Much to the GOP’s consternation, a spoiler may be in their Presidential midst.  Meet former Republican Congressmember (and Ralph Nader wannabe) Bob Barr.

– Gautam Dutta

Gautam Dutta, President 2008 | No Comments »

Word in the blogosphere is that Google is shutting down anti-Obama blogs from its Blogspot. Supposedly, the seven blogs that have been shut down so far have been flagged as spamming sites or containing hate speech. Since they are also all part of the anti-Obama coalition, Just Say No Deal, many are suspicious that the Obama campaign has partnered with Google to shut down these blogs.

Before we jump to conclusions about Google’s recent actions with the few anti-Obama sites, let’s wait for a statement from Google itself or a better source of news verification other than conservative blog sites and discussion chains that are obviously slanted against Obama.

The conservative blog NewsBusters seems to be the original source of the news.

–Helen Tran

Helen Tran, President 2008 | 1 Comment »

California has seen its fair share of fires yet the recent wildfires in Big Sur continues to top them all. Up to date, 1,000 fires have spread destroying 28 homes. Firefighters have now evacuated over 250 homes and continue their efforts to protect a Buddhist retreat in Los Padres National Park. The dry summer weather usually makes California prone to wildfires but lightening storms seemed to have triggered this recent uproar. The current issue and the issue in the past has been the lack of trained firefighters. With so many fires continuing to spread, California is simply not equipped to control them all.

Thankfully, President Bush has taken action. On June 29th, Bush declared an emergency for Northern California. He is providing the state with financial aid and additional equipment from the Federal Emergency Management Agency including 17,000 firefighters from various states. As his term comes to an end, President Bush is facing a lot of criticism. The public continues to meticulously watch his every last steps and actions. In this case, I hope the public is watching and applauding Bush, because it is his actions that have provided California with the aid needed to ease this natural disaster.

Yet, nature continues to take its course despite firefighters’ incessant efforts. My sympathy goes out to those who have been affected by the relentless fires.

– Priya Kumar

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California is currently the home to the highest gas prices in the country. The real estate market has entered a crisis mode. Unemployment is at an ultimate high and California currently has a fifteen million dollar deficit. In other words, the Californian economy is in shambles. Governor Schwarzenegger does not seem to be helping the situation.

In a recent interview with Tom Brokaw on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Brokaw accused Schwarzenegger for not only failing to boost the weakening economy but also causing the economy to fall in the first place. The issue of utmost concern is California’s increasing debt. Brokaw claims this debt is due to a number of Schwarzenegger’s public works projects. However, when the governor entered office, the state already had a high debt due to Governor Davis’ policies. It is too early to detect the outcome of these public works project and therefore, it cannot clear whether they will actually add to debt or in fact help it. It does not seem fair to hold Schwarzenegger completely accountable for this grave economic situation when the situation began before he even entered office.

The national economy is also in shambles. Gas prices are high everywhere. The unemployment rate is rising everywhere. The real estate market is in crisis mode everywhere. California is simply an example of what is occurring nationally. This is not to say Schwarzenegger should not address the issue. He should continue to place his efforts on doing whatever he can to pull California out of this economic slump.

As history has taught us, change is best when it occurs on the local level. It’s possible that if California makes some changes and takes some chances on new economic policies, the rest of the country will follow. Schwarzenegger can be criticized for not taking action on this issue of increasing importance yet should not be blamed for causing it when the issue’s roots were beyond his control.

– Priya Kumar

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The Texas GOP Convention was held a few weeks ago at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston — a far better convention center than Austin’s. Much as the Texas Democratic Party Convention’s theme was unity, the Republicans urged backing their candidate. Many Republicans, however, still don’t like McCain. Their party insiders fear election day, and will seek to discourage their dissatisfied voters from staying home. Texas Republicans leaders also must combat racism within the party, like from banned a vendor who sold racist buttons. Their stomach-turning platform, however, appears to be a wonderful opportunity for racism. At least Texas Democrats and Republicans agree in their opposition to the Trans-Texas corridor. You can read more about their convention here.

The highlight of the Texas Republican Party Convention — at least I’ll presume it was the highlight — was the debut of “Big John.” It’s a new video for John Cornyn, who has a terrible habit of ignoring the environment. KT has a great roundup of print and television reviews of “Big John.” The traditional media and the blogosphere are in agreement about the video — universally fascinated and horrified. Rumor has it the consultant behind “Big John” has been fired.

Cornyn better find a new (and better) consultant if he wants to be reelected. In the latest poll, he’s statistically tied with Lt Col. Noriega. Noriega also won the endorsement of Barbara Boxer‘s PAC For A Change.

Democrats are faring well in the U.S. House races as well. Nick Lampson is sitting pretty in TX-22. He has $1M cash on hand, but his opponent has has a net debt with minimal cash on hand. Larry Joe Doherty has reason to hope he can capture TX-10. And the DCCC has added TX-7 to its Emerging Races list, which is wonderful news for Michael Skelly, who is up against a disgusting man.

And here in Harris County, Republicans are scared the County will turn blue, following the lead of Dallas County in 2006. Perhaps if Republicans were more reasonable on immigration, the would not hemorrhage Hispanic support.

But that’s not all. Speaker Pelosi suggested Congressman Chet Edwards (TX-17) as a running mate for Obama. Phillip Martin reminds why that pick would disappoint many of Obama’s biggest supporters. The Chronicle reminds that Edwards is Bush’s Congressman.

Obama will send cash and staff to Texas. At this time, Obama’s campaign has no plan to spend on television in Texas, but I’ll keep up hope. Money and staff are logical support for the voter registration drive announced last month. Kuff is pleased and discussion abounds on Burnt Orange Report.

While it remains a long shot, Obama has a path to winning Texas. The closer Obama can make the race — and the downballot races — in Texas, the more money and effort the Republicans will have to expend in Texas. That’s money and effort not expended in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, or Virginia. Not long ago, many said Obama’s quest for the nomination was a long shot. As Marc Ambinder wrote, “There’s no way that 10,000 Obama volunteers in Texas won’t influence his vote totals there even if he doesn’t win.”

- Justin Gillenwater

Campaign Update, Justin Gillenwater, President 2008, Texas | No Comments »

In their recent new classification as “blacks,” Chinese South Africans now face an interesting dilemma of defending their true racial identity and reclaiming a history of discrimination during South Africa’s apartheid years.

On June 18, in a case filed by the Chinese Association of South Africa (CASA), the High Court of South Africa ruled to classify South Africans of Chinese descent as blacks. The case was brought to court to determine whether Chinese South Africans had been lawfully excluded or included in the government’s Black Economic Employment (BEE) effort established to economically re-empower communities that had been discriminated against during the apartheid state from 1948 to 1994. Identified black communities are Africans, Indians, and colored people. The BEE Act did not specifically exclude or include Chinese South Africans, causing confusion about whether they were entitled to receive economic stimulus benefits. Now under “black” classification, Chinese South Africans are eligible for BEE programs.

Prior the court’s ruling, Chinese South Africans were classified as “colored,” which would have made them automatically eligible for BEE programs. The cause of confusion laid in the current generally well-to-do status of Chinese South Africans and perhaps the title of “honorary whites” given to Japanese, Taiwanese, and Chinese Nationalist South Africans during the 1960s. This title was not given purely out of goodwill but solely for trade purposes and political diplomacy and still excluded voting rights.

Although hardly representing the image of what we know to be blacks, Chinese South Africans defend their right to black classification for their shared history of discrimination with blacks during the rules of apartheid. Here, the term “black” is one that rises not from ethnic background but historical experience as a people living in South Africa.

Many South Africans criticize Chinese South Africans’ claim to a black identity by citing their recent court filing as an opportunistic rather than principled effort to acquire economic advantage. In a radio interview featuring Minister of Labor Membathisi Mdladlana and CASA Chairperson Patrick Chong, many callers commented on the current flourishing production and sales businesses of Chinese South Africans as prime evidence of their economic stability and gluttonous intent in filing for BEE qualification. Callers did not forget to provide the inhumane working conditions in Chinese South African factories as more reason to exclude them from BEE benefits.

Sound familiar? How about the story of the Asian American model minority? Self-empowerment after a history of discrimination, and perhaps despite ongoing discrimination, and exclusion from history are all too familiar in the Chinese American experience. As with Chinese South Africans, Chinese Americans here in the US face a history written for them that contradicts much of what they know about themselves. Even in California where Chinese Americans and other Asian Americans were monumental in building the state’s economy, from railroads to fishery to mining, Asian American history is pretty much excluded from state history text books.

The misalignment in using the current economic conditions of Chinese South Africans as argument against their entitlement to BEE programs is the negligence of their shared history of discrimination and segregation with blacks during apartheid rule. Granted, Chinese South Africans had emerged to empower themselves with their own private education initiatives and are now in much wealthier positions than their African counterparts, but the Chinese South Africans’ present economic status does not eradicate their history of apartheid disempowerment.

What complicates a clean across-the-board classification of Chinese South Africans as blacks based on the argument of historical discrimination is the wave of Chinese immigrants that arrived to South Africa after apartheid. However, because BEE intends to combat racism that is only beginning to be deinstitutionalized, all Chinese South Africans should be included in BEE programs. Chinese South Africans’ personal success to revitalize their community should remain independent of discussion of which groups are eligible for a government program that is as much an apology as economic pragmatism.

South Africa’s labeling of blacks based on history rather than race is an anomaly in the world usages of black which tends to denote race based on skin color. However relevant the label of black in South Africa is driven by historical experience instead of race, the label remains a racial divide between whites and people of color. Black is still a racial label. Language derives its meaning from perception and usage, not formal guidelines. What are the ownership rights that a people have to their social classification, and in a society that aims to be progressive and anti-discriminatory, how important is it to have racial classifications?

–Helen Tran

Foreign Affairs, Helen Tran, Social Justice | 1 Comment »

Recently, the California Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in the Golden State. But did you know that one of the judges who signed onto that historic decision (1) has Chinese, Indonesian, and Dutch roots, (2) lived in a hut in New Guinea as a teenager, and (3) lost her father when he died in a Japanese concentration camp during World War II?

The San Francisco Bar Association’s Recorder just published an intriguing interview (below) with California Justice Joyce Kennard. Appointed by former Republican Governor George Deukmejian, Kennard has served in the high court since 1989 (hat tip to Karin Wang of Asian Pacific American Legal Center, which played a key role in this landmark civil-rights victory).

The interview follows.

The Recorder, By Mike McKee, June 26, 2008

When the California Supreme Court nullified thousands of same-sex marriages performed by the city of San Francisco four years ago, Justice Joyce Kennard dissented, saying those licenses should have remained valid while the underlying constitutional issues were resolved.

If Kennard needed validation for that stance, it came in a letter she received late last month, days after the high court took the landmark step of upholding marriage by gays and lesbians. A Butte County man told Kennard his partner of 10 years — whom he married during the 2004 rush on City Hall — died earlier this year, so last month’s ruling came too late for them to marry again.

“I wish the other justices had seen the wisdom of your reasoning and put the San Francisco marriages on hold pending judicial review,” the man wrote. “Oh, how I wish they had. … I wish I were a widower instead of an ex-domestic partner. But it is not to be.”

Kennard said that letter choked her up and hammered home the importance of marriage to same-sex couples who may have yearned for years to wed.

“You can feel the heartache,” she said. “It’s a letter I will always treasure.”

Kennard, one of the four California Supreme Court justices who voted to legalize same-sex marriage on May 15, took some time late Tuesday to talk about her reasons for joining the majority, her thoughts on sexual orientation, and the stance the court’s majority took.

She touched on her own experiences as someone who is not only a racial minority, but also disabled; life experiences that shaped her thoughts on equal rights; and the positive and negative feedback she has received in the past six weeks.

Kennard, 67, was the only justice who agreed to a recent Recorder request to talk about the reasons for the same-sex marriage ruling. Both Chief Justice Ronald George, whose thoughts on the opinion have been reported elsewhere in the press, and Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar were on vacation. Justice Ming Chin politely declined to talk, while Justices Marvin Baxter, Carlos Moreno and Carol Corrigan didn’t return calls.

Kennard, a Republican appointee who has been on the high court since 1989, said her decision to join the majority ruling was grounded in her judicial requirement to base rulings on interpretations of the law.

“What I think about is, ‘What is the law and how does it apply here, and what is the applicable precedent?’” she said. “And it’s not easy at all.”

“While I would like to follow my heart,” she added, “you still have to have the law on your side.”

Kennard said that while she has many gay friends, they didn’t sway her thinking and none of them lobbied her.

“My friends know me well enough to never discuss a pending case with me,” she said.

Kennard’s stance also earned her what she called hate mail from individuals who insist the ruling was contrary to Bible teachings. Some threatened to vote to oust her next time she faces a retention election, but that won’t happen for 10 years. (Kennard won retention in 2006.)

The justice, who said she isn’t a churchgoer but has religious beliefs and says prayers, brushed off the Bible-based criticism.

“The Bible is often quoted,” she said. “But, as you know, you can quote the Bible to support anything you want.”

She pointed to a June 22 column by Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez that challenged the contention that same-sex relationships were condemned in the Bible. Lopez agreed there were verses along that line, but pointed out that biblical scripture also upholds slavery and calls for the death of disrespectful children.

Kennard, outside of whose chambers window flaps a huge California flag, said she always presumes that God is a being “of love and tolerance.”

“I think that aspect is often overlooked by people who say hateful things,” she said. Same-sex marriages are allowed in other countries, she said, and “life goes on. There are other pressing issues.”

Sitting in an office cluttered with court briefs and other documents, Kennard — wearing comfortable black slacks with a lime-green top and matching necklace — expressed puzzlement at the furor over sexual orientation.

“To me, it’s never mattered what someone’s sexual orientation has been,” she said. “What’s important is what kind of person that person is. Decency is one of the most important aspects of a person.”

It also amuses Kennard that she is now counted by conservatives as an activist judge.

“Activist, darling, is in the eye of the beholder,” she said. “Usually, it’s used when there is a disagreement with a decision that is believed to be too liberal. But one can look at many conservative rulings where there is language that could also be construed by some as activist.”

Although appointed by a Republican governor, George Deukmejian, Kennard has always confounded anyone who tries to pigeonhole her as conservative, liberal or otherwise. And she said Tuesday that she believes her “broad attitude” and tolerance for others may stem from her journey through life.

Kennard was born on the island of Java during World War II and is of Indonesian, Dutch and Chinese descent. Her father died in a Japanese concentration camp when she was 1 and from age 10 to 14, she and her mother shared a Quonset hut on the island of New Guinea — with no indoor plumbing — with four other families.

Kennard’s mother worked for a Dutch oil company, which provided housing that segregated Holland-born employees from natives of the islands. At about age 16, after Kennard and her mother had moved to the Netherlands, a tumor led to the amputation of one of Kennard’s legs at the knee.

“You don’t choose to become disabled,” Kennard said Tuesday.

Same-sex couples have made the same argument about sexual orientation for years.

Kennard declined to talk about how the court’s majority came together in last month’s ruling, or about her colleagues’ dissents. She said no rifts have formed on the court because of the outcome.

Though some have trouble accepting the ruling, Kennard believes future generations will look back on it favorably.

“With time, people will say, ‘What’s the big deal?’” she said. “It’s the same thing today with interracial marriages.”

Kennard recalled looking out her chambers’ window four years ago and watching thousands of same-sex couples lined up — many in the rain — to get married. She said she could sense the joy of the moment and then months later “the sadness of that being destroyed” when the court nullified the licenses over hers and Werdegar’s dissents.

Kennard wouldn’t discuss a constitutional amendment initiative aimed at limiting marriage to a man and a woman for fear of giving the appearance of pre-judging any appeal that might come the court’s way. She also said she won’t conduct any same-sex marriages — as Justice Moreno plans to do — until after the November vote.

“If [the measure] doesn’t pass, there would seem to be no problem [marrying couples],” she said, “and I would treat a [same-sex] marriage request just like any other marriage request.”

California, Civil Rts/Liberties, Social Justice, The Editors | No Comments »

Kudos to Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) for speaking out for tolerance. At a rally last week, the Obama campaign banned two Muslim American women from sitting onstage behind Obama. The reason? They were wearing headscarves as an expression of their faith.

Rep. Ellison, the first Muslim American to serve in Congress, immediately confronted Sen. Obama over the incident. The result: Obama personally called the two women to apologize.

I can certainly understand if Obama needs to loudly debunk false rumors that he is Muslim (Helen Tran of our Blogteam disagrees). However, refusing to be seen with Muslim Americans — because it would somehow undercut a “very tightly wrapped message” — is simply unacceptable.

– Gautam Dutta

Civil Rts/Liberties, Gautam Dutta, President 2008, Religion | 6 Comments »

AAA-Fund Honorary Board Chair Rep. Mike Honda (CA-15) delighted friends and staff Tuesday night with sushi, sake, and Mexican love songs. A party of karaoke and down-to-earth-goodness, Mike’s 67th birthday was covered by Politico.

Please join the AAA-Fund Blogteam in wishing Mike a wonderful birthday.

The Editors | No Comments »

As a Los Angeles resident attending school in Boston, I have grown accustomed to the “what the heck are you doing across the country” look.  After the look comes a series of question I’m always prepared to answer. Do you see celebrities every day? Are there palm trees on every street? Does the sun ever go down?

Yet, there is one question that I have been asked on countless occasions that always gets me thinking. Have you ever witnessed a drive by shooting?

Los Angeles been notoriously plagued with a high crime rate for years.  At certain points in history, LA has topped the list of the most dangerous cities to live in. A city with such character and charm should not be overshadowed by danger. A number of gangs are the culprits of this danger. Of the many, a gang called the Avenues has been noticeably contributing to LA crime since 1995. The group is predominantly Latino and is known for committing hate crimes against African Americans. However, this issue, contrary to many beliefs, is not being overlooked.  Recently, LAPD has significantly cracked down on gang activity.

Yesterday, June 25th, more than 500 agents, including LAPD agents and SWAT teams, invaded Glassell Park to arrest members of this gang. This invasion was the result of a ten month investigation to knock down the Avenues gang.  The agents succeeded in arresting twenty eight leading members. To say Los Angeles is not acting upon the prominent gang activity is clearly false. The LAPD should be praised for this recent crackdown on security. This past invasion is said to be the “largest gang take down in recent LA history.”

Gangs will never seize to exist. However, with significant effort, as LAPD has exhibited, gang activity can and will be reduced. It is efforts like these that will contribute to the safety of Los Angeles. Looks like it’s a new beginning for the City of Angels.

Read more about the Avenues and other  Los Angeles area gangs.

– Priya Kumar

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Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal just signed a law that will force convicted rapists and other sex offenders to be chemically castrated:

Originally, the legislation was written broadly, extending to crimes like simple kidnapping and molestation of a juvenile.

Guess our would-be VP wants to prove he’s a “compassionate conservative”.

– Gautam Dutta

Civil Rts/Liberties, Gautam Dutta, President 2008 | No Comments »

Blogger Rose Chu is the AAA-Fund Virginia Affiliate President.

Virginia has not voted for a Democratic Presidential candidate since LBJ in 1964 but we will vote for Barack Obama on November 4, 2008. Senator Obama started his general election campaign in Bristol, Virginia and at the Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Prince William County in Northern Virginia on June 12^th. Northern Virginia has grown 15% between 2000 and 2006 and now has one third of Virginia’s population.

While Alexandria and Arlington, the two close-in suburbs have voted heavily for Democrats since 2000 and earlier, statewide Democratic candidates only started winning in Fairfax County in 2004 and only started winning (and barely) in Loudoun and Prince William counties in 2005. Attracted by the high-tech and defense industries, Federal government and excellent schools, new Virginia residents tend to be well-educated and move from more Democratic areas.

The percentage of Hispanic and Asian Americans has increased in the Fairfax County and even more in Loudoun and Prince William counties. We need to register more African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans since they tend to vote Democratic.

The Obama campaign, Coordinated campaign (Presidential, Senate and Congressional campaigns in Virginia), Mark Warner for Senate and the Congressional campaigns (we have a Democratic candidate in each of the 11 districts for the first time) will all work to register voters and get out the vote. Two Virginians are being considered for Vice President, Senator Jim Webb who helped turn the US Senate blue and Governor Tim Kaine.

We expect Obama campaign staff and volunteers from Maryland, DC and elsewhere to campaign in Virginia. We already have at least one Asian American staffer from the Obama campaign. We have Democratic banners in Korean and Vietnamese for the Fairfax City Fourth of July parade.

We have a Democratic booth at the Asian Festival in Reston on August 9-10. We’ll be outreaching to the Asian American voters. If you would like to help in Northern Virginia, contact Rose Chu (rccmason@gmail.com). It’s going to be exciting!

– Rose Chu

AAA Fund, President 2008, Rose Chu | No Comments »

To George W. Bush, Filipino Americans are destined to cook him dinner:

First I want to tell you how proud I am to be the president of a nation that — in which there’s a lot of Philippine-Americans. They love America and they love their heritage. And I reminded the president that I am reminded of, you know, the great talent of the — of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House.

What a guy.

– Lee Fang

Lee Fang, Social Justice | No Comments »

Charmaine Manansala, a former Pelosi advisor and White House AAPI Initiative staffer, is going to be joining the Obama campaign as AAPI Vote Director. AAA Fund Advisory Board Member Betsy Kim will also be departing the DNC to serve as Deputy Director of AAPI Outreach.

They will be working to outreach to Asian Pacific American Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.

Congrats to both women and we look forward to continuing to work with you in the days ahead!

– Caroline

P.S. Here’s Charmaine’s message below:

Hafa Adai.

I wanted to let you know that I have been brought on board to serve as AAPI Vote Director for the Obama Campaign. The national AAPI voter outreach program is a priority for Obama for America.

I look forward to working with you in the upcoming months as we engage the Asian American and Pacific Islander community nation-wide, as well as in key battleground states. As you all know, Democrats turned out in record numbers during the primaries and caucuses to show their support for all the amazing candidates. We hope to carry that excitement forward into the fall, united for the purpose of turning the White House (along with as many states, Congressional Districts, and state legislatures as possible) BLUE, and, of course, electing Senator Obama as the next President of the United States!

The Obama campaign acknowledges the extraordinary contributions of the nearly 13 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have helped build a strong and vibrant America. As you know, the AAPI community has been no stranger to Senator Barack Obama. It is a community that he became a part of while growing up in Hawaii and Indonesia and living in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. We realize that despite the growh of our community, there are challenges we still face. For increasing numbers of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the American dream is in danger of slipping away.

As President, Senator Obama will work with the AAPI community to ensure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable and portable health insurance that will also reduce the linguistic and cultural barriers that limit access to our medical system. We will make sure the global economy works for AAPIs by fixing our public education system, making college affordable through an annual $4,000 tax credit, and equipping our workers with the skills and training they need to compete. We will invest in renewable energy, which will ease our rising fuel costs while also saving our planet. We will do more to support small businesses, including strengthening programs that provide capital to minority-owned businesses. We will develop comprehensive immigration reforms that strengthen our security while affirming our heritage as a nation of immigrants. We will restore our Constitution and the rule of law, including our commitment to human rights abroad and civil liberties at home. We will forge a more effective regional framework for collective security in Asia and the Pacific to promote political and economic stability, confront transnational threats like terrorism and influenza, and collectively address environmental concerns. Finally, we will restore the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to work towards its original goal of meeting the underserved needs of AAPIs.

But, we must all work together to create this change.

I am grateful for your support of the AAPI community and the Democratic Party. I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the incredible efforts of the Obama Campaign’s Asian American and Pacific Islander National Leadership Council, Asian Americans for Obama, South Asians for Obama, Asian Pacific Americans for Progress and other similar groups and community organizations who have done an amazing job in engaging thousands of AAPIs across the country in the election process. We are counting on that support to move us forward into the general election.

I would like to welcome the throngs of AAPIs who supported Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator John Edwards, and the other champions of the Democratic Party. I am looking to you for your leadership and input in this campaign. Our goals for our families and the AAPI community are the same. With your help, input, and engagement, we can get there.

I’d like to extend a personal thank you to Congressman Mike Honda for leading our community within the party and the campaign.

I am pleased to announce that Betsy Kim will serve as my Deputy Director. As you may know, there are also many talented AAPIs already in the campaign including Van, Madhuri, Eugene, Miti, Anna, Mario, Hari, Rohan and many, many others who will continue to work on AAPI outreach.

We are excited for this opportunity to serve on an historic campaign. Again, a big thank you to all for your leadership and involvement. I will be in Chicago starting July 7th.

YES WE CAN!

Maraming salamat po,
Charmaine Manansala

Caroline, President 2008 | 1 Comment »

Remember the Greek epic the Odyssey, featuring the wily Odysseus (you know, the master tactician who came up with the original Trojan horse)? While it’s unclear how much of the epic actually happened, some ingenious astronomers have made a stellar discovery. Namely, the epic’s grisly conclusion — when the hero slaughters the men who sought to marry his wife Penelope – would have taken place in 1178 BC.

How’d they figure this out? Let’s turn to the LA Times:

[The astronomers] found three definitive events:

The day of the slaughter was a new moon — a prerequisite for a solar eclipse.

Six days before the slaughter, Venus was visible and high in the sky.

Twenty-nine days before, the constellations Pleiades and Boötes were simultaneously visible at sunset.

They also identified a potential fourth event 33 days before the slaughter. Homer wrote that Hermes, known to the Romans as Mercury, traveled far west to deliver a message and flew all the way back east again. Magnasco and Baikouzis interpreted this to mean that Mercury was high at dawn and near the western edge of its trajectory.

Each of these astronomical events recurs at a different interval, so the precise sequence identified in their reading should be unique.

Using computer analysis, they searched for the sequence between 1250 and 1115 BC, roughly 75 years on either side of the putative date for the fall of Troy.

They found only one sequence, and it coincided with the eclipse of April 16, 1178 BC.

Whether the events of “The Odyssey” occurred or not, the authors are interested, at least, in reopening the debate.

Call it science fiction.

– Gautam Dutta

Foreign Affairs, Gautam Dutta | No Comments »