Ok everyone, who got a sun burn over the weekend?  My daughter did the honor of spraying Solarcaine on my back after I spent three hours planting willow and lilac on my small picnic lot next to Stony Brook. 

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Did anyone catch the governor delegating out the dirty work on the first day of trout fishing?  Last night, in a report by Andy Potter, WCAX aired someone from the Fish & Wildlife (LaRoche?) baiting the governor's hook.

Vermont taxpayers have been paying a heckuva lot of money for Douglas “communications” staff and far more photo opps than the average governor.  Now we're paying top guys from Fish and Wildlife to bait his hook?

Even Dick Cheney might concede that's like paying some one to zip up your fly. 

The nice thing about the brief video moment is that it showed a lot more about our Governor's love for the sport than this piece of propaganda from the Guv's site.

Kinda makes you wonder:  did Dubie have to do the dirty work at the Lake Champlain International?

Frankly, I don't know a single person who casts line to water, man or woman, who doesn't bait their own hook or pick their own fly.

'Cause in Vermont, that just ain't what we call fishin'.

Birdsong & Coffee, a documentary film about the environmental impact of your morning cuppa joe, is coming up next Friday evening at 6:30 pm at 81 Demeritt Place, Waterbury, off Main St. next to Freedom Cheverolet.

Including Vermont's own Paul Ralston of The Vermont Coffee Company, the film describes how open field (vs. shade grown) coffee plantations are devastating the migratory bird population along with other species.  So before you gulp down a cup of Folgers, come and watch Birdsong & Coffee.  Check it out!

What:       Birdsong & Coffee
Where:     Waterbury Train Station
When:      Friday April 11th, 6pm
Why:        Fun!

Donations to benefit the Nature Center as a tribute to Jeanne Fossani are encouraged.  Fossani, birder, educator and environmental “agitator” co-authored the film Bird Song and Coffee. She led tours to Central America for young people in conjuction with the North Branch. Jeanne passed away in October of last year. She was very well known for her passionate efforts to save migratory birds and the tropical forests. She co-taught at the environmental studies part of UVM with Dr. Ernesto Mendez.

A review of the film below the fold.

Abroad View Review:
Every morning, thousands of people all over the world wake up slowly in bed, roll over to smack the snooze button on their alarm clock and groan at the thought of having to face another long day in class or at work. A short time later, these same people reach enthusiastically for a hot cup of coffee, desperately searching for that jolt to get them through the day.

Every day, hundreds of songbirds stand to lose a home and their lives, and nobody spares a thought for their fate.

Birdsong & Coffee: A Wake-Up Call, produced by Old Dog Documentaries, is a film that defines the connection between coffee drinkers, coffee farmers, and songbirds in beautifully rendered detail. It is an even-handed, sober look at today's “coffee crisis,” with riveting commentary from farmers, students, congressmen, Fair Trade representatives, and officials from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.

Since news of a report on cell phones and brain tumors was dated 4/1 Australian time, verification that this wasn't a spoof required going to the source.  So it's legit.  There's a white paper, audio interview, and a plethora of news ariticles on the subject of cell phones overtaking smoking as a public health issue.

My gut has been telling me for quite a while that I don't want my kids using a cell phone while their brain is developing.  It seems my concern is validated by Dr. Vini Gautam Khurana PhD, FRACS, described below, with his resume here.

“A Mayo Clinic-Trained Neurosurgeon with an advanced neurosurgery Fellowship in Cerebrovascular and Complex Tumor Surgery from the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. A Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.”

Interestingly, it's difficult to research how much radiation is coming out your particular brand and model. The FCC limit for public exposure from cellular telephones is an SAR (Specific Absorbtion Rate) level of 1.6 watts per kilogram (1.6 W/kg).

Do you want to know how much microwave radiation your cell phone puts out?  One place to start looking is the Mobile Manufacturers Forum.  But if you have a Motorola, Nokia, or Sony Ericsson you'll have to link out of the FCC site and roll up your virtual sleeves in the hunt for infomation.  Palm (Handspring) isn't even listed.  More on that below the fold.

Suppose you get one of the $20 models with your Unicel plan, like the Motorola 197.  As any layperson would know (not), just type in SAR in the search box at Motorola and you get — well, nevermind, this model isn't listed.  Interesting to note that between the FCC website and manufacturer websites, there's a lot of broken links and circular references creating a labyrinth for anyone who might research the radiation info for their particular model cell phone. 

Palm doesn't provide the information, but refers back to a FCC site, which doesn't list current Palm devices.  Instead, there's arcane SAR engineering reports for 2002 Treo models, and these are listed under their pre-release code names, Manhattan, Shea, and Atlanta.  Don't worry, if you still have the “device under investigation (DUI), they pass the test.  But if you're looking for the radiation output for the Palm 755p, you're outta luck.

Back to the ratings:

The FCC SAR guideline of 1.6 W/kg.  Let's check the SAR ratings for the following smart phones and cell phones.

Moto Q9:  SAR 1.53

Razr V3:  SAR 1.24

V8 Razr2: SAR 0.86

Motorola V197:  SAR 1.6W/kg 

Finding maximum guideline 1.6 SAR for the Motorola V197 required an email to Corporate Consumeer Advocacy.  Here's the response:

Dear Mr. Freeman,

Thank you for your interest in Motorola products. As requested I am providing you SAR level for V197. Our site is not updated to show thisinformation, but I was able to get information from the online manualfor V197.

The highest SAR value for this model phone when tested for use at the ear is 1.60W/kg, and when worn on the body, as described in the userguide, is 0.38 W/kg. The SAR value for this product in its data
transmission mode (body-worn use) is 0.25W/kg. (Body-worn measurementsdiffer among phone models, depending upon available accessories and
regulatory requirements). While there may be differences between the SAR levels of various phones and at various positions, they all meet the governmental requirements for safe exposure.

Thank You,
Dorothy Hodges
Corporate Consumer Advocacy Office

You get the picture.  There's a wide variance betwen cell phone models, so who knows how much juice you're getting.

And for your viewing pleasure, this is where cell phones lie in microwave radiation spectrum:

Just so GMD doesn't appear to waste its time beating up on Anthony Pollina and fretting about Peter Galbraith,  here's your opportunity to throw some darts at the man who will likely proceed as governor in 2008, setting himself up for a formidable run for House or Senate in 2010.  Such are the consequences when the best candidates from the majority party gives ol' Do-Less a pass.

Oops — this is supposed to be a diary against Douglas, not the Dem Party.  Sometimes it's hard to conceal one's frustration.  But let's do our best.  Bring out your inner Ian Carleton and start throwing darts at a virtually uncontested public official.

Maybe to get things startted, I grabbed this photo from  a 2006 article, Women’s Organizations Debates Not On the Governor’s To-Do List, on VermontWoman.com. I wonder how Vermont women feel about the guv these days?  Are they worth his time now? 

Are any of us? 

In prior conversations I suggested changing the rating systems, in particular #2 since it really didn’t say too much.

Thanks to the powers that be for making a change that at this time seems humorously appropriate.  🙂

Don’t worry, MG, you’re still appreciated by one and all.  It just seems you’ve used the 2 so much that it’s now your namesake.  

It’s kinda like having a dish named after you in your favorite restaurant.

Nate

In consideration of the absence of discussion of a potential gubernatorial candidate from the Dem party, I think it may be a good time for GMDers to consider a turn away from the negative conversation regarding Anthony Pollina to a more constructive discussion on what we know about Peter Galbraith.  After all, as grassroots folks, we can only benefit the cause to educate ourselves and others about what kind of attributes, experience, and “what this means to the average Vermonter” answers Galbraith can bring to the table.

Galbraith currently reminds me of the Roman god, Janus, who represents the transition of time, conditions, and visions.  Janus sees history and the future simultaneously, hence the month of January comes from his name.  Janus is the gatekeeper of change and helps us to connect things that might otherwise seem distantly apart.

Peter Galbraith is a former US Diplomat with a strong interest and intimate knowledge of Iraq through his work there beginning in 1992.  He also happens to live in Townshend and may soon be announcing an official bid for the Governor's office.  What is the connection between being a diplomat in Iraq and a position as Vermont's #1 in command? Well, for starters let's consider the fact that Vermont has the highest per capita losses in the war.  Then there's also that bold anti-war platform Howard Dean offered to the world back in 2002.  Let's just say that Vermonters are a lot more connected to Iraq then they might ever imagine.

Peter Galbraith stands at a unique place and time of local and global politics.   As Vermont's governor, Galbraith has a platform, experience, and connections on the national and international stage.  What Bill Richardson is to New Mexico, Galbraith could be for Vermont.  

But what does this mean for Vermonters?  Can a great man who sees in two directions a single path convince the average Vermonter that he brings dual blessings?  Can he reassure independent voters and even conservatives that he can accomplish more in one year than Douglas has in three terms?  Can he speak to close to home bread and butter issues in a genuine way?

Please offer your thoughts, insights, and ideas regarding a man will represent a changing era in Vermont's political stature at home, in the Governor's Association, and internationally.

      Ian Carleton:  Big Money

In today's missive from the man who can't get a candidate for governor, Ian Carleton crows,

“Keep Big Money Out of Politics: Tell Jim Douglas not to block campaign finance progress.”

Frankly, Carleton's huffing and puffing is getting a little tiresome, especially since he can't come up with a viable candidate to replace Douglas.  To give him credit, it must be a most unenviable position to be the Chair of VDP at a time when his job is pretty much to blow air into a leadership vacuum.  Keep huffing and puffing, Mr. Carleton.  I hope the job pays well. 

Since the time I wrote on this subject in  Times Argus and Rutland Herald as well as here at GMD there have been no changes to the bill regarding Limitations of Contributions.  As I mentioned then, The US Supreme Court overturned Vermont's 1997 law because contribution limits were excessively low.  Justice Breyer argued that the rationale for preventing the appearance of corruption does not mean “the lower the limit, the better.”  In fact, the very low limits provide too much of an advantage to incumbents as well as self-financed candidates.

So what is “big money” according to Ian Carleton?  $1000.  

Probably about the same as one month's mortgage payment.  Any politician even appearing to sell out so cheap certainly would have made news by now. 

Not only would it be newsworthy if there was actual evidence of political corruption in Vermont, it would be equally newsworthy if there was even an appearance of corruption on the part of our political leaders based on contributions to their campaigns.  So far, no news.

Three years ago the United States Supreme Court sent AG Sorrell home empty handed in its rebuke of Act 64, the 1997 campaign finance law.  Given the minimal differences between Act 64 and the new bill, S.164, it looks as if Vermont Legislators don't give a damn what the Supreme Court Justices think.

 From the LA Times Top of the Ticket Blog

… those at the event — at least the vast majority of them — highly disapproved of Clinton's behavior. But they were not willing to shun him.

Brazile's none-too-subtle point: There's a potential downside to turning away, with nary a forgiving nod, from those who once stood by you.

Wright, by the way, remains out of the public eye. He had been invited to preach tonight, Wednesday and Thursday at a church in Tampa, but his appearance was canceled because of security concerns.

— Don Frederick (author info below the fold)

Don Frederick has served as an editor helping guide coverage of every presidential election since 1984. He is a third-generation Washingtonian, so watching the political world comes naturally to him.

A graduate of Northwestern University, he was a reporter for newspapers in Colorado, New Mexico and Texas before joining the (now-defunct) Los Angeles Herald Examiner in 1983. Hired by The Times in 1989, he has worked in its Washington bureau since 1996 — a perch providing him a close-up view of the impeachment of President Clinton, the government's response to 9/11 and the day-to-day wrangling of the two major parties.

It seems like Vt Tiger is kicking GMDs butt for the number of new diaries the last few weeks. So maybe it's time for a poll. It's a multi-vote poll, so you can check a couple of reasons why you think it's quiet around here.

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