GREENSTONE PATENT FOR SALE ON EBAY FOR $7 MILLION

When POG VC listed the Greenstone Patent for sale on eBay, she could not have envisioned that one David Watson, Chairman of the International Hemp Association (IHA), "Dedicated to the advancement of Cannabis through the dissemination of information," based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and author of the tome Hemp Diseases and Pests: Management and Biological Control: An Advanced Treatise as well as the Journal of Industrial Hemp, would embark on an email campaign (border-line ballistic) to match no other in POG VC's experience.

First, let's get the emails out of the way:

Question from DAVID WATSON, June 18th:

My main question is easy if you haven't done this yet how can you get a patent on an unproven process? I am assuming that you have not done all in the patent as I haven't seen or heard of any trans-genic plants or bacteria that produce THC or THCA or any other Cannabinoids and I keep up with the current research and work in the field. I heard maybe 6 years ago about the tobacco roots that produced THC synthase and am good friends with Dr. Yukihiro Shoyama who's work it was, I even attended the conference where the work was first presented. Also in the USA a DEA license for THC etc will be required to do the work, good luck getting one. By the way, THC is just part of the picture, it is the terpenoids modifying the THC that does most of the work, creating Cannabis that is up or down, speedy or slow, clear or cloudy, couchlock or stimulating. You would not like 100% pure THC, boring...

Answer from TEAM GREENSTONE:

Well that's a great setup of a question - drawing a scholar like yourself from the woodwork makes a listing on eBay.com well worth the effort.

Re: Why can you patent an untested process? This is an established method designed to protect small inventors who understand a process, however lack start-up costs available to larger more powerful companies. It is an equalizer that levels a playing field so that large companies do not monopolize all intellectual property. What a patent does is explore the technology (gratsi Dr. Shoyama et al for all your hard work...) and given a set of legal vocabulary lock in a set of possible processes. Re: you would not like 100% THC. It's not about human consumption. The focus of this patent is on the anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-larval activities of THC. The language in the patent is clear. You are strongly encouraged to read the patent in full and understand more completely the process, and again, thank you for your inquiry; you are also strongly encouraged to be the top bidder! Good Luck!

Question from DAVID WATSON, June 19th:

You are correct that I only scanned the patent quickly but I thought I read that the produced THC could be smoked? I assume that is by humans? As for the patent, I have non Cannabis plants that produce THC already, for several years. I have not published the work for reasons that will become clear in the future. But I can say that it will soon be impossible for police to find all the "Cannabis" as several species of plants can be made to make THC. How can you get a patent on a process that has been published? (inserting the THC synthase into tobacco roots?) I thought the work had to be new? Anyway I was wondering if you have done any work in this field or if the patent is just an intellectual exercise?

Answer from TEAM GREENSTONE:

Patent law is a rather complex infrastructure, and it took me a few years to really get a handle on it. As this is my first patent I have had it reviewed by the patent attorneys of Johnson & Johnson (Enzymatic-THC.com) and they'll tell you too - this is a rock solid patent. Kudos on your science - am very much looking forward to learning the fruits of your labors - Good luck & happy bidding!

Question (unbelievably) from DAVID WATSON, June 20th:

How can you get a patent on a process that has been published? (inserting the THC synthase into tobacco roots?) I thought the work had to be new? Have you done GM plant or bacteria lab work? I have my own in-vitro lab. I have several pharmaceutical patents, they are worthless without the funds to defend them, and even more important patents are often issued by the patent office because they don't have a full understanding of the issues and when challenged in court the patent is found to be no good. For numerous reasons, prior art often being the reason. I have many doubts about your provisional patent, time will tell. I guarantee you can find a patent firm that will try and patent anything, will it stand up to a court challenge? That is the question. As for smoking the THC as I asked about, I refer to your statement in the patent. "One might as a means of last resort set fire to the growth medium to convert THCA to THC--which upon inhaling provides neuroprotection (Hampson 1998) (Van der Stelt 2001) (Mechoulam 2001) (USPTO U.S. Pat. No. 6,630,507)." (POG VC calls this 'grasping at straws.')

This is clearly human consumption, or am I wrong? Another question I have is what is the reason you did this? Is it for personal profit or something else? I can suggest to you that no one will buy a THC patent on eBay for $7,000,000.00 but what do I know?

I saw you listed several references from my Journal, the Journal of the International Hemp Association. I started the organization in 1991 and as Chairman oversaw the publication of 26 issues, V0l. 1 issues 1&2 - Vol. 13 isuues 1&2, we have just run out of funding and are considering what to do about the future of the JIH. Our last issue was Dec 2008. Have you seen the issues that are not online, issues 7.1 - 13.2? 14 newer issues that are not online have a lot of info you may have found interesting. We were the only science based Cannabis journal when we started 15 years ago, I am sure we made the world a better place with our motivation being simple: "Dedicated to the advancement of Cannabis, through the dissemination of information". If you sell your patent for $7,000,000.00 please consider donating some of the money to the IHA, then we can publish for a few more years at least. (UNBELIEVABLE!)

Answer from POG VC:

DUDE, you're smokin' way too much...it's clouding your judgment and you're way too up tight; EATING Ma Ren Wan ain't gonna do it! THINK intellectual property. THINK Johnson & Johnson (in-house) patent attorneys. THINK mean, green, killing machine (you know, pestilence ridder). THINK having fun and pursuing happiness. THINK makin' bling (we'll be selling it soon on eBay) and meetin' GREEN BLINGERS! Welcome to AMERICA where POG's hack into the USPTO the old-fashioned way, they patent their ideas. And finally, don't bite the hand that you're asking for cash!

P.S. One thing for sure, 100% THC does sound boring.

ELLEN VIRGINIA NASH

Ellen Virginia Nash (‘ENIE’) comes to mind every time I go to The New Basics Cookbook by Rosso & Lukins, the authors of the Silver Palate cookbooks. Seldom is cooking a ham (weight, time, temperature) on a need to know basis. This ham, however, is meant for ham biscuits at today’s celebration of Frances Brand’s ‘First’s’ series. If ever there was a ‘First’ it was Ellen Virginia Nash who was one of the first women to graduate from the University of Virginia Law School.* ENIE presented me with the cookbook one evening in her cottage at Kenwood after my having brought her favorite supper, steak and salad. Pearson, ENIE's long-time friend who worked for her at Kenwood and later cared for her through a crippling disease, set the tables with fine silver and plates. We supped that last meal together soon before ENIE passed in 1993. Oddly, the cooking of this ham is poignant for many reasons.

Kenwood was designed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s architect cousin, William A. Delano, and it lies just beyond Monticello across the road. The cottage is close to the main house and was designed especially for President Roosevelt's use (called the ‘Little White House’ by Life Magazine); that is the cottage where ENIE lived. The estate was built for and owned by Frances Nash Watson, a world-renowned pianist and ENIE's aunt. Kenwood is now headquarters of the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson studies, bequeathed to the University upon ENIE's death, which has a long-term lease with the Thomas Jefferson Foundation.

Another fond memory is the piano concert given in memoriam to Frances, hosted by ENIE, who was in a wheel chair at that point. It was the first and only time I had been in the main house. The sounds of the music, in concert with the setting sun and incredible vista through the large windows looking toward Monticello were unforgettable.

*05/16 Unbelievably, I woke up this morning and wondered if BRANDY has painted ENIE ... AND THE ANSWER IS YES ... the baking of the ham has come full circle!

FRANCES CHRISTIAN BRAND HONORED

Please join us in celebrating the life and paintings of FRANCES CHRISTIAN BRAND at the Carver Recreation Center on 4th Street - City, Saturday, May 16th from 4 to 6 pm. The BRAND Family has donated BRANDY'S "First's" series to the Charlottesville Albemarle Historical Society. Restoration of the portrait of Charles Barbour is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Library and Museum Services.

This painting by FRANCES CHRISTIAN BRAND is a portrait of Dr. Nathan Johnson, first African American faculty member, University of Virginia School of Education. Many of BRANDY'S works are unidentified and it is hoped that people will come forward with any information regarding her unknown works which are at the Charlottesville Albemarle Historical Society.

Please go to the on-line invitation and hit the 'R.S.V.P.' graphic to confirm.

L'HÔTEL MONTICELLO STILL STANDING

Construction of L'HÔTEL Monticello (L'HÔTEL) at 500 Court Square started in 1924 and opened in 1926. The building was designed by architect Stanhope Johnson of Johnson and Brannan. It was a full-scale five-star hotel hosting many famous guests including Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, band leaders Tommy Dorsey and Guy Lombardo, writer Gertrude Stein, and movie stars Robert Taylor, Sterling Hayden, and Joan Blondell. The dining room of the Monticello Hotel was locally renowned until it closed in 1989 and was converted into office space now housing the law firm of Michie Hamlett Lowry Rasmussen & Tweel. Today L'HÔTEL houses luxury condominium apartments (well, sort of luxury) and POG VC, who has resided there for twenty years, can guarantee L'HÔTEL will not go the way of the Landmark 'Luxury' Hotel or the Greenbrier Resort. Why? Because we the people own and operate it, with a frugal Board that sees to it that we stay IN THE BLACK.

On August 2, 1927 a few minutes after 8 p.m. the 'largest searchlight in the world' lit up the sky from on L'HÔTEL's roof, which was claimed to be visible three hundred miles away. The light scanned the heavens over Charlottesville, and was often pointed at distant Monticello at night. A very good article was reprinted in Lighthouse Digest (taken from an old Daily Progress article) in September, 2005.

Built by Sperry for army use in spotting airplanes at night, the searchlight was given to Charlottesville as a gift by the Virginia Public Service Company (now Dominion Power). It was named The Thomas Jefferson Light (what else?) and would be operated by linemen from the power company.

Directly across the street is the historic Albemarle County Courthouse. Construction of the first building was from 1763 and 1781. Additions were made 1803 and 1860, and the building was remodeled and restored in 1938.

The Thomas Jonathan 'Stonewall' Jackson Monument to the west of the courthouse building in Jackson Park was unveiled in 1921. Jackson detested riding and the pony is a bit diminutive. He liked it that way; small and steady (gait). The gardens on the 17,500 square foot are exquisite, planted to rotate with the seasons.

Living in the Historic District has been a wonderful pleasure for the past two decades. Y'ALL COME and see L'HÔTEL, a relative success story in Charlottesville! No Crack Heads, no Meth Heads and no Old White Clubs. Just a beautiful building with stories that would defy the Fawlty Towers scriptwriters. "88" Keys Wilson who worked at L'HÔTEL for five decades, the elderly lady who rode up and down the elevator for hours sitting on a Chippendale bench dead, and a cast of characters one could not make up. One sad note: this Spring we lost our building manager Bill Muller. More than just a manager, Bill was a person who we all miss very much. L'HÔTEL doesn't seem the same without him.

GREENBRIER-PATCH BANKRUPTS

Another luxury hotel goes bankrupt. The (i) Green- brier Hotel Corp., the (ii) Green- brier Resort and Club Management Co., the (iii) Greenbrier IA, Inc., the (iv) Old White Development Co., the (v) Old White Club Corp., and the (vi) Greenbrier Golf and Tennis Corp., debtors, (GREENBRIER- PATCH) have filed for Chapter 11 in The United States Bankruptcy Court for The Eastern District of Virginia Richmond Division. B'rer Rabbit says, "Yep, they-all gonna beat C'ville's Crack House down. We-all got a betta, bigga Meth House with a few stills thrown in the back forty for good luck here in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, now that 'ole GREENBRIER- PATCH is IN THE BRIAR PATCH!"

'America's Most Fabulous Decorator' Dorothy Draper who decorated the GREENBRIER- PATCH, a landmark (another landmark!) hotel since the 1770's, may be IN THE PINK but 'ole GREENBRIER-PATCH is IN THE RED! An auction will be conducted on June 12, 2009, at 10:00 Eastern Time at the offices of McGuire Woods LLP in Richmond, Virginia. GREENBRIER- PATCH owes $100,000,000 - $500,000,000$ and of course debtors are blaming the poor economic environment. Just the Old White Club whining. Donald Trump was looking at it but let's face it, is Ivanka who works for her dad going to be spending any time in West Virginia? Paris, Manhattan, South Beach, London and White Sulphur Springs? I think not.

B'rer Rabbit says, "That little hottie Ivanka ain't gonna be comin' to the GREENBRIER- PATCH, 'specially now that the Union is takin' a pay cut to save it. Ain't gonna be the same bowin' and scrapin' to the rich folks. Course a little white lightnin' might do her good. Mebbe she could host that 'Prentice show here. We-all would have to make sure she stays out of THE BRIAR PATCH." Everyone in Greenbrier County watches the show, mainly to see Ivanka. Bottom line is Old White Club, you're FIRED!

C'VILLE CRACK HOUSE

C'Ville is now the home of the largest CRACK HOUSE in the country, i.e., the world. The skeletal remains of the Landmark (landmark is correct!) Hotel are now being shrouded in plywood. The final nails are in the coffin of the planned luxury hotel, set to open on July 4th of this year. City planner Jim Tolbert says the site is presently being secured by Clancy & Theys workers before it is abandoned. CRACK HOUSE is goin' be ready for big Indy Pendence Day doin's, but not by the crackheads, as one would think, but by the usually non-violent residents of C'Ville.

During the 1980's the strongest economy in many dwindling inner cities was the drug trade. In POG VC's home state of New York, a devastating result of property abandonment in areas such as Brooklyn, South Bronx, South Jamaica and Queens was the destruction by fires, leaving entire city blocks literally burned out. Abandoned buildings laid waste by neglect and/or arson naturally became, yeah, CRACK HOUSE's. Enraged citizens often finished the job, burning down these abandoned building in the hope of killing off the crackheads as the drug trade brought violent crimes to their already hopeless situations. Some good C'Ville citizens could set off their own FIREWORKS and could rightly claim we are asking for it. Charlottesville CRACK HOUSE Download.

Charlottesville's CRACK HOUSE exacerbates the empty space currently on the Downtown Mall. The first sight POG VC encounters when walking from her front door down the adjoining 5th Street to the mall is EMPTY Order From Horder, EMPTY Army and Navy Store, and EMPTY Sage Moon Gallery to name a few. Of course, the bricks look great and the Paramount is beautiful . . . quite an up-scale 'hood for the crackheads. Ought to make their lives fairly pleasant. Maybe take in a show and have a nice meal at one of the local feeding posts, and watch the FIREWORKS at Midnight. Crackheads should have a great view from the 'penthouse' floor. Crackheads know this is America because they can see Monticello from their CRACK HOUSE. And Mr. Jefferson is rolling over in his grave.

SEARCHING FOR FLAVOR FLAV!

Flavor Flav (FLAVORY) of Public Enemy, notorious fashion autoclav and hip-hop trailblazer, wearing his signature clock-reminder of time, do we have some bling for you. GREENSTONEY bling! Come to Charlottesville and bring Public Enemy with you. This town could use some tearing up and you could use some tearing it down with our bling, clean mean GREENSTONEY bling. It has already been OUTLAWED (!yeah!) on some C’Ville property.

FLAVORY, meet Sir Mike Knight wearing his GREENSTONEY bling. (!Yeah!) As evidenced here, Sir Mike is all clean, green and mean...and just like you FLAVORY, women LOVEY* him! After publishing his picture on our GREENSTONEY bling page, we received email inquiry. To answer any questions, Sir Mike is a clean, green construction machine. He means it! FLAVORY, we implore you! Get down to Charlottesville, meet a knight, get GREENSTONEY bling, and clean some clocks!

FLAVORY celebrated his fiftieth birthday at BB King's in Times Square, New York. Won't be anything like that FLAVY here in C'Ville. POG's Parker and VC walked out of the BB King concert at the Charlottesville Pavillion because there wasn't anything happening. We knew it was a loser when local FAVEYEli Cook couldn't get the crowd going with his opening act. Of course, the Pavillion SS were on the job: can't stand, can't get out of one's seat, and nobody parties. BB left no incentive with an opening monologue that put the audience to sleep (an easy accomplishment in C'Ville) so we booked.

FLAVORY beating it down on his fiftieth birthday at BB King’s in Times Square NY.

P.S. FLAVORY, we've taken the hands off our clock to give you plenty of precious time to land in Charlottesville. Image from visualKultur.cat, currently exhibiting at the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida through June 14th.

*P.P.S. Had to show FLAVORY with tennis champion Venus Williams.

LAW OF GRAVITY (LOUNGE)

Sir Isaac Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation: Each particle of matter attracts every other particle with a force which is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them or, WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN. Our own C'Ville Gravity Lounge came crashing down with a huge thud this month, weighted by a ton of $DEBT$ that was the apple that broke Bill Baldwin's head wide open and created another empty space on the Downtown Mall.

According to landlord Ludwig Kuttner rent has not been paid for more than two years on the club and he is owed over a GREEN $200,000$. Of course Mr. Kuttner has personally felt 'WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN.' In October of 2006 Ludwig Kuttner was fired from his position(s) of Chairman, President and Executive Officer of of Hampshire Group, Limited (NASDAQ-HAMP), which he founded, the largest American men's sweater company featuring American brand names as Geoffrey Beene, Dockers, Levi's, Wrangler and Spring+Mercer. OUCH! Shown here with his wife Beatrix Ost-Kuttner; it appears there may have to be a bit of down-sizing at the Ost-Kuttner house, Estouteville* in Albemarle County, Virginia.

POG VC has read the blogs, read the newspapers and listened to the radio broadcasts regarding the Gravity Lounge's demise. There's lots of talk from being a wonderful venue we're losing to Bill Baldwin being 'set up.' HUH? Who couldn't create a wonderful whatever without the burden of paying rent? POG VC rented studio space in Charlottesville for twelve years, paying consistently on time. One (slum) landlord, Mrs. Anne E. Albright, kicked POG VC out of her Elliewood studio after three years of paying rent on time, cleaning (including paying to have the carpet professionally cleaned) and painting, taking her security deposit for nail holes! POG's crime: having the nerve to complain that the building sup was constantly entering the property with explicit instructions not to and stealing. Yep, last thing he admittedly took was a brand new air conditioner. HUH? POG VC shoutout: "Hey, I've got a great idea for a music club . . . Coran or Ludwig or anyone who wants to foot the bill for two years while I create come on down." Couple of $HUNDRED THOUSAND$ capital, yeah!

Studio Valentine, 7 Elliewood Avenue, Charlottesville, Virginia.

*Estouteville is an historic Coles (POG VC's in-laws) family estate. The structure was started in 1827, the year after Jefferson's death, by John Coles III whose family was well known to Jefferson. Coles named the estate after his wife’s ancestor, Robert d’Estouteville, a Norman baron who accompanied William the Conquerer to England. It is an architectural wonder. Rumor has it that the classically detailed doric entabulature with ox-skull metopes in the spacious center hall was painted black by Mrs. Ost-Kuttner. Black ox-skulls, blue hair; the stuff of landlord legend . . . POG VC loves this crazy town!!!

CHARLOTTESVILLE EARTH WEEK ECO-FAIR

Saturday, April 18th is the day Charlottesville holds an Earth Week Eco-Fair at the Charlottesville Pavillion, west end of the Downtown Mall from 10 am to 5 pm. YA'LL COME!

PARADISE RANCH

This morning FOX News’ Megyn Kelly and Bill Hemmer hosted a couple of duffers from the old days at Paradise Ranch (Area 51) known as ‘Roadrunners’ (videmus omnis “We see all.”) who were speaking for the first time of their experiences there. Known as ‘The Grandfather of Stealth’ Ninety-year-old Edward Lovick, (shown here holding a model of the SR-71 Blackbird next to his, what else, Mustang) spoke about the A-12 ‘Oxcart’ aircraft in the context of being mistaken for UFOs. Known as C.I.A. Article #128 (Serial #60-06931), the Oxcart never achieved the operational experiences of the rest of the A-12 Articles, although it was the first operationally outfitted A-12 to reach Mach 3, that is 2,200 m.p.h. at 90,000 feet altitude. Thorton "T.D." Barnes, former CIA electronics expert, said "For many years, we couldn't talk about anything we did. They've taken the lid off it where we can, so while we still can mentally and physically, we're going to get some of the stories out." Stories, indeed.


Lovick was the first radar reduction physicist to work (1957-1990) at the then Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in the SKUNK WORKS facility in of all places Burbank, California, on developing an invisible aircraft, that is, invisible to radar. The A-12 ‘Oxcart’ known as C.I.A. Article #128 (Serial #60-06931) never achieved the operational experiences of the rest of the A-12 Articles. It was the first operationally outfitted A-12 to reach MACH 3. It isn’t for nothing he’s called ‘Radar Man’ which is the title of a book he is co-authoring with Annie Jacobsen. Radar Man claims UFO sightings by commercial and military pilots were attributable to Oxcart's (flying 2,850 missions) highly reflective titanium shell, high altitude and velocity. (Click-on) photo above is of 1997-1998 Aeronautical Chart of New Mexico, published by the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department, Aviation Division, bearing a flying saucer glyph above the Corn Ranch north of Roswell and identified as "UFO Crash Site" on the legend at the bottom of the map.

Article 128 being proudly displayed at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

Members of the International Roadrunners all worked at Groom Lake, better known today as Area 51, where House 6, the Groom Lake barracks that became the bar and poker room at the base was located. Sometimes the men would be gone for weeks at a time prompting jokes about second families. Both Lovick and Barnes were very clear in the FOX news interview that members of their families knew absolutely nothing regarding their respective activities in the military. One may ask "How can this be?" H-m-m-m...Stepford wives syndrome, wouldn't you say?

The roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) is New Mexico's state bird, sometimes called a chaparrel cock or bird. Officially adopted March 16, 1949, in Spanish, it is called "El Correcaminos.” The comical roadrunner prefers running to flying and has been clocked at speeds of fifteen miles per hour. They are approximately twenty-two inches in length and their diet consists of insects, lizards, centipedes, mice and snakes. The roadrunner is quick enough to catch and eat rattlesnakes!

P.S. We love you duffers!

GOOD FIRST DOGGIE BO!

Our First Doggie Bo is creating a world-wide frenzy. He happens to be a Portuguese water dog (Portie) who are known to be independent, intelligent, and loving. They enjoy being petted and are friendly to strangers (Secret Service nightmare). Porties are easily trained in obedience and agility skills: "When the president of the United States got up and walked across the room," says Washington Post reporter Manuel Roig Franzia, "the dog, clearly having a very good understanding of who rules in this town, got up and followed the president!" GOOD DOGGIE BO! There are some who could take a lesson in obedience from Bo.

Bo is a gift from Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who owns three Portuguese water dogs; Splash, Sunny and Cappy. Splash is the fictional narrator in Kennedy's childrens' book My Senator and Me: A Dog's-Eye View of Washington, D.C. It follows Portie Splash as he tries to help his master, the senator, go about his daily life and pass an education bill. It also explains how a bill becomes a law, the roles of Congress and the Senate and other details of the U.S. system of government, plus biographies of Splash and Kennedy. When the puppy's original family couldn't take care of him Senator Kennedy found a new home for the pup with the Obamas. WAY TO GO, BO! The gift is naturally causing controversy in political circles especially within the 'talking head' class. Up for scrutiny is everything from The Washington Post's pooper scoop to the origin of first daughters Malia and Sasha's choice of the name 'Bo' for the little black and white pup.

Karl Rove, often referred to as a pitbull, will be twitterin' and tweetin' about how the White House is manipulating the flow of information to the press. Grumpy Newt Gingrich thinks the dog-press frenzy is 'stupid' and 'who cares?' Newt, we all care! We all need the little bit of sunshine a new puppy can bring to the nation. Top Republican dog Rush Limbaugh reportedly said on his radio show, "Portuguese. The dog is Portuguese. For all we know he's an illegal alien, and, you got it folks, a Muslim. I demand to see his papers." Bo is an all-American, wrapped in the flag patriot!

DOWNTOWN MALL WALL-GREEN

The drawing on the First Amendment Community Chalk Board by Pete O’Shea represents the 'Muzzle' awards presented today by the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression. (Muzzles: A dirty dozen by The Daily Progress staff, Published April 7, 2009.) The free expression monument designed by architects Peter O’Shea and Robert Winstead is winning awards as well. It has been nominated and is in the final-five running for the 2009 Rudy Bruner Award, which recognizes excellent urban places around the country. Among the other nominees is Millennium Park in Chicago.

A Democratic Republican joint Muzzle award was given citing their complete indifference and their lack of speaking out regarding protests and protesters at both 2008 conventions. 'Free speech zones' were created in fenced compounds far from the convention delegates upon whom the protests were to affect. 800 arrests (including journalists with permits there merely to cover the protests) with very few prosecutions indicate an over-zealous reaction by the state.


The Charlottesville downtown mall wall is located directly in front of Charlottesville’s City Hall, next to the city’s amphitheater. The monument consists primarily of a two-sided wall of Buckingham slate, approximately 54 feet long (108’ of writing space) by 7.5 feet high. In addition, the monument’s design includes a podium intended to serve as a contemporary soapbox from which individuals may address public gatherings. It received the 2008 Tucker Architectural Award for best use of natural stone. Now that's Greenstone!

In a feature that sponsors believe is unique, visitors to the site will be able to erase or alter others’ messages. Some like Kevin Cox believe the feature is a weakness in the design of both the slate and the online chalkboards. “It’s not sending an accurate message about what free speech is,” said Cox; “Free speech isn’t about silencing someone who you don’t like what they said...Americans look at free expression as something that embodies tolerance.”

3D GREEN-EYED MONSTER

An Ergotic Orbit by Piers Johnson

A perfect method of understanding and intrepreting is seeing mathematically’an objective way of looking at stuff and it’s all beautiful. Just as an isosceles triangle has two equal sides and two equal angles the tiff among Pundit Ann Coulter (AC/DC), Maverick Meghan McCain (MMM) Laura Ingraham (LILI) is certainly not a regular polygon. The ladies are similar in many ways; blond hair, Republican, each passionate in what she believes, their zones ergodic not erotic, and scrappers all. The differences are pronounced; MMM in her early 20s born to the military manor, while AC/DC and LILI both in their 40s have come up hard in the academic/political world.

AC/DC helped found The Cornell Review as an undergrad, graduated cum laude from Cornell, was an editor of the Michigan Law Review and attained membership in the Order of the Coif at Michigan. After that AC/DC went to work.

LILI was the editor-in-chief of the Dartmouth Review, earned a law degree and her Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia. LILI also served briefly as editor of the Prospect a magazine out of Princeton’s alumni. After that LILI went to work.

MMM received her Bachelor Degree from Columbia University and subsequently went on the campaign with her dad, Senator John McCain. MMM then set up her blog 'McCain Blogette,' saying "We were basically loosely inspired by Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail." Huh? Hunter Thompson? Gonzo journalism? What? MMM is presently a contributor to Tina Brown's 'The Daily Beast' blog.

Who knows the details of the antagonism? It all came to a head when MMM sounded off on the View television show with a Tyra Banks scr-e-e-e-e-e-d "You can kiss my fat a**!" in answer to critics (AC/DC & MMM) of her weight. Lots of accusations, retorts and reports but bottom line it is the dynamic that is important, not the details of who said what. One thing for sure, Tyra has real green eyes and no envy about her.

Looks like a Sierpinski Tetrahedron to POG VC, a 3-dimensional model of a fractal tetrahedron illustrating scaling at different levels. Beautiful, fractal (displaying self-similarity), fractured. No competition, no jealousy, no jive.