This is the second clip of Howard Dean’s speech to the Monroe County Democratic Committee Designating convention on May 15, 2008. Part one is here.

Listen and learn that at the national level, the tools are being put in place for success and electorial success is dependent on meeting your neighbors and getting them to the polls. In the end it is all about asking for the vote.

Asking for the vote in all 50 states.

50 states are great - how about 20 towns?

Listen

Listen to Howard Dean rail against John McCain- then, simply imagine our Democratic Presidential candidate doing the same.

The head of the Democratic National Committee, Howard Dean, came to Rochester for a fundraiser on behalf of Eric Massa. He took the time to also attend the Monroe County Democratic Designating convention where he rocked the house.

Besides me, Ladkiddo and Grievous Angel were also in the house. We will offer our perspectives throughout the weekend.

Brighton Town Supervisor Sandy Frankel made that clear, in an emotionally charged speech, last night at the Democratic convention she is not running a primary against Rick Dollinger. Have a listen.

Pay attention about 2:25 into the clip. Sandy calls this is critical year with local and well positioned candidates able to take advantage of it. Sandy calls the Democrats the party of the people, the party of the future. She has that right.

Will the Golden State become the Rainbow State?  The second state in the union to sanction same sex marriages, California’s LGBT population and their supporters were jubilant today:

Outside the courthouse, gay marriage supporters cried and cheered as news spread of the decision.

The city of San Francisco, two dozen gay and lesbian couples and gay rights groups sued in March 2004 after the court halted the monthlong wedding march that took place when Mayor Gavin Newsom opened the doors of City Hall to same-sex marriages.

“Today the California Supreme Court took a giant leap to ensure that everybody _ not just in the state of California, but throughout the country _ will have equal treatment under the law,” said City Attorney Dennis Herrera, who argued the case for San Francisco.

Yup, this is good news for the whole country.  We’re all in this together.  Why, just 2 weeks ago we traveled to Albany to get our message to the state government.  Remember this?

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And the Saturday before that, we had our own celebration:

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I addressed co-sleeping a couple of days back. Allow me to hone my message a bit.  I just want the truth to come out and not be potentially tossed aside via Scientific Bias (from a presentation by Dr James McKenna):

When an infant dies sleeping prone in a crib, the contributing cause of death is not assumed to be the crib, but sleeping prone.

When an infant dies sleeping prone in an adult bed, even if the infant died alone, the contributing cause of death is said to be bed sharing.

Interesting, isn’t it? 

McKenna is a great speaker. I would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to hear him-take advantage of it. Keep in mind that this is the man who has done the sleep studies and has data to back up his assertions. Here is a list of his safe co-sleeping guidelines:

General Safety Guidelines –

• Parents should not sleep with their babies if they are smokers or have ingested alcohol or drugs.
• Bedding should be tight fitting to the mattress.
• The mattress should be tight fitting to the headboard of the bed.
• There should not be any loose pillows or soft blankets near the baby’s face.
• There should not be any space between the bed and adjoining wall where the baby could roll and become trapped.
• The baby should not be placed on his stomach.
• Some sources also say not to put a baby on a waterbed to sleep

The point here, of course, is the practice of co-sleeping does not just mean a parent and child sharing the same physical bed.

Now, let’s look back at Rachel Barnhart’s original story on “co-sleeping” infant fatalities:

According to the police report, the father placed the baby in bed with him and fell asleep. When he woke up, he found Yarimyl’s lifeless body next to him.

“The only thing I can imagine is that I crushed her when I was sleeping because I sleep too heavy. I know it was my fault,” the father told police.

Any drugs, or alcohol involved? Had the baby started to cry inconsolably and BF rolled over on the baby to stop the crying? There is nothing accusatory here, I’m just asking the questions which should have been asked already. What do we really know, other than what the boyfriend told the police? Lots of unanswered questions here. Safe co-sleeping guidelines adhered to? I think not.

Or. how about these stories from Rachel’s blog post response:

However, I can relate a graphic account from a police report in one of these incidents, in which the father said he was sleeping heavily, and woke up with his infant on the other side of his body. The baby had heavy bruising. Recently, police told me about a 15-year-old sharing a sofa with her baby sibling and two other older siblings. The baby died. To medical and law enforcement professionals who hear these stories, co-sleeping is an obvious risk factor.

Again, no safe co-sleeping guidelines practiced here.

So, let’s get the message out. There are safe ways to sleep with your child. That is the message. Not, “Babies sleep safest alone “, as that is an erroneous statement. No scientific data behind that assertion. It is an emotional, knee jerk response to a series of anecdotes and as Stlo7 pointed out here, data is not plural for anecdote.

So, thank you to Rachel Barnhart for bringing up the original issue. This should continue to be examined. Knowledge is power. Let’s get the information out there so parents can make an informed decision regarding their own, individual parenting choices.

Anyone wanting to continue their education in the advantages of continuous mother/baby contact please feel free to read on for Nils Bergman’s take……

From Kangaroo Mother Care, Dr. Nils Bergman:

__(’Read the rest of this entry »’)

Next week there will be more than 1,000 police checkpoints set up across the state. The police officers will stop every passing car, and look at the inside of the vehicle. If you turn around, and attempt to evade the checkpoint, they will pursue you.

What are they looking for? Abducted children? Escaped convicts? Terrorists? Loose nukes? Kilos of cocaine?

None of the above. They will be checking to see if you’re wearing your seat belt. It’s “Click It or Ticket” week.

Seat belt use in New York State is at about 85%.

I’m curious as to how readers of this blog feel about police checkpoints.

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The Farm Bill passed in the House today (and Randy Kuhl voted “yes”). Some say this Bill has something for everyone, but Bush sees it as “giving money away to rich farmers.” Yes, I know that there are lots of mega-corporate farms out there, but seeing “rich” and “farmers” in the same sentence, seems to me an oxymoron.

The 318-to-106 vote, far over the two-thirds needed to override a veto, sends the bill to the Senate, where the measure is also expected to have veto-proof support. Although predictions can be dicey in political Washington, the measure’s strength in the Senate has been seen as even more robust than in the House.

The House result, with 100 Republicans joining 218 Democrats to vote for the bill, made good on the predictions of the bill’s chief shepherd, Representative Collin Peterson, a Minnesota Democrat who heads the House Agriculture Committee.

This will be the second time that a veto-proof vote has gone down for Mr. Bush. The first was a water projects measure on which the Senate over-rode his veto.

This is the effect that the Farm bill will have on upstate NY:

Senator Schumer said: “This farm bill is one of the best things to happen to Northeast agriculture in a very long time. Our two biggest products–dairy, and fruits and vegetables–take giant steps forward under its provisions.

[snip]

Besides providing important support for dairy farmers, the Farm Bill also helps fruit and vegetable farmers by including about 3.5 billion in new money for specialty crops programs. In addition, the Bill includes block grants to states, conservation programs, disaster relief funding, programs to combat pests and disease, including invasives like PPV, and funding for the Tree Assistance Program. The Bill also contains new programs to assist organic farmers, provide funding for organic farming research, and help conventional farms that desire to transition to organic farming.

Looks like co-sleeping is back in the news again with a blog post by Rachel Barnhart at 13wham.com, now with a Public Campaign against it and PSAs on Youtube. I did a piece on this awhile back, but it’s time to revisit and get the facts straight, Mam.

Here’s the PSA:

watch?v=MPF_IA8Qbk4

What, exactly were the circumstances surrounding these “43″ deaths? Were the parents smokers?, intoxicated?, obese?, under the influence of medications? Was the baby even in the bed with a parent, or was it a sibling, or was the baby in the adult bed alone?

Now, how many babies died in cribs last year, away from their parents? Why is that statistic not provided?

It’s probably not provided, because it is not known. Take a look at this article:

Susan Honaker of Sterling Heights, Mich., lost her 3-week-old son, Evan, in May 2005.”He was totally healthy, two weeks early. He had been lying beside me. I woke up and found him gone at about 9 in the morning,” she said.

“I called for six weeks straight trying to find out why he died, and they put me off that they were waiting for such and such to come back. Finally they put on the death certificate: ‘Accidental suffocation due to hazardous sleeping environment.’ “

“The coroner told me flat-out: ‘If you’d found him in a crib, I would have called it SIDS, but since he was laying with you, I put this.’ But there was no evidence from the autopsy or the bedding that he suffocated. I’ve done a lot of research since then, and they don’t know,” Honaker said.

Here’s a news flash in response to the PSA: “Babies don’t do anything better alone. Babies are meant to be with their mothers. They don’t have the mechanisms in their brains to soothe themselves, so alone is not such a good idea.”

Update: Rachel has reported on the new findings, without saying “yay”, or “nay” on the issue itself. I’m just trying to get to the extenuating circumstances surrounding the deaths. Until they are uncovered, the PSAs will continue to instill fear into new parents, possibly unfounded.

I’m trying to decide if this is real. Did they really vote against Mother’s Day? Now as I recall-they voted in favor of Christmas last December. What gives? Voting in favor of mom seems even less controversial than voting in favor of Jesus, especially in a governmental body that values the separation of church and state.

On Wednesday, the House took up the seemingly uncontroversial H. Res. 1113, “Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother’s Day.” The resolution initially passed 412 to 0, until Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) rose in protest:

Mr. Speaker, I ask for a recorded vote because I’m sure every member wants their mother to know that they have supported the goals of Mother’s Day.

Tiahrt’s mother, however, may be disappointed to know that her son did not support Mother’s Day. He and 177 other Republicans decided to cast their vote against mothers.

From the Washington Post:

Republicans, unhappy with the Democratic majority, have been using such procedural tactics as this all week to bring the House to a standstill, but the assault on mothers may have gone too far. House Minority Leader John Boehner, asked yesterday to explain why he and 177 of his colleagues switched their votes, answered: “Oh, we just wanted to make sure that everyone was on record in support of Mother’s Day.”

And then there is Veto Vito Fossella:

There’s the case of one member of his caucus, Rep. Vito Fossella (N.Y.); the father of three from Staten Island yesterday announced that he has a fourth, a 3-year-old love child with a woman from Virginia. That admission was prompted by his drunken-driving arrest in Virginia last week, when he told police he was on his way to see his daughter. “I think Mr. Fossella is going to have some decisions to make over the weekend,” Boehner said at his news conference yesterday, cutting Fossella loose. Fossella was spotted on the House floor, in tears, speaking to the chaplain.

For the record, Fossella did not participate in the Mother’s Day vote.

You can head over to Think Progress and watch the video too.

I Wonder how Mr Kuhl voted.

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(Dana Milbank seems to think puppies and kittens may be the next target)

Here is the point: Believe what you want to believe - but

Danger, Will Robinson, Danger

when you are discussing politics, policies and such, and you suddenly drop in some conspiracy theorist stories, the rest of your story and argument becomes tainted. So stop it…

So, here is the deal,

Since becoming a blogger I’ve met lots of wonderful, politically passionate people, but this isn’t about the people, it is about getting your point across. So - When I’m talking about admirable long term objectives like world peace - I don’ t need to hear that, “9-11 was an inside job”. When I’m talking to war protester friends - I don’t need to hear how Bush is buying up land in Bolivia to avoid the upcoming war crime trials.

Or my new personal favorite - When I’m listening to someone discuss the important water issues affecting the Great Lakes basin - I’m told of a secret plan to build a pipeline (along with that NAFTA superhighway) to drain the Great Lakes.

Now, I’m not taking about the too lazy to look up smears. No, I’m just talking about people who engage others in civil persuasive discourse then, in the middle of the conversation, drop an irrelevant point into the discussion which pushes people away and dilutes your point.

Take the person taking about the NAFTA superhighway and draining the Great Lakes. Just because only Lou Dobbs and Ron Paul are talking about the NAFTA superhighway doesn’t make it true.

Some guy discusses absolutely pressing issues affecting the Great Lakes. He is discussing legislation affecting the Great Lakes, the pluses and minuses. Mentioning that every 28 days a new invasive species enters the Great Lakes basin. For topic novices like me the conversation was quite informative. But somewhere in the discussion at the conclusion of the conversation he dropped in this bit of information (paraphrased) - “There is a highway being built, linking Mexico and Canada, along with a pipeline to drain the Great Lakes and no one is talking about it”.

Faster than Robbie the Robot can say “Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!” My virtual arms were flailing and I was mentally screaming,”Danger!”.

Look - I’m not going to spend my time debunking all these conspiracy theories. Why? Well, it detracts from trying to take our country back and locally that means focusing on Maggie Brooks and Monroe County, the dysfunctional NY State government and figuring out a way to get a Congressman to actually represent my values and beliefs.

So, anything else detracts from, what I believe, like minded folks should be focusing on. How to make a difference in their local community. Focus, people.

but, back to the NAFTA super highway for a minute.

Look - Like most things, there are a series of anecdotes that when linked together - ultimately spawns these wild ideas.

The thing is, this pipeline rumor is false. Have a look at this Newsweek article - oh wait - that’s corporate Media. How about This article from The Nation? This seems to be an outcome of someone trying to prove that the plural of anecdote is data. Stuff like this detracts from the real message.

So believe what you want to believe - when you are discussing politics, policies and such and you suddenly drop in one of these conspiracy theorist stories - Remember the rest of your story argument becomes tainted.

To help - we will be selling our own line of Tin Foil hats. Guaranteed that the Government will not be able to tell what you are thinking.

I was at a union  hall the other day and was reminded of this story as relayed to me. Why do unions have a bad name? This post is based on first-hand knowledge conveyed by a reader (who shall remain nameless).

A machine needs to be moved, the workforce is unionized and if you do it yourself before a specified time, you chance getting a grievance.

So the moving group gets called and the guy says he can move the machine today. The union guy is told to come in an hour because the machine needs to be packed up but this is good news. 20 mins after the call is made, the union guy shows up a bit annoyed that the machine isn’t ready. It is explained and the guy is asked to come back in 40 mins. He apparently looks a little annoyed, but he comes back 40 mins later and moves the machine.

Then the guys workspace needed some repairs, so he calls the unionized electrician who fixes what he needs to do. The electrician does a couple of extra things and then leaves.

But this is the kicker -

in a management meeting - after a coworker announces she took a chance and got a grievance the others in the room start piping in about “they just want their money”, “freakin’ Union”, blah blah blah…. The guy chimes in and says - here is my positive experience and gets a bunch of looks like you aren’t with the program.

Anyone want to chime in. Is this typical at large organizations? I get a lot of “us versus them mentality” from my coworkers and I don’t get it.

I’m sorry I just think that headline is funny.   It was from the D&C on-line edition. the Print Edition says “Minarik sounds drumbeat over races”

Apparently there was local GOP convention where the party faithful heard about the important local races.

County Chairman Stephen Minarik warned that Democrats are spending resources and organizing in an attempt to oust state Sen. Joseph Robach, R-Greece.

“The Democrats are harnessing all of their power, all of their money,” Minarik said.

Robach responded

“The idea of them controlling every house, every policy, would be horrible,” Robach said.

Yeah Joe - we’re coming for you.  The big bad Democratic storm clouds are forming and  going to rain on your parade.  boo freaking hoo.

No,  Joe - it is like this - Your record will be allowed to speak for itself.  In fact your conservative voting record and you being a critical enabler of a dysfunctional state government are the stuff that storm clounds are made of.

I wish the article spoke more of the all the GOP red meat that was spewed to the GOP minions.   Business  knows better than  government,  governments job is to help our business’ survive the perils of the free market.  blah blah blah.

The article touched a little bit with quotes by The guys running for Congress provided some quotes by the GOP Congressional candidates.

“I have no problem telling people no new taxes and no new regulation,” said Lee, who lives in Clarence, Erie County, and is running in the 26th District being vacated by Rep. Tom Reynolds, R-Clarence.

“I am fiercely pro-business,” Sweetland [running for Walsh’s set] told the committee members gathered at the Clarion Riverside Hotel. “I also believe in individual rights.”

But local red meat quotes were strangely absent.

Seats for sale! Get your red-hot federal seats heah! A

former Republican and buddy of Bush (who nearly got the appointment of Manufacturing Czar in this adminstration) who decided it’d be easier to buy the Senate seat being vacated by Hagel as a Democrat than a Republican. So that’s what he’s doing.

The New Nebraska Network puts it this way:

One campaign has the grassroots. One campaign has the organization. One campaign has the excitement level to take on Mike Johanns.

And one campaign has a checkbook.

Change the names to New York, Jack Davis, and Jon Powers, and you’re describing the NY-26 race.

Hey everyone -

You may have noticed that new comments are not appearing in the new recent comment  column.   We have also experienced some issues posting new material -

So we are on the case.  We just ask for your patience -

Like all good progressives - we are looking at solving the problem as opposed to deferring it until later.

Comment away and apologies for the inconvenience.

This is worth watching

3 DPW workers were suspended for allegedly diverting tax-payer raw materials to a private establishment.

Three town public works employees have been suspended, and an investigation into possible misconduct is taking place, but few other details were available early this week.

The affair seems to involve the alleged diverting of taxpayer-paid raw materials to a private location.

Apparently it has been going on for a while

“While I cannot delve into details, as this is an ongoing investigation, I can tell you that it appears that, for over a decade, a few DPW employees have provided raw materials to a private establishment, free of charge,” Heyman said in Friday’s prepared statement. “Not only is this an abuse of their position as public employees, it is a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars.”

Heyman declined to comment on where the inappropriate activities were taking place and said that to her knowledge, no town equipment was used.

Anyone know what is alleged?

I’d like to know what these folks were supposedly stealing. Where it was going. Sounds like a can 0f worms waiting to be opened. Nice to see Democratic Town Supervisor Mary Ellen Heyman playing an active role here protecting tax payer assets.

Update

New10NBC has more

Apparently it was the Irondequoit Bay Fish and Game Club

At the Irondequoit Bay Fish and Game Club, the entrance to the private club is freshly mulched. In the parking lot, there appears to be a fresh layer of gravel. The sprucing up of the club was apparently done at the expense of Irondequoit taxpayers.