Sonia Sotomayor May Be Opposed to Abortion Rights

Robert Gibbs, the president’s press secretary, told reporters that the president did not specifically discuss abortion with Sonia Sotomayor.  I do not believe that report for a second.  This is one of the most hotly disputed issues in the Supreme Court’s history.  Obama knows the impact that overturning of Rowe Vs Wade would have on this nation.

In today’s Washington Post the article Abortion Rights Backers Get Reassurances on Nominee it was reported as follows. “The president’s advisers could not point to a specific basis for Obama’s belief that he and Sotomayor share the same view on the issue, other than their general conversation about judicial philosophies. In nearly 20 years as a district judge and on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York, Sotomayor has not confronted constitutional questions about the issue.”

As a very strong supporter of the Roe v. Wade ruling, I am not reassured at all.  To the contrary, I am very concerned about the possible overturning of that ruling.  Senator Barbara Boxer is quoted as saying she feels comfortable with the nomination but what is the basis for her comfort?  I  know of none.  Sotomayor is a Catholic.  Won’t her religion influence her opinion?  Of course it will.  

Supporters of the Roe v. Wade ruling need to call their senators to pressure them in their questioning of Sotomayor.  If there is any hint that she would overturn the ruling then she cannot be seated on the Supreme Court.

Panasonic Lumix FZ28

I read a review of this camera by a new user who claimed to have taken 1,000 pictures in just a week.  Unless that writer is a professional photographer I doubt that she took so many pictures during that time period.  The problem with the reviews on cameras on web sites and in magazines is that those venues rely upon camera manufacturers for advertising dollars.  The consequence is that relying on the reviews is a gamble.  That is the reason I subscribe to Consumer Reports (CR).

The photography/camera shops seem to take the attitude that they have some superior knowledge and if they sell the product the customer should accept their judegement about quality.  The overwhelming product sold at local stores in my area seems to be Canon.  The neighborhood store salesman told me its “Canon, Canon, Nikon.”  No Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, or Kodak.  Return policy?  Forget it.  You buy it, it’s yours.

Then there is Costco.  Their prices aren’t too much lower than the camera shops.  Their variety is limited. BUT their return policy is heavenly at 90 days.

So I watched their display case and saw the Panasonic Lumix FZ28.  The reviews, real and phony were mostly outstanding.  Digital Camera HQ      seems like a reliable web site.  I posted my review there too.  At least not all cameras receive an A grade.  Digital Photography Review provides detailed specifications.

In the month I have had the camera I have taken more than 50 pictures.  I am delighted with the results.  It’s an easy to use and handle camera that provides a 428mm telephoto lens that zooms to a 28mm wide angle.  The camera offers manual controls, a large viewing screen, and weighs less than a pound.

I have a Canon A70 and bought my wife a Canon A560.  I am used to their controls and so I have a learning curve for the controls but they are easy to learn.

Have You Driven One Lately?

Someone in a parking lot backed into my wife’s car.  It was a perfect in line collision with the front end.  No one was hurt but the damages will probably total $2,000.  The rental car is a Pontiac G6.  This is a car that is apppoximately the same size as a Honda Accord.  I have not driven a Pontiac since 2002 when we rented a car for a drive from NYC to Virginia and back.  Oh yes, I get to drive the Pontiac while my lovely wife will be using my Toyota Camry.

I have not owned an American brand car since 1990.  The last was a 1983 Oldsmobile Cutlass.  If the G6 is an example of the new style and design all I can ask is; what have they done to the General Motors cars?  The first thing I noticed is the sloping angle of the front door where it meets the windshield.  The angle is very irritating.   Follow that up with the short side windows and I found myself feeling enclosed in a small box with limited visibility.

My favorite resource for car ratings is Consumer Reports (CR) because they take no advertising.  Since all the other automotive magazines do take advertising from the manufacturers they are not a totally reliable resource for reviews.  Some would say those magazines are completely unreliable.

The only American vehicle that CR considers a top pick is the Chevrolet Avalanche.  That is a four door pick up truck.  The CR Automaker report card rated Ford in 12^th place Suzuki in 13^th, General Motors in 14^th, and Chrysler in 15^th place.  There was a total of 15 manufacturers.

I am not surprised.  I am disappointed that three of the largest auto manufacturers in the world are at or near the bottom of the pack.

Drastic Times for California

The T.E.A. parties were a harbinger of the no on taxes movement that is sweeping this nation.  Californians sent that resounding message to the legislature and the governor.  Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger must now sit down with state lawmakers and make real decisions.  It’s something that has not been done in more than a quarter century.  Proposition 13 (a 1978 revision to the state constitution that limited property taxation) was passed because the legislature refused to do its job.  Once again the public has to step in to send a resounding message.

 The Los Angeles Times reported in an article titled “Cost-cutting ideas die in Legislature”

Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger supported SB 44 to abolish the Integrated Waste Management Board and save up to $3 million a year, Denham said. The Senate Environmental Quality Committee rejected it Monday on a party-line vote.

The board has been criticized as a way station for retired lawmakers. Among its members are former legislators Sheila Kuehl, John Laird and Carole Migden; each is paid $132,000 a year.

How many other boards and departments are there, that serve no useful purpose?  The State Controller’s office reports there are more than 213,000 state employees (excluding California State Universities).  The questions are too easy to ask but the answers to some are difficult.

1. What are all of these people doing?
2. How many are earning over $100,000 per year?
3. What are the non essential departments?
4. Are there laws that prevent the elimination of any departments?

 The Los Angeles Times editorializes that this may be the time for a state constitutional convention.  The Bay Area Council of the San Francisco area is a business-sponsored, public-policy advocacy organization that is promoting the idea of such a convention.  That council believes “Drastic times call for drastic measures.”  These are most definitely drastic times.

A New Format for Newsweek

I am always a week or two behind in reading Newsweek.  However, I do like to take a quick look at their take on the latest happenings in a world that makes printed magazines obsolete in this world of instant news.  Editor Jon Meacham, “We know you already know what the new is.  With original reporting and arguments, we’ll make you think in new ways.”  Leafing through the May 25, 2009 edition shows some new formating and hopefully some new ways to make this publication more relevant.  The format is defintely inviting.  Perhaps some new participants will make this magazine more valuable.

Environmentalists Are Too Late

On March 1, 2009 I wrote about Solving the California Drought through the use of water desalination.  Today’s Los Angeles Times reported that the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board has unanimously approved the project.  Astonishingly there are environmentalists who oppose the project because they believe it will harm the coast.   The Times report does not explain the reasoning behind the opposition.

It is interesting to note that there was little or no opposition to the over building of homes throughout California.  The urbanization of Southern California was the real issue and there is still little opposition to the continuing construction of homes and businesses throught the state.

You Don’t Like America, Go Home

Roxana Saberi, a 32-year-old dual Iranian-American citizen, was released from an Iranian prison after being accused and found guilty of spying for the United States government.  She was born in the U.S.  How did she become a dual Iranian-American citizen?  Why is she so focused on Iran? 

Recently a dissident, Zhou Yongjun, from the Tiananmen Square demonstrations was arrested in China after being in exile since that event in 1989.  Why would he return to a country that sought to arrest him? Zhou was a permanent U.S. resident.

Latinos in Los Angeles have had many demonstrations in support of illegal aliens living here.  They demonstrate their love for the U.S.A. by waving the flags of their native countries.  Just to tell us they love America they have stickers and banners on their cars that say things like, “I love Guatemala.”   

Why are so many immigrants in the United States so focused on their previous home?  Further more, why have the children of immigrants been encouraged to focus on the country they left behind?

My grandparents were born in Romania and the Ukraine.  I was born in Canada.  I am a naturalized citizen of the United States and my focus is on America.  After all this is where I grew up and this is my home.  If you love those other countries so much why are you living in the United States?  After all no one forced you to move here and no one is holding you hostage.

Don’t Knock On My Door

About every three months the Jehovah’s Witnesses send a group of four people down my street.  The want to leave their Watchtower magazine and they actively try to discern anyone who might be a convert.  In addition there are other Christian groups that send their members into the neighborhood trying to obtain converts.  My wife sends them away with a nasty set of words.  I like to engage them in discussion for the purpose of encouraging them to think about their beliefs.

I view religious beliefs as a personal thing. It’s wonderful living in the Untied States because the nation honors everyone’s right to believe whatever they want.  There is no state sponsored religion.  “In God We Trust” appears on all of our money.  We can conclude that the nation does believe there is a God.  Other nations are not so open minded.  Arab nations base much of their law on Islam.  Israel identifies itself as a Jewish state.

My complaint is the visit by the Pope to Jordan and Israel.  Perhaps the Pope believes he can heal wounds between Catholics and Muslims or between Catholics and Jews.  What could he possibly say that will change anyone’s views?  I am happy with my religious beliefs.  His visit to my neighborhood would be greeted with about the same response that I give to those Jehovah’s Witnesses.  I am really not interested in your views and beliefs.  In the name of peace in this world don’t try to convert me and don’t spread hatred.  After all, God may be watching.

EMPATHY

Understanding, sympathy, and compassion are all synonyms for empathy.  I feel your pain (said with emotion in my voice) and I bite my lip.  Bill Clinton was so good at doing it.  He really made you believe he meant every word.  This has nothing to do with anything else but connection with the other person’s life problems.  We all have some serious issues.  Some are truly sad situations.

The law deals with facts not emotion and certainly not feelings.  The U.S. Constitution is the basic law that governs our nation.  It is the one set of rules that guides our government.  It was written in 1787 and officially ratified in 1789.  There is no reference to empathy in the Constitution.  That document does provide rules for amendments and there have been 27 to date.  None of them are about feelings.  All of them define rules and regulations.

Now President Barack Obama says he wants to appoint a new Supreme Court justice that has empathy.  Is he suggesting that a new member of the court ought to decide cases based upon empathy for the pleader?  Does “feeling your pain” justify a different ruling than not sympathizing with someone’s dilemma? I find the idea of appointing someone to the Supreme Court based on their feelings not in accord with facts. 

Can the president appoint a liberal Supreme Court judge even if he or she has no empathy?  Absolutely!  Liberal interpretation can be made for many things in the 21^st century without empathy.  Equal rights, gun control, abortion are all hot button issues that require recognition of the impact of the new technologies and greater appreciation of human behavior versus those of the 18^th century.

AA Batteries vs. Proprietary Batteries

I bought a Panasonic DMC-FZ28 camera from Costco. With a 90 day return policy and good reviews on the camera I believe the choice was wise. However, the camera has a proprietary lithium battery. A low battery warning light appeared about 3p.m. Sunday afternoon. Two hours later I was able to continue learning about the camera. The cost of an additional battery is $25.00. Now I am wondering if these batteries might not be available in the future and that would obsolete the camera. AA batteries are available almost everywhere (like a general store in Yosemite or in Paris?).

So is the light weight lithium battery really that good if the cost is high and the availability is in doubt? Send me your opinion!