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Doctors say marrow transplant may have cured AIDS

By PATRICK McGROARTY, Associated Press Writer - Thu Nov 13, 4:45 AM PST

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German hematologists Eckhard Thiel, left, and Gero Huetter of Berlin's Charite Medical University attend a news conference about a successful treatment of a HIV infected patient in Berlin, on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

BERLIN - An American man who suffered from AIDS appears to have been cured of the disease 20 months after receiving a targeted bone marrow transplant normally used to fight leukemia, his doctors said.

While researchers — and the doctors themselves — caution that the case might be no more than a fluke, others say it may inspire a greater interest in gene therapy to fight the disease that claims 2 million lives each year. The virus has infected 33 million people worldwide.

Dr. Gero Huetter said Wedneday his 42-year-old patient, an American living in Berlin who was not identified, had been infected with the AIDS virus for more than a decade. But 20 months after undergoing a transplant of genetically selected bone marrow, he no longer shows signs of carrying the virus.

"We waited every day for a bad reading," Huetter said.

It has not come. Researchers at Berlin's Charite hospital and medical school say tests on his bone marrow, blood and other organ tissues have all been clean.

However, Dr. Andrew Badley, director of the HIV and immunology research lab at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said those tests have probably not been extensive enough.

"A lot more scrutiny from a lot of different biological samples would be required to say it's not present," Badley said.

This isn't the first time marrow transplants have been attempted for treating AIDS or HIV infection. In 1999, an article in the journal Medical Hypotheses reviewed the results of 32 attempts reported between 1982 and 1996. In two cases, HIV was apparently eradicated, the review reported.

Huetter's patient was under treatment at Charite for both AIDS and leukemia, which developed unrelated to HIV.

As Huetter — who is a hematologist, not an HIV specialist — prepared to treat the patient's leukemia with a bone marrow transplant, he recalled that some people carry a genetic mutation that seems to make them resistant to HIV infection. If the mutation, called Delta 32, is inherited from both parents, it prevents HIV from attaching itself to cells by blocking CCR5, a receptor that acts as a kind of gateway.

"I read it in 1996, coincidentally," Huetter told reporters at the medical school. "I remembered it and thought it might work."

Roughly one in 1,000 Europeans and Americans have inherited the mutation from both parents, and Huetter set out to find one such person among donors that matched the patient's marrow type. Out of a pool of 80 suitable donors, the 61st person tested carried the proper mutation.

Before the transplant, the patient endured powerful drugs and radiation to kill off his own infected bone marrow cells and disable his immune system — a treatment fatal to between 20 and 30 percent of recipients.

He was also taken off the potent drugs used to treat his AIDS. Huetter's team feared that the drugs might interfere with the new marrow cells' survival. They risked lowering his defenses in the hopes that the new, mutated cells would reject the virus on their own.

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases in the U.S., said the procedure was too costly and too dangerous to employ as a firstline cure. But he said it could inspire researchers to pursue gene therapy as a means to block or suppress HIV.

"It helps prove the concept that if somehow you can block the expression of CCR5, maybe by gene therapy, you might be able to inhibit the ability of the virus to replicate," Fauci said.

David Roth, a professor of epidemiology and international public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said gene therapy as cheap and effective as current drug treatments is in very early stages of development.

"That's a long way down the line because there may be other negative things that go with that mutation that we don't know about."

Even for the patient in Berlin, the lack of a clear understanding of exactly why his AIDS has disappeared means his future is far from certain.

"The virus is wily," Huetter said. "There could always be a resurgence."

(This version CORRECTS spelling of doctor's name to Huetter throughout.)

Useful Emoting

My mother has always been emotional. Not emotional in the general, hysterical mom sort of way. She's always been passionate, dedicated, trustworthy, giving, sharing, loving, caring, focused, motivated, etc. It's about useful emoting, a subjective phrase but a useful one nonetheless.

"I have failed over and over again in my life. And that's precisely why I succeed."

-- Michael Jordan, basketball player

A Big Win for Black Nerds

Posted 6 hours, 56 minutes ago in Glossies, Opinion, US

(Newser) – Barack Obama provides a boost for black educational achievement that is much more powerful than any policy. His bookish example may throw a lifeline to black nerds who, scorned for "acting white," feel pressure to slack academically to stay cool, John McWhorter writes in New York. Research shows that the smarter the black student, the fewer friends he has. Now a teased kid can simply retort, "Is Barack Obama white?"

“Those four little words could do more to improve black-student achievement than any number of new charter schools and reading tests," McWhorter writes.

Prop 8 opponents concede... "Heartbreaking"

	Copyright © 2006 Bay Area Reporter, a division of Benro Enterprises, Inc. Breaking news: Prop 8 opponents concede Thousands of people filled Civic Center in front of City Hall Wednesday for a candlelight vigil to lament the passage of Prop 8. Photo: Rick Gerharter by Cynthia Laird c.laird@ebar.com
	The No on Prop 8 campaign today conceded, calling the passage of a constitutional amendment in California banning same-sex marriage "heartbreaking." In a conference call with reporters November 6, members of the No on 8 executive committee fielded questions about lessons learned from the campaign. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Prop 8 passed with 52.5 percent of the vote, compared with 47.5 percent of those voting against it, unofficial results from the secretary of state showed. "This is a very disappointing moment," said Kate Kendell, a No on 8 executive committee member and executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. She predicted that same-sex marriage would one day be legal across the country, not just in California, but acknowledged "that day is not today." "I think this is a temporary defeat," echoed Lorri Jean, an executive committee member and CEO of the LA Gay and Lesbian Center. Jean and others defended their campaign, but said that the Yes on 8 campaign's last-minute mailer showing Barack Obama and urging a yes vote on Prop 8 was devastating, particularly in the African American community. While Obama does not support same-sex marriage he did oppose Prop 8. The mailer showed Obama with quotes he has said about same-sex marriage, with a "Vote yes on Prop 8" banner at the bottom. The Yes on 8 side also used robo calls featuring Obama stating he does not favor same-sex marriage. The No on 8 side countered with its own robo call featuring Obama saying he opposed Prop 8. Exit polls showed seven out of 10 African American voters cast ballots in favor of Prop 8. Andrea Shorter, who led And Marriage for All, a group of mostly black LGBT and allied groups, said more work needed to be done in the African American community. "You look at the Yes on 8 campaign going after certain segments of the community – and capitalize and exploit churchgoers, using children and [churches] tax-exempt status – and we have work to do, no doubt about it," she said. "For me it's a little hard to believe it's that high," she added, referring to the exit poll data. Jean laid the blame squarely on the Yes side's mailer, pointing out that the October 31 Field Poll showed African American voters were pretty evenly split on Prop 8. The mailer began arriving that day. "What happened? More lies and deception," she said. "People were misled. We didn't have enough time to respond to that." Jean and others on the call said that No on 8 would be doing an analysis of the campaign to see what other lessons could be learned. Kendell said that No on 8 "probably could have done better" among African Americans and communities of color. "We underestimated the other side's ads and [people] heard Barack Obama's voice and then were told to vote yes," Kendell said, adding that people "hear that and it gives cover" to vote yes. Kendell said one thing that was learned was that in the African American community more personal conversations are needed with black LGBT folks telling their stories. "It can't be done by white leaders," she added. "I think that's a real lesson learned." But Kendell said many in the African American community stood with the LGBT community. "There is not a division between the LGBT community and African American leadership," she said. "There are alliances to be made. Our challenge is to deepen those alliances." The campaign was asked why it didn't use Obama's opposition more forcefully, as well as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who also opposed Prop 8. Kendell said that No on 8 "pushed out" Obama's opposition to Prop 8 and it was "something we used in the final ad." Regarding the governor, she said he was embroiled in a monthlong budget battle and that No on 8 also used his opposition to Prop 8 in the final ad. Few gays on TV The speakers also were asked about the dearth of gays and lesbians from the No on 8 television ads, a criticism that cropped up even as the campaign was under way, with some local gays decrying No on 8's early commercials as lackluster. "Generally, I think lesbian and gay people were everywhere in this campaign," said Geoff Kors, an executive committee member. He said gays and lesbians were in video clips that ran on YouTube, and that same-sex couples who were getting married throughout the summer and fall often were featured in the news. "For the TV ads, the messages were extensively tested and were effective," he said. "The other side had a lot more money early on." The campaign also acknowledged that Yes on 8's first TV ad, featuring San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom bellowing that same-sex marriage is happening "whether you like it or not" greatly changed the dynamics of the race. "There is no doubt we saw our support erode," Kendell said, calling the Yes on 8 advertising "an onslaught." The issue of schoolchildren being taught about same-sex marriage in public schools also was tough for No on 8 to knock down. Kors noted that the TV ad with state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, in which he called Yes on 8's ads "shameful," was never supposed to be an ad. "This campaign combated as muscularly as we could," Kendell said. She also said that another lesson learned was the importance of having conversations about "what really happens in school." "I think those messages really did hurt us," she said. 11/06/2008

Copyright © 2006 Bay Area Reporter, a division of Benro Enterprises, Inc. Historic Obama victory President-elect Barack Obama addresses supporters in Chicago's Grant Park Tuesday. Photo: Rudy K. Lawidjaja by Lisa Keen
More than any other presidential candidate before, Barack Obama included gays as part of his stump speeches to voters, despite decades of conventional wisdom that has held that the mere acknowledgement of gays could imperil a campaign. Obama acknowledged gays when he announced his run for the presidency. He did so before national television audiences and before church audiences that were considered by some to be reluctant to associate with gays. He did so in accepting the Democratic nomination in Colorado, and he did so in his final campaign stops in Jacksonville, Florida; Columbus, Ohio; and Raleigh, North Carolina. And he still won. With a message that included gay people both when he needed the votes and when he had cinched victory, Illinois Senator Barack Obama won the White House Tuesday night. The triumph not only marked a historic moment in American history – with his election as the first African American as president – but a dramatic improvement in the political climate in Washington, D.C., for LGBT people. In the third line of his speech before more than 100,000 people gathered in Grant Park in his adopted hometown of Chicago, Obama said his election is testament to the power of democracy "spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled." Winning 338 electoral votes to Republican Senator John McCain's 163, Obama did not require the support of gays to secure his win. However, voting appears to have been very close in some states that were important to his success. In Florida, where a typical distribution of the gay votes historically (70 percent) would have provided the Democrat with about 275,000 votes, Obama won by only 199,000 votes. And while the Sunshine State overall gave Obama 51 percent of the vote, heavily gay Miami-Dade – home of gay popular resort South Beach – gave him 58 percent. Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese characterized Obama's win Tuesday night as a "paradigm shift" for LGBT people. "The pendulum has swung away from the anti-gay forces that dominated the political landscape for too long and toward new leadership that acknowledges our equality," Solmonese said. Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, called Obama's election "the dawn of a new political era of hope" that "brings a promise for a sea change in the tenor of the national dialogue on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues." San Francisco San Francisco's LGBT community was dancing on Castro Street Tuesday night as upwards of 5,000 people flocked to the gay neighborhood to celebrate Obama's win. Local DJs had set up a flatbed truck in front of the Castro Theatre with turntables and speakers to play dance music for the crowd. An image of Sean Penn as the late openly gay San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk peered down from a movie poster for the new biopic Milk adorned to the theater's marquee, leftover from last week's premiere of the film. "I think its great. I am much happier having to deal with Obama," said queer activist Tommi Avicolli Mecca. "I don't expect him to be a savior, but he is much better than the alternative." He said it is now up to Obama's supporters to see that he ends the Iraq war, pushes for affordable housing, and provides universal health care. "The battle is not over," said Avicolli Mecca. "We got him into the White House now we got to keep him to our agenda." Ralfka Gonzalez, a local artist who is HIV-positive, was with Avicolli Mecca taking in the festive atmosphere. "I am really glad to see a change," he said. "I am hoping Obama will be more like Jimmy Carter and not like Ronald Reagan. I want him to be a left-wing liberal." Jimmer Cassiol, a former aide to Mayor Gavin Newsom, said he was ecstatic with the presidential election results and that they bode well for the LGBT community. "I feel like this is a whole different world," said Cassiol. "Considering what we have been through the last eight years, I don't think we will be disappointed at all." Someone in the crowd burned an effigy of President Bush in the street, which police quickly extinguished. Standing nearby was Randy Allgaier with his husband, Lee Hawn, and their 10-year-old Beagle Darwin. The joyous occasion was bittersweet for the couple as a gay marriage ban on the ballot was heading to passage Tuesday night. "I am speechless, thrilled," said Allgaier, who is HIV-positive and serves on several HIV oversight bodies. "I couldn't be happier. The only thing that would make me happier is if Proposition 8 loses." Ev Briere, a 26-year-old from Quebec, Canada now living in the city, said it was too soon to say what Obama's win will mean in terms of America's standing in the world. "As a resident of the world, I am not sure quite yet. It is reassuring to see people can adapt when it is needed," she said. "I am still holding my breath. There is a still a lot of work to be done." Her friend Phoenix, who identifies as queer and goes by one name, was speechless at seeing Obama claim the White House. "I feel so good. It is really hard to put into words," said the Glen Park resident. Many in the crowd said they expect Obama to steer the country into a better direction on a whole host of issues, from energy and economic policies to international affairs. "With Barack winning, I feel this country will go in a better direction," said Sergio Cardenas, 29, a gay man living in the Castro. "Not only will the country get better but our lives will be better. We can be proud of being Americans and like the country we are living in." Openly gay Supervisor Bevan Dufty said both his godmother, the singer Billie Holiday, and his former boss, Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to Congress who ran for president in 1972, were smiling down from heaven now that the country has elected its first black president. "Like most Americans, never in my lifetime could I imagine this could happen. I think it is really a turning point in our country's history," said Dufty. "But right now it is bittersweet because of the uncertainty over Prop 8." Organizers of the street party said they were aware of the uncertainty over Prop 8. "We knew there was a chance that [Prop] 8 might lose, but we thought it was important to have a community celebration of the Obama victory and a brighter future," said event organizer John Wood, political director of the San Francisco Late Night Coalition. "We've been fighting for equality for a long time, and we'll keep fighting. Each time we get closer." "I'm elated," said Gilbert Pickett. "[When I watched his speech,] I bawled my eyes out." "I wanted Prop 8 to [fail], but it doesn't matter," Pickett added. "We've been fighting for years for equality, but now we have Obama and the majority of the House, so if a bill like this comes up, we may prevail. That will supercede the states. We also get the Supreme Court." "I'm proud to be an American," said Lia Lewis. "Finally, my voice is heard." National results The voting results reported this week are definitive but not official. They are based on a combination of data, including surveys collected from voters at the polls on November 4, actual results from selected precincts, and surveys conducted by phone prior to Tuesday. The data was gathered on behalf of the National Election Pool, a coalition of ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, NBC and the Associated Press. The polling firm of Edison Media Research collected the data at 1,300 precincts around the country, involving every state; but more sampling was done in the most competitive states. While most of the data was gathered at polling places, some was gathered by phone to include samples from Washington and Oregon – which vote exclusively by mail – and to account for people who were able to cast their votes before November 4. The telephone surveys collected data only from landlines, but the exit polls gathered information about cell phones from exit poll voters to use in assessing their projections. Data available thus far on voting in heavily gay precincts suggest the gay vote for Obama was at an unprecedented high. In the last several presidential elections, the percentage of LGB voters supporting the Democrat has hovered around 70 to 75 percent. But Tuesday's voting was much stronger: In heavily gay Provincetown, Massachusetts, 87 percent of voters supported Obama, compared to only 11 percent for McCain, and 2 percent for others or no votes. Massachusetts overall voted 62 percent for Obama, 36 percent for McCain. While 61 percent of Californians supported Obama over 37 percent for McCain, 85 percent of heavily gay San Francisco supported Obama versus 13 percent for McCain and two percent for others. Fifty-five percent of voters in Pennsylvania supported Obama over 45 percent for McCain, but in heavily gay Wards 2 and 5 of Philadelphia, 83 percent of voters supported Obama. In heavily gay Dupont Circle precinct 15 in Washington, D.C., Obama won 89 percent of the vote. In the heavily gay precinct 1233 in Dallas, 63 percent of the vote supported Obama while 57 percent of the city did so and 55 percent of the state supported McCain. Chicago's heavily gay Ward 44 went 86 percent for Obama over 13 percent for McCain. A Harris poll web-survey conducted October 20-27 with 231 self-identified LGBT "likely voters" predicted 81 percent of LGBT voters favored Obama while 16 percent favored McCain. A similar poll in August had shown 68 percent favored Obama, 10 percent McCain. Patrick Sammon, president of Log Cabin Republicans, a national gay Republican group, said he puts more trust in data from the overall exit poll data nationally, which said once again that 4 percent of voters were GLB and that 70 percent voted for Obama, 27 percent for McCain, and 3 percent for others. "LGBT voters don't live in just Dupont Circle and Chelsea," said Sammon in a telephone interview Wednesday morning. But Representative Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) said both sets of data may be right. The results from precincts that are heavily gay, she said, reflect a demographic that has significant access to information about each candidate's stand on LGBT issues, while the national exit poll is capturing LGB voters in places that may not have that kind of information at the ready. And in those places, she said, LGBT people are "making their minds up on a larger array of issues." Hilary Rosen, a longtime Democratic gay activist and political director for the Huffingtonpost.com, wrote Monday that she believes McCain lost the election in May 2006 when he "went to kiss the ring of Jerry Falwell." "He began to support every anti-gay initiative he could find," wrote Rosen. "On those and so many other issues, he merged into the George Bush and right wing clone that in these closing days of the campaign have choked him beyond breath." In a stump speech on countless campaign stops in the final days of his campaign, Obama repeatedly urged Americans to stay true to the name "United States of America." "Yes, we can argue and debate our positions passionately," said Obama, "but all of us must summon the strength and grace to bridge our differences and unite in common effort – black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American; Democrat and Republican, young and old, rich and poor, gay and straight, disabled or not." Matthew S. Bajko and Liz Highleyman contributed to this report. 11/06/2008

Destiny

"I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who sought and found out how to serve."
-- Albert Schweitzer, Humanitarian

Shitcanned: The True Story of an Expendible Proventionista

Gemini- November 12, 2008

So I got laid off today. It was sanitary and orderly, much less emotional than I thought it would have been. I'm a free agent. I can do whatever I want. Today is the first day of the rest of my life... right? It's a big to do list. That is intimidating at some points.

I'm happy about a few things. It was a rough fit. I can go back to being me. That is a treasure in and of itself. What do I want to do? I want to succeed. Out on my ass, I feel inspired. Not hesitant or weary about the future. I have the financial means to maintain a relaxed lifestyle until I get a new position.

What field? I'll look in HIV, of course. I'll see about server jobs, a job at the hospital with Ryan, a job working with John Newsome... a freelance something or nother. Today I drink, tomorrow I achieve!

Share more of your ideas and goals with people you love. Let them encourage you.

Overview

Someone surprising pipes up with some great advice early today. You don't need to think about it too long -- jump on it and follow it up to its logical conclusion. It's a good day to make changes!

The ABCDE Method for Setting Priorities

By: Brian Tracy

Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things. Your ability to plan and organize your work, in advance, so you are always working on your highest value tasks determines your success as much as any other factor.

The ABCDE Method for Priorities
The process of setting short-term priorities begins with a pad of paper and a pen. Whenever you feel overwhelmed by too many things to do and too little time in which to do them, sit down, take a deep breath, and list all those tasks you need to accomplish. Although there is never enough time to do everything, there is always enough time to do the most important things, and to stay with them until they are done right.

Setting Better Priorities
The best method for setting priorities on your list, once you have determined your major goals or objectives, is the A-B-C-D-E method. You place one of those letters in the margin before each of the tasks on your list before you begin.

"A" stands for "very important;" something you must do. There can be serious negative consequences if you don't do it.

"B" stands for "important;" something you should do. This is not as important as your 'A' tasks. There are only minor negative consequences if it is not completed.

"C" stands for things that are "nice to do;" but which are not as important as 'A' or 'B,' tasks. There are no negative consequences for not completing it.

"D" stands for "delegate." You can assign this task to someone else who can do the job instead of you.

"E" stands for "eliminate, whenever possible." You should eliminate every single activity you possibly can, to free up your time.

When you use the A-B-C-D-E method, you can very easily sort out what is important and unimportant. This then will focus your time and attention on those items on your list that are most essential for you to do.

Just Say No
Once you can clearly determine the one or two things that you should be doing, above all others, just say no to all diversions and distractions and focus single-mindedly on accomplishing those priorities.

Much stress that you experience in your work life comes from working on low-priority tasks. The amazing discovery is that as soon as you start working on your highest-value activity, all your stress disappears. You feel a continuous stream of energy and enthusiasm. As you work toward the completion of something that is really important, you feel an increased sense of personal value and inner satisfaction. You experience a sensation of self-mastery and self-control. You feel calm, confident and capable.

Action Exercises
Here are three ideas that you can use, every day, to help you set priorities and to keep you working at your best:

First, take the time to be clear about your goals and objectives so that the priorities you set are moving you in the direction of something that is of real value to you.

Second, remember that what counts is not the amount of time that you put in overall; rather, it's the amount of time that you spend working on high-priority tasks.

Third, understand that the most important factor in setting priorities is your ability to make wise choices. You are always free to choose to engage in one activity or another.

Resolve today to set clear priorities in every area of your life, and always choose the activities that will assure you the greatest health, happiness and prosperity in the long term.

The World According to Barack... My 101st Post!

A good compromise, a good piece of legislation, is like a good sentence; or a good piece of music. Everybody can recognize it. They say, 'Huh. It works. It makes sense.'
Barack Obama

Americans... still believe in an America where anything's possible - they just don't think their leaders do.
Barack Obama

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
Barack Obama

Community colleges play an important role in helping people transition between careers by providing the retooling they need to take on a new career.
Barack Obama

Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.
Barack Obama

I cannot swallow whole the view of Lincoln as the Great Emancipator.
Barack Obama

I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war.
Barack Obama

I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions.
Barack Obama

I opposed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. It should be repealed and I will vote for its repeal on the Senate floor. I will also oppose any proposal to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban gays and lesbians from marrying.
Barack Obama

I've got two daughters. 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby.
Barack Obama

If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists - to protect them and to promote their common welfare - all else is lost.
Barack Obama

If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress.
Barack Obama

In the end, that's what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope?
Barack Obama

Issues are never simple. One thing IÕm proud of is that very rarely will you hear me simplify the issues.
Barack Obama

It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today.
Barack Obama

It's not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.
Barack Obama

John Kerry believes in an America where hard work is rewarded.
Barack Obama

Money is not the only answer, but it makes a difference.
Barack Obama

My job is not to represent Washington to you, but to represent you to Washington.
Barack Obama

My parents shared not only an improbable love, they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or blessed, believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success.
Barack Obama

No one is pro-abortion.
Barack Obama

Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and the war on terrorism have reduced the pace of military transformation and have revealed our lack of preparation for defensive and stability operations. This Administration has overextended our military.
Barack Obama

Over the last 15 months, weÕve traveled to every corner of the United States. IÕve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go.
Barack Obama

People of Berlin - people of the world - this is our moment. This is our time.
Barack Obama

Poorly secured nuclear material in the former Soviet Union, or secrets from a scientist in Pakistan could help build a bomb that detonates in Paris. The poppies in Afghanistan become the heroin in Berlin. The poverty and violence in Somalia breeds the terror of tomorrow.
Barack Obama

The Bush Administration's failure to be consistently involved in helping Israel achieve peace with the Palestinians has been both wrong for our friendship with Israel, as well as badly damaging to our standing in the Arab world.
Barack Obama

The fact that my 15 minutes of fame has extended a little longer than 15 minutes is somewhat surprising to me and completely baffling to my wife.
Barack Obama

There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.
Barack Obama

There is not a liberal America and a conservative America - there is the United States of America. There is not a black America and a white America and latino America and asian America - there's the United States of America.
Barack Obama

There's not a liberal America and a conservative America - there's the United States of America.
Barack Obama

This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that open markets have created, and share its benefits more equitably. Trade has been a cornerstone of our growth and global development. But we will not be able to sustain this growth if it favors the few, and not the many.
Barack Obama

This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children a world where the oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate our lands.
Barack Obama

Today we are engaged in a deadly global struggle for those who would intimidate, torture, and murder people for exercising the most basic freedoms. If we are to win this struggle and spread those freedoms, we must keep our own moral compass pointed in a true direction.
Barack Obama

Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation - not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago.
Barack Obama

We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK. That's not leadership. That's not going to happen.
Barack Obama

We have an obligation and a responsibility to be investing in our students and our schools. We must make sure that people who have the grades, the desire and the will, but not the money, can still get the best education possible.
Barack Obama

We have real enemies in the world. These enemies must be found. They must be pursued and they must be defeated.
Barack Obama

We need somebody who's got the heart, the empathy, to recognize what it's like to be a young teenage mom, the empathy to understand what it's like to be poor or African-American or gay or disabled or old - and that's the criterion by which I'll be selecting my judges.
Barack Obama

We need to internalize this idea of excellence. Not many folks spend a lot of time trying to be excellent.
Barack Obama

We need to steer clear of this poverty of ambition, where people want to drive fancy cars and wear nice clothes and live in nice apartments but don't want to work hard to accomplish these things. Everyone should try to realize their full potential.
Barack Obama

We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States.
Barack Obama

We're not going to baby sit a civil war.
Barack Obama

What Washington needs is adult supervision.
Barack Obama

When we think of the major threats to our national security, the first to come to mind are nuclear proliferation, rogue states and global terrorism. But another kind of threat lurks beyond our shores, one from nature, not humans - an avian flu pandemic.
Barack Obama

Where the stakes are the highest, in the war on terror, we cannot possibly succeed without extraordinary international cooperation. Effective international police actions require the highest degree of intelligence sharing, planning and collaborative enforcement.
Barack Obama

Why can't I just eat my waffle?
Barack Obama

With the changing economy, no one has lifetime employment. But community colleges provide lifetime employability.
Barack Obama

You know, my faith is one that admits some doubt.
Barack Obama

Quinn: "Gay sex produces AIDS"; "They should charge homosexuals more for their ... health insurance"

Summary: Discussing the passage of a California ballot initiative to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage, radio host Jim Quinn asserted: "[G]ay marriage doesn't produce anything that the state has an interest in. Gay sex produces AIDS, which the state doesn't have -- or should have an interest in. They should charge homosexuals more for their -- for their health insurance than they charge the rest of us."

On the November 6 broadcast of The War Room with Quinn & Rose, co-host Jim Quinn said: "The only thing that -- the only thing that gay marriage produce -- well, gay marriage doesn't produce anything that the state has an interest in. Gay sex produces AIDS, which the state doesn't have -- or should have an interest in. They should charge homosexuals more for their -- for their health insurance than they charge the rest of us." Quinn made the comment while discussing the passage of a California ballot initiative to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.

Quinn continued:

I mean, just like they charge -- look, if I'm a tobacco smoker, I pay more, right? Why? Because I'm risking my life, and the insurance company has an interest in that, because the chances were more likely they're gonna have to pay off on me than somebody else. So why don't they charge gay men, especially, higher premiums? Because they're engaged in an activity that will have an impact on that - on the health care system."

From the November 6 broadcast of Clear Channel's The War Room with Quinn & Rose:

QUINN: Let me ask you a question. You're hanging out with some -- some woman that you picked up in a bar and, you know, you two are out there; maybe you decided at the last minute to go to Las Vegas, rent a hotel room, and make a little whoopee for the weekend. What is that called? Does society have a strict definition for that? I mean, yeah, I mean, there's a lot of people who different definitions for it, different names for it. But, I mean, is there one thing that we can all agree on? Is there a name for it? And no, there is no one name for it, because society has no interest in it. But there is a name for a man and a woman who commit to each other, it's called marriage. Why does it have a name? Because we seek to define it. Why do we seek to define it? Because society has an interest in the outcome, and the outcome is the next generation of citizens in that society, and the assurance that those citizens will have a proper upbringing.

That's why we name things. That's why we have words to define things. We are under no obligation to change the definition of things to include some demand from some special-interest group who suddenly decides that their union ought to be called a marriage to make them feel better about it, and to force the rest of us to look at it as equivalent to a man and a woman having a marriage that produces something that the state has an interest in. The only thing that -- the only thing that gay marriage produce -- well, gay marriage doesn't produce anything that the state has an interest in. Gay sex produces AIDS, which the state doesn't have -- or should have an interest in. They should charge homosexuals more for their -- for their health insurance than they charge the rest of us. I mean, just like they charge -- look, if I'm a tobacco smoker, I pay more, right? Why? Because I'm risking my life, and the insurance company has an interest in that, because the chances were more likely they're gonna have to pay off on me than somebody else. So why don't they charge gay men, especially, higher premiums? Because they're engaged in an activity that will have an impact on that -- on the health care system. That's -- I don't know, is there something wrong with that?

Anyway, the people of -- of California, you know, maybe they didn't articulate it quite that way, but somehow they understood. And they voted against gay marriage. And the mayor of San Francisco is just beside himself over this. But they did the right thing. Look, if you're gay and you want to have a relationship, and you want to have it -- you know, you want to have it legalized and sign a contract, I have no problem with that. Go ahead. I'm not gonna come knock on your door, it's not a problem for me. Just don't -- don't try to muddy the waters by calling it a marriage -- it's not. What else here this morning?

—H.D.

Barack O' the Day

Consumer Reports' Top Products of 2008

By ConsumerReports.org

During the past year, Consumer Reports' testers have rated literally thousands of products, some of which earned a near-perfect score and others which performed extremely poorly. Here is a sampling of our 100 standouts in electronics, cars, appliances, and dozens of other categories. To see Consumer Reports' full list of Top 100 products, subscribe to ConsumerReports.org.

Laptop computer
Apple MacBook Air
The lightest, thinnest notebook around, just 3 pounds and less than an inch thick. It has excellent ergonomics and a 13.3-inch display, plus a 4.5-hour battery life. It's shy on features, but hey, it's super skinny. See more on laptops from ConsumerReports.org.

Wireless headphones
Sennheiser MX W1
Among the first to use Kleer wireless technology, these earbuds were the best wireless headphones in our tests. Twist-and-fit design locks into the outer ear cavity. Can be recharged on the go in their portable docking station. See more on headphones from ConsumerReports.org.

Subcompact point-and-shoot camera
Canon PowerShot SD1100
Weighing just 5 ounces, this 8-megapixel subcompact doesn't sacrifice performance for size. Compared with other subcompacts, it's faster, and can take better pictures in low light without flash. See more on digital cameras from ConsumerReports.org.

Wireless digital frame
Samsung SPF-83V
This easy-to-use frame offers very good picture quality, but its key distinction is the ability to display pictures from your computer with no wires, thanks to built-in Wi-Fi capability. See more on digital picture frames from ConsumerReports.org.

Coffeemaker
Black & Decker Smart Brew DCM2500
A CR Best Buy, this drip coffeemaker was tops among the 8-to-12-cup models we tested. It has programmable settings, and pouring was easy, helpful if you're a little clumsy before that first cup. See more on coffeemakers from ConsumerReports.org.

Portable grill
Weber Q 200 396002
This compact gas grill will be the toast of any tailgate. It heats very evenly, turning out perfect pre-game bratwurst, hot dogs, and more, and it's equally capable at low-temperature cooking. See more on portable grills from ConsumerReports.org.

Luggage
Delsey Helium Fusion 22274
This carry-on was the only CR Best Buy among the 12 small rolling suitcases we tested. It got an excellent score for capacity, a big deal now that most airlines are charging for checked baggage. It also has a comfortable handle and was easy to pull. See more on luggage from ConsumerReports.org.

50-inch and 42-inch plasma TVs
Panasonic TH-50PZ800U
Panasonic plasmas consistently score well in our tests, and this 1080p set and its 42-inch sibling ($1,200) continue the trend. The THX setting provides theaterlike picture quality with vibrant colors, exquisite detail, and rich blacks. See more on flat-screen TVs from ConsumerReports.org.

Cell phone with versatile screen
LG Dare, from Verizon
This phone's bright, 3-inch touch screen provides direct access to its many features, including an HTML Web browser and a 3.1-megapixel camera with face recognition and autofocus. Enter text on a virtual keyboard or draw on the screen with your fingertip. See more on cell phones from ConsumerReports.org.

DVD recorder with hard drive
Philips DVDR3575H/37
One of the few DVD recorders that can also record to a DVR (160GB), this offers TiVo-like functionality and the ability to save or share programs on DVD. See more on DVD recorders from ConsumerReports.org.

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on Yahoo!

Did your vote make me a SECOND CLASS CITIZEN on November 4th?!?!

Nov 6, 2008 9:51 am US/Pacific

Proposition 8-Same-Sex Marriage Ban

Total Reporting:99%

	Name	Votes	Pct.
	Yes	5,387,939	52%
	No	4,883,460	48%

LAST UPDATE: Nov-06-2008, 01:40 PM Pacific Standard Time

California DENIES Gay Marriage in Protested Historical Decision!

Protests, Lawsuits, Arrests Follow Prop. 8 Win

Election Results - Proposition 8
Exit Poll: Black, Religious Voters Backed Prop. 8

Eye On Blogs: Weddings Cease, Post Your Comments

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) ― Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday evening on the steps of San Francisco's City Hall to protest California voters' approval by a slim majority of a ban on same-sex marriage, overturning the state Supreme Court decision that gave gay couples the right to wed just months ago.

Meanwhile in West Hollywood, 7 people were arrested during a sprawling, hours-long protest that blocked streets in the area.

Police officer Jason Lee says marchers were mostly peaceful in the protest against Proposition 8 that began Wednesday in West Hollywood and continued into Thursday morning.

But four people were taken into custody at the intersection of Hollywood and Highland when they tried to cross a line of officers.

Television cameras showed one of the protesters jumping on top of a police car. He was quickly wrestled to the ground by police.

Sheriff's Sgt. Kristin Aloma says two people were arrested in West Hollywood for disturbing the peace, and another was arrested for public drunkenness.

She says one deputy had minor injuries when he was hit by a car as he prepared to close an intersection before protesters arrived.

In San Francisco, about 1,000 people held candles and carried signs that read "We all Deserve the Freedom to Marry" as part of the event, which was sponsored by groups opposed to Proposition 8. A similar protest was also held in Sacramento, along with the West Hollywood protest.

Proposition 8's passage in Tuesday's election represented a crushing political defeat for gay rights activists, who had hoped public opinion on the contentious issue had shifted enough to help them defeat it.

"I never would have thought in my lifetime that I'd see a constitution changed to take rights away," a frustrated San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said at a Wednesday news conference.

"My reaction is that I'm really sorry it came out the way it did," added U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who leant her voice to the campaign to defeat the measure. But she struck a note of optimism by adding,"I don't believe the final word has been said on Proposition 8."

With 100 percent of precincts in the state reporting on Wednesday afternoon, election returns showed Proposition 8 winning with 52.5 percent, compared to 47.5 percent against it. However, election officials said 2 million to 3 million provisional and absentee ballots remained to be tallied, and leaders of the No on 8 campaign said they were not ready to concede.

"Roughly 400,000 votes separate yes from no on Prop 8," committee
members said the statement, indicating that they believe there is still a chance to defeat the measure.

Based on trends and the locations of the votes still outstanding, an Associated Press analysis concluded that the margin of support in favor of the initiative appeared secure and they projected Prop. 8 as being approved.

"There's no question that Proposition 8 has passed," declared Frank Schubert, co-manager of the Yes on 8 campaign. "People believe in the institution of marriage. It's one institution that crosses ethnic divides, that crosses partisan divides."

Opponents of the gay marriage ban said Wednesday that legal challenges were already underway.

Seven same-sex couples and the cities of San Francisco, Los Angeles and Santa Clara County filed suits in the high court seeking to invalidate Proposition 8.

Court spokeswoman Lynn Holton said the court "will act as quickly as possible" on the stay requests.

The suits claimed the measure would "subvert the fundamental principle of equal treatment." Civil liberties lawyers argued in one of the court filings that, "If given effect, Proposition 8 would work a dramatic, substantive change to our constitution's underlying principles, on a scale and scope never previously condoned by the court."

Legal analyst Melissa Griffin told CBS 5 that there was a substantial argument being made by the measure's opponents that the matter of same-sex marriage was too weighty to be decided by a ballot proposition.

In legal terms, it's called a "revision," said Griffin, a columnist for the San Francisco Examiner. "This is a substantive change to the constitution and a change of that nature - a revision - has to be made with a constitutional convention" — which would require a vote of two-thirds of each house of the state Legislature before being submitted to voters, she summarized.

That argument had been made by opponents before Prop. 8 even went on the ballot, but a state Supreme Court justice rejected it at the time, ruling it a moot point because the people hadn't yet voted on the measure. There was no controversy, so nothing to decide, the court effectively said.

By changing the state constitution to limit marriage to a man and a woman, Prop. 8 overturns the high court's decision that legalized same-sex marriage in the state in mid-June. Since then, an estimated 18,000 gay and lesbian couples, many of them from other states, were married.

The measure's passage represents a personal loss for couples who still hoped to wed, and casts a shadow of uncertainty on the legal unions of those who already have. Because the initiative holds that only marriage between a man and a woman is recognized in the state, legal experts have said it will have to be resolved in court whether existing gay marriages would be nullified.

Amid uncertainty over when the amendment takes effect, gay and lesbian couples continued seeking marriage licenses throughout the state Wednesday. They were successful in some jurisdictions and not others where county clerks wanted direction before sanctioning any more same-sex unions.

Jake Rowe, 27, and James Eslick, 29, were in the midst of getting married at Sacramento City Hall on Wednesday when someone from the clerk's office stopped the wedding. The two men had planned to get married next year because "We held in hope that 8 would not pass," Rowe said.

"I'm thoroughly surprised. I thought Californians had come to the point where they realized discrimination wasn't right," he said.

Kate Folmar, a spokeswoman for Secretary of State Debra Bowen, said initiatives typically take effect the day after an election, although the results from Tuesday's races will not be certified until Dec. 13.

Couples who had optimistically made appointments to get hitched at San Francisco City Hall on Wednesday were asked to wait until the clerk's office received guidance from state officials, said county clerk Karen Hong Lee.

"I know what the Constitution says, but with the fact there are some votes still uncounted, we want to make absolutely sure as administrators we are doing our jobs properly," Hong said.

But in Los Angeles, couples still were able to wed - for now.

Grace Chavez, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County registrar's office, said weddings for gay couples were being performed in first floor chapel. She could not, however, say if there was any last-minute rush of couples trying to marry before the measure is enforced.

California Attorney General Jerry Brown has said he thinks the ban would not apply to couples who tied the knot between mid-June and election day. As for who managed to marry Wednesday, Dana Simas, a spokeswoman for Brown, said "that is an issue that we have not yet decided."

Despite intense disappointment, some newlyweds elected to look on the positive side, taking comfort that millions of Californians had voted to validate their relationships.

"I'm really OK," said Diana Correia, of Berkeley, who married her partner of 18 years, Cynthia Correia, on Sunday in front of the couple's two children and 80 relatives and friends. "I hope the marriage holds, but we are already married in our hearts, so nobody can take that away."

(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press and Bay City News contributed to this report.)

Barack Wins! The New [Hottie] Chief of Staff... Rahm Emanuel

Emanuel accepts job as White House chief of staff

HOTTIE MCHOTTERSON! DAYUM, RAHM!

By LIZ SIDOTI and NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writers Liz Sidoti And Nedra Pickler, Associated Press Writers 1 hr 21 mins ago

CHICAGO – Barack Obama's fellow Chicagoan Rahm Emanuel, the hard-charging No. 4 Democrat in the House, has accepted the job of White House chief of staff, Democratic officials said Thursday.

One of Obama's first decisions as president-elect was to ask the Illinois congressman to run his White House staff. The selection of the fiery Democrat marked a shift in tone for Obama, who chose more low-key leadership for his presidential campaign.

Emanuel, who served as a political and policy aide in the Clinton White House before running for Congress, weighed the family and political considerations before accepting. He will have to resign his seat, relinquish his position in the House Democratic leadership and put aside hopes of becoming House speaker.

Democratic officials who disclosed Emanuel's acceptance did so on the condition of anonymity to avoid angering Obama's team; it had not planned to announce the chief of staff position on Thursday.

In offering the White House post to Emanuel, Obama turned to a fellow Chicago politician with a far different style from his own, a man known for his bluntness as well as his single-minded determination.

House GOP leader John Boehner of Ohio called Emanuel "an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington, make politics more civil, and govern from the center."

Before accepting the job, Emanuel told Chicago's WLS-TV that he was honored to be considered but needed to weigh the impact on his family.

"I have a lot to weigh: the basis of public service, which I've given my life to, a career choice. And most importantly, what I want to do as a parent," Emanuel said in an interview aired Wednesday. "And I know something about the White House. That, I assume, is one of the reasons that President-elect Obama would like me to serve. But I also know something about what it means to a family."

As word of Emanuel's acceptance spread Thursday, Obama was meeting privately in Chicago with U.S. intelligence officials preparing him to be commander in chief and transition team leaders tasked with building his entire administration in 10 short weeks.

The president-elect planned his first public appearances since his victory for Friday.

Aides said he will meet with economic advisers to discuss the nation's financial woes — Americans listed the economy as their top concern on Election Day — and then talk to the news media. Aides also said that Obama and his wife, Michelle, will visit the White House on Monday at President Bush's invitation.

"Michelle and I look forward to meeting with President Bush and the first lady on Monday to begin the process of a smooth, effective transition," Obama said in a statement. "I thank him for reaching out in the spirit of bipartisanship that will be required to meet the many challenges we face as a nation."

Obama advisers said he was selecting the leaders of the new government with a sense of care over speed, with no plans to announce Cabinet positions this week.

Aside from Emanuel, several Obama aides said other White House officials were being lined up, including Robert Gibbs as the likely pick for press secretary. Gibbs has been Obama's longtime spokesman and confidant and was at Obama's side from his 2004 Senate campaign through the long days on the presidential campaign trail.

Obama planned to stay home through the weekend, with a blackout on news announcements so that he and his staff can get some rest after a grueling campaign and the rush of their win Tuesday night. He is planning a trip to Hawaii in December to get away with his family before their move to the White House — and to honor his grandmother, who died Sunday at her home there.

Obama began Thursday as he usually does, with a workout. Later, he planned to visit with the transition team he officially announced Wednesday but had been under way for weeks. Officials had kept deliberations under wraps to avoid the appearance of overconfidence in the weeks leading to Tuesday's election.

He also spent time at the FBI office in Chicago, a secure location for him to receive his first president's daily brief. The document is mostly written by the Central Intelligence Agency and includes the most critical overnight intelligence. It is accompanied by a briefing from top intelligence officials that typically lasts 45 minutes to an hour, although Obama's first is expected to be longer.

___

Liz Sidoti reported from Washington. Associated Press Special Correspondent David Espo in Washington and AP reporter Beth Fouhy in Chicago contributed to this report.

(This version CORRECTS to show that Emanuel is the No. 4 Democrat in the House, not its No. 3.)