Burning Squirrel Report

Flipping Sides

2006-08-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

In the last few months Lisa Kriger at the San Jose Mercury News has written articles that concern copyright issues and Stanford professors. When Professor Joel Beinin sued David Horowitz over the unauthorized use of his photo, her article sought to portray the issue diffierently from the actual copyright suit. Readers might mistakenly think that Beinin had just cause for charging Horowitz with

Immigration Law 101

2006-05-13T18:51:00.000-07:00

President Bush is scheduled to speak to the nation Monday evening. Reportedly he will be discussing border security and other issues related to immigration from Mexico. Nearly everyone seems to have an opinion about what the president should do. Some want a fence to be extended accross the southern border similar to the 400 mile fence near San Diego. Others want the onus put on employers to

This woman is hopeless. But I could be wrong.

2006-05-11T14:47:00.000-07:00

The Palo Alto Weekly carried a column written by local teacher Nancy McGaraghan that starts like this:"Listening to the news can be dangerous to your health. Gas prices are at an all-time high and President Bush's approval rating is at an all-time low. There is seemingly no end in sight to the bad news. Consumers feel the pinch of inflation, and residents talk about a recent wave of break-ins.

Joel Beinin's Stenographer

2006-05-11T00:48:00.000-07:00

Professor Joel Beinin teaches in the history department at Stanford University and is outspoken in support of Palastinian objectives in Israel. Accordingly, David Horowitz compliled a booklet in which he describes Professor Beinin, and others, as supporters of terrorists--of Hamas in this case. Because Horowitz used the faculty portrait of Beinin on the cover of the booklet Beinin has sued for

Rather Blather in Berkeley

2006-04-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

The Dan Rather rehabilitation tour rolled through Berkeley this week with interesting results. In front of an adoring crowd, Rather submitted himself to softball questions by the dean of the journalism school Orville Schell. Rather's nerves and rambling speech betrayed a significantly dimmed star of television news (go here to download the podcast).Schell: This is a story, that if it had turned

Thought Bubbles from a Sinking Ship

2006-04-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

"We haven't given up yet," said Luther Jackson, executive officer for the San Jose Newspaper Guild/CWA Local 39098. "All the people we talk to in these communities want more news, not less."That's the spirit...now explain why circulation is sinking and McClatchy just bailed out.

The New Boss

2006-04-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

It has to be unsettling for the guy trying to buy a group of newspapers to read the poor quality of reporting on something for which he has inside knowledge. Responding to question about his interest in buying four newly purchased newspapers from the McClatchey Company, Dean Singleton of MediaNews Group said the following."Never have I seen so many people write so many things they didn't know,"

Techno Fear

2006-04-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

At a time when newspapers struggle to remain relevant the San Francisco Chronicle unloads a silly article about the threat to privacy posed by cell phone cameras. According to the article,"Camera phones threaten to turn everyone into amateur paparazzi," says law professor Daniel Solove of George Washington University, an expert on privacy law. "We are witnessing our personal space shrink because

The Constant Whiner

2006-04-02T12:38:00.000-07:00

It should be no suprise when politicians hire successful consultants to work on their behalf. According to an AP story by Laura Kurtzman, it is noteworthy that Governor Schwarzenegger has hired political ad man Alex Castellanos who helped President Bush to victory in the '04 elections and has had a hand in the elections of eight US Senators and six Governors. The AP describes Castellanos as a

Needed: A Newspaper War

2006-03-29T22:37:00.000-08:00

What does it say about a newspaper that runs a misleading story about firing its own editor? 1. That it can't be trusted. 2. Its competition will have the story first. Ever since the Palo Alto Daily News came on the scene the rival Palo Alto Weekly has seen fit to play mischief with the daily paper. Sure it's fun. But wouldn't we want to have a blog war between insiders.Concern over the loss of

Tin Cup Time

2006-03-28T07:08:00.000-08:00

According to a story in the Los Angeles Times, there seems to be little interest among the wealthy in Silicon Valley in 'investing' in the San Jose Mercury News. Among those who are concerned is former business/technology writer Dan Gillmor who abandoned the paper in order to come up with an alternative to the paper. On the heals of his own lack of success, Gillmor laments the fact that the Merc

Crowd Control

2006-03-26T23:27:00.000-08:00

The noise coming from Washington has Mexicans in this country riled up. And from the looks of news accounts the press has sided with the Mexicans. In Los Angeles over the weekend crowds estimated at 500,000 were reported. Indeed the crowds were large and who knows maybe there were more than 500,000.On the other hand crowd size estimates have been the subject of controversy. Those who seek a large

Judgement Day

2006-03-25T08:10:00.000-08:00

San Francisco is a city proud of its hospitality and tolerance. So when a teenaged Christian group of about 25,000 gathers at AT&T ballpark this weekend city officials know just how to make them feel welcome; The board of supervisors issued a proclamation condemning the group for being anti-gay and anti-choice. State Assemblyman Mark Leno called them loud, obnoxious and disgusting--tolerance

New Spy Probe

2006-03-25T07:56:00.000-08:00

A story in the San Francisco Chronicle reveals a SHOCKING story about a friendship between San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and the founders of Google. Although the paper says no crimes were committed in this SHOCKING behavior, they allowed themselves the privledge of publishing private email communication. This from the paper that endlessly scolded President Bush for trying to stop terrorists by

Stupid is as stupid does.

2006-03-23T21:50:00.000-08:00

No one was more surprised with being accepted into Yale University than Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi. According to him, he had a better chance going to prison at Guantanimo. Hashemi, fomerly an aide to the Taliban foreign minister has a point; How is it possible for a highly selective university to want an unreconstructed thug. Despite a growing lack of support for the war in Iraq support remains

Weak Friends

2006-03-13T08:32:00.000-08:00

When the McClatchy Company was announced as the winner of the sweepstakes to buy Knight Ridder, they said they would in-turn sell some of the weaker papers, such as the San Jose Mercury News, the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the Akron Beacon Journal--where Mr. Knight himself was the founder.Prior to the sale stories began circulating that the newspaper guild--the employees labor organization--was

Cherry Pits

2006-03-12T15:41:00.000-08:00

Following the invasion of Iraq and subsequent failure to turn the country into Sweden in short order, critics made much of how the case was made to go to war in the first place. A term surfaced to descibe how the Bush Administration convinced congress to vote the way they did. They called it cherrypicking--meaning that some evidence that would support not going to war was surpressed or even

The credibility issue is growing old

2006-03-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

A New York Times story deals with attempts by Wal-Mart to influence public opinion by feeding bloggers information and ideas that would help the company's image. The Times warns "...the strategy raises questions about what bloggers, who pride themselves on independence, should disclose to readers." Inspite of this, no one in the article claims that Wal-Mart attempted to hideout as an anonymous

Soldiers Desert Anti-War Lawyers

2006-03-07T07:45:00.000-08:00

A USA Today article discusses desertion within the US military and states that 8000 soldiers and sailors have left their post since 9/11. USA Today says, as a result the military has decided to crackdown on desertions. According to a anti-war legal aid group that represents deserters, "...the war in Iraq is driving more soldiers to question their service and that the Pentagon is cracking down on

Measure Twice, Cut Once

2006-03-04T09:15:00.000-08:00

Nice job AP. First you report the scandalous news that President Bush knew in advance of the impending disaster from 'breached' levees in New Orleans. The President earlier said that no one anticipated their breach. After the story takes hold in newsrooms across the country you issue a corrrection that undercuts the entire premise. WASHINGTON — An Associated Press story Thursday on this

Brownie Points

2006-03-03T18:19:00.000-08:00

This is precious. The San Jose Mercury News, in the above the fold headline, now says that former FEMA dirctor Michael Brown didn't deserve to be held up for ridicule. That he issued a warning to President Bush and Michael Chertoff about the impending disaster of hurricane Katrina. And just who is doing the ridiculing, why the Mercury News. From their editorial of September 11 2005:"So, it turns

Ever notice how really good yards have fences?

2006-03-03T08:16:00.000-08:00

In response to the suggestion that a fence be erected alone our southern border, the San Francisco Chronicle puts an environmental reporter on the beat. The resulting article comes down hard on the environmental destruction sure to result from such a project. Writer Eileen Zimmerman lovingly takes readers to a pristine wilderness, home to countless species and fragile native vegitation.I'm all

One Woman Food Fight

2006-03-03T01:21:00.000-08:00

The local press must not be accepting congresswoman Anna Eshoo's (D-CA) press releases. One of the recent missives (March 2, 2006) spoke of her opposition to the proposed National Uniformity of Food Act. According to my reading of the act, the Food and Drug Administration would like to have local food laws conform to the standards set forth in the federal laws. Eshoo thinks this is a bad idea

Duck Blinds and Blind Justice

2006-03-02T13:23:00.000-08:00

A post on Daily Kos defends the honor of Ruth Bader Ginsburg with the following: "Ruth Bader Ginsburg has consistently defended the Constitution. She has put herself up on a daily basis as a protector of what's right in America. Imagine if you will going to work every day and facing Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and John Roberts. They snicker at your ideas. They sleep through your

Uh, what were the choices again?

2006-03-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

From the corrrections page at the San Jose Mercury News:"An article inside the main news section Tuesday about a proposed deal to place management of six U.S. ports in the hands of a company run by the government of the United Arab Emirates misstated the party affiliation of New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. She is a Democrat." Other than that I'm sure the reporting was accurate.

Order in the Court

2006-03-01T00:13:00.000-08:00

Anna Nicole Smith's lawyers argued on her behalf in front of the supreme court--or at least that's what news accounts said. Smith uses that name but is legally known as Vickie Lynn Marshall. So why is it that reports on a case in front of the supreme court need to serve as her press agent? Officially the case is known as Marshall v. Marshall.

Ready, Shoot, Aim

2006-02-24T08:59:00.000-08:00

On the Monday following vice president Cheney's hunting accident, when most newspapers began telling the story, the Palo Alto Daily News printed nothing about it. On Wednesday the paper editorialized that Cheney should not have delayed going to the press with the story. Rather than apologize to readers about not thinking the story deserved the immediate coverage they crave, the editors

Witness Weakness

2005-12-12T00:27:00.000-08:00

A story that began last month is finally getting some traction. During the last few days various news outlets have been apoplectic over some hijinks at Wikipedia. In one case a newsman's Wikipedia bio was subject to misrepresentations. Gasp...a newsman...the unmitigated gall to attack a newsman. John Seigenthaler Sr, or was it John Seigenthaler Jr, was made to suffer the indignity of having

The Very Model of a Modern Major General

2005-12-05T23:09:00.000-08:00

In order to counter the perception of being weak on defense, Democrats are fond of promoting the sage advice of those with military records in their ranks. With that in mind, consider the following interviews on two of last Sunday's political chat shows.FACE THE NATION--CBS (Bob Schieffer speaking with John Kerry)KERRY:...And there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going

Donkey Meat?

2005-12-05T13:47:00.000-08:00

The paper beyond parody stumbles in from a drunken weekend with Tookie Williams to produce another cutting-edge front page headline article "THE LINE OF FIRE Some citizens fear for safety if courts uphold S.F.'s voter-approved ban on handguns." It seems that reporter Cecilia Vega stumbled upon a lesbian couple who live in the Mission District and own guns for protection. The couple knows what

Obituary

2005-12-05T08:32:00.000-08:00

For historians wanting to know when newspapers died in San Francisco, it happened Friday December 2, 2005. That was the day the San Francisco Chronicle featured on page 1, above the fold, below the masthead the following breathless headline;CLUB SCENE GROWS UPThe party isn't over in S.F. -- it has just moved on to smaller, mellower places. Nights of excess in huge venues give way to calmer

Measuring a Man

2005-12-04T08:34:00.000-08:00

Today's effort to raise awareness about the impending execution of Tookie Williams comes in the form of an article entitled MEASURE OF A MAN'S LIFE. The San Francisco Chronicle assigned reporter Leslie Fulbright to plead both sides of the Tookie Williams case. Leaving aside the past, on the surface it would appear that today the issue is dealt with fairly.However, the effort put forth is anything

December 13th--Let's Have a Party.

2005-12-02T23:26:00.000-08:00

December 13th is about to have even greater historical significance. The first being the capture in 2003 of world class thug Saddam Hussein. This of course was a mistake. He should have been shot on sight, sparing the world the bother of a trial and sparing peace activists the humilation of the lawerly council of Ramsey Clark.Soon to come will be the execution of another world class thug Stanley

Take That, New Orleans

2005-11-30T23:05:00.000-08:00

The congresswoman whose name sounds like a sneeze, sniffs at attempts to fund Hurricane Katrina reconstruction. “Republicans have slashed* critical funding for child support enforcement, student loans, healthcare for children, nursing home care for seniors, and food stamps. This has been done in the name of funding hurricane recovery and deficit reduction, but it is neither. What drives this

Kerry's Very Dry Shoes--part 2

2005-11-30T22:51:00.000-08:00

According the the liberal blog Daily Kos..."There's a little kerfuffle inside the Democratic Senate caucus over John Kerry's insistance in being part of the official party response to Bush's hilarious "plan" in Iraq. Reid originally had designated Sen. Jack Reed to provide the official response. Reed did the "prebuttal" yesterday and had a press conference set up for today.However, John Kerry

His shoes were so dry.

2005-11-27T12:45:00.000-08:00

Celebrity worship coupled with a local angle is a surefire recipe for fun reading. Such is the case with this story (not online) by Luke Stangel in today's Palo Alto Daily News.George Moon has seen his share of famous feet.For more than 15 years, he has shined shoes worn by big name Stanford professors and Silicon Valley CEOs who know his shop is the only place in downtown Palo Alto to get a

Slaughterhouse Jive

2005-11-21T15:33:00.000-08:00

Lampooning the human condition is a time honored literary device and Kurt Vonnegut is a high practioner of this form. Unfortunately, Mr. Vonnegut has become what he lampoons. It is a shame that he cannot rely on his friends for guidance. But in discussing his views with The Weekend Australian, Vonnegut said it was "sweet and honourable" to die for what you believe in, and rejected the idea that

Chickenhawks and the Speech Police

2005-11-21T07:30:00.000-08:00

Comments made by politicians last week highlight the foolishnesss involved in making certain types of speech off limits.On Thursday Congressman John Murtha (D) PA called for pulling troops out of Iraq. In his press conference he was asked to comment on a statement made by vice president Cheney; "The President and I cannot prevent certain politicians from losing their memory, or their backbone -–

Star Struck

2005-11-20T12:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we read that the Vatican's chief astronomer (who knew there was one) came out against intelligent design. Rev. George Coyne the director of the Vatican Observatory said "Intelligent design isn't science even though it pretends to be...God in his infinite freedom continuously creates a world that reflects that freedom at all levels of the evolutionary process to greater and greater

The Doctors are In

2005-11-20T10:02:00.000-08:00

Its begining to look like Iraq war intelligence was indeed being doctored. Today the Washington Post carries the cherry picked memories of former Florida Senator Bob Graham. However, knowing who the real surgeons are isn't too hard when you commit to using Google. Powerline reports on the selective memory of Bob Graham. Why Washington Post readers are not entitled to know this is puzzling.

You Can't Trust Me

2005-11-16T17:25:00.000-08:00

The Palo Alto Weekly (published bi-weekly) features a question posed to several people along with their answer and a photo. They call it Streetwise. Today the question is "Were you surprised or disappointed with any of the results from the November 8 special election?" One of the people questioned is Charles Halleck who answered "I figured the governor had it coming, since he wasn't interested

Let's only do easy things.

2005-11-16T08:33:00.000-08:00

President Clinton now says that invading Iraq was a big mistake, although some good came of it, such as the removal of Saddam, a new consitution and parlamentary elections. Taking this sort of statement seriously glosses over the ex-president's judgement during his 8 years. Among the items included in this memory hole would be refusing to deal with Bin Ladin, compromised intelligence and

Finding Her Religion

2005-11-14T00:27:00.000-08:00

The Dalai Lama visits Washington and some Democrats see it as an opportunity to close the values gap:"About 16,000 people filled much of MCI Center to hear his talk, "Global Peace Through Compassion." Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the House minority leader, introduced him and gushed over the chance "to breathe the same air, in the same room, as His Holiness, the Dalai Lama."Or is it a corrective to

Juan Valdez Needs a Crutch

2005-11-13T15:03:00.000-08:00

According to this editorial in the San Francisco Chronicle, President Bush went to the Summit of the Americas last week in order to extend economic assistance to Latin America. Some of the countries at the meeting chose to reject the aid because the president has low approval ratings. If that reflects how Latin American countries actually think, you'd have to conclude that they're hopeless.

Loose Lips

2005-11-10T08:33:00.000-08:00

After being released from her self-imposed prison sentence and subsequently from her job at the New York Times, Judy Miller finally seems free to blab. : )

Trust The Voice in Your Head

2005-11-10T07:30:00.000-08:00

It nearly makes your eyes bleed to read Maureen Dowd say to a reporter in Austin Texas that you can't trust blogs. Not because it isn't true, but because of how baldly it serves the purposes of job protection.The bloggers have done some great investigative work, and some hilarious work – I love Gawker, they do some hilarious things and some very original columns. It's hard sometimes, because

Welcome to your new research facility professor.

2005-11-07T15:53:00.000-08:00

John Robert Schrieffer is a Nobel prize-winning physicist who'll now get the opportunity to explore the conseqences of social inertia.

Jump or be pushed?

2005-11-07T15:37:00.000-08:00

Time for a seven part series on professional suicide at the Chronicle.

Super Sized Riots

2005-11-06T11:32:00.000-08:00

Is this the best anti-globalization-radical-Islamic visual to come from the recent rioting in France?

Maybe He Thought They Said Violins

2005-11-05T20:38:00.000-08:00

The Dalai Lama came to speak at Stanford University and the topic was non-violence. You'd expect a large number of his followers to be in sync. After hearing it you'd also wonder if they agree with his following comments."History shows the second World War protected the Western world -- protected democracy," he said, sometimes speaking in English and other times through his longtime principal

Pen Pals

2005-11-04T14:10:00.000-08:00

The Palo Alto Daily News, like many papers on this day, chose to run a story about emails sent by former FEMA director Michael Brown. According to reports some of these emails, when seen next to the devastation of hurricane Katrina, seem silly. I'd imagine anyone can be made to look foolish by a selective review of such communications. Another level of silliness comes from those whose reporting

Terrorists for Peace

2005-11-02T21:40:00.000-08:00

Inspite of overhauling nearly the entire editorial product to produce love notes that satisfy their leftist audience, the San Francisco Chronicle can't catch a break. How much farther can you go in order to avoid being the target of molotov cocktails? The irony here is that the anti-war crowd behaves more like advocates of unconventional warfare. You'd think that communists such as these would

Calling Craig

2005-11-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

The largest stockholder in Knight Ridder--owners of the San Jose Mercury News and a host of free daily newspapers in the area--wants the company sold. According to the Wall Street Journal, there doesn't seem to much interest in the company because rivals to Knight Ridder are having their own problems. Wonder if they've considered approaching this rival?

Beyond Parody

2005-11-01T23:33:00.000-08:00

From an editorial in the Washington Post;SO WIDE-RANGING, and so comprehensive, is the Volcker commission's final report on the U.N. oil-for-food program in Iraq that -- paradoxically -- there is a danger that its significance will be ignored. Uh...isn't that how it's been played up to this point? Just what is it with comprehensive reports that requires them to be ignored...unless, of course,

Local News, Stuck on Stupid

2005-10-26T14:41:00.000-07:00

The local Palo Alto paper reported on Ambassador Joe Wilson's talk at Stanford and displays a level of common ignorance about this story. The article says that Wilson's report on uranium in Niger revealed that no 'deal' took place. Fine, perhaps no deal took place, but President Bush never said any such a thing to begin with. His famous 16 words in the 2003 State of the Union speech merely said:

Ward Politics

2005-10-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

An article in the New York Times discusses Democrat challengers to California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Former San Francisco supervisor Doris Ward chimes in.The only hope Democrats have in defeating a celebrity is with another celebrity, Ms. Ward said. "With a Meathead?" Mr. Reiner interjected, a reference to his television role as Michael Stivic in the 1970's sitcom "All in the Family." Ms

Arnold's Props

2005-10-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

We've heard plenty about the declining popularity of Governor Schwarzenegger. This despite the fact that he is not currently facing election. What is about to be decided at the polls in November is a collection of propositions favored by the governor. What we're supposed to conclude from all this is that the success for these propositions somehow rests on the this gubernatorial popularity. They'd

Losing Faith in 'Good Faith'

2005-09-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

A massage therapist's 'good faith' dealings with Porky's Rib House and a fertilizer salesman. Gloria Allred serves up the punchline.

Chilled Out

2005-09-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

Regardless of dire warnings about global warming, Palo Alto, it would seem, is an island of global cooling. Over the last 15 years, average temperatures have declined .13 degrees annually. While this year's cool temperatures are obvious to any long time resident, the press only provides space to promoting the most speculative global warming stories.

Share Cropper

2005-09-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Reporting on the meager earnings for the Willie Nelson led musical charity called Farm Aid, the Chicago Tribune says;"To compare, (Neil) Young has also been involved in putting on annual concerts for the Bridge School in Hillsborough, Calif., which helps individuals with severe speech and physical impairments. That concert in 2003 brought in $1,160,115, of which $76,040 was considered expenses

Stupid White Tricks

2005-09-16T19:32:00.000-07:00

Heh."If you've ever wandered past a New Age healing seminar, a UFO convention, or a blocks-long line for a Steve Jobs speech, you understand how embarrassing it can sometimes be to identify as a Northern California, middle-class white person. Last week in San Francisco it was mortifying."

Picayune

2005-09-16T12:12:00.000-07:00

Here's why they call it the Times Picayune."Some critics have questioned if the government knows what it is doing dispensing so much money so quickly - and especially whether the small and beleaguered Federal Emergency Management Agency, which will administer much of the aid and reconstruction contracts, has the resources to handle so much cash."After complaining about the slow response to the

Stymied

2005-09-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

Listening to and reading about the hearings over Supreme Court nominee John Roberts can be maddening and amusing. Senators who already know how they'll be voting prior to the Judicial Sub-Committee hearings, willfully leave the impression that they're carefully weighing Judge Roberts' answers. Everyone knows that Republicans and Democrats have made up their minds. Democrats have already signalled

More of the Same

2005-09-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

The San Franciso Chronicle would like readers to believe that the Bush administration is attempting to deny viewers the right to see dead bodies in New Orleans and is using a comment by one soldier to make the case. Under a photo in the San Francisco Chronicle (website) of a body being removed from a New Orleans house is this caption:"This photo shows a FEMA contractor removing a body from a New

Media Logic

2005-09-09T17:45:00.000-07:00

For some members of the fifth estate hurricane Katrina has whipped up a couple of hard to reconcile themes. On the one hand the war in Iraq was said to deplete the number of troops available to respond to the crisis. On the other hand racism was said to account for a lack of interest in saving a largely black New Orleans population from the ensuing flood. The casual observer may buy either of

Compassion Tax

2005-09-07T05:04:00.000-07:00

I don't know who determines the precise nature of compassion, but Tom Friedman seems to know. This column, referring to President Bush, has the following;"Unfortunately, he used that mandate not simply to confront the terrorists but to take a radically uncompassionate conservative agenda - on taxes, stem cells, the environment and foreign treaties."What struck me was equating higher taxes with

Twice Told Tales

2005-09-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

In the follow up to the tragic effect of hurricane Katrina much of the press has been serving their noble duty of showing the world what is going on. These dramatic reports have caused the nation to seek ways to help in large and small ways. They've also called the nation's emergency response system to account for delays in answering the call.Along with this responsible journalism we are treated

Burning Money

2005-08-31T14:57:00.000-07:00

By all outward signs the San Francisco Chronicle intends to fight it's financial freefall with an all out appeal to its core constituency--the demented. The near daily onslaught of articles promoting, fawning, extolling and embracing the Burning Man gathering makes this abundantly clear. To the exclusion of all others, the paper has become devoted to all things hip and happening. Their

Achievement Affliction

2005-08-27T22:02:00.000-07:00

According to this article in the San Francisco Chronicle, pressure to succeed within the Asian community can sometimes lead to unpleasant results."It's become cliché: Asian parents browbeat their kids into pursuing prestigious professions in technology, medicine or law, and their children suffer the resulting stress and depression. But speaking with other Asian professionals at a recent social

How-ya-dooin'?

2005-08-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

Chicago newspapers have been rife with stories about a scandal involving trucking companies, city workers and the mob. Sound familiar? The cast of characters reads like a rejected Mario Puzo novel. Among the names already in circulation are the following: John 'Quarters' Boyle Christy 'The Nose' Spina Joey 'The Clown' Lombardo Ronnie 'Little Pistol' Calicchaio Tribune columnist John Kass

Switched

2005-08-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

From the obituary of Robert Moog inventor of the Moog Synthesizer is this passage;"Keyboardist Walter (later Wendy) Carlos demonstrated the range of Moog's synthesizer by recording the hit album "Switched-On Bach" in 1968 using only the new instrument instead of an orchestra."And apparently he/she did this without an organ.

Gracious?

2005-08-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

Marc Sandalow writing in Sunday's Chronicle about President Bush not visiting San Francisco has this pair of quotes from the ever so charming Carole Migden;"Bush's father visited San Francisco five times during his presidency and was greeted by so many protesters that Migden, who at the time served on the Board of Supervisors, had City Hall send his re-election campaign a bill for $38,690 to pay

Ignorance is Bliss

2005-08-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

This morning's San Francisco Chronicle contains yet another Cindy Sheehan article. This one is a column written by C.W. Nevius. And, as is the case with large swathes of the media, they see only what is helpful to their world view. Here's what Nevius says: "Although she had to leave Thursday to tend to her ailing mother in Los Angeles, Sheehan has gained such notoriety that she's been called the

Envelope Please

2005-08-17T17:45:00.000-07:00

The Palo Alto Daily News decided to 'borrow' a regular feature of the Palo Alto Weekly by polling readers about their favorites; favorite restaurant, auto repair, parking garage--that sort of thing. When the paper asked for nominations for best local radio personality they seriously entertained the notion of ignoring the winner because THEY don't like him...and today proudly write about it. On

Stand by for our regularly scheduled programming.

2005-08-17T16:08:00.000-07:00

Without the media fanfare that accompanied the launch of Air America Radio, a little discussed financial controversy is playing out on the liberal radio network. Newpapers who were eager to promote the fledgling enterprise have switched to a different level of support--silence. Did their reporters suddenly have their car radios reprogrammed? Or is there another reason? Now might be the time for

Checkbook Journalism

2005-08-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

An editorial about student test performance in today's San Francisco Chronicle contained this:"If we can afford to give back trillions of dollars in tax relief to the highest income Americans, we should be able to spend the same amount on building safer neighborhoods, on creating better paying jobs, and in fashioning child-friendly communities for young people who, by an accident of birth, do not

Math Wiz

2005-08-16T22:35:00.000-07:00

I admit to a math deficiency, but I have no idea what to make of this quote from a Los Angeles Times story about the results from California's STAR test."But O'Connell and other educators acknowledged a pronounced proficiency problem in high schools, where the percentage of students skilled in algebra and geometry dropped last spring from levels three years earlier. State officials attributed

Looking Through the Telescope Backwards

2005-08-16T22:18:00.000-07:00

Following the 60th anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima news media endlessly commented. Following the 60th anniversary of VJ Day yesterday US news media barely woke up*. Let's see how they do with the 60th anniversary of the surrender of Japan on September 2nd. It shouldn't be this hard to remember what's important.(* Google News shows the number of stories at the

Special--200% Off*

2005-08-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

The Sunday Palo Alto Daily News runs an article about a miscalculation over how much money might be saved through military base closings: "Base closing projections could be $25 billion off". According to the independent commission overseeing base closings, pentagon estimates are off by 50%. Trouble is the story says the figure is $50 billion--making the Daily's headline off by 200%.* see

Yes, but other than that...

2005-08-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

"The real problem for Democrats is that their elected officials, and by extension their entire party, are perceived as directionless and divided, standing for nothing other than their own enrichment," the Democratic authors wrote.Ouch!

The Darkhorse

2005-08-12T16:46:00.000-07:00

Move over Hillary, we're walkin' for a new candidate.

War Talk at The Crawford Peace House

2005-08-12T13:09:00.000-07:00

After reading press accounts of Cindy Sheehan, the woman the woman who's son was killed in Iraq and wants to talk to Bush, I decided to call the Crawford Peace House in Crawford, Texas where Sheehan is holding vigil.The woman who answered the phone agreed to talk but didn't provide her name. She lives in San Antonio and is from a military family. Her father served in Vietnam, her husband was in

Our New Neighbors

2005-08-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

Whenever the homeless problem in Palo Alto becomes an issue, local papers rush to assure readers that the homeless are just like you and me. The inference being that nothing should be done to them--you wouldn't want anything done to you right? According to this article in the Chronicle, San Francisco's homeless problem seems to be responding to less friendly policies. Could a less friendly

Roveball

2005-08-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

It's easy to peg Boston Globe cartoonist Dan Wasserman. Each of his editorial cartoons carry bucket loads of liberal water. Today's effort yet again pokes fun at the 'evil genius' Karl Rove. So it's easy to view Wasserman as a crank...but that was before. I'm very reluctant to admit it, but I'm finally turning the corner on Rove. Sure he is a genius, but a little noticed local report about Rove's

Collectors Edition

2005-08-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

Stunning news in Tuesday's Daily. A New York Times bylined story 'Bush signs bill promoting domestic oil production' is written without spin or bias. This instantly becomes a collectors edition. Of course, all opposition first had to be eliminated.

Peter Jennings

2005-08-07T23:19:00.000-07:00

ABC Television news anchor Peter Jennings died today. Much will be written remembering his illustrious career. Here's my small contribution:In October of 1989 San Francisco was rocked by an 7.1 magnitude earthquake. As a photographer I began looking for images to tell the story. On the day after the quake I went to the studios of San Francisco's ABC affiliate station KGO with the idea of shooting

Prelude to Ending a War

2005-08-07T12:48:00.000-07:00

Sunday's above the fold coverage of the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima does the job of telling the horror of that particular event in history. From the aspect of that being the first such event it's understandable. War is awful and this act symbolizes that rather dramatically.What often goes unreported is the effect it had on Japan's decision to end the war--none. Dropping the

Break Out the Umbrellas

2005-08-06T14:27:00.000-07:00

Saturday's headline story 'Jobs ratio is out of balance' concerns itself with the fact that compared to surrounding communities Palo Alto has a higher number of jobs relative to residents. In otherwords, more people work in Palo Alto than live in Palo Alto and this shows that lots of workers can't afford to live there and choose to commute.Besides incessently dwelling on mythical imbalances, it

Anna Eshoo Slammed by LA Times

2005-08-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

The LA Times agrees, Anna Eshoo is embracing protectionist policies detremental to the best intrests of her constituents. And it's ignored by her hometown paper.

The Invisible Congresswoman

2005-08-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

What's remarkable about the Daily News coverage of Congresswoman Eshoo is how little attention is paid. You'd think having an office within a 5 minute walk from the paper would result in greater awareness. Joe Simitian gets attention by filching other people's ideas in order to pass new laws and reporters are dispatched to celebrate. Eshoo has to fly across country and feign interest in local

The Cookbook tragedy

2005-08-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

Who knew? The Cookbook Restaurant in Palo Alto's Town and Country shopping center loses it's lease and we are left to read daily updates for the better part of a week. I know that local papers like to grab onto local stories to prove their relevance, but this only shows the dearth of local news. If the place was this popular it wouldn't be closing. State Senator Joe Simitian's support shows

Emperor Said to be Without Clothing

2005-07-24T23:11:00.000-07:00

A Palo Alto developer has rudely observed that vagrants begging in front of stores along University Avenue are hurting business. City policy has been to pretend to see a group of competent people temporarily down on their luck. After all, they could be your neighbor--assuming that your neighbor camps out on the sidewalk, drinks heavily, doesn't bath and prefers public urination. Because the

World News Tonight

2005-07-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

Having returned from an extended European trip, I'm not up to speed on local events, however with the internet, the Herald Tribune and CNN it's somewhat easier to have a general sense of national and world events. Internet access is managed at internet cafes. It isn't something travelers tend to linger over since the meter is ticking on both the vacation as well as the computer. Cafe in this

Public Art (my column in the Daily)

2005-07-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about art...or should I say Art. The impression one gets is that art is a sacred activity, right up there with worshiping the Toyota Prius--vital to life itself. And yet, we're frequently told of the difficulties our communities have supporting the arts, and how government needs to step in to tell developers to add art to new buildings, or dress up an empty median strip with it, or

Free For All

2005-07-02T22:17:00.000-07:00

Posting will be sporatic for the next few weeks. Anyone feeling the urge to have their say is encouraged to use the comment link.

The Unhappiest Place on Earth (my column in the Daily)

2005-06-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

If Disneyland is the happiest place on earth then this must be the anti-Disneyland. For people of my vintage and origin—59 and Illinois—California represented a charmed destination bestowed upon the few. Sun, surf and the near absence of winter seemed unreal, but then Walt Disney decided to rub it in. Week by week we tuned into one of the three available channels to witness Disney’s construction

How the Palo Alto Brain Works

2005-06-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

According the Sunday's Daily News, "Ilona Konevski, mother of one of the protest organizers was at the scene to make sure her own son did not get arrested." How humiliating. Having lost the struggle to control her child, she turns attention to controlling the police. A group of high school aged girls attended the march and were noticeably taunting police. At one point they sat in the middle

Capitalist Couple

2005-06-25T23:36:00.000-07:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Capitalist Couple, originally uploaded by menlo. This couple, promoting a pro-capitalist message with a spoof on the idea of capitalist devils, marched every step with the anarchists.

Recording Helicopters Overhead

2005-06-25T23:02:00.000-07:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Recording Helicopters, originally uploaded by menlo. This guy was doing a running commentary about the events as helicopters hovering overhead bullhorned the order to disperse. By raising the mic 18" higher he was able to

Palo Alto Mayor

2005-06-25T22:50:00.000-07:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Palo Alto Mayor, originally uploaded by menlo. Palo Alto mayor Jim Burch enjoying a relaxing moment listening to a shrill screed.