Friday
A message from Congressman Dennis Kucinich. Will Congress listen? IMPEACH NOW! Bush is a Threat to Peace.

NY priest pleads guilty to raping 3 teenage boys
The Rev. Frank Genevieve avoided prison time as a Suffolk Superior Court judge sentenced him to a suspended sentence of eight to 10 years, with five years' probation.

Hype: The Obama Effect - HypeMovie.com - Citizens United
A movement is sweeping the nation. Frenzied crowds gather in every state. Young people chant and sing. Women swoon. The result is record voter turn out and a rare political enthusiasm. At the head of this unprecedented phenomenon stands a charismatic figure intent on becoming the President of the United States.

Muslim world's view of Obama
A conservative political pundit believes a controversial magazine cover depicting Democratic presidential Barack Obama as a Muslim has some truth.

CNN’s Latest ‘Black in America’
Special Examines Nation's State of Racial Progress – and Regress
When the producers at CNN began putting together its special “Black in America” series more than 18 months ago, Sen. Barack Obama was not yet considered a front-runner in the race for the Democratic nomination for president.

Group says it ordains 3 women Catholic priests
An activist group hoping to pressure the Roman Catholic church into dropping its long-standing prohibition barring women from the priesthood says it ordained three women on Sunday.

MA abortionist lets patient die during procedure
A Massachusetts grand jury has indicted a former abortionist on a charge of involuntary murder in connection with the death of 22-year-old Laura Smith.

More Methodists Support Clergy Performing Gay Weddings
More United Methodists are throwing their support behind clergy in California who want to perform same-sex "marriages" despite the denomination's stance that homosexual practice is "incompatible with Christian teaching."

“CHRISTIAN” GOSPEL ARTIST JOEL HEMPHILL: “JESUS IS NOT GOD.”
Joel Hemphill is a noted singer-songwriter, evangelist, musician, and author. He and his wife, LeBreeska, formed the Singing Hemphills in the mid 1960s, traveling the quartet circuit to much acclaim... The Hemphill patriarch has penned over 350 songs, many of which became Gospel Music classics...

Blackwater Plans Shift From Security Business
Blackwater Worldwide said Monday that it planned a shift away from the security contracting business that earned it millions of dollars and made it a flash point in the debate over the use of security contractors in war zones.

"When the President took office, gasoline cost less than $1.50 a gallon"

"Mr. Speaker, when the president took office, gasoline cost less than $1.50 a gallon and a barrel of oil was selling for $30..." Rep McDermott

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Tuesday, July 22, 2008

HAARP, Chemtrails, Weather Modification & Mind Control

Audio interview of Bill Gallagher

source

Here is the complete interview (1 hr 36 min)

source

Proverbs 16:4
The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Toll Lanes Coming?


800 miles of toll lanes on Highway 101, other Bay Area freeways proposed

By Denis Cuff Bay Area News Group
Article Launched: 07/22/2008 05:19:16 PM PDT
source


A Bay Area transportation commission is proposing the creation of a $3.7 billion, 800-mile-long network of mixed-use carpool and toll lanes on more than 12 freeways in a big new attempt to ease chronic traffic congestion.

Called High Occupancy Toll or HOT lanes because they are free to car poolers in rush hour and open to other vehicles for a toll, the network of express lanes would be developed over the next 25 years by a group county, regional and state transportation agencies.

The lanes would be established along much of Highway 101 on the Peninsula, Santa Clara County, and in parts of Marin and Sonoma counties. In the East Bay, the lanes would be along most of Interstates 680, 80 and 880, and Highway 4, and along much of I-580 in the Livermore Valley.

"We believe a network of HOT lanes across the region can reduce congestion, and speed up traffic flows," said John Goodwin, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which allocates state and federal transportation dollars in the Bay Area.

"There isn't room to build new freeways in the Bay Area, so you have to make them operate more efficiently to increase their capacity."

The commission is scheduled to take a early step to advance the plan Wednesday when it considers a 25-year Bay Area transit funding division plan. It allocates $6.1 billion of expected HOT lane toll revenues toward building and operating the express lane network, and to operating express buses in the lanes. Construction cost alone for the system is pegged at $3.7 billion

The network will help traffic movement in several ways, regional transit planners predict.

Existing car pool lanes would be open to solo drivers who pay an electronic toll through FasTrak or a similar system, which uses an electronic reader to link with transponders in motorists' cars,

Tolls — perhaps 20 cents to 60 cents per mile —would be variable, with the highest prices charged during the worst traffic congestion to prevent lanes from becoming clogged, planners say.

The drivers who pay tolls get to move into the faster lane, and that leaves fewer cars and less congestion in the regular freeway lanes. "We're making better use of the extra capacity of the lanes," Goodwin said.

The project would convert 500 miles of existing carpool lanes and would build new HOT lanes along 300 miles of freeway stretches where there is room to do so.

Traffic flows also will be helped because an express bus system would be funded with the anticipated profits from the tolls, said Amy Worth, an Orinda city councilwoman who serves on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

"The express buses are an important part of the plan," Worth said. "The buses will use the (express) lanes, getting more passengers out of their cars and off the freeways."

Many details of the HOT lane network have yet to be worked out, including the exact toll charges and the responsibility of different agencies in building and operating the system.

However, Goodwin said officials will get valuable experience when two HOT lanes open in late 2010 on I-680 along the Sunol Grade between Sunol and Fremont and along I-580 in Dublin.

"A lot about the network is theoretical, but we'll get real world experience fro the 580 and 680 lanes about the public demand, and how much toll revenues are generated."

At its meeting in Oakland Wednesday, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission will consider adopting a set of principles to guide the development of the proposed network of express lanes.

Under the statement, the network would involve cooperation between Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol, county congestion management agencies, and the Bay Area Toll Authority, the branch of the MTC that oversees bridge toll collections.

Also, toll profits generated within a travel corridor would be used on other measures to reduce traffic within that same area, the statement says.

Contact Denis Cuff at 925-943-8267 or dcuff@bayareanewsgroup.com.

World News Updates


Tuesday July 22, 2008
http://www.thebereanchronicles.com/

Mystery of 'vaccinated' chickens dying of bird flu
Chickens that are vaccinated against bird flu are supposed to be immune to the disease. But hundreds of chickens at a poultry farm in southern Vietnam have died of avian influenza - even though the farm owner had earlier reported that the birds were vaccinated against the disease, an official said yesterday.

'100 months to save the planet' A "Green New Deal" is needed to solve current problems of climate change, energy and finance, a report argues. According to the Green New Deal Group, humanity only has 100 months to prevent dangerous global warming.

Sex, blood and baby names: U.S. mad for free gas
Some U.S. motorists sick of getting clobbered at the pump seem willing to do just about anything for free fuel, from giving up the right to name their children to stealing from day-care centers to donating blood.

Dobson Shifts Positions, May Endorse McCain
Evangelical Leader Dobson Shifts Positions, May Endorse McCain Despite Misgivings
Conservative Christian leader James Dobson has softened his stance against Republican presidential hopeful John McCain, saying he could reverse his position and endorse the Arizona senator despite serious misgivings.

Clinton vows to fight "insulting" abortion plan
A Bush administration plan to define several widely used contraception methods as abortion is a "gratuitous, unnecessary insult" to women and faces tough opposition, Sen. Hillary Clinton said on Friday.

Reporter Arrested For Trying To Crash Bohemian Grove
Vanity Fair writer Alex Shoumatoff got himself arrested for crashing Bohemian Grove, a private men’s club in northern California for the upper echelon of the rich and powerful. He was there to spy on the three-week camp they hold every July, where said rich and powerful relax while living in tents in their private woods. (Nixon was a member, but called it “most faggy goddamn thing that you would ever imagine.”) The backstory on the weird club, plus the reason for the trespassing and arrest?

Document forensics expert: Obama "birth certificate" a "horrible forgery"
Barack Obama may be on a world tour surrounded by a fawning media, but Sunday an expert in electronic document forensics released a detailed report on the purported birth certificate -- actually a "Certification of Live Birth" or COLB -- claimed as genuine by his campaign. The expert concludes with 100% certainty that it is a crudely forged fake: "a horribly forgery," according to the analysis published on the popular right-wing Atlas Shrugs blog.

Calling on Gospel to Call Off Debt
Following the advice of their pastor, the men and women shuffled to the altar, cut up their credit cards and placed them near his feet.

US torture claims are unreliable: British lawmakers
The British government should no longer accept US assurances that it does not use torture, a parliamentary oversight committee said on Sunday in a wide-ranging report looking at London’s human rights policy.

Rev. Moon hurt in copter crash, officials say
A helicopter carrying the Rev. Sun Myung Moon crashed into a mountainside Saturday as it attempted an emergency landing, injuring the founder of the Unification Church and 15 others, officials said.

Pope apologizes for clergy sexual abuse in Australia
Pope Benedict XVI apologized Saturday for the sexual abuse of children by Australia's Roman Catholic clergy, keeping up efforts begun in the United States to publicly atone for what he called evil acts by priests.

Catholic Charities staffer won't be charged in child's abortion
A Catholic Charities staffer in Virginia who signed a consent form allowing a 16-year-old Guatemalan foster child to get an abortion won't face prosecution.

Pentecostal minister plays key role in Democrat election strategy
The request befuddled Leah Daughtry. The experienced political hand in charge of planning next month's Democratic National Convention - a self-described "black chick from Brooklyn" and ordained Pentecostal minister who keeps a Bible in her purse - didn't know what to tell the atheists.

Monday, July 21, 2008

World News Updates


Monday July 21, 2008

Pope urges all faiths to unite
Pope Benedict XVI on Friday urged religious leaders of all kinds to unite against those who use faith to divide communities - an apparent reference to terrorism in the name of religion.

Father of girls raped by Catholic priest told to stop 'dwelling on old wounds'
A father who wants to confront the Pope about the rape of his daughters by a Catholic priest has reacted angrily to claims by a senior Australian bishop that he was dwelling crankily on old wounds.
Mayor Unaware Of Plan; Welcomes Partnership
As Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Wednesday signed a new law that will put in place tougher penalties for selling guns to minors, he also announced he's got a new idea to help combat the violence that Chicago is experiencing: he's talking to the Illinois State Police and the National Guard to see if they could help.

Italy's plan to defuse uproar over fingerprinting of gypsy children: demand ALL citizens be fingerprinted
Italy may demand all its citizens be fingerprinted, a move aimed at defusing widespread criticism of government plans to force Roma people and their children to provide fingerprints as a way of tackling criminality.

Washington Post tells kids homosexuality is fine
Throwing aside even a pretense of fairness, The Washington Post openly promoted homosexuality to teens in a front page article on Monday about a 15-year-old boy "coming out" to embrace his "gay identity." The Post included a video about the boy, Saro Harvey.

The Smothers Brothers Update

Q+A: The Smothers Brothers:
Half a century later, Smothers Brothers still making ’em laugh

The Smothers Brothers, Tommy, left, and Dick, have been performing for 50 years. Their TV break came with a 1961 appearance on Jack Paar’s “Tonight Show.”



By Jerry Fink
Mon, Jul 21, 2008 (2 a.m.)
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Tommy turns into Johnny Carson

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Boil That Cabbage

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The Smothers Brothers Web site

In the verdant, sun-basked wine country north of San Francisco, comedian Tommy Smothers talks seriously over the phone about his life, his career and the peace he has discovered in the vineyards of Sonoma Valley.

A dog barks periodically in the background, adding to the flavor of the bucolic setting where the eldest of the Smothers Brothers act spends his time when he isn’t onstage acting dimwitted.

Smothers lives on a 45-acre ranch on a ridge above the valley with his wife, 15-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter.

"I’ve been making wine for over 30 years," says the 71-year-old comedian and vintner. (The wines are no joke. Remick Ridge Vineyards frequently wins critical praise and medals at winemaking competitions.)

Tommy Smothers also has been making music and comedy with brother Dick for 50 years. The Smothers Brothers perform at the Suncoast this weekend in Las Vegas. The recent interview gave Tommy Smothers a chance to reflect on a half century of hilarity.

Among other topics, he talked about "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour," an influential and controversial show that lasted just three seasons. The show, which mixed counterculture and political humor with music from artists such as Joan Baez, Jefferson Airplane and the Who, reflected the volatile Vietnam War era. The Smothers Brothers were constantly at odds with censors before CBS fired them in April 1969.

For example, the network censors cut legendary folk singer Pete Seeger from the show when he tried to sing an anti-war song. They relented and invited him back to sing the song, "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy."

Others also are reflecting on the show. The highlights of the final season are coming out on DVD next month and a book about the show, "Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored History of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour," is due out next year.

Did you intend for the “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” to be heavily political when the show debuted, or did it just evolve into that?

It just evolved. The only thing we intended when we got the show — we had one show before, a half-hour situation comedy called “The Smothers Brothers Show.” It had really good people, but it really was so vacuous we said, if we ever get another show, we’re going to get some creative control and make something relevant, not just vacuous comedy. We didn’t know the war was going to spike up like that. Voter Registration. Assassinations. All that stuff. I like to say we were at the scene of the accident.

So (the politics) just slowly started creeping in. They said we were going too far and said, “You can’t say that.” Don’t every tell a comic you can’t do something, like use the f-word, because that’s the first word they’ll use. We didn’t know we were doing anything important until they told us to stop. Well, we thought this must be important because there’s no rules in there that said we couldn’t say the war is a bad idea. It was a pushback. Everybody has it in their hearts to push back. We just happened to have a show at the time.

Were you always political?

Not at all. I was very naive.

One of your most controversial guests was folk singer Pete Seeger. I understand you’re supporting a grass-roots movement for him to receive a Nobel Prize.

Yes we are. Bless his heart. He’s still around. He never did quit. We actually accepted an award for him from the ACLU because he couldn’t fly out to pick it up. (Seeger is 89 and in frail health.) It was pretty cool. I saw the documentary on him, and he was up against it all the time. He and Ralph Nader are my heroes — and Bill Maher, he’s my new kind of hero.

Seeger came from the Woody Guthrie era of folk singers with political and social consciences — Seeger, Guthrie, Burl Ives.

Burl Ives, he recanted everything. But he was my first influence. When I first heard him and a guy named George Gobel, the two of them, when I heard them I thought, man I’d like to do that. I started playing guitar when I heard Burl Ives on a radio show back in the old days. And George Gobel, Lonesome George, I saw him on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and he talked about losing his bowling ball and he had to go down to the police station. They said, “Can you describe it?” “Yeah, well it’s round and it’s black and it’s got three holes in it.” “Are the holes in the top or the bottom.” I remember thinking that was so funny.

I was 15 years old and I said I’d like to do that — and here we are in our 50th year now.

Are you doing anything special to celebrate 50 years in show business?

Nah. You know, one time we retired after 20 or 25 years in the business and no one gave a (expletive), so we just kept going.

You started at the Purple Onion in San Francisco?

Actually, our first duet was in Aspen, Colo. Then we worked 38, 39 weeks at the Purple Onion. At first Dickie was a reluctant participant. He never talked. Finally I said, “You gotta say something — try writing something down and memorize it.” Pretty soon he was saying “That’s stupid” and it became an improv act after that. Some people said, “That was really funny, but why don’t you guys ever finish a (expletive) song?”

I think you guys are great folk singers.

Not great, but we sing in tune, old-fashioned harmony. We’re proud of that.

Your big TV break came with Jack Paar’s “Tonight Show?”

In January ’61, we did our first Paar show. In those days you did that show and you were a hit. We did 13 of his shows, then 35 of Johnny Carson’s.

Who did you like better, Paar or Carson?

I preferred Carson. I loved Jack Paar because he was so nice to us, but Carson was the ultimate host. He could be a straight man or he could be a comic. He could tell when we were in a bit and he wouldn’t step in. The character he did with the ear muffs on the side, he was kind of like a Tommy Smothers character.

Will you be around doing comedy another 50 years?

My health is good. My brother’s health is good. We’re working well together. We were famous before we were good, then we got really good. You know, there are hardly any comedy teams around anymore. Being on by yourself is difficult, but when you’re working with another guy — and he’s your brother — it’s a tough relationship and you have to work on it, which is why most of the groups didn’t last. Martin and Lewis. Laurel and Hardy.

Haven’t you and your brother had your differences?

We were always quitting each other. “You’re fired.” “No, you’re fired.” We went to counseling, and it helped a lot. The counselor said, forget your brother stuff. Start treating each other like professionals. So the past 10 or 12 years have been so much more fun. I’m 71. Life is a 12-inch ruler and I’m down 10 inches. I’d like to plant some trees, but I won’t be around to see them grow. I am now at that age where your future is in your past.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Sonoma Recycling Center Robbers Arrested

Police nab 2 in robbery

Published: Sunday, July 20, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.
source


With a tip from an Agua Caliente resident, Sonoma police nabbed two teenagers less than an hour after they allegedly robbed at gunpoint the recycling center behind the Safeway store in Sonoma.

Police said the two teens robbed three people at the center behind the West Napa Street grocery store shortly before 4 p.m. The victims said the two teens, a white male and a Latino male, warned that they also had a machine gun and demanded money from them.

The teenagers then fled north on Fifth Street West in a black sports car that had its license plate bent up to avoid detection, said Sonoma Police Sgt. Dave Thompson.

Sonoma County sheriff's deputies and the sheriff's helicopter were called to join the search.

At 4:25 p.m., a resident of the El Portola neighborhood in Agua Caliente reported he had seen two men in a black Mitsubishi Eclipse who appeared to be hiding out in the area. The resident told police the car's license plate was bent up.

"That's when we scrambled to that area," Thompson said.

As patrol cars arrived, the Mitsubishi "scooted out" of the back end of the neighborhood, he said. A deputy pursued the car on Highway 12 and during the chase, a handgun was seen thrown from the car near Nuns Canyon Road. The two men pulled over just east of Dunbar Road and were soon arrested.

Traffic was blocked during the arrest. A person waiting in traffic spotted the gun, picked it up and handed it to deputies, Thompson said.

The two teenagers, Ramon Llamas, 19, and a 16-year-old boy, both of Napa, were arrested and turned over to sheriff's detectives from the Violent Crimes Unit for further investigation.

-- Martin Espinoza

--- end ---

FROM SONOMA INDEX TRIBUNE

Pair arrested after armed robbery

7/18/08
source


A 19-year-old man and a 16-year-old male juvenile were arrested Friday afternoon after reportedly holding up the recycling center behind the Safeway on West Napa Street and leading deputies on a high-speed chase up Highway 12.

According to Sgt. Dave Thompson with the Sonoma Police Department, officers were sent to the recycling center for a reported armed robbery. The victims reported two males armed with handguns demanded money from them. The suspects also made mention of having a machine gun. After taking cash from the victims, the suspects fled northbound on Fifth Street West in a black sports car, which had the rear license plate bent upward to avoid detection. Sonoma police and sheriff's deputies converged on the area and the sheriff's helicopter, Henry 1, joined the search for the fugitives.

At about 4:25 PM, a resident in the El Portola neighborhood in Agua Caliente reported two males in a black Mitsubishi Eclipse appeared to be hiding in the area. The vehicle then left that area in an unknown direction. About 10 minutes later, a deputy located the suspect vehicle in the area of Highway 12 and Arnold Drive. The deputy pursued the suspect vehicle northbound on Highway. 12.. During the pursuit, a handgun was thrown from the suspect vehicle near Nuns Canyon Road. The suspects then came to a stop just east of Dunbar Road and were taken into custody without incident.

Thompson said a loaded 9mm pistol was later located alongside Highway 12 near Nuns Canyon Road. The suspects, Ramon Llamas and the juvenile, both from Napa, were arrested and turned over to sheriff's detectives from the Violent Crimes Unit for further investigation.

"Bottle Shock" pops open at local theaters Aug 15

Trailer

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At last, 'Bottle' is about to open

By Chris Smith, Press Democrat Columnist
Published: Sunday, July 20, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.
source


''Bottle Shock" is coming.

The locally produced film, inspired by the 1976 Paris tasting that showed the world that California had learned to make great wine, will open Aug. 15 at several area theaters: the Sebastiani, Rialto Cinemas Lakeside and Napa's Cinedom.

The night before those public premieres, promoters of the SMART commuter-rail initiative will hold a benefit screening of "Bottle Shock" at the Rialto.

Two of the film's producers, Sonoma's Marc and Brenda Lhormer, will speak at the SMART premiere. For ticket information, e-mail events@smarttrain2008.org.

A glittery, private premiere happens this Saturday at Chateau Montelena, the movie's leading winery. That party is expected to draw "Bottle Shock" stars Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman, real-life winemakers Jim and Bo Barrett, and "Access Hollywood."

MORE PLAYTIME: Three years after the brilliant Jeffrey Kahane stepped down as music director of the Santa Rosa Symphony and took on the greater challenges of directing the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, he's approaching another change.

Kahane, who still lives in

Santa Rosa and continues to direct the L.A. Chamber Orchestra, has told Colorado he will lead its orchestra only through the 2009-10 season.

At nearly 52, Kahane said he thinks he overestimated how much work he could take on without neglecting his original love: performing on the piano.

NO ONE IN HEALDSBURG anticipated what would happen when city firefighters held a blood drive for Capt. Jason Boaz's wife, Shannon, a mother of two who was diagnosed recently with leukemia.

Hundreds of people packed the firehouse, and the entire City Council came. Some donors waited in line for three hours.

At the end, Blood Bank of the Redwoods folks computed that 233 potential donors gave 188 units of blood -- making it their biggest drive in at least 20 years.

And how sweet is this: Shannon Boaz couldn't be there, but her husband set up a Webcam that let her take it all in from her hospital room at Kaiser.

GRAFFITI'S AN ILLNESS that we hope the taggers will outgrow. But Santa Rosa anti-graffiti warrior Georgia Pedgrift isn't waiting for the urban malady to cure itself.

Georgia is a key player in a

large anti-graffiti conference (www.norcalgraffiti.com) that will occupy the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa on Thursday and Friday.

The sessions are filled, but anyone interested in combating graffiti can stroll through the accompanying trade show. A hot item should be the graffiti-removal kits that volunteers can use to purge the scourge.

IT'S KNOT HARD: Baby boomer Edward Segal was in line at the Johnny's Java in Cotati when an opportunity arose for him to pass a dying art to a younger generation.

A 20-something man said to Edward, "Excuse me, sir. I see you're wearing a tie. I have to wear a tie today but I don't know how to tie it. Would you show me how to do it?"

Once they both had set aside their cups, Edward, a Sebastopol resident and CEO of the Marin Association of Realtors, removed his tie. He demonstrated the Windsor knot as the gracious, grateful young fellow followed along.

Chris Smith is at 521-5211 and chris.smith@pressdemocrat.com.

--- end ---

BEHIND THE SCENES with Freddy Rodriguez

source

SEE MORE VIDEO CLIPS

Friday, July 18, 2008

World News Updates


Friday July 18, 08

VIDEO - Documentary - War Made Easy
War Made Easy reaches into the Orwellian memory hole to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq. Narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, the film exhumes remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W. Bush, revealing in stunning detail how the American news media have uncritically disseminated the pro-war messages of successive presidential administrations.

Family planning groups object to abortion plan
Family planning groups and at least one member of Congress objected on Tuesday to a Bush administration memo that defines several widely used contraception methods as abortion and protects the right of medical providers to refuse to offer them.

Churches seek legal protection from same-sex activists
Legal briefings being conducted by the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) are meant to give practical counsel to pastors to limit legal liability to churches as they face requests to perform same-sex ceremonies. PJI president Brad Dacus says the Supreme Court's ruling caught many pastors by surprise.

Obama's 'civilian national security force'
In talking about his plans to double the size of the Peace Corps and nearly quadruple the size of AmeriCorps and the size of the nation's military services, he made this rather shocking (and chilling) pledge: "We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."

I-Team: Injection Used To Subdue Prisoners
While the Metro police had banned the use of Tasers for a time, they still used a controversial method to subdue unruly people, according to an I-Team report.

World's biggest Christian festival launched with Sydney mass
The world's biggest Christian festival opened Tuesday with a spectacular harbourside mass for up to 150,000 pilgrims taking part in World Youth Day celebrations in Sydney headed by Pope Benedict XVI.

NAACP Challenged to Condemn the Racism of Planed Parenthood
A superhero organization wearing a mighty breastplate forged in polished steel, the words freedom and liberty emblazoned where the hearts of all black Americans pounded in rhythm to the spiritual "we shall overcome." A superhero organization whose cape was the American flag, whose powerful voice rang in tones of equality for all--planting his feet firmly on the Bible--standing on the word of GOD Almighty.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

War Made Easy

"They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace." Jeremiah 6:14 & 8:11

During World War I, 10% of all casualties were civilians.

During World War II, the number of civilian deaths rose to 50%.

During the Vietnam War, 70% of all casualties were civilians.

In the War in Iraq, civilians account for 90% of all deaths."

War Made Easy video - Norman Solomon (70 minutes)

source

It was while living in Berlin, Germany, as a missionary that I discovered the deception I was under which included the lies behind 9/11. Right before my return to the states, one of my German friends said to me, "I always wondered why you Americans trusted your leaders. We don't trust ours." Now I see how we have been and continue to be brainwashed and deceived via the mass news media, much like Hitler's Germany.

The above video is is good in that it exposes the deception behind war. However, it is produced by agents provocateur to ultimately provoke us to anger and violence. It gives us a lot of truth but not all of it. It tells how war is manipulated but it doesn't tell us who is really behind it all.

There is a hidden agenda and the following short clip tells about a video game called 'Shattered Union" which is about the plan for the USA: to bring us into a massive civil war.

Shattered Union video game website

source


War is evil and wrong; violence is never the answer.

In Matthew 5, the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Prince of peace says, "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

World News Updates


Wednesday July 16, 2008
http://www.thebereanchronicles.com/

A Pentagon advisor says he's encouraged by the recent decision by the Conservative Canadian government to send American deserters back to the U.S. for possible court-martial and dishonorable discharge.

Soybean farmer David Brumback calls himself a loyal customer of Monsanto Co. His product of choice: genetically engineered seeds resistant to pesticides and weed killers.

Mary Nam of KOMO 4, profiles Iron Mountain's underground facility in Pennsylvania

At least 12 babies who were part of a clinical study to test the effectiveness of a vaccine against pneumonia have died over the past year in Argentina, the local press reported Thursday.

For some, the horrors of the CIA's secret, Cold War-era mind control research has never really ended. Next month in Connecticut, self-described victims of MK ULTRA will attend “The Eleventh Annual Ritual Abuse, Secretive Organizations and Mind Control Conference.”

An anti-religion Minnesota biology professor expects to receive dozens of consecrated Communion wafers in response to his public solicitation that people send him the hosts in order that he may publicly desecrate them.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

World News Updates


Tuesday July 15, 08
http://www.thebereanchronicles.com/

Global Kids Commences 4th Annual U.S. in the World Initiative At the Council On Foreign Relations - Summer Institute Brings Minority Public High School Students Together With Leading Foreign Affairs Experts and Policymakers
Global Kids, Inc., in partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), is commencing the fourth annual U.S. in the World Summer Initiative for New York City public high school students.

Iran blames West for 'artificially' raising oil prices, says war threat is a 'joke'
Iran's president again took aim at the West, blaming the U.S. and Europe for "artificially" raising oil prices and dismissing as "a funny joke" fears that his country could come under attack.

Heckle that symbolises Church split
As a protester stood up to barrack the Right Reverend Gene Robinson, the world's first openly gay Anglican Bishop, the congregation did not abuse or strong-arm him.

Overstating Our Fears
Sen. John McCain has repeatedly characterized the threat of "radical Islamic extremism" as "the absolute gravest threat . . . that we're in against." Before we simply accept this, we need to examine the nature of the terrorist threat facing our country. If we do so, we will see how we have allowed the specter of that threat to distort our lives and take our treasure.

Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway
An Oklahoma church canceled a controversial gun giveaway for teenagers at a weekend youth conference.

Secret chamber may solve Mexican pyramid mystery
Archaeologists are to open a long-sealed cave under a Mexican pyramid in the hope that it will unlock the mystery of one of ancient civilisation's greatest cities.

Interfaith Conference Organized by Group With Terror Links
An international interfaith conference taking place in Madrid next week is being hosted by a Saudi charity that is affiliated with organizations blacklisted by the U.S. government for bankrolling al-Qaeda-linked terrorist groups.

Oprah’s unorthodox gospel comes under scrutiny
Oprah Winfrey has become a catalyst for a new journalistic project and increasing news coverage by conservative Christians questioning and criticizing her spiritual beliefs.

43 nations creating Mediterranean union
French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged the disparate and conflicted countries around the Mediterranean Sea on Sunday to make peace as European rivals did in the 20th century as he launched an unprecedented Union for the Mediterranean.

Bonekickers - Fan Site for BBC One’s new archaeology drama.
The team find 18th Century bones in the Bristol Channel. Presidential candidate Senator Joy arrives in England to unlock a secret from his family's past, and soon everyone's life is in danger.

TV drama portrays Muslim being beheaded by Christian
A new television drama, debuting earlier this week, is drawing complaints from viewers and critics over its portrayal of Christians as extremists who take their inspiration from the Crusades and behead a moderate Muslim in an unprovoked attack.

Man sues TN church over spirit-induced fall
A Tennessee man says he was so consumed by the spirit of God that he fell and hit his head while worshipping. Now he wants the Lakewind Church of Knoxville to pay $2.5 million for his medical bills, lost income, pain, and suffering.

Church could appoint Britain's first gay bishop, says Archbishop of Wales
A senior church leader says he would be willing to consecrate Britain’s first openly gay bishop, despite fears that such a move would further split the Anglican communion.

Gay Man Files $60M Suit Against Zondervan Over 'Homosexual' Verses
A homosexual man has filed a $70 million lawsuit against Bible publishers Zondervan and Thomas Nelson, alleging that their version of the Bible that refers to homosexuality as a sin violates his constitutional rights and has caused him emotional distress.

Bohemian Club convenes tonight in Monte Rio
The super-secret Bohemian Club and its all-male entourage meets each summer in the 2,700-acre Monte Rio grove for what they describe as fellowship and good-natured high jinks -- a break from the grueling grind of leadership.

Kelly -They also eat baby body parts, I wonder it they are going to take that off the menu, hmmmm
Beijing takes dog off the menu for Olympics
Beijing has asked hotels and restaurants in the city to take dog meat off the menu for the duration of next month's Olympics and September's Paralympics.

Unhappily Ever After
Remember when children's books frolicked through tales of ponies and princes? The latest kid-lit craze is stories about living through the apocalypse—now.

Florida event causes rift in charismatic community
Todd Bentley believes God acts through him to cure cancer, heal the deaf and raise the dead.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Crush

Sebastiani and Sons film wins top French award

Sonoma Index Tribune
Thu 7/10
source


"CRUSH," a documentary film presented and sponsored by Don Sebastiani & Sons of Sonoma won the top award for short films at the 2008 Oenovideo International Grape and Wine Film Festival in Gruissan, France. The short film documented the Sebastiani and Sons 2006 harvest and first debuted at the 2007 Sonoma Valley Film Festival.

The filmmaker Bret Lyman of B. Napa Studio and Don Sebastiani and Sons cooperated on the project. Competing with 84 other wine documentaries from France and the U.S., it was awarded the "Trophee Special" for films less than 20 minutes long.

Some of Lyman's short films are featured on the Sebastiani & Sons web site at www.donandsons.com. Lyman will receive the award on September 10 in a special ceremony at the French Senate building at the Palais du Luxembourg in Paris.


CRUSH from bret lyman on Vimeo.

World News Updates


Monday July 14, 08
http://www.thebereanchronicles.com/

Ex-Traffic Cop Says He's Jesus
Deep in the heart of Siberia's birch forests lies one of the largest and most remote religious communes of the planet. More than 5,000 people have left their families and their homes to move here and join the Church of the Last Testament, which has more than 10,000 followers worldwide.

Bush applauds passage of telecom immunity, signs bill
The Senate gave President Bush what he wanted Wednesday, sending him a bill expanding his surveillance authority and granting legal amnesty to telecommunications companies that facilitated his warrantless surveillance program.

Gardasil vaccine causing cervical cancer in women
Gardasil, a vaccine that has been designed for the prevention of cervical cancer, has come under scrutiny amidst a large number of complaints against it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the FDA approved this vaccine two years ago and since then, there has been 7,802 reports of adverse effects due to the vaccine.

Privacy protections disappear with a judge's order
Credit card companies know what you've bought. Phone companies know whom you've called. Electronic toll services know where you've gone. Internet search companies know what you've sought.

Bishop 'ready to defect to Rome'
An Anglican bishop has said he is prepared to convert to Roman Catholicism after the General Synod voted to allow women bishops.

Could HPV Vaccine Lead to Paralysis?
Jenny was a healthy 13-year-old living in Northern California -- until 15 months ago when, her parents say, she received the third and final shot of the vaccine designed to protect against human papillomavirus (HPV).

Saturday, July 12, 2008

California Fires Update

The California wildfires, with smoke drifting out to the Pacific Ocean, are seen in this NASA satellite image released July 9, 2008 (nasa)



Fire threat to California town falls as winds dip

Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:03pm EDT
source
By Eric Auchard


SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Fire officials lifted a precautionary evacuation order on Saturday for the northern California town of Paradise and said a fire that killed one person and burned 49,500 acres was 55 percent contained.

Authorities had downgraded a mandatory evacuation order on Friday to "precautionary" for the town of 26,000 people in the northwest foothills of California's Central Valley, but they had kept in place evacuation orders east of Paradise.

"There is no evacuation in effect any longer in Paradise," California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection spokesman Tobie Edmonds said.

Residents on the eastern side of Paradise and to the south, in the area of Yankee Hill down to Lake Oroville were told they could return home on Saturday, Edmonds said. More than 10,000 area residents had been ordered out since Tuesday.

The blaze, sparked by lightning strikes, began on June 21 and was fed by hot, dry summer conditions. Immediate evacuation orders remain for an area east of Paradise, including the small communities of Concow and Jarbo Gap.

Firefighters have benefited from more favorable conditions as winds that had been whipping up the Canyon Complex Fire quieted this weekend, Edmonds said.

The burned body of an unidentified resident of Concow was found on Friday in what remained of one of the 50 residences destroyed by the fire. Up to 300 residences were still threatened, Edmonds said.

Summer lightning storms in northern and central California have sparked a wave of brush and forest fires numbering 1,781 at their peak and burning more than 800,000 acres (323,800 hectares). Statewide, 322 fires remain active, according to state figures.

About 20,000 firefighters are battling blazes across the state. On Thursday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered 2,000 National Guard troops to join the fight. Firefighters from Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand are taking part.

The fires, which mostly have burned in less-populated areas of California, have left a smoky haze hovering over large parts of the state for the past three weeks.

In the north of the state, a complex of 158 fires in the Shasta-Trinity area that has burned 74,641 acres (30,210 hectares) was 50 percent contained but still threatened 1,200 residences.

In Southern California, the Piute fire on federal land east of Bakersfield and near the southern end of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, was 44 percent contained and had burned 35,076 acres . The Gap fire, north of Santa Barbara, was 85 percent contained.

Friday, July 11, 2008

$6 GG Bridge Toll Begins Sept 1


It's official: Golden Gate Bridge toll to rise $1

By PAIL PAYNE
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
source
Published: Friday, July 11, 2008 at 10:49 a.m.


SAN FRANCISCO — With no debate, Golden Gate Bridge directors on Friday approved a $1 toll hike, effective Sept. 1.

The 11-0 vote, with eight directors absent, came after months of discussion of using a toll hike to cut into operating deficits in the bridge district’s bus and ferry system.

Tolls will increase to $6 for cash and $5 for FasTrak users. Tolls for the disabled will double to $3.

The action was such a foregone conclusion that there was no public opposition at the meeting. Two of Sonoma County’s representatives on the board, county supervisor Mike Kerns and Sonoma City Council member Joanne Sanders, voted in favor of the toll increase. A third director, Maureen Middlebrook of Santa Rosa, was absent.

“This really just to pay our bills ... to make us whole and not dip into our reserves continually,” said Dietrich Stroeh, a director from Marin County.

The district now turns its attention to crafting a more controversial toll hike — a so called congestion toll that would raise tolls during peak commute hours. The intent is to alter travel patterns and also meet federal requirements for transportation grants.

The Bohemian Grove Groove

Photo from The Truth about the Bohemian Grove

Bohemian Club convenes tonight in Monte Rio

By MARY CALLAHAN
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Friday, July 11, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.
source


Some of the nation's most powerful men are gathering for the annual two-week encampment at the Bohemian Grove, which opens tonight.

The super-secret Bohemian Club and its all-male entourage meets each summer in the 2,700-acre Monte Rio grove for what they describe as fellowship and good-natured high jinks -- a break from the grueling grind of leadership.

Critics, who in years past have mounted protests outside the club's gates, say the gatherings serve as strategy sessions for barons of business and politics operating outside democratic institutions.

The Bohemian Club did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Founded in 1872 by five San Francisco men seeking to connect "gentlemen" with art, literature, music and drama, the club's invitation list has included a variety of political, financial, military and industrial leaders.

Among them: Presidents Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon and both Bushes; former Cabinet members Colin Powell, George Schultz and Henry Kissinger; and industrialists Stephen David Bechtel, Leonard Firestone and David Rockefeller.

Most critics object to the notion of national policy with global implications being discussed behind the gates of an exclusive, closed-door gathering of largely conservative, wealthy white men.

This year's encampment runs through July 27. The traditional Cremation of Care ritual, in which a human effigy representing "dull care" is burned beneath a massive form said to represent the club's owl mascot, will be Saturday night.

Private jet traffic already has picked up at the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport, said Glenn Barrett, general manager of KaiserAir Santa Rosa Jet Center.

Barrett, who is new to the center, said, "My understanding is that basically these three weeks are pretty much the busiest three weeks of the year."

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at 521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

World News Updates

Thursday July 10, 2008
http://www.thebereanchronicles.com/

Armed forces march united for gay rights at Pride London
All three armed forces marched united through London yesterday as part of the London Pride parade.

Anglican bishops in secret Vatican summit
In highly confidential discussions, a group of conservative bishops expressed their dismay at the liberal direction of the Church of England and their fear for its future.

Police baffled by horrific end of Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez
As two talented biochemistry students and close friends, Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez had come to London to develop their skills as specialists in infectious disease and environmental engineering.

Fox: Anarchists planning to 'crash' RNC convention
Since last summer, an anarchist group calling itself the RNC Welcoming Committee has been advertising its intention to be present at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, MN this September, even releasing a video showing black-clad figures cheerfully spreading the word.

'Science fiction like' weapons on tap for political conventions
Congress has approved $100 million to pay for security expenses at this summer's presidential nominating conventions, with $50 million dedicated to each party.

Antibiotics can harm tendons, FDA warns
Certain antibiotic drugs such as Bayer AG's Cipro need stronger "black box" warnings about the risk of tendonitis and ruptured tendons, U.S. health regulators said on Tuesday.

Fox News: Israeli Spyring 100777.com
But investigators within the DEA, INS and FBI have all told Fox News that to pursue or even suggest Israeli spying through Comverse is considered career .....

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Apple Moth Update


SONOMA CO.: OBJECTIONS RAISED TO APPLE MOTH TWIST TIES IN SONOMA VALLEY

SANTA ROSA (BCN)
Tue, 08 Jul 2008
source


Sonoma Valley residents presented their concerns this morning to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors about the application of pheromone-infused twist ties in trees and shrubs to prevent the spread of the light brown apple moth.

Two of the moths were found within a mile of each other in February and April, and the area is under state and federal quarantines that restrict the movement of plants and crops.

Most of the 28 people who spoke said they are concerned about the toxicity of the pheromone in the twist ties and the environmental and health consequences, especially to children. The twist ties would be in place for at least two moth life cycles or about 90 days.

The synthetic pheromone mimics that of the female moth and prevents the male moths from mating. The California Department of Food and Agriculture announced last moth it has postponed plans for aerial spraying to eradicate the moth in Bay Area communities, but there may still be aerial spraying in more remote rural agricultural areas. The state plans to release large numbers of sterilized, infertile insects next year so the wild moth population cannot reproduce.

The application of the twist ties within a 15-square mile area is on hold until the state Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determine whether there are endangered species living near a creek in that area. That determination is expected within a month.

Grape grower Ned Hill asked the state Department of Food and Agriculture to review the quarantine that has affected 2,500 acres of vineyards in the twist tie zone. He said grape growers are now inclined to use synthetic and organic chemicals more than they normally would to protect their crop.

Nick Frey, president of the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission, said the quarantine poses a major risk to the county's agriculture. He said the twist ties are a preferred alternative to spraying and similar pheromone-based methods are used in organic agriculture.

Opponents of the twist tie application, many of them members of Bay Area counties' Stop the Spray organizations, questioned whether the light brown apple moth is a real threat. They said the moth has been in California between 30-50 years with no major crop destruction and state agricultural officials were overreacting to its presence.

They said the pheromone is the same chemical that was to be included in the spray that caused illnesses in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties last year and they accused the Department of Food and Agriculture of disseminating misinformation.

Mike De Lay, coordinator of the Coalition of California Cities to Stop the Spray, called the twist tie program "false and a farce."

"We want the program eliminated," he said.

Supervisor Valerie Brown, whose district includes Sonoma Valley, noted some residents plan to refuse placement of the twist ties on their properties.

John Connell, director of the Department's Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services, said the plan is to place 250 twist ties per acre and that if enough of the residents of the 240 homes in the affected area refuse, the state can get a warrant to install them.

He said the danger of doing nothing could lead to some residents buying and over-using pesticides on their own to treat damage to their plants.

"If you wait until the damage is done, you waited too long," he said regarding the twist tie program. State agricultural officials say there are 2,000 host plants and 250 crops susceptible to damage from the light brown apple moth.

The supervisors stated the twist tie application is preferable to aerial and ground spraying and several of them asked the Department of Food and Agriculture to review the existing quarantine.

Connell said the quarantine "is draconian in some respects" but is necessary to prevent the moth's presence from spreading.

(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. In the interest of timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain occasional typographical errors.)

--- end ---

Concern over moth twist ties sparks hearing
Supervisor Brown calls for public meeting to discuss neighbors' safety worries

By ROBERT DIGITALE
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
source
Published: Monday, July 7, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.

Apple moth

Sonoma Valley residents and state health and farm officials will appear before the Board of Supervisors Tuesday to discuss neighbors' concerns about the safety of special twist ties that are used to battle the light brown apple moth.

The 8-inch-long ties contain a synthetic pheromone designed to attract and confuse male apple moths, an insect from Australia that state and federal agriculture officials say poses a threat to California's crops and native plants.

In two Sonoma Valley neighborhoods where two moths were found earlier this year, some residents have refused to allow the twist ties on their properties. The concerns prompted Supervisor Valerie Brown, who represents the area, to schedule the 9 a.m. public hearing.

"We hoped we would be able to ask questions and get information," Brown said.

As for the safety of the twist ties, she said, "I haven't been convinced that there's any toxic effect."

But Suzanne Gitti-Ring, a resident in one of the quarantine areas, said she remains concerned that the twist ties could have adverse health effects.

"You can't take that chance with your children," said Gitti-Ring, who plans to attend Tuesday's meeting.

The apple moth's existence in California was confirmed in early 2007, and since then it has been found in most Bay Area counties and south to Monterey.

After the discovery of two moths in the Sonoma Valley earlier this year, the state this spring declared a 15-square-mile quarantine area extending from western Sonoma north to Eldridge.

Residents in the quarantine area are prohibited from taking plants and other "host materials" off their properties. Agricultural growers are required to allow trapping and inspections to show that their crops are free of the moths. The area includes about 2,500 acres of vineyards.

The state had proposed a controversial plan to conduct aerial spraying of a synthetic pheromone over other parts of the Bay Area, but not Sonoma County.

Last month officials ruled out aerial spraying over cities and said they instead will release millions of sterile moths in an attempt to disrupt the moth's breeding cycle and eradicate the pest.

You can reach Staff Writer Robert Digitale at 521-5285 or robert.digitale@pressdemocrat.com.

World News Updates


Wednesday July 09, 2008


Pro-Life Groups to Protest Against Black Genocide at NAACP Convention July 14
Abortion kills 1,452 black infants every day in this country. Sadly, the black community and its leaders are largely ignoring the slaughter. On July 14, 2008, LEARN (BlackGenocide.org) with assistance from CBR Midwest will confront the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) at its annual national convention in Cincinnati, OH, about its unwillingness to substantively address abortion.

Former Abortion Patients Repent
Former abortion patients denounce Morgentaler's award; asking for the termination of the Order of Canada based on his conduct on taking the lives of over 100,000 pre-born Canadians as reported by him.

Group seeks Bush sewage 'tribute'
A citizens group in San Francisco wants to pay an ironic tribute to President George W Bush when he leaves office - by naming a sewage plant after him.

Fears of Atom Smasher Could Be Possible 'Time Machine' – Federal Court Law Suit Filed
.....fears that their experiment might create globe-gobbling black holes or never-before-seen strains of matter that would destroy the planet.

Saudi Arabia to Host Major Interfaith Conference in Madrid
Christians, Jews and Muslims will gather in Madrid later this month for what could be one of the highest profile interfaith meetings in recorded history.

San Diego honoring 'La Raza'
A California-based immigration reform activist says the city of San Diego is honoring an organization that advocates policies that aren't in the best interests of the United States.

Interview with an Exorcist
Father Tom Euteneuer says he has faced the devil. That he is real. And that he is among us.

Church vote backs women bishops
The Church of England's ruling General Synod has voted to consecrate women as bishops and approved drawing up a code of practice to reassure opponents.

Australian Catholic abuse victims want apology from Pope
Victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and brothers in Australia, like Jose Respall who still vividly recalls being fondled at age 11, are calling on Pope Benedict to apologize when he arrives in Sydney on Sunday.

About Me

My photo
Over the years my opinions have changed but this will never change: Jesus Christ, Lord, God and Savior, died on the cross and rose from the dead to pay for my sin.