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Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Police State
Last Saturday, ironically, just 30 minutes after writing and posting this, I had a very frightening encounter while riding on Valencia St. with my husband and older son. The sun was shining and the street was lined with pedestrians and cyclists despite the massive construction along the street that has eaten up both the sidewalks and the bike lanes. The three of us were headed to pick up my son's new contact lenses. As we approached the intersection at 17th St. I found myself being cut off by a driver turning right, no signal. I was in that weird place where you can't stop but you are still behind the car, so I rang my bell a couple of times and gave a shout out. The driver slowed the car but kept moving, slowly enough for me to pass but fast enough to be nerve rattling. The windows were down on the car and I could see the driver and his two passengers looking out at me. They were paying so much attention to me, I was worried they didn't see James and Cameron behind me, so I told the driver there were two more bikes behind me and kept riding. I could hear the driver yell something at me in an angry voice. It sounded like he called me a bitch but I couldn't really hear him.
At this point I did something kind of dumb, I flipped him off. This wasn't the most intelligent thing, but at some point you just get sick of being called names for not wanting to be run over.
I was about to look back to see where the boys were when I heard a big bore engine gun behind me and my first thought was "OK. You're one of those drivers." and I braced myself for whatever was coming next. The part of Valencia St. we were on no longer has a bike lane (temporary) and instead has a ditch with sharp gravel in it. In a situation like this, I find parked cars a great boon as you can dive between them to get out of the way, but there was nowhere to go so I would have to just be ready.
The car raced up next to me, just a little too close for comfort, to force me to slow down. I kept moving but he paced me. The driver leaned over his passenger and said "Shut your fucking mouth bitch or I'll knock you off your bike". He didn't yell it at me, he just stated it like there was no way it could be any other way, straight to my face. My nature is to not show fear, especially with people like this- I have found it makes them more bold. I looked right back at him ( I started taking note of all the details- the driver, the passenger in the back, the colour of the car....) and asked him if he would like me to call the police to report his harassing me? I got another "shut up bitch" and he started to drive away, slowly to see if I would try to pass him.
At that point I was just annoyed- I shouldn't have flipped him off, but he shouldn't have done any of the things he had done (I realized at this point that his almost right hooking me was not an accident). Then I saw what turned the whole thing very frightening- the car was an unmarked San Francisco Police car. Red and amber lights were in the rear window along with what looked like a police citation book.
I was completely floored. I had just been threatened and intimidated by a police officer. His partners in the car had done nothing to stop him. To top it off, this all happened not 100 feet from the Mission Police Station (which I turned around and went straight into to file a report which is now with the Office Of Citizen Complaints). The worst part was that from behind, both James and Cameron thought I was about to be run down in front of them (James pulled out his cell phone to start taking pictures). That was when I started shaking, just a little but for the next three hours.
This by no means puts me off of riding or makes me distrust all police officers . While this officer may have a special thing for cyclists, his issue was not with me, or me on a bike, or anything even remotely that personal. This is about one person's need to prove his power over the world around him and intimidate everyone and everything that comes close to him. My bicycle probably is more of a target for him than if I had been on foot, but he would be just as hateful and mean regardless.
Had he done this to many other cyclists, and my guess is he has on many occasions, they would probably stop riding. While I understand that, what I hope people understand is that this kind of behavior has nothing to do with bike lanes, or the need for infrastructure, or a lack of bicycle culture and points more to something deeper and more insidious that is happening in our cities. People are finding it more and more acceptable to behave poorly or as though they are in a movie.
I will not stop riding. It would take a hell of a lot more than this to stop me. I will not let this situation pass without making this officer face me and tell me why he thinks it is OK to threaten a women with bodily harm in front of her family. I will fight back so that no one else has to deal with this.
Maybe working for real bicycle culture is about working for a better culture period. Maybe the people who ride bicycles are something of a canary in a coal mine and how we are treated is a barometer for how all vulnerable members of society are being treated these days. Of course, with all of the people out there trying to build that culture, there is way more to be happy about than intimidated or angry. We have a voice and we can use it.
We can ride our bikes.
update- this story has been picked up by Streetsblog SF and NBC to air at 11 pm this evening.
59 comments:
GF - sorry this happened. I have been intimidated and threatened by an SFPD officer before. I filed a complaint with the OCC and the officer in question was investigated and found not guilty. However, a year later, a private investigator contacted me as the same police officer threatened another civilian in an almost identical manner. The officer in question was brought to court and would be charged and reprimanded. Justice was (hopefully) done. It pays to go through the bureaucratic steps sometimes, even if the repercussions are not immediate. Bring that police officer down. They are law enforcers, keepers of the peace, etc. We pay their salaries. They have no right to treat San Franciscans that way.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry that you, and your family, had to go through this. And you are right - ultimately it is one person trying to assert their control/power over another.
I don't get it.
After being doored over last summer, I was thinking, "ok, that's just one incident, I'll try not to let this happen again; be safe and be more aware." It was two weeks later, and back on the bike, and some woman on Steiner kicked her door open. I told her to watch it, and she made sure to tell me to "watch it" in the sort of attitude that people get when they feel entitled.
It took all 6'2" of me to get off the bike, walk back to this lady, and gently explain to her that this black eye was from someone just like her, who was just as careless. And because of their carelessness, they are paying for my medical bills and lawyer fees.
I'm really sad to say that I haven't ridden since. I think Tour de Fat was the last time...and I've just been too afraid to get back in the saddle (pardon the pun). I feel just so intimidated by cars/people in them/etc. to even ride these days.
Thank you, for fighting back.wow... this is a frightening story indeed; and I am sorry for anyone to have to have dealt with it!!
Thankfully, though there are those officers that act like the one you encountered, not all of them are like that... it is good that you reported the incident, and I completely agree that it probably has nothing to do with you being a cyclist and everything with him being an ego driven, body-cenrtic, power-drunk punk giving real duty-minded officers a bad name.
Ride safe and I prey that this is the LAST time you ever have to deal with something like this.thank you for sharing this story. i am so frustrated it happened at all. but i also think you did the right thing to report it. assholes come in allllll walks of life, as you know. but so do people who are not easily intimidated....like you.
i'm so glad that james and cameron were there, even though it must have been scary for them to see. big strong internet hugs to all of you. --CTX.Kimberly- Black eyes suck. I hope you find a way back to your bike. You should come ride with us! Group riding provides for a greater sense of security and maybe it would help you back on the beast : )
Right after this happened I considered riding home by a different route in case he was still around, but I decided to stay on Valencia. I ride there almost every day and I will not be frightened off of the bikiest street in SF!
Astroluc- It is a shame that people like this guy give other officers a bad name. I will say this though, there were 2 other plain clothes cops in that car with him and they did nothing. If the SFPD wants a better rep, they are going to have to start cleaning up from the inside.
KT- I think it is safe to say that we are the wrong women to try and intimidate : )
Cali- : ))))Maybe it's just me getting old, but I find the quality of policemen has declined in recent years. I tend now to regard them as little more than failed nightclub bouncers in uniform. The recent Counter Terrorism Act here in the UK seems to have given some of them the opportunity to behave like complete bullies. The old image of the kindly but firm British Bobby is long dead. Sadly. It's up to us to stand up to the bullies. Like you did. Because the only way to police a community is by that community's consent.
ReplyDeleteSorry this happened. What a drag.
Thanks for talking about it though...these things need to be aired out.
In the extremely unliockely chance that the officer involved ever reads this I would just like to say to him: "Man up dude, and apologize to this lady. Don't be a pussy; it's never too late to do the right thing." (this also goes for the other two officers who didn't have the good sense to reign their buddy in).
Keep smiling, Adrienne.The fact that you say it is the Bikiest Street in San Francisco and that the Cop Shop is also on it tells us something. That this Copper has to Interact with Cyclists every Day and basically seems to hate anyone on a Bike. He does not want to Respect other Peoples right to Travel on the Road,he seems to have a Power Complex a need to Dominate.
Put People in an Official Uniform and some of them the Power goes to their Head like this individual.
I would advocate before any Person gets a Licence to Drive they should be given Bicycle and Pedestrian Training for two or three Weeks to see what it is like on the other side of the Coin.
It is horrible to have something like that happen to you it really shakes you up.
It looks like the Clique was working in that Car, we all stand together and tell no Tales about each other.
People like this Person should be Rooted out of the Police,there should be no place for Bullies like this.
It looks like he has done this sort of thing before and hopefully a File is gradually Building on the Complaints from People he has Abused and he wont get away with it.
I hope this dose not upset you to much and you can continue to Cycle the Streets of SF Happily with not a care in the World, Happy Trails.good on ya for filing the report!! it's a well documented phenomenon that power turns some people abusive. this is just a fact of live in civil security and military units. you're doing your critical part as a citizen to identify and help rid the police department of these people.
keep us posted on how it all works out...?I think you should file a complaint against that officer. Having a badge does not give someone license to be a bully or to create a dangerous situation.
I'm glad you wrote about this. I know that writing publicly has consequences. I would have used the officer's name. Seriously, what happened is not the way people (who we pay via taxes) should behave. They are supposed to be role models.after 20 years of commuting daily, riding with groups in lycra, riding with family, etc., I've never had a frightening experience. On sections of road like the one you describe, riding at family pace, I would be tempted to take the footpath, or perhaps thing ahead and take another route.
Confucius say: "He how gnaws at tiger's tail, invite destruction"
I'm sure that wont go down well:)
Rupert, behoovingmoving.livejournal.comAdrienne, I was so sorry to read you report about someone who clealry has 'issues'. You did the right thing reporting him; to protect yourself and future cyclists: his attitude has no place on the roads of a civilized society and as such reporting him was absolutely the right thing to do.
Everytime I read your reports of you cycling with your family and small ones in America I think that there is hope for the future of mass cycling in the Western World: I hope this sad and needless incident won't put you off continuing to work towards that goal.
Thanks for sharing it, and I hope you don't have the fear whilst cycling now, and continue to love your two-wheeled adventures.
All the very best from London,
MarkI remember a police officer friend telling me that he didn't give tickets to drivers with children in the car because he knew that if he did, the driver would subsequently curse out the officer to his or her children, and that this would diminish the respect that the children (i.e., future generations) would have for police officers. Your story is like the exact opposite. Thanks for telling it.
ReplyDelete- AnonymousApril 1, 2010 at 9:03 AM
Wow, that's crazy. The kind of thing you think only happens in films, right? In a sense, I feel a bit sorry for the guy, I can't imagine what it would be like to live life feeling like you had to prove yourself that way. There are some pretty wacked out people in this world. I'm sorry he had to choose you to assert his wounded masculinity on.
I just posted on Portlandize about coming at issues from a strictly bicycling persepctive, and I think this is another case where looking at it as simply a cycling issue would be extremely detrimental.
Most of the issues that face cycling in America also apply to many other things - safe neighborhoods, streets where children can play, fair and equitable treatment under the law, etc. By making them "cycling" issues, we just make them look like special interest concerns, and we make it much harder for the population in general to take them seriously. - Bill, PghApril 1, 2010 at 9:07 AM
That experience sucks. I have basic problems with authority myself, I can only imagine the emotional turmoil this incident created for you.
It's so good that you reported this, as someone said, there will not likely be immediate results, but things will accumulate.
In Pittsburgh we had an officer who had abused different women and girlfriends over the course of years, and reports to the Citizens Review Board eventually added up to demonstrate that this was an obvious pattern, and he got canned.
Hopefully eventually departments will realize that by sheilding their most despicable members, they are damaging the credibility of their entire occupation.
Peace. It is very sad that you had to deal with this. It is bad enough when regular drivers treat cyclists like rolling targets but to have a cop do it is just ridiculous and wrong. That cop should lose his job because he's obviously a cop not because he wants to protect and serve but because he wants to exercise his authority over others.
Glad that his actions aren't going to dissuade you from biking!- AnonymousApril 1, 2010 at 9:42 AM
Truly a lousy circumstance, but possibly some good can come of it. As noted, this sort of behavior is far too common. It even happens in Amsterdam: http://www.bakfiets-en-meer.nl/2010/03/26/close-encounters-of-the-amsterdam-police-kind/ Keep fighting the good fight, and know that we are with you. Val
ReplyDelete I have had a similar expirence with an SFPD officer. I was riding my bike down San Jose Ave. The bike lane on San Jose Ave is briefly disconnected at Brook Street, so as a rider I have to ride in the street momentarily until I am natuarlly connected to the bike lane again. I would say this is about 15ft of unmarked pavement. I was riding in this very section when I get the distinct feeling of a car right behind me, i mean right behind me, like if i had to brake quickly this car would run me over. My feeling is quickly backed up by a rev of an engine as it quickly saddles up next to me, pushing me towards the curb. This car was an SFPD police car. As I tried to stay upright, the driver yelled at me to, "stay in the bike lane, do you want to get killed?" I responded that I was in the bike lane, his respose to that was to quickly swerve into me then speed away. I quickly noted his police car number then pulled over to call the Mission Police station. I was helped out quickly and even given the option to have a mediation with the offending police officer shoul dhe agree to participate. The situation was never resolved for various reasons. I'm sad to say that I have alos had a similar exipirnce that left me shaken and even more distrusting of the SFPD.
ReplyDelete- AnonymousApril 1, 2010 at 12:42 PM
I think you hit the nail on the head here:
"Maybe the people who ride bicycles are something of a canary in a coal mine and how we are treated is a barometer for how all vulnerable members of society are being treated these days."
It's not just a disregard of safety on the roads and a neglect of justice when someone is hurt or killed by car, it's a running theme throughout our culture that puts power and short term profits above health and happiness. Wherever you look it's the same. Climate change, health care, wars of occupation, toxic pollution, privatization. This system is actively hostile against life, and that is not going to change at the ballot box or by changing policy. The roots of these problems are institutional and any solution also needs to be on an institutional level.
Once I thought it was enough to just ride a bike and be a member- even work for- the SFBC, but now I realize more is required to create a sane society.
The Declaration of Independence said:
"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness), it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
If there was any lingering doubts that the governments of the west have neglected their responsibility to keep us safe, then what happened in Copenhagen in December should put those doubts to rest.
If we want safe streets where those sworn to protect us don't intimidate and attack us, we're going to need to build that world ourselves rather than "asking" someone else to do it for us. - AnonymousApril 1, 2010 at 3:12 PM
Very disturbing.
You should suggest, as a punishment for the officer, that he go on duty ON A BICYCLE for a few weeks to get a 'feel' for the atmosphere out there!
We have police on bicycles here in Australia. I think it helps to have not just police officers who happen to cycle but police officers actually cycling on the job. Unfortunately they seem to like cracking down on cyclists without helmets... sigh...
Cheers and happy cycling from Australia!
Paul Martin
Brisbane, Australia I was asked by the investigator at OCC what I wanted to happen with this, I told them I thought that he needed to spend some time in uniform so that he could no longer be anonymous. While I love the idea of him learning about the way things are for cyclists, I hesitate to use cycling as a punishment to teach him a lesson. I am fairly sure he would see it as punishment and not learning opportunity.
ReplyDelete- jean elleApril 1, 2010 at 5:38 PM
Adrienne- I am a local reporter interested in your experience with SFPD. Can you call me or send me contact info?
408-426-6319 What an awful experience.
What a waste of time and energy on the part of of a "peace ofiicer" who's salary comes from local taxes.
Bravo to you, Adrienne, for making a commitment to staying in the saddle. That cop just needs to be commited.
Also, don't police cars have dash cams? With microphones? My guess is this whole incedent was recorded digitally. If anybody knows more about this, please chime in.Well, everyone, thank you for the comments!
First, let me say that I am still riding and nothing short of paralysis would make me stop. I have one helluva Irish temper with more than a little slow, Scottish burn. Mix that with an English propensity to being very polite when faced with idiocy and you get quite the combo for dealing with just this type of thing : )
Second, many different news organizations are taking interest in this story, so I think there will be movement on it by those who need to do so.
Third, and most important- if this kind of thing has happened to you, speak up! File reports, call your local bicycle advocacy organization, blog about it... it makes a difference!- AnonymousApril 1, 2010 at 10:52 PM
Wow, my rose-colored glasses about biking in SF are coming apart fast--I had a somewhat similar experience on Valencia a couple of weeks ago. There was a car parked in the bike lane during the evening commute time, and after watching the kid in front of me blithely cut into traffic to go around it, I smacked my hand loudly on the side as I went around, frustrated. This enraged the driver, who honked, and sped up to catch me at the red light to yell out the window about how he could fucking kill me, etc. Hard not to look scared.
Anyway, he moved, which was what I wanted... - AnonymousApril 2, 2010 at 3:31 PM
The fact is, most police officers are sociopaths. After reading this for even one week, you'll see it for your self: http://twitter.com/InjusticeNews
ReplyDelete - localbikerApril 2, 2010 at 4:15 PM
Sadly, this type of experience is common on Valencia street. I have had (marked) police vehicles ride my tail, dangerously pass me, and drive at erratic speeds while I was biking on that section.
ReplyDelete Anon 10:52- It is always a toss up when you leave the house, bike or no. My Granddad used to say "It's amazing what you see when you leave your house without your gun" : ) May I suggest a less physical approach to the double parkers who park under the "No Stopping In Bike Lane" sign? I use my Crane Bell liberally. That thing can really crank out some sound and they know exactly for whom the bell tolls : )
localbiker- Have you filed a complaint? If you do not have a specific incident to complain about, you can lodge a complaint through 311 about general conditions. It all goes into the official record and those complaints add up and make a difference. I will admit it is a frustrating slow way of doing things, but it is the way we have in front of us.
Sam- I wished, for once : ), that SF was more like LA when that story came out. One can hope!
Kit & Alan- It will be interesting to see where this takes us all. With the scandals at the drug lab and the brewhawhaw with the Islamic community I fear we will be pushed to the side once more. I will work hard for that to not be so, but we shall see!I Tweeted this with the comment that the closest I've ever been passed by a car while biking was by a local police cruiser. On a four lane road no less. It's scary that the people who are supposed to serve and protect use intimidation to scare people from doing perfectly legal things they personally don't like.
ReplyDeleteAdrienne, I'm so sorry you had that experience and agree the incident had nothing to do with you personally or bicycles. This officer may very well behave this way whenever he feels inconvenienced and challenged. It's frustrating when we encounter people like this regardless of their job but especially so when they are in positions of power. I've worked with a lot of cops in both my careers and found that most of them find behavior like from their fellow officers highly enbarrassing and unprofessional. Filing a report a report is a risk but I am certain this guy has coworkers who are glad you did.
ReplyDeleteThat really sucks!
Good on you for reporting him. I agree totally with the idea that while advocating for cyclist rights we must find ourselves advocating for respectful treatment of all (Of course even amongst cycling advocates there are those who don't care much for the rights of others...)
I believe maritime law favours wind powered yachts (sail boats) over motorized small craft.
Give way to the vulnerable, respect human life etc...
I've read some cycling books from the 1930s or 40s that talk about Roadmanship as a kind of code of ethics for road users that, once upon a time people would pride them selves for having.
Somewhere along the way we've changed.- magentapretzelApril 10, 2010 at 9:37 PM
I think the worst possible thing we as cyclists can do is to lash out at motorists. YES, they cut us off, fail to signal, speed by way too closely, and open their car doors in our face. And yes, sometimes we are so angry we can't help it.
But flipping them off, smacking a window, hitting the trunk, or slamming a u-lock into their windshield (it's happened) won't make them care that they've put you in danger. It may startle or even scare them, but they will most likely think you and other cyclists are jerks with a bad tempers, and in turn feel they're the victim because you disrespected their property.
If the driver you're dealing is just careless and not aggressive, I've found it can be effective to look them in the eye and tell them what they've done to put you in danger. I think it's good to let them know they've scared you. If the car's window is down and you're not in a big hurry, take a moment to look at the driver and say, 'hey, be careful!' or 'you cut me off, use your signal'. Or, to whoever opened their door in your path, 'I can't stop that fast, please try to look next time'. Not aggressively, but firmly, and nicely, if you can. Express your frustration without getting angry. (But if they're aggressive, just get out of the way and let it go)
Although there's definitely not always time for this, letting a motorist see your face definitely help them to view cyclists as people and not just two wheels that are in their way.
I've been cycling in SF every day for 4 years, and I'm not saying I haven't lost my temper or flipped off a motorist. I have gotten a lot of apologies by handling things like this. - AnonymousApril 13, 2010 at 3:20 PM
Reading the comments here it seems most people haven't encountered the SFPD much! I've been hassled by cops in SF a couple times while on my bike. I was arrested during the anti war protests..caught up in a sweep and wasn't even a protestor...the cops threw my bike into the air for the hell of it. I was chanrged and all the charges later dropped, but they are still on my (only) arrest record.
Another time, when I WAS protesting I had a cop wave a shotgun at me and others. I filed a formal complaint to the Office of Citizens Complaints and they said it was "normal" police work. I think the OCC is a complete joke, in league with the SFPD. Make sure you bring your picture with you to OCC. And print out your blog where you admit "the sidewalk and Bikelane were eaten up by construction". Because you see when there is no bike lane "YOU ARE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW THE SAME LAWS AS ALL AUTOMOBILES ON THE ROAD".So you are not allowed to PASS ON THE RIGHT, which is what you were doing when you claimed the Officers CUT YOU OFF. If you were in an accident it would have been your fault. Not to many ladies flip people off but I guess you already know that. The Cops in the Mission have to protect us and they do a GREAT job. But now another cop has to waste his time defending himself against a BS complaint. Because as you told the reporter for SFGate you said "I think I heard him call me a B*tch". But I guess your Blog would not be as interesting if you told the truth. This was all your fault!
ReplyDeleteMike- Aside from the fact that I was in a bike line and right next to the car when the Officer decided to turn into me means that I was not breaking a law.
This is irrelevant. No officer is allowed to threaten or intimidate a citizen in any situation. I will not debate this point.
I will not debate my parenting.
I will not allow rude, abusive or LOUD discourse on this blog. Please feel free to disagree with me, but do so calmly and politely. If you wish to do otherwise, I direct you to SF Gate where the Chronicle allows people to say all kinds of horrid things about me freely.
We keep posting here open so that others can speak to one another without delay, but I will delete any comments that are abusive. Period.
Keep riding!Oh I'm so sorry if the truth hurts!
1) Not wearing a helmet (again poor example)
2) Do not start confrontations (actually it was a good thing these were allegedly cops)
3) Flipping of people in front of a child, with all the gang problems going on in the Mission,I hope your son doesn't do the same with the wrong person one day.
4) Passing on the right "Illegal" bike must follow all the rules of the road
5) Posting a blog on the internet "Free" …..censoring comments of opposing views "Priceless"
6) As for you facing the Cop, that will only happen if you and the Officer agree to an OCC arbitration otherwise it will be out of your control and left up to the OCC investigators.
7) Re: SFGate it would appear no one agrees with you, but I guess you can't intimidate and censor them can you!
8) (Feel free to delete my comments) you might as well have told me "To shut up or I'll knock you off my Blog"…. I will not stop posting it will take a hell of a lot more then this to shut me up. Being a Bike Messenger "I know we break the law but I don't blam the Cops"- AnonymousApril 18, 2010 at 4:38 PM
I'm shocked that a Mother would act like this. I have three children and I would never want them to think it's OK to violate the law and then use abusive language and flip someone off especially a Cop. The Father is just as bad using his cell phone while riding "isn't that illegal". Thank you for wasting my Tax dollars you should be ashammed of yourself.
ReplyDelete Again, polite disagreement is welcome here at the blog. People have varying opinions about all subjects. Insulting/abusive/targeted comments are not not only not necessary here, they are not welcome.
Should you, Mike, or anyone else chose to cross that line, then you will not be welcome here- not because of your differing opinion, which is welcome, but because of your delivery. It is that simple.- AnonymousApril 18, 2010 at 5:33 PM
Mrs. Johnson how polite were you when you flipped off the people in that car. How good of an example was your husband when he also violated the law. You see Mrs. Johnson you and yours do not represent the rest of the law abiding bicyclist of this great city. In fact you are why many of those that ride in cars instead of on two wheels hate people on bikes. With all due respect Mrs. Johnson show a little class, if not on the street at least in your postings. And please take your son aside and explain you handled this situation wrong. Like Mike said delete if you wish but at least try to be a good person moving forward.
ReplyDelete Anon- I find it interesting that not only you, but others as well, chose to focus on what you perceive to be my behavior. There is a lot of assumption going on here- I ran a light, I did not have the right of way, my husband endangering our son.... without anywhere near enough information to make those determinations while completely ignoring the real issue- police misconduct. I have taken responsibility for my part in this in my post and do not feel a need to do so further.
What is it that makes people comfortable enough with police misconduct that they are willing to completely ignore it? My guess is that these are people who have not seen the dark side of law enforcement which is out there no matter how many truly wonderful and dedicated police officers there are.
As to my showing class, let me say that I am not anonymously posting insulting comments about anyone's parenting/riding/living and am instead airing my experiences publicly to allow others to learn from this experience.
I hope you find something here at the blog that is to your liking. If not, have a nice day and safe riding.- AnonymousApril 18, 2010 at 9:38 PM
There is probabbley more to this story than we know. Before all is said and done we may find out race is the real issue here. She keeps refering to "the dark side of Law enforcement" hmmmmm something is up. I could be wrong but we will see!
ReplyDelete Adrienne my daughter (age 12 yrs) stumbled across your story today and I to was shocked to hear of such an allegation involving an Officer. I was even more appalled to hear that a Mother would exhibit such indecent behavior in front of her own child. I really don't think bragging about the fact that you have "one helluva Irish temper" helps your case. Unless flying off the handle is something you are proud of.
You should have a Parental Advisory on the top of you page and a Rated "R" for Raunchy, I really don't think my child should have to read such obscene language, was it really necessary to post that without a warning, what will you do next release a Rap CD! There is a reason the newspaper and the media are not allowed to use that type of language …."our children may read or hear it".
But apparently you don't care who you flip off or offend, If you truly want to show you are sorry for what you did, then apologize to the Cop. What are you teaching your kid, don't you think his friends are reading this; you really need to take a step back and look at this from the outside.
I teach my children to avoid confrontations, not to use foul language verbal or in print, don't flip people off and respect others. Adrienne it's not a good idea to portray oneself as a martyr unless you have done something admirable. From what I have read you have done nothing but to offend everyone including those that risk their lives to protect us. And at least teach your kid to wear a helmet!Adrienne -
Ugh! What a horrible tale, and what asinine comments these last few have been. rest assured that not everyone thinks that "just because you flipped off an aggressive driver they had a right to threaten your life." That is a breathtakingly stupid assertion, and the fact that some of these commenters feel that you should be excoriated for this episode is even more breathtaking.
And since your parenting is being brought up, I just want to say that I have watched you with your family many times now & I *always* think - "wow if I ever have kids, I hope they have a Mom like that." I mean it.
Much love & don't let the haters get you down.
'deep- AnonymousMay 20, 2010 at 2:25 PM
This appears to be a total fabrication, it's pretty obvious Mrs. J has an agenda here, first she writes a blog about Police and bike rider's conflicts and then coincidently she allegedly has an encounter with the DARKSIDE of the law just in time for her next blog.
Mr. and Mrs. J are both pieces of work. The Mother obviously shows allot of class when she doesn't get her way. And Mr. J is a not exactly a prime example of a good husband. if a real man was witness to his wife being threatened, he would intervene to protect her, not pull out his camera phone and take a snap shot of the incident. "Hey look sonny Daddy got a picture of Mommy getting run over".
These no helmet wearing, traffic violating, vulgar and obscene gesturing, confrontational, poor examples of manhood teaching people are not good parents please……
The Cops in SF have dropped the crime rate by facing criminals and danger in the face. I agree with "Candlovin" this woman is wrong ...but let's waste more of our tax payers money investigating BS!!! - AnonymousMay 27, 2010 at 4:55 PM
Adrienne, Don't let these Haters get you down!....I bet you are a terrific Mother who just had an off day. But just some good advice especially when your child is present, it probably was a good thing they were allegedly Cops, in this day and age it's better to ignore a person then to put you and your family in a confrontationally situation.
I was horrified to hear of such an incident, why would a Cop would do such a thing, I have been cut off by motorist many times too and I know how angry you probably were. Although some of these people posting do bring up valid concerns.
It's just strange that in your previous blog you stated "there is little alliance between Law Enforcement and us". Then coincidently you have this alleged encounter and photo to go with it.
I do have a few questions though, if this really did happen can you post those pictures of them swerving and trying to run you off the road? The one posted on SFGate merely shows a blue car and a woman riding next it, no one in the photo is even looking at each other?
Also in SFGate you stated "I thought I heard him call me a bitch" but in your blog you embellish a bit and you say he said "shut your F#@King mouth bitch or I'll knock you off your bike" so which is it? I'm not saying you have a credibility issue I'm just stating facts.
Anyway I bet in most situations you are a better parent, keep posting we need your help!
Remeber the whole world is watching!!! - AnonymousAugust 16, 2010 at 12:44 AM
hmm interesting article
You are right these guys are bad....pleaase...... get a life!!!! - AnonymousJanuary 7, 2011 at 9:14 AM
How can you comment-makers know if she is telling the truth or not? You think police always stick to the law, tell the truth and never threaten or use violence in a criminal manner? LOL. You are either deluded, have your own agenda (perhaps you ARE police officers) or are trolling.
There is absolutely no way you could know if you weren't there. I KNOW there are police officers who break the law. As well as being on the receiving end of unreported, extra-judicial violence; I've even broken the law with one of them years ago (albeit it was only a bit of drug taking).
Not all police are bad, but there are definitely police out there who do far worse things than what is described here.


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The Blu-ray Combo Pack, with it's perfect picture and sound, delivers the ultimate punch, offering viewers a variety of supplemental bonus features that take them ringside with Director Shawn Levy on the making of the film. Exclusive features include a bare-knuckled exposé of the life story of Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman), deleted and extended scenes that go deeper into the film and storylines, and a riveting profile with legendary boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard. Plus, the revolutionary Real Steel Second Screen app lets viewers sync their iPad™ or computer with the Blu-ray movie to peel back layers of effects with progression reels, check out 360-degree turnarounds of the robots, explore seamless branching pods that delve into the cutting-edge technology used to create the fights, and much more.
The #1 movie in the country for two consecutive weeks during its theatrical run, REAL STEEL is directed by Shawn Levy (Night At the Museum franchise, Date Night and What Happens in Vegas), produced by Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List), with a screenplay by John Gatins (Coach Carter, Summer Catch).
This movie is way better than we expected. Real Steel has comedy, action and drama. Max (Dakota Goyo) is really hard headed and stubborn like his dad Charlie (Hugh Jackman). In the beginning of the film Charlie doesn't want his robot to fight for the small money he just goes for the big bucks and it always gets him in trouble and he looses. Then when Max gets his Gen 2 sparing robot he won't take the small fights he wants the big bucks too but it works out for Max and they start making lots of money and beating all the other robots. It was fun seeing the relationship grow between Charlie and his son Max throughout the movie. The final fight was so intense! It made you feel good to see how happy Charlie was as he was shadow boxing in the corner to show ATOM (the Robot) what to do. This movie doesn't disappoint!
The Blu-ray special features are great! There are deleted scenes and bloopers. I really enjoyed watching the part with Sugar Ray Leonard training Hugh Jackman to box. That was pretty cool. The making of Metal Valley was interesting to watch, you get to see how much work goes into one scene. We liked seeing how they built all the robots for the movie too. This DVD is a must have!
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subset: commoncrawl


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Mackenzie Family 28 images Created 10 Dec 2017
When ordering prints, take care to use the cropping tool so your images fit into the specific ratio you choose. All of these images are in a 2:3 ratio, which does not translate exactly to 5x7, 8x10, etc. I have it set up so it will be very easy for you to figure out and use. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!


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Doneness Versus Safety
Kids popping into the kitchen or dashing by a barbecue grill ask impatiently, "Is it done yet?" Is "done" the same as "safe"? How does the cook know? Appearance and color are not reliable indicators of safety or doneness. Studies have shown that using a food thermometer is the only way to tell if harmful bacteria have been destroyed, yet only about 15% of people consistently use a food thermometer.
The answer to the hungry question "Is It Done Yet?" is the basis of a national campaign to encourage the use of food thermometers when preparing meat, poultry and egg dishes to prevent foodborne illness. The campaign — led by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) — is themed, "Is It Done Yet? You Can't Tell By Looking. Use a Food Thermometer to be Sure!"
FSIS reports that even if hamburgers look fully cooked, one in four hamburgers may not be safely cooked. Yet only 6 percent of home cooks use a food thermometer for hamburgers and only 10 percent use a food thermometer for chicken breasts, according to the latest data from the Food Safety Survey, which was conducted by FSIS and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
USDA food safety experts encourage people to get and use a food thermometer — dial or digital. By using a food thermometer to check if meat, poultry, and egg dishes are done, you also prevent overcooking and guesswork. Food cooked to a safe internal temperature is juicy and flavorful. If you use a food thermometer, then you'll know the answer to "Is it done yet?" You can buy a food thermometer in many grocery, hardware, or kitchen stores.
Here are some tips for using it:
- Insert the food thermometer into the thickest part of the food, making sure it doesn't touch bone, fat, or gristle.
- Cook food until the thermometer shows an internal temperature of 160 °F for hamburger, pork, and egg dishes; 145 °F for beef, veal, and lamb steaks and roasts; and 165 °F for all poultry.
- Clean your food thermometer with hot, soapy water before and after each use.
What Is "Done"?
Webster's dictionary defines "doneness" as the condition of being cooked to the desired degree. While food safety experts stress the internal temperature that ensures destruction of pathogens in food, "doneness" reflects subjective qualities such as the appearance, texture, and optimum flavor of a food. Recent research has shown that these indicators are not reliable for safety. Only a food thermometer can be relied upon to accurately ensure bacterial destruction. Visual signs of doneness should be reserved for situations in which doneness is reached after the food has reached a safe temperature.
What is "Safe"?
Food safety experts agree that foods are safely cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness.
FSIS recommends cooking whole poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured using a food thermometer. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook poultry to higher temperatures.
If poultry is stuffed, the center of the stuffing must reach 165 °F. Only by verifying the internal temperature of both the bird and the stuffing with a food thermometer can a consumer be sure the product has been thoroughly cooked.
Beef, Pork, Lamb, and Veal
Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb, and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook meat to higher temperatures. A consumer would not be able to determine if a roast that was pink in the center had reached the safe temperature of 145 °F without a food thermometer.
Ground Meat and Poultry
Research indicates that the color of the meat and the color of the juices are not accurate indicators of doneness. Ground beef may turn brown before it has reached a temperature at which bacteria are destroyed. A consumer preparing hamburger patties and depending on visual signs to determine safety by using the brown color as an indicator is taking a chance that pathogenic microorganisms may survive. A hamburger cooked to 160 °F (165 °F for ground poultry), measured with a food thermometer throughout the patty, is safe — regardless of color. Cook ground poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer.
Combination Dishes
Casseroles and other combination dishes must be cooked to 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer. These dishes are traditionally composed of cooked foods and then heated to combine flavors. Pathogenic bacteria could survive, however, if the meat or poultry component of a casserole was merely "browned" and the casserole was not subsequently heated thoroughly, especially if the dish was assembled in advance and refrigerated. Only by using a food thermometer could a consumer be sure it had been heated to a safe temperature.
[Top of Page]
No More Guesswork
Using an accurate food thermometer takes the guesswork out of cooking. No more cutting into your turkey or beef roast to see if it looks done. Simply place the food thermometer into the food and it will indicate the temperature the food has reached. You'll know if it needs to cook a few minutes more or if it is finished. This is especially helpful with combination dishes such as lasagne or egg casseroles that may brown on the top before they heat through.
By using a food thermometer on a regular basis, consumers can be assured that the food they cook is "done" as well as safe.
FSIS has created a brochure to provide consumers with recommended internal temperatures and instructions on how to use a food thermometer: Is It Done Yet
[Top of Page]


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Another Story, Not My Own (Lost Boy, Part II)
I have not yet found my brother.
My heart hurts about this. It hurts more than I expected it to. I started this search on behalf of my mother; I agreed to do it because she wanted it, because she wanted to know how his life had unfolded after she lost him, because she wanted to know this without putting her own heart at risk. I agreed to do it because I didn't want her to put her heart at risk. I offered up my own, thinking that it would not be so vulnerable. I thought that, because this was not my story, my own story, that my heart would be safe.
It was not safe. It was not safe at all.
I have put notices in newspapers. I have explored alumni associations. I have researched the extended family of his natural father. I have followed all of the leads sent to me by caring and concerned readers. I have found nothing. That I have found nothing is a source of some significant frustration, but it's not the sole reason that my heart is hurting. My heart is hurting because it does not know what it wants. Or, more truthfully, because it doesn't know whether it is right to want what it wants.
My mother does not know what her heart wants. I've known this from the beginning. It's the reason that I'm looking for her son, my brother, the brother I have never known, on her behalf. She's afraid of what she would discover. She's afraid of discovering that he wants nothing to do with her. She's afraid of discovering that he's dead. She's afraid because she's not sure which of these represents the worst outcome.
She's afraid because she would be looking for a window onto a future that she gave up. She's afraid of what she might see, looking through that window. I assumed that I would face no such fear - that future, that hypothetical, long-rejected future, has, or had, nothing to do with me. This child - now a man - was her child; this child was part of a life that she lived long before I came along. His existence matters to me only inasmuch as he shares my blood, and inasmuch as he once had claim upon my mother's heart. My interest, here, has only been to do something that might put my mother's heart at rest, to help her find what the paperback self-help books have long called 'closure.' I wanted to help her find some conclusion - happy or otherwise - to this long cliff-hung story. So I have only ever said: my heart wants what is best for my mom.
When I visited my family back home some weeks ago, I told my father what I was doing.
So, I said, as he drove me to the airport. So. I'm helping Mom find the boy she gave up for adoption.
- Oh?
Yeah. She told me all about it. And I told her I'd help her. She doesn't want to do it herself. So I'm doing it.
I don't think it'll be that difficult. The Internet, you know.
- What does your mom think of this?
She asked me, so. I shrugged.
- You remember when I found my father?
I did remember. I was seventeen years old at the time, and we made a special trip to St. Catherine's to see him. He was an old man, and unpleasant. At the time, I put my distaste down to the fact that I was seventeen and he was old and smelled bad and said creepy things like give me some sugar.
- It was terrible. He was terrible. Your mother wouldn't let him near you.
I had a vague memory of being hurried out of the house and taken to the mall. At the time, it seemed an entirely reasonable thing. I liked malls. But I remembered, too, my father's distress after that visit, and the depression that he sunk into, and the damage that caused to my parent's marriage...
- I wish I hadn't found him.
We both stared out the front window. The road was wet, slick from rain.
- I just hope... I would just hope that your mother, that she isn't disappointed. That she doesn't get hurt. He glanced in my direction. This could hurt her.
When I arrived home, I called my mother. Are you sure you want me to do this? Because, I won't do it if you're not sure.
She paused. I'm sure.
Okay, I said. Okay. My father's cautions could be set aside, if she wanted this. Well, remember what we talked about? If I have a copy of your birth certificate, I can make an application to Vital Statistics to find out his name. It'll be pretty straightforward then.
I'll send it this week.
That was weeks ago.
I've reminded her, now and again, to send the birth certificate; I've told her about my efforts with newspaper ads and search engines and she makes supportive noises and when I say but once I send in the request for his name from Vital Statistics, the search will be much easier, she clucks and says of course and I'll get it in the mail this week. But she never does.
I know that she's ambivalent. I know that her heart is torn. I know that she aches to know what became of that tiny baby in the blue blanket - the baby she refused to hold for fear that she would never let go - but that she recoils at the prospect of gaining knowledge that would bring her pain. I know that she's afraid of getting hurt. And if I were a good daughter, if I were a sensitive daughter, I would hold to her pace. I would stand back and allow her to test the water and decide whether she dares to take the step that will plunge her into the unknown. If I were a good daughter, if I were a selfless daughter, I would not prod and nag.
But I am not selfless. I do prod and nag. Gently, of course, but still. I can't leave it alone. Because my heart is in this now, and although it wavers when I think of my mother's ambivalence and my father's fears, it wants this. It wants to find that baby boy, my brother. It wants to know how this story ends. It claims that story, if only in part, as its own. As my own.
And so my heart aches that my efforts have been for naught. My heart aches - my spirit aches - for this story to move forward so that I can find my brother and know my brother - whatever that looks like - and piece together the missing chapters of our lives.
But however much I try to convince myself that this is my story, it is not my story - or, if it is, it is only tangentially my story - and the person to whom this story belongs is, I think, unnerved by its unfolding. Even if she cannot bring herself to admit it, even if she does not demand -even if she does not wish to demand - that we close these pages, this story frightens her. I know this. And so, and so...
I don't know how to go on. Do I follow my own heart, or do I concern myself first and only with protecting hers? Can I do both?
Labels: lost boy, william frederick hunter


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Thursday, June 7, 2012
The Past is a Foreign Country (Take Four)
What's funny, though, is that, back then, manned space travel wasn't just the stuff of science fiction; it was real. When I was in school, I think we watched nearly every space shuttle launch between 1981 and 1983, stopping everything and bringing out these old TV sets for the occasion. For my children, though, space travel is almost completely science fictional. It's something that only happens in books and movies and video games, but not in the real world. The Apollo program and the space shuttle mean about as much to them as listening to soap operas on the radio meant to me as a child -- relics of a past they never knew and will never completely understand.
I watched 2001: A Space Odyssey and saw a not at all implausible projection of what men might be doing in space when I was 32 years old. Yet, here I am, living in The Future my friends and I dreamed about in the '70s and it's not at all like we were promised. I won't go so far as to say it's worse, but it is a different, less romantic future than I had hoped for. Much as it saddens me that my childhood dreams of Moon bases and space stations haven't come to pass by now, I think it saddens me more that, for my children, such ideas are nothing more than dreams and unlikely ones at that.
35 comments:
- Captain VargrJune 7, 2012 at 10:12 AM
"Yet, here I am, living in The Future my friends and I dreamed about in the '70s and it's not at all like we were promised. I won't go so far as to say it's worse, but it is a different less romantic future than I had hoped for. "
I'd say this future we are living in is much, much worse that the one envisioned in the 70's.
I could point to the economic crisis, the decline of Western Civilization on many levels, the abandon of manned space exploration, the unsolved problems and issues that have only gotten worse since then and all that, but there is no need.
The main reason this future is so much worse is that it does not envision a better future, like the 70's did. If we don't even dare *dreaming* about the future like we did before, what then of the actions needed to actually build a better one? - Lucas PicadorJune 7, 2012 at 10:29 AM
In contrast, when I was growing up in the 80s, science fiction promised us a future in which mega-corporations waged war in third-world countries over mineral resources using mercenary companies; in which another front for such warfare was the Net, where combatants deployed infrastructure-destroying viruses against each other; where the megacorps used the state as a tool to suppress the teeming masses of disaffected workers; in which the only people working to expose the most nefarious workings of the powers that be were anarchist hacker collectives who infiltrated corporate and military computer systems to expose their dark secrets; and in which most people grew up in squalor in teeming cities, surrounded by nonstop distraction and entertainment delivered to their personal computing devices over the Net, which also serve to track their every movement and every communication for the benefit of those in power.
So I have to tell you: this future feels pretty familiar to me. - David SmithJune 7, 2012 at 10:47 AM
I was born in '61, so I've been around for most of the space program. I vividly remember watching Neil Armstrong step off onto the Lunar surface, and watching Jules Bergman and Walter Cronkite and all their colleagues during the moon missions. I miss those times.
What baffles my mind is that Bush set a target to get back to the moon by 2020. When he made that statement, 2020 was still about 12 years away (I don't recall exactly when he made it). 12 years, really? We already KNOW HOW. It didn't take that long to do it the first time and we didn't even have men in orbit when Kennedy set the original goal. Virtually all of the technology had to be invented from the ground up (as it were).
Our present and future is almost more like something from the Matrix than Jules Verne. The bulk of our technology development now is more and better ways to keep us entertained, happy consumers. - FaoladhJune 7, 2012 at 11:11 AM
I say it without the joking. And with the understanding that we do have prosthetic limbs that have gotten quite sophisticated. All we're missing from most cyberpunk conceptions is the direct mind link to electronics, and that's been done in prototype.
ReplyDelete - Christoph ThillJune 7, 2012 at 11:34 AM
You are a little pessimistic here. Remember, we have a permanently manned space station. There are shuttling space ships between it and the surface pretty often. It's just not that special anymore since it happens so often.
And don't fall into the pit traps of technophobia. Right now we - two people that wouldn't have known each other 10 years ago - are communicating by a medium, which can be called the most massive change in history since Gutenberg invented movable types pressing. At no time in history could as many people share as much knowledge in as fast ways as now. - JdcllnsJune 7, 2012 at 11:56 AM
Doesn't anyone remember all those "we are doomed" scifi movies from the 70's? Our world is so much better that the one predicted by the so called futurist. In our fantastic world the price of technology has dropped so much that I can sit on my porch with a tiny computer and type this. The problem with space exploration is that it's bloody expensive. Most scifi writers ignore economics.
ReplyDelete - Robert ConleyJune 7, 2012 at 12:11 PM
I wouldn't worry the folks at SpaceX, X-Cor, Masten, Armadillo Aerospace, Scaled Composites,mBigelow, and others got your future covered. We may even wind up with rockets that land on their tail in the classic profile!
ReplyDelete - joe whiteJune 7, 2012 at 12:22 PM
You have made me profoundly sad. I hereby resolve not to procreate until man commits to a manned mission to Mars.
ReplyDelete - Black VulmeaJune 7, 2012 at 12:38 PM
How 'bout walking your kids outside one evening and showing them how to spot the International Space Station as it orbits the Earth?
ReplyDelete lol, I can remember back in the late 70's when quite a number of futurists were predicting we'd all be living in fallout shelters or frozen in glaciers by now. We're not doing so bad. I can also remember there being quite a lot of pollution problems and air quality problems in north america back then that don't seem to be in the news much anymore.
Things haven't worked out quite the way the sci-fi authors envisioned, but theres been lots of huge developments that have profundly changed the world in many ways both positive and negative.When I was at Game Developer, most of my coworkers were at
least a decade younger than me. Whenever I would mention space exploration to
them, maybe something about an astonishing image from one of the Mars Ex rovers
or the Huygens probe, they would give me the blankest looks. It just didn't
register with them. Of course they enjoyed science fiction games like Mass
Effect and so forth, but they couldn't relate to actual space exploration. A
curious thing was that many of their game design heroes; people like Richard
Garriott, Will Wright, and John Carmack are actively involved in space travel.
But then I guess they're older. Somehow a generation got skipped.- SlerotinJune 7, 2012 at 2:03 PM
I don't know if this helps, but Orion pre-flight activities are set to occur FY12 and FY13 while the Exploration Flight Test-1 is set for FY14. And if I remember correctly from the NASA conference I attended a few months ago, they're looking to get back to the moon in the 2017-2019 timeframe.
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/mpcv/index.html - SlerotinJune 7, 2012 at 2:15 PM
As I understand it, it's taking a while because they need to re-engineer the module and delivery system using current technology. They're not just going to re-use designs from the past. So, we do know how in some respects, but in other respects we're going into new territory.
Also, I found it interesting that there seemed to be only one guy at the conference who was in NASA when the previous missions (that were similar to this new effort) went down. - StrevikJune 7, 2012 at 2:30 PM
As a side note about returning to the moon... a friend's husband works for NASA and is part of the design team to reverse engineer the old school systems. He mentioned that the biggest hurdle is the lack of surviving documentation that thoroughly describes those systems. Apparently, a lot of improvisation occured in order to rig things up. He also mentioned that paper documents have decayed and been lost. He does say that it amazes him even with his background how much was accomplished with what amounts to slide rules, scratch paper, tin foil, wire, and basic engineering. Remember, your cell phone has more 'electronic computing power' than the early space program did.
ReplyDelete - Mutant BikerJune 7, 2012 at 4:42 PM
Makes you feel a bit better about 5E. Sure it's just the RPG equivalent "going to the moon again", but at least they're doing it.
ReplyDelete - reddeerrunJune 7, 2012 at 9:31 PM
I'd like to borrow 2 billion-billion dollars to finance the colonization of the Lunar and Martian States. Colonization Efficiency requires Female only Colonists with the male contribution in a sperm freezer.
Or would you like to squander the future and fight it out with China? - doreshJune 8, 2012 at 3:21 AM
Well, that happens if a whole society starts getting pessimistic and realizes the limits of real-life space travel...
ReplyDelete - The Recursion KingJune 8, 2012 at 8:53 AM
It's somewhat ridiculous to call the vast sea of insults and inane status updates traded across the internet as 'sharing knowledge.' In terms of furthering knowledge and making people smarter.. there is no evidence that this happening. Instead, the web is making us dumber: the young today will web search and plagorise in preference to do any work if they can get away with it (and that's just one example). The internet is a crutch for a limp that we didn't have until we started using it.
ReplyDelete - FaoladhJune 8, 2012 at 10:55 AM
Participating in the sewers of the internet will certainly give that impression. It's not universal, however.
On your second point, the ancients argued against writing, saying that it would destroy the carefully conditioned memories of the learned. They were right, of course: we generally no longer bother to learn the advanced techniques of memory, and haven't since about the Renaissance, more or less. I don't know that the internet will cause us to develop a different way of approaching intellectual material, but it remains possible. - leadaddictJune 8, 2012 at 11:32 AM
Great post. I was born on that fateful year. that year we as humans looked back and saw what a fragile little blue dot we were on that immense black canvas. I think that must have played a part in my upbringing, and interest in what's up there.
I sometimes have the same sadness you speak of that I can not capture my boys interest in the real and amazing that is the surrounding universe. I found I was the only one staring at the sun through welders goggles as venus made her lonely jouney across the sun.
But, I am hopeful. In many ways, moon and mars bases and space stations and to visit and asteroid mining is so much closer to them and reality than they can imagine. Just make it a business and it will happen. - Erich SchwarzJune 8, 2012 at 2:46 PM
I have exactly the same feeling about how we Americans (or, at least, some of us) saw what 2001 A.D. would look like back in 1973 (which was when I saw Kubrick's movie, at age 9). Back in '73, the world of 2001 looked moderately optimistic but not at all unreasonable -- after all, the U.S. had just gone from having only subsonic airplanes to landing on the Moon in 30 years.
If somebody had told my nine-year-old self that, in Dec. '72, I'd just seen the last human being who'd walk on the Moon for forty years ... well, I don't really know what my reaction would have been. Amazed and horrified, in equal measure, I think.
But it does look to me like we're finally seeing a return to space that has a real chance of not sputtering out. SpaceX has just managed to reach low earth orbit and return. And as Heinlein said, when you're in low earth orbit, you're halfway to anywhere. I think we'll see a huge amount of manned space exploration in the next four decades. Which, after the last wasted 40 years, will be a relief... - Christoph ThillJune 8, 2012 at 3:11 PM
> Instead, the web is making us dumber: the young today will
> web search and plagorise in preference to do any work if they
> can get away with it (and that's just one example).
Sorry, but as a teacher, I can tell you that you are wrong here. Both studies and my and a lot of colleagues' personal experiences show a different behavior. Even 10 year old pupils can react pretty ungracious when their co-student try to sell plagiarized material as their own work. And that's in Germany where there's traditionally less competition between students than in the English-speaking parts of the world. After Ray Bradbury's passing I flipped open the table of contents in the Martian Chronicles, and felt an instant wave of nostalgia. I remember how I felt years ago reading all those dates on the chapter headings: 2001. 2002. 2005. Just putting a "20" at the front of a date placed it far enough into the future that any amount of optimism was plausible.
I don't think there's any date you could use today in a work of fiction, whether 30 or 50 or 100 years in the future that could recapture the same sense.- 5 Stone GamesJune 9, 2012 at 1:54 AM
We haven't gone back to space because we can't. In the 1960's the US was soaring with a young population, stable families a strong economy and even with the burden of the Vietnam war, the county was in a powerful place.
Today we have an aging poorer population that can't even feed itself . Our budget for food support (called SNAP in the US) is 80 billion, 5x that of NASA! That's not actually enough to prevent widespread food insecurity.
We also have other social issues involving race, family make up (30% out of wedlock births) infrastructure, technology, jobs, poverty, wealth distribution and such that we can't even discuss. The opinion gaps are too great and the anger level is toxic.
As for Europe, despite John Glenn or what Space Cowboys would have you think, Space is a game for a young society and youngish men with optimism and resources to spend. With a median age of 40, high youth unemployment and unstable pensions, Europe does not have the resources for Space
Same for Japan, Singapore and well pretty much everywhere with technology.
Two exceptions, China will probably manage something cool in the next few years. They have major internal contradictions but they do have money to burn and an ego to feed. A long term presence is probably unlikely but that's another topic
Also the private sector, they'll do a few things, maybe a a space hotel. This will serve as a retreat for the super rich but will accomplish nothing in the broader sense.
As for 40 years out, I won't predict anything. There are so many problems on the horizon that anyone of them could end very badly. I disagree James, I think that space travel has been normalized. As another commenter observes, the proliferation of private companies doing it tells you all you need to know. And if walking on Mars were such a simple expectation, it would have been done in a previous generation - but it wasn't, because it's damn hard. Instead we have a constant stream of data coming from Mars, something the previous space landers weren't able to do - the scientific world is achieving great things in space through automation (think of the Hubble space telescope as an example). We have actually got a great many more pictures of the surface of Mars than we got from the moon, for example.
Also, aren't you Canadian? I'm surprised that you watched "nearly every space shuttle launch" because when I was growing up in the UK we watched precisely one (the first one). I thought the phenomenon of watching every irrelevant tidbit of NASA activity was a strictly American idiosyncracy.
But on the topic of the space shuttle - some people argue that it was a boondoggle that led NASA to its doom, and that we'd possibly have got deeper into the solar system if NASA had spent all that money on cheaper rockets and automated explorers instead...I disagree James, I think that space travel has been normalized. As
another commenter observes, the proliferation of private companies doing
it tells you all you need to know. And if walking on Mars were such a
simple expectation, it would have been done in a previous generation -
but it wasn't, because it's damn hard. Instead we have a constant stream
of data coming from Mars, something the previous space landers weren't
able to do - the scientific world is achieving great things in space
through automation (think of the Hubble space telescope as an example).
We have actually got a great many more pictures of the surface of Mars
than we got from the moon, for example.
Also, aren't you Canadian? I'm surprised that you watched "nearly every
space shuttle launch" because when I was growing up in the UK we watched
precisely one (the first one). I thought the phenomenon of watching
every irrelevant tidbit of NASA activity was a strictly American
But on the topic of the space shuttle - some people argue that it was a
boondoggle that led NASA to its doom, and that we'd possibly have got
deeper into the solar system if NASA had spent all that money on cheaper
rockets and automated explorers instead...


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Paul D. Hunt
Paul D. Hunt began his type design career at P22 Type Foundry, where he joined as an intern in winter 2004. He was subsequently hired on as a designer and font developer. At P22, Paul was able to explore the basics of lettering-based type design. There he also experimented with drawing non-Latin typeforms for Cyrillic and Greek, and even collaborated with Jim Rimmer on a font for Canadian syllabics. Of these designs, P22 Allyson was awarded the Honor Diploma for the Excellence in Type Design by ParaType in their Modern Cyrillic 2009 design competition. It was at P22 that Paul began to develop an appreciation for good, interesting text faces. Paul continued his journey in type at the University of Reading, UK. There he gained experience in drawing letterforms for setting text and furthered his exploration into non-Latin type design, focusing on Devanagari script. He completed his Masters work in spring 2008, for which he was awarded the distinction of Merit. Paul joined the Adobe type team in January 2009 as a typeface designer and font developer and continues to hone his skills in letter drawing and non-Latin type development.
Typefaces: Source Code Pro, Source Sans Pro, Source Sans 3, P22 Declaration, P22 FLW Midway
More… Adobe | Paul D. Hunt


text:
Bravado Designs
Bravado Designs is a leading designer of nursing bras and nursing tanks. They were founded more than twenty years ago by two breastfeeding moms who wanted to help other new moms have comfort and style while nursing. Their styles are knows for perfect fitting supportive bras that expand and contract with your changing shape and especially made for breastfeeding. The Original Nursing Bra is a bestseller to this day as well as the Nursing Tank with a built in nursing bra support. Bravado is North America's most trusted breastfeeding brand. TummyStyle carries a wide array of Bravado Designs nursing bras and tanks in a variety of colors for your everyday nursing clothing essentials.


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Pacemaker Insertion
Johns Hopkins Medicine
What is a pacemaker insertion?
A pacemaker insertion is the implantation of a small electronic device that is usually placed in the chest (just below the collarbone) to help regulate slow electrical problems with the heart. A pacemaker may be recommended to ensure that the heartbeat does not slow to a dangerously low rate.
The heart's electrical system
The heart is basically a pump made up of muscle tissue that is stimulated by electrical currents, which normally follow a specific circuit within the heart.
This normal electrical circuit begins in the sinus or sinoatrial (SA) node, which is a small mass of specialized tissue located in the right atrium(upper chamber) of the heart. The SA node generates an electrical stimulus at 60 to 100 times per minute (for adults) under normal conditions; this electrical impulse from the SA node starts the heartbeat.
The electrical impulse travels from the SA node via the atria to the atrioventricular (AV) node in the bottom of the right atrium. From there the impulse continues down an electrical conduction pathway called the Bundle of His and then on through the "His-Purkinje" system into the ventricles (lower chambers) of the heart. When the electrical stimulus occurs it causes the muscle to contract and pump blood to the rest of the body. This process of electrical stimulation followed by muscle contraction is what makes the heart beat.
A pacemaker may be needed when problems occur with the electrical conduction system of the heart. When the timing of the electrical stimulation of the heart to the heart muscle and the subsequent response of the heart's pumping chambers is altered, a pacemaker may help.
What is a pacemaker?
A pacemaker is composed of three parts: a pulse generator, one or more leads, and an electrode on each lead. A pacemaker signals the heart to beat when the heartbeat is too slow or irregular.
A pulse generator is a small metal case that contains electronic circuitry with a small computer and a battery that regulate the impulses sent to the heart.
The lead (or leads) is an insulated wire that is connected to the pulse generator on one end, with the other end placed inside one of the heart's chambers. The lead is almost always placed so that it runs through a large vein in the chest leading directly to the heart. The electrode on the end of a lead touches the heart wall. The lead delivers the electrical impulses to the heart. It also senses the heart's electrical activity and relays this information back to the pulse generator. Pacemaker leads may be positioned in the atrium (upper chamber) or ventricle (lower chamber) or both, depending on the medical condition.
If the heart's rate is slower than the programmed limit, an electrical impulse is sent through the lead to the electrode and causes the heart to beat at a faster rate.
When the heart beats at a rate faster than the programmed limit, the pacemaker generally monitors the heart rate and will not pace. Modern pacemakers are programmed to work on demand only, so they do not compete with natural heartbeats. Generally, no electrical impulses will be sent to the heart unless the heart's natural rate falls below the pacemaker's lower limit.
A newer type of pacemaker, called a biventricular pacemaker, is currently used in the treatment of specific types of heart failure. Sometimes in heart failure, the two ventricles do not pump in a normal manner. Ventricular dyssynchrony is a common term used to describe this abnormal pumping pattern. When this happens, less blood is pumped by the heart. A biventricular pacemaker paces both ventricles at the same time, increasing the amount of blood pumped by the heart. This type of treatment is called cardiac resynchronization therapy or CRT.
After a pacemaker insertion, regularly scheduled appointments will be made to ensure the pacemaker is functioning properly. The doctor uses a special computer, called a programmer, to review the pacemaker's activity and adjust the settings when needed.
Other related procedures that may be used to assess the heart include resting and exercise electrocardiogram (ECG) , Holter monitor, signal-averaged ECG, cardiac catheterization , chest X-ray , computed tomography (CT scan) of the chest , echocardiography , electrophysiology studies , magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the heart , myocardial perfusion scan (stress) , myocardial perfusion scan (resting) , radionuclide angiography , and cardiac CT scan . Please see these procedures for additional information. Note that although an MRI is a very safe procedure, the magnetic fields used by the MRI scanner may interfere with the pacemaker's function. Any patient with a pacemaker should always speak with his or her cardiologist before undergoing an MRI.
Reasons for the procedure
A pacemaker may be inserted in order to stimulate a faster heart rate when the heart is beating too slowly, and causing problems that cannot otherwise be corrected.
Problems with the heart rhythm may cause difficulties because the heart is unable to pump an adequate amount of blood to the body. If the heart rate is too slow, the blood is pumped too slowly. If the heart rate is too fast or too irregular, the heart chambers are unable to fill up with enough blood to pump out with each beat. When the body does not receive enough blood, symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, fainting, and/or chest pain may occur.
Some examples of heart rate and rhythm problems for which a pacemaker might be inserted include:
- Bradycardia. This occurs when the sinus node causes the heart to beat too slowly.
- Tachy-brady syndrome. This is characterized by alternating fast and slow heartbeats.
- Heart block. This occurs when the electrical signal is delayed or blocked after leaving the SA node; there are several types of heart blocks.
There may be other reasons for your doctor to recommend a pacemaker insertion.
Risks of the procedure
Possible risks of pacemaker include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Bleeding from the incision or catheter insertion site
- Damage to the vessel at the catheter insertion site
- Infection of the incision or catheter site
- Pneumothorax. If the nearby lung is inadvertently punctured during the procedure, leaking air becomes trapped in the pleural space (outside the lung but within the chest wall); this can cause breathing difficulties and in extreme cases may cause the lung to collapse.
If you are pregnant or suspect that you may be pregnant, you should notify your health care provider. If you are breastfeeding, you should notify your health care provider.
Patients who are allergic to or sensitive to medications or latex should notify their doctor.
For some patients, having to lie still on the procedure table for the length of the procedure may cause some discomfort or pain.
There may be other risks depending on your specific medical condition. Be sure to discuss any concerns with your doctor prior to the procedure.
Before the procedure
Your doctor will explain the procedure to you and offer you the opportunity to ask any questions that you might have about the procedure:
- You will be asked to sign a consent form that gives your permission to do the test. Read the form carefully and ask questions if something is not clear.
- Notify your doctor if you are sensitive to or are allergic to any medications, iodine, latex, tape, or anesthetic agents (local and general).
- You will need to fast for a certain period of time prior to the procedure. Your doctor will notify you how long to fast, usually overnight.
- If you are pregnant or suspect that you are pregnant, you should notify your doctor.
- Notify your doctor of all medications (prescription and over-the-counter) and herbal or other supplements that you are taking.
- Notify your doctor if you have heart valve disease, as you may need to receive an antibiotic prior to the procedure.
- Notify your doctor if you have a history of bleeding disorders or if you are taking any anticoagulant (blood-thinning) medications, aspirin, or other medications that affect blood clotting. It may be necessary for you to stop some of these medications prior to the procedure.
- Your doctor may request a blood test prior to the procedure to determine how long it takes your blood to clot. Other blood tests may be done as well.
- You may receive a sedative prior to the procedure to help you relax. If a sedative is given and there is a possibility that you may be discharged, you will need someone to drive you home. You will likely spend at least one night in the hospital after the procedure for observation and to ensure the pacemaker functions properly.
- Based on your medical condition, your doctor may request other specific preparation.
During the procedure
A pacemaker may be performed on an outpatient basis or as part of your stay in a hospital. Procedures may vary depending on your condition and your doctor's practices.
Generally, a pacemaker insertion follows this process:
- You will be asked to remove any jewelry or other objects that may interfere with the procedure.
- You will be asked to remove your clothing and will be given a gown to wear.
- You will be asked to empty your bladder prior to the procedure.
- If there is excessive hair at the incision site, it may be clipped off.
- An intravenous (IV) line will be started in your hand or arm prior to the procedure for injection of medication and to administer IV fluids, if needed.
- You will be placed on your back on the procedure table.
- You will be connected to an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) monitor that records the electrical activity of the heart and monitors the heart during the procedure using small, adhesive electrodes. Your vital signs (heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, and oxygenation level) will be monitored during the procedure.
- Large electrode pads will be placed on the front and back of the chest.
- You will receive a sedative medication in your IV before the procedure to help you relax. However, you will likely remain awake during the procedure.
- The pacemaker insertion site will be cleansed with antiseptic soap.
- Sterile towels and a sheet will be placed around this area.
- A local anesthetic will be injected into the skin at the insertion site.
- Once the anesthetic has taken effect, the physician will make a small incision at the insertion site.
- A sheath, or introducer, is inserted into a blood vessel, usually under the collarbone. The sheath is a plastic tube through which the pacer lead wire will be inserted into the blood vessel and advanced into the heart.
- It will be very important for you to remain still during the procedure so that the catheter does not move out of place and to prevent damage to the insertion site.
- The lead wire will be inserted through the introducer into the blood vessel. The doctor will advance the lead wire through the blood vessel into the heart.
- Once the lead wire is inside the heart, it will be tested to verify proper location and that it works. There may be one, two, or three lead wires inserted, depending on the type of device your doctor has chosen for your condition. Fluoroscopy, (a special type of X-ray that will be displayed on a TV monitor), may be used to assist in testing the location of the leads.
- The pacemaker generator will be slipped under the skin through the incision (just below the collarbone) after the lead wire is attached to the generator. Generally, the generator will be placed on the nondominant side. (If you are right-handed, the device will be placed in your upper left chest. If you are left-handed, the device will be placed in your upper right chest).
- The ECG will be observed to ensure that the pacer is working correctly.
- The skin incision will be closed with sutures, adhesive strips, or a special glue.
- A sterile bandage or dressing will be applied.
After the procedure
In the hospital
After the procedure, you may be taken to the recovery room for observation or returned to your hospital room. A nurse will monitor your vital signs.
You should immediately inform your nurse if you feel any chest pain or tightness, or any other pain at the incision site.
After the period of bed rest has been completed, you may get out of bed with assistance. The nurse will assist you the first time you get up, and will check your blood pressure while you are lying in bed, sitting, and standing. You should move slowly when getting up from the bed to avoid any dizziness from the period of bedrest.
You will be able to eat or drink once you are completely awake.
The insertion site may be sore or painful. Pain medication may be administered if needed.
Your doctor will visit with you in your room while you are recovering. The doctor will give you specific instructions and answer any questions you may have.
Once your blood pressure, pulse, and breathing are stable and you are alert, you will be taken to your hospital room or discharged home.
If the procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, you may be allowed to leave after you have completed the recovery process. However, it is common to spend at least one night in the hospital after pacemaker implantation for observation.
You should arrange to have someone drive you home from the hospital following your procedure.
At home
You should be able to return to your daily routine within a few days. Your doctor will tell you if you will need to take more time in returning to your normal activities. You should not do any lifting or pulling on anything for a few weeks. You may be instructed to limit movement of the arm on the side that the pacemaker was placed, based on your doctor's preferences.
You will most likely be able to resume your usual diet, unless your doctor instructs you differently.
It will be important to keep the insertion site clean and dry. You will be given instructions about bathing and showering.
Your doctor will give you specific instructions about driving.
Ask your doctor when you will be able to return to work. The nature of your occupation, your overall health status, and your progress will determine how soon you may return to work.
Notify your doctor to report any of the following:
- Fever and/or chills
- Increased pain, redness, swelling, or bleeding or other drainage from the insertion site
- Chest pain/pressure, nausea and/or vomiting, profuse sweating, dizziness and/or fainting
- Palpitations
Your doctor may give you additional or alternate instructions after the procedure, depending on your particular situation.
Pacemaker precautions
The following precautions should always be considered. Discuss the following in detail with your doctor, or call the company that made your device:
- Always carry an ID card that states you have a pacemaker. In addition, you may want to wear a medical identification bracelet indicating that you have a pacemaker.
- Let screeners know you have a pacemaker before going through airport security detectors. In general airport detectors are safe for pacemakers, but the small amount of metal in the pacemaker and leads may set off the alarm. If you are selected for additional screening by hand-held detector devices, politely remind the screeners that the detector wand should not be held over your pacemaker for longer than a few seconds, as these devices contain magnets and thus may affect the function or programming of your pacemaker.
- You may not have a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedure (unless you have a specially designed pacemaker). You should also avoid large magnetic fields such as power generation sites and industrial sites such as automobile junkyards that use large magnets.
- Abstain from diathermy (the use of heat in physical therapy to treat muscles).
- Turn off large motors, such as cars or boats, when working close to them as they may create a magnetic field.
- Avoid high-voltage or radar machinery, such as radio or television transmitters, electric arc welders, high-tension wires, radar installations, or smelting furnaces.
- If you are having a surgical procedure performed, inform your surgeon that you have a pacemaker well before the operation. Also ask your cardiologist's advice on whether anything special should be done prior to and during the surgery, as the electrocautery device that controls bleeding may interfere with the pacemaker. Sometimes the pacemaker's programming will be temporarily changed (using a magnet) during the surgery to minimize the possibility of interference from the electrocautery.
- When involved in a physical, recreational, or sporting activity, protect yourself from trauma to the pacemaker. A blow to the chest near the pacemaker can affect its functioning. If you are hit in that area, you may want to see your doctor.
- Cell phones in the U.S. with less than 3 watts of output do not seem to affect pacemakers or the pulse generator, but as a precaution, cell phones should be kept at least 6 inches away from your pacemaker. Avoid carrying a cell phone in your breast pocket over your pacemaker.
- Always consult your doctor when you feel ill after an activity, or when you have questions about beginning a new activity.
- Always consult your doctor if you have any questions concerning the use of certain equipment near your pacemaker.