-Matthew's Newspaper-

Tuesday, January 10, 2007
”News and views that you can use”
Serving the Santa Clara County since 2002


Structure Fire at 1201 Sycamore Terrace #196

On December 19, 2006, there was a structure fire at 1201 Sycamore Terrace #196. The public safety and fire units responded at 4:17AM. They found two bedrooms fully engulfed in the fire. The fire was brought under control in 27 minutes. The resident suffered minor smoke inhalation and was treated by the paramedics at the scene. He was then transported to a local hospital for further treatment. A firefighter sustained a minor injury and was treated and released at a local hospital.


Christmas Light Displays in the Spotlight

#1 Christmas displays, in order of popularity

1) Tangerine Way, Sunnyvale, CA (The whole street)
2) 1298 Lynn Way, Sunnyvale, CA
3) 1058 Robbia Dr., Sunnyvale CA

Since Global Warming, our World has been slowly Disappearing…
With cooperation from communities all over the world, we can do what has not yet been done-------stop Global Warming. As Global Warming continues, the ice caps are continuing to melt. Polar bears have been stranded on large chunks of ice. But now, as we are confronted by the polar bear situation, more species are on the verge of extinction. Now species such as butterflies, many birds, and elephants are on the path to extinction. Whether you care about these animals or not, Matthew’s Newspaper encourages YOU to help make a difference.

CONTEST RULES
Ø Make a list of AT LEAST seven ways to stop Global Warming
Ø The winner will get their name here and get to play the game of my?terie?
Ø
360 E. Evelyn Ave
Box 611
Sunnyvale, CA 94086Send your list to:




And the winner is Your name here!!!
Upcoming Events – Mark Your Calendars!

To get your event listed here, please call (408) 504-8612.
Advertising Space Available!
We charge $5.00/issue for a business card ad. If you pay $15.00 for three issues, the fourth one is free! This is a great way to reach all the subscribers to Matthew’s Newspaper, including the Sunnyvale Library, City Hall, the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce, and all my email subscribers. See the Ads Published section.
Visit My Blog!
To see more history on Matthew’s Newspaper, or to leave a comment on any of the articles you’ve seen here, visit my blog at www.matthewsnewspaper.blogspot.com.
Weather Forecast
Here is my weather forecast:
Wednesday-Friday: Mostly sunny.
Highs in the 50’s and 60’s.

Saturday-Sunday: Partly cloudy, 60% chance of rain 10% chance of lightning Highs in the upper 50’s

Puzzle Corner
For a whole website of jokes, go to www.mnjokes.blogspot.com.

Ads Published

YOUR AD HERE!!



NOTICE: We are no longer doing crossword puzzles. For unlimited crossword puzzles, go to www.mncrosswords.blogspot.com as of 9/12/06!!

Questions or Comments? Send a Letter to…

…Matthew’s Newspaper--360 E. Evelyn Ave. Box 611, Sunnyvale CA 94086

Matthew's Newspaper
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
”News and views that you can use”
Serving the Santa Clara County since 2002


Gamers Say that Nintendo Wii Overpowers Sony PlayStation 3
Since their debuts more than a week ago, two new game systems earn good grades from consumers - but the underdog Nintendo Wii is the early favorite over the pricier Sony PlayStation3.
Both sold out on Day 1: Nov. 19 for the $500-$600 PS3 and Nov. 21 for the $250 Wii. But Nintendo seems to be reaping the benefits of a better supply.
Overall, Sony is estimated to have shipped between 125,000 and 175,000 PS3s to stores, says American Technology Research analyst P.J. McNealy; the target had been about 400,000. Nintendo shipped between 425,000 and 475,000, he says.
GIFT GUIDE: Games for all ages
Nintendo's launch "has been probably a little better than expected and Sony's has been a little bit more disappointing," McNealy says. "If you have to rank on who won this holiday so far, Microsoft is first, Nintendo a close second and Sony a distant third, which is a rare statement."
Many gave up on getting a PS3 and opted for the Wii, according to New Media Strategies, a research firm that monitored Web activity related to the systems. And 38% who sought a PS3 and were subjected "to sleep deprivation, lost wages, missed classes, the elements and even muggings came away from the experience with a bitter taste in their mouths," the report says.
About 49% of online discussions were favorable to Wii, compared with 27% for PS3. Says the firm's Sam Huxley: "The hype machine went too far."
The Wii, says Bryan Clute, 26, of Silverdale, Wash., rates an A because the new remote-shaped wireless controller is "something I haven't been able to experience before. It really adds to game play" in the bowling game that is included with the system. Clute, who waited in line at a GameStop store to reserve a system, says, "It was well worth it."
David Nieves, 26, of Philadelphia gives the Wii an A-. "Nintendo has definitely gotten it right." He and friends spent most of the first day golfing, boxing, bowling and playing baseball. The games "were a blast."
Assessments were harsher for the PS3. Ray McLean, 34, of Brooklyn, N.Y., rates the PS3 an A but gives the games a B "because many of the launch titles were pushed back to later dates." He wanted to see aerial combat game Warhawk, for one, because it would take full advantage of the motion-sensitive controller. But connected to his 42-inch HDTV, "I'm surprised at how good (the games) look, given that they are first-generation games."
Brett Conlon, 26, of Fairfax, Va., gives the PS3 a B- because of the system updates needed before playing games, going online and playing multiplayer games. "I will say, however, that Resistance: Fall of Man shows a lot of potential. The Blu-ray player has amazing clarity (compared with) a regular DVD."
On its website, Entertainment Weekly gave the Wii a B+ and PS3 a B. "The Wii slightly edges out the PS3 in our head-to-head because it has a blockbuster Zelda game at launch and a very attractive price point," Geoff Keighley says. But in the long run, "the race will get even tighter."
Scientists say Pollution Actually Helps
If the sun warms the Earth too dangerously, the time may come to draw the shade. The "shade" would be a layer of pollution deliberately spewed into the atmosphere to help cool the planet. This over-the-top idea comes from prominent scientists, among them a Nobel laureate. The reaction here at the U.N. conference on climate change is a mix of caution, curiosity and some resignation to such "massive and drastic" operations, as the chief U.N. climatologist describes them.
The Nobel Prize-winning scientist who first made the proposal is himself "not enthusiastic about it."
"It was meant to startle the policy makers," said Paul J. Crutzen, of Germany's Max Planck Institute for Chemistry. "If they don't take action much more strongly than they have in the past, then in the end we have to do experiments like this."
Serious people are taking Crutzen's idea seriously. This weekend, NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., hosts a closed-door, high-level workshop on the global haze proposal and other "geoengineering" ideas for fending off climate change.
In Nairobi, meanwhile, hundreds of delegates were wrapping up a two-week conference expected to only slowly advance efforts to rein in greenhouse gases blamed for much of the 1-degree rise in global temperatures in the past century.
The 1997 Kyoto Protocol requires modest emission cutbacks by industrial countries — but not the United States, the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases, because it rejected the deal. Talks on what to do after Kyoto expires in 2012 are all but bogged down.
When he published his proposal in the journal Climatic Change in August, Crutzen cited a "grossly disappointing international political response" to warming.
The Dutch climatologist, awarded a 1995 Nobel in chemistry for his work uncovering the threat to Earth's atmospheric ozone layer, suggested that balloons bearing heavy guns be used to carry sulfates high aloft and fire them into the stratosphere.
While carbon dioxide keeps heat from escaping Earth, substances such as sulfur dioxide, a common air pollutant, reflect solar radiation, helping cool the planet.
Tom Wigley, a senior U.S. government climatologist, followed Crutzen's article with a paper of his own on Oct. 20 in the leading U.S. journal Science. Like Crutzen, Wigley cited the precedent of the huge volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991.
Pinatubo shot so much sulfurous debris into the stratosphere that it is believed it cooled the Earth by .9 degrees for about a year.
Wigley ran scenarios of stratospheric sulfate injection — on the scale of Pinatubo's estimated 10 million tons of sulfur — through supercomputer models of the climate, and reported that Crutzen's idea would, indeed, seem to work. Even half that amount per year would help, he wrote.
A massive dissemination of pollutants would be needed every year or two, as the sulfates precipitate from the atmosphere in acid rain.
Wigley said a temporary shield would give political leaders more time to reduce human dependence on fossil fuels — the main source of greenhouse gases. He said experts must more closely study the feasibility of the idea and its possible effects on stratospheric chemistry.
Nairobi conference participants agreed.
"Yes, by all means, do all the research," Indian climatologist Rajendra K. Pachauri, chairman of the 2,000-scientist U.N. network on climate change, told The Associated Press.
But "if human beings take it upon themselves to carry out something as massive and drastic as this, we need to be absolutely sure there are no side effects," Pachauri said.
Philip Clapp, a veteran campaigner for emissions controls to curb warming, also sounded a nervous note, saying, "We are already engaged in an uncontrolled experiment by injecting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere."
But Clapp, president of the U.S. group National Environmental Trust, said, "I certainly don't disagree with the urgency."
In past years scientists have scoffed at the idea of air pollution as a solution for global warming, saying that the kind of sulfate haze that would be needed is deadly to people. Last month, the World Heath Organization said air pollution kills about 2 million people worldwide each year and that reducing large soot-like particles from sulfates in cities could save 300,000 lives annually.
American geophysicist Jonathan Pershing, of Washington's World Resources Institute, is among those wary of unforeseen consequences, but said the idea might be worth considering "if down the road 25 years, it becomes more and more severe because we didn't deal with the problem."
By telephone from Germany, Crutzen said that's what he envisioned: global haze as a component for long-range planning. "The reception on the whole is more positive than I thought," he said.
Pershing added, however, that reaction may hinge on who pushes the idea. "If it's the U.S., it might be perceived as an effort to avoid the problem," he said.
NASA said this weekend's conference will examine "methods to ameliorate the likelihood of progressively rising temperatures over the next decades." Other such U.S. government-sponsored events are scheduled to follow.
Encounters an News Crew
On Friday, December 1st, Matthew’s Newspaper met George Kiriyama, who appears on the 11 o’clock news on NBC11. He was going door-to-door, questioning people about the “Birdland” robberies. (See the “Local Robberies” section). The Matthew’s Newspaper employees saw him go up to the house they were in front of and realizing they knew a little about the robberies, they promised each other they would get it out before NBC11. Mr. Kiriyama overheard this and was really interested in Matthew’s Newspaper!!
Local Robberies

As you read above, there have been some robberies in the Birdland neighborhood. This is a series of robberies in which thieves are hopping fences and enter the back way by breaking windows. It’s kind of strange because it would be easier in the summer when most people have windows open anyway, but I guess they figured people are buying gifts since it’s close to Christmas time.
Also, Robbia Drive residents received a notice about a November 3rd burglary on their street, and two Matthew’s Newspaper employees saw/heard some suspicious activity. Hear about their encounter at www.matthewsnewspaper--burglaries.blogspot.com.

Police Encounter 12-9-06 On December 9, 2006, Matthew’s Newspaper saw two police cars with a black pick-up truck pulled over. Of course Matthew’s Newspaper had to interview them. We learned that the officers saw a car with a broken tail-light, so they gave him a ticket. But then, when they asked for his license, they discovered he was driving without a license. Because he didn’t have a license, they had to tow the truck away.
Upcoming Events – Mark Your Calendars!

To get your event listed here, please call (408) 504-8612.
Wednesday, December 13--- SunnyArts Neighborhood Watch Meeting at Sunnyvale Community Center 550 E. Remington—Community room Regarding recent Sunnyvale burglaries and Neighborhood Community Action steps.
Advertising Space Available!
We charge $5.00/issue for a business card ad. If you pay $15.00 for three issues, the fourth one is free! This is a great way to reach all the subscribers to Matthew’s Newspaper, including the Sunnyvale Library, City Hall, the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce, and all my email subscribers. See the Ads Published section.
Visit My Blog!
To see more history on Matthew’s Newspaper, or to leave a comment on any of the articles you’ve seen here, visit my blog at www.matthewsnewspaper.blogspot.com.
Weather Forecast
Here is my weather forecast:
Wednesday-Friday: Cloudy, 85% chance of rain.
Highs in the 40’s and 50’s.
Saturday-Sunday: Partly cloudy, 30% chance of rain Highs in the upper 50’s

Puzzle Corner
For a whole website of jokes, go to www.mnjokes.blogspot.com.
Ads Published



NOTICE: We are no longer doing crossword puzzles. For unlimited crossword puzzles, go to www.mncrosswords.blogspot.com as of 9/12/06!!

Questions or Comments? Send a Letter to…

…Matthew’s Newspaper--360 E. Evelyn Ave. Box 611, Sunnyvale CA 94086

Matthew's Newspaper
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
”News and views that you can use”
Super-sized issue !
Serving the Santa Clara County since 2002

Rare Stamp Used to Mail Absentee Ballot

Some Florida voter wouldn’t be happy to find out that they lost hundreds of thousands of dollars by mailing a rare stamp to their local polling place. It was a 1918 Inverted Jenny stamp which images a biplane that appears to be printed upside-down. It was turned up Tuesday night when election officials were examining ballots. Only around 100 of these stamps have been found. Last year, a block of four stamps could have sold for about three million dollars, but this year, the one stamp alone that was turned up could sell for more than $500,000 at an auction!





How to Avoid Emotional Eating Habits—There IS Help

If you are feeling stressed or anxious, eating isn’t the answer
There are several alternatives for “emotional—eating­—itis.”

Ø Learn to recognize your hunger. Before you automatically pop something into your mouth, rate your hunger on a scale of 1 to 5 -- 1 being ravenous and 5 being full. Make every effort to avoid eating when your hunger is a 4 or a 5.
Ø Find alternatives to eating. Make a personal list of activities you can do instead of eating. Perhaps go for a walk, call a friend, listen to music, take a hot shower/bath, exercise, clean your house, polish your nails, surf the Internet, schedule outstanding appointments, watch television, look through a photo album, etc.
Ø Keep a food journal. Logging your food will help to identify your toughest timeframes. It also will make you accountable... so perhaps you'll be less apt to reach for unnecessary food.
Ø Three-food interference. Make the commitment to first eat three specific healthy foods before starting on caloric comfort foods (i.e., an apple, handful of baby carrots and a yogurt). If after that, you still want to continue with your comfort foods, give yourself permission. However, most of the time, the three foods are enough to stop you from moving on.
Ø Exercise regularly. Daily exercise relieves stress and puts you in a positive mindset, which provides greater strength to pass on the unhealthy fare.
Ø Get enough sleep. Research shows that sleep deprivation can increase hunger by decreasing Leptin levels, the appetite regulating hormone that signals fullness. With adequate sleep, you'll also be less tired and have more resolve to fight off the urge to grab foods for comfort.
Electronics—Does Size Matter when Picking a Digital Camera?
This is NOT an ad!
Virtually all digital cameras take decent pictures these days. In choosing one, first decide if your priority is small size or extra photographic power and flexibility. A few models strive to offer it all, many have an LCD large enough to dominate the camera's rear side, even as their resolution keeps growing. Five megapixels is already considered minimal resolution, and 7 or 8 are offered by a small but growing band. Other features trickling down from large models to a few small ones include zoom ranges larger than 3x, image stabilization, and manual controls. One familiar feature may soon be on the endangered list: the optical viewfinder.
Meanwhile, larger and more powerful cameras keep gaining new capabilities and, in some cases, growing cheaper. Some advanced compacts--cameras that offer extensive controls and higher-than-entry-level resolution while retaining the convenience of a built-in lens--rival some SLRs and weigh nearly as much. Resolution now runs between 8 and 10 megapixels, and the ability to save images as a RAW file is standard. (A RAW file contains the captured image before it has been processed by the camera's built-in software and gives you maximum flexibility in controlling things such as sharpness and color balance.)
More super-zooms, with optical zoom ranges 10x or greater, feature optical or mechanical image stabilizers. Most of these cameras are bulky and weigh a pound or more. However, innovative designs make a couple of models smaller and much lighter than the rest, heralding a new day for this type of camera.
SLRs, once limited to those on champagne budgets, are increasing in resolution and coming down in price; several are now available for less than $1,000. Recently, three manufacturers--Sony, Nikon, and Canon--all introduced 10-megapixel models in that price range, thereby upping the ante in the growing competition for serious photographers.



Safeway CEO Discusses Health Care
Safeway’s CEO, Steve Burd, had a discussion about health care. He identified two root causes to escalating health care costs: the lack of a market-driven mechanism and a lack of incentives for consumers to change their behavior and heath care spending habits. “We don’t have the solution yet but we (Safeway) want to be part of the solution.” Safeway’s consumer-driven health care program features full coverage for preventative care, a high-deductible plan, and tax-advantaged employer contributions to health care reimbursement and savings accounts. Preventative care and behavioral programs covered by the company include those for smoking cessation, weight loss, and stress reduction. Burd said, “You can save as much as 40% in a restructured system with behavioral changes.” Health care reimbursement and savings accounts offered through Safeway ensure that its employees have a stake in their health care coverage and won’t treat health care as a “free good,” explained Burd. Since the program was implemented for about half of its 30,000 nonunion employees a year ago, Safeway has seen an 11% decrease in health care costs. Given the grocery industry’s low profit margins, approximately 1.5%, Burd said that this reduction is significant.
New Machine goes in at PW Supermarkets Cupertino

Have you ever been to Nob Hill or Albertson’s? If so, have you seen a Coinstar® machine? There are two different models, shown above. Guess what? Now PW Supermarket of Cupertino is adding a Coinstar machine. It is not officially open yet, but there’s a sign that says, “coming soon.”
The new Coinstar Prepaid Center kiosk offers an easy way for you to find all of the prepaid products you need in one place.
Got questions about Coinstar? Go to http://www.coinstar.com/ for details and answers to frequently-asked questions!
The Competitor: Safeway’s Coinmaster
It works just like Coinstar!
With Albertson’s, it’s Coinstar, but with Safeway, it’s “Coinmaster.” It works just like Coinstar: put your coins in the tray, push them down the chute, it counts your money, and gives you a cash-in receipt. Coinstar is better because you can do more than get a cash-in receipt, you can get a gift card and other things. Safeway can fix that, though.

Coinstar and Coinmaster both charge an average of 8% of your coins for the usage of the machine when you get a cash-in receipt. But that’s all Coinstar charges for. They don’t charge for gift cards, etc., only cash-in receipts. Another reason Coinstar is better is that it gives you friendly notices when you’re going to fast, like, “My, you have a lot of coins! Please wait while we catch up.” Coinstar has a touchscreen, Coinmaster doesn’t. Also, something funny: one of Matthew’s Newspaper’s cats’ names is “Star.” Get it? Star and Coinstar! A disadvantage is that people lose coins in two ways at both places:
Ø People drop coins and don’t realize it
Ø People don’t know about the reject tray, although Coinstar reminds you to check it.
More about the reject tray: If you accidentally insert foreign or junky coins, arcade tokens, etc. they will come out in a slot labeled “REJECT TRAY.” Sometimes, if you insert those coins again, it will accept them. Our free tip to you if you have or want to use the machine, remember to check the reject tray!





Attention Coin Collectors: Message from the US Mint
Buy coins directly from the US Mint!

Rather then scrounging around for special coins, you can buy coins from the US Mint. Go to http://www.usmint.gov/ and click on Buy Online in the left panel. Just think—all those rare coins belonging to you!! They list prices and details. This is a great way to show off. But then again… it takes away the fun from FINDING something special.



Man Shot in Play Station 3 Frenzy
Two armed thugs tried to rob a line of people waiting for the new Play Station 3 game system to go on sale early Friday and shot a man who refused to give up his money, authorities said. In other states, customers pushed and shoved their way to the shelves to get at the limited supply, and in Kentucky, four people were grazed by BBs fired from a passing vehicle as they waited for a Best Buy store to open.


Leonid Meteor Shower Expected this Weekend

The annual Leonid meteor shower could produce a strong outburst this weekend for residents of the North America and Western Europe.
A brief surge of activity is expected begin around 11:45 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 18. In Europe, that corresponds to early Sunday morning, Nov. 19 at 4:45 GMT. The outburst could last up to two hours.
At the peak, people in these favorable locations could see up to 150 shooting stars per hour, or more than two per minute.
"We expect an outburst of more than 100 Leonids per hour," said Bill Cooke, the head of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office.
Bottom of Form Cooke notes that the shooting stars during this peak period are likely to be faint, however, created by very small meteoroid grains.
Elsewhere people will see the typically enjoyable Leonid display of a few meteors each hour, weather permitting and assuming dark skies away from city lights.
Ancient debris
The Leonids are bits of debris left behind by repeated passages through the inner solar system of the comet Tempel-Tuttle. Each November, Earth crosses various trails of debris, which have spread out over centuries and millennia. Dense debris trails have caused incredible meteor storms in years, past, notably 1998 through 2002.
Since then the show has been back to normal. But recent computer modeling suggests a brief outburst.
"For parts of Europe, Africa and eastern North America, a far more prolific Leonid show could be in the offing this year," said Joe Rao, SPACE.com's Skywatching Columnist.
This year is not expected to be as memorable as some but well worth a look, astronomers say. The Leonids are known for producing bright fireballs, which could occur at any time.
The Leonids are so-named because they appear to emanate from Leo. The meteors can race across the sky in any direction, but trace each one back and it'll point to Leo.
Other opportunities
Unfortunately for viewers on the U.S. West Coast, the peak occurs before Leo rises. Outside of the expected peak, the best time to watch for Leonids is in the pre-dawn hours, when the constellation Leo is high in the sky.
The Leonids are actually underway already, ramping up gradually to the peak. The event continues for several days after the peak. So any morning during this time could offer up a handful of meteors each hour. Other shooting stars from other sources typically grace the sky at low rates, too.
Flurries of enhanced activity can come at any time. Cooke suggests taking a look in the pre-dawn hours Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Up to 10 shooting stars per hour are possible any of these mornings.
How to watch
Precise prediction of meteor showers is an infant science, so those in position to observe the possible outburst should plan to head out a half-hour before the predicted peak, allowing eyes time to adjust to the dark, and stay out for up to a half hour after the expected peak.
No special equipment is needed. Telescopes and binoculars are of no use.
A lounge chair or blanket and warm clothes are all you need. Find a dark location with a clear view of the Eastern horizon. Lie back, face east, and scan as much of the sky as you can. You never know exactly where a Leonid will appear.
Scientists say Pollution Actually Helps
If the sun warms the Earth too dangerously, the time may come to draw the shade. The "shade" would be a layer of pollution deliberately spewed into the atmosphere to help cool the planet. This over-the-top idea comes from prominent scientists, among them a Nobel laureate. The reaction here at the U.N. conference on climate change is a mix of caution, curiosity and some resignation to such "massive and drastic" operations, as the chief U.N. climatologist describes them.
The Nobel Prize-winning scientist who first made the proposal is himself "not enthusiastic about it."
"It was meant to startle the policy makers," said Paul J. Crutzen, of Germany's Max Planck Institute for Chemistry. "If they don't take action much more strongly than they have in the past, then in the end we have to do experiments like this."
Serious people are taking Crutzen's idea seriously. This weekend,
NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., hosts a closed-door, high-level workshop on the global haze proposal and other "geoengineering" ideas for fending off climate change.
In Nairobi, meanwhile, hundreds of delegates were wrapping up a two-week conference expected to only slowly advance efforts to rein in greenhouse gases blamed for much of the 1-degree rise in global temperatures in the past century.
The 1997 Kyoto Protocol requires modest emission cutbacks by industrial countries — but not the United States, the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases, because it rejected the deal. Talks on what to do after Kyoto expires in 2012 are all but bogged down.
When he published his proposal in the journal Climatic Change in August, Crutzen cited a "grossly disappointing international political response" to warming.
The Dutch climatologist, awarded a 1995 Nobel in chemistry for his work uncovering the threat to Earth's atmospheric ozone layer, suggested that balloons bearing heavy guns be used to carry sulfates high aloft and fire them into the stratosphere.
While carbon dioxide keeps heat from escaping Earth, substances such as sulfur dioxide, a common air pollutant, reflect solar radiation, helping cool the planet.
Tom Wigley, a senior U.S. government climatologist, followed Crutzen's article with a paper of his own on Oct. 20 in the leading U.S. journal Science. Like Crutzen, Wigley cited the precedent of the huge volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991.
Pinatubo shot so much sulfurous debris into the stratosphere that it is believed it cooled the Earth by .9 degrees for about a year.
Wigley ran scenarios of stratospheric sulfate injection — on the scale of Pinatubo's estimated 10 million tons of sulfur — through supercomputer models of the climate, and reported that Crutzen's idea would, indeed, seem to work. Even half that amount per year would help, he wrote.
A massive dissemination of pollutants would be needed every year or two, as the sulfates precipitate from the atmosphere in acid rain.
Wigley said a temporary shield would give political leaders more time to reduce human dependence on fossil fuels — the main source of greenhouse gases. He said experts must more closely study the feasibility of the idea and its possible effects on stratospheric chemistry.
Nairobi conference participants agreed.
"Yes, by all means, do all the research," Indian climatologist Rajendra K. Pachauri, chairman of the 2,000-scientist U.N. network on climate change, told The Associated Press.
But "if human beings take it upon themselves to carry out something as massive and drastic as this, we need to be absolutely sure there are no side effects," Pachauri said.
Philip Clapp, a veteran campaigner for emissions controls to curb warming, also sounded a nervous note, saying, "We are already engaged in an uncontrolled experiment by injecting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere."
But Clapp, president of the U.S. group National Environmental Trust, said, "I certainly don't disagree with the urgency."
In past years scientists have scoffed at the idea of air pollution as a solution for global warming, saying that the kind of sulfate haze that would be needed is deadly to people. Last month, the World Heath Organization said air pollution kills about 2 million people worldwide each year and that reducing large soot-like particles from sulfates in cities could save 300,000 lives annually.
American geophysicist Jonathan Pershing, of Washington's World Resources Institute, is among those wary of unforeseen consequences, but said the idea might be worth considering "if down the road 25 years, it becomes more and more severe because we didn't deal with the problem."
By telephone from Germany, Crutzen said that's what he envisioned: global haze as a component for long-range planning. "The reception on the whole is more positive than I thought," he said.
Pershing added, however, that reaction may hinge on who pushes the idea. "If it's the U.S., it might be perceived as an effort to avoid the problem," he said.
NASA said this weekend's conference will examine "methods to ameliorate the likelihood of progressively rising temperatures over the next decades." Other such U.S. government-sponsored events are scheduled to follow.




WAL-MART Shuts Down in Play Station 3 Frenzy

Retailers expect to be overwhelmed by demand during the impending video game console launches, but say they're working to keep the spirit festive while trying to prevent chaos and confusion.
Lines of anxious customers were growing at Best Buy and Wal-Mart stores across the country Wednesday as major retailers were getting confirmation of how many of Sony Corp's PlayStation 3 consoles they would be getting for its Friday launch.
Stock of Nintendo Co.'s Wii will not be as constrained, but retailers are also expecting the inaugural batch to sell out quickly after they go on sale Sunday.
Major retailers refused to widely announce exactly how many units would be distributed to individual locations.
To curb overly high hopes and potential frustrations, many retailers were trying to make it clear that supplies would be limited. They posted notices in stores and warned on Web sites that PS3 supplies would be tight through the holidays. Store employees are also reiterating the message to customers who are lining up in designated areas outside stores.
Best buy noted on the front page of its nationwide circular ads on Sunday that it would have a minimum of 20 60-gigabyte PS3 models and six 20-gigabyte models per store on Friday. How much each store would have in stock above that allotment was up for speculation.
Jose Mota, 26, of Hayward isn't worried. He was the first in the line of 33 people who had already camped outside of the Best Buy store in Union City since Tuesday.
The store manager told them to keep the place clean and left the light on for them overnight, he said. The group — now an ad-hoc community — also is conducting a roll call every four hours to make sure everyone still has their places. People are taking turns to go get food or grab a shower.
Keeping a safe environment for consumers is a top priority, but the process is still a balancing act, said Jill Hamburger, vice president of gaming at Best Buy Co. Inc.
Sony promises 400,000 PS3 machines for the U.S. market on the day of the launch and a U.S. total of about 1 million units by year's end — down sharply from its original projections of 4 million. Nintendo expects to have 4 million Wiis ready worldwide when the console hits store shelves, with the bulk going to North America.
Sony declined to detail its distribution strategy, but spokesman Dave Karraker said the company is roughly following a normal path but scaling it down proportionately to a retailers' typical share of Sony gaming products.
Sony plans to replenish inventories weekly, using air transport instead of ocean freighters, he said.
Though Sony could not speak for retailers, Karraker hinted that stores holding midnight sales events would likely hold more units in stock.
Best Buy will have midnight openings at 18 stores, including one in West Hollywood complete with celebrities. Target Corp. is throwing an all-night party at its Atlantic Terminal store in the New York City borough of Brooklyn so gamers can try out the PS3 and get a chance to win one. The Sony Style Store in Manhattan will celebrate with a midnight opening.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will have a midnight opening on Friday and a PlayStation trailer outfitted with video gaming stations through the weekend at its Orlando Fla. location.
On the eve of the Nintendo Wii launch, Toys R Us Inc. will host a block party at its Times Square store in New York, featuring music, bright lights, a countdown clock and an appearance by Nintendo of America's president, Reggie Fils-Aime.
"We expect our stores across the country to be busy on the launch dates," said Target spokeswoman Paula Thornton-Greear. "Our stores are prepared to manage crowds including a ticket system to ensure those in line first receive a ticket that ensures them a console based on our inventory."
At Wal-Mart stores, only customers in the designated waiting areas armed with tickets toward purchase will be invited into the stores to pick up their consoles.
Toys R Us conducted in-store pre-sales of the PS3 on Oct. 29 during which customers camped overnight to get a limited number of tickets. The retailer was relieved to recently learn it would be able to deliver on those pre-orders, but no other customers will immediately be able to get any PS3s that day, Kathleen Waugh, a Toys R Us spokeswoman, said Wednesday.
"That word is out there now, and we're making sure people know in advance so they're not waiting outside," Waugh said.
Some GameStop Corp. customers who snagged pre-orders of a PS3 last month may not be quite as lucky, as the nation's largest specialty game retailer warned earlier this week it would not be able to fulfill all of its pre-orders on launch day.
Others, such as Amazon.com, chose not to take any pre-orders of the PS3 to avoid the potential of confusion or disappointment.
Even online auctioneer eBay Inc. — where PS3s with retail prices of $500 and $600 were bidding Wednesday at an average of $1,500 and Wii machines were going for more than double its $250 retail price — is taking precautions. It imposed restrictions, including limiting sales to only established eBay vendors with minimum rating levels.
The days leading up to the console launches haven't been completely glitch-free.
Best buy inadvertently posted on its Web site last weekend that it was taking pre-orders for the PS3. It was removed within a few hours but not before an undisclosed number of customers swarmed after the erroneous offer.
To Sony's credit, however, it is effectively avoiding a repeat of the public outcry from the shortages of the rival Microsoft
Xbox 360 launch last year, said Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter.
"Sony is managing this well. They are telling us the numbers are very small," Pachter said. "Nobody is thinking they're getting a PS3 for Christmas and those that do get it will be pleasantly surprised."

Upcoming Events – Mark Your Calendars!


To get your event listed here, please call (408) 504-8612.
Advertising Space Available!
We charge $5.00/issue for a business card ad. If you pay $15.00 for three issues, the fourth one is free! This is a great way to reach all the subscribers to Matthew’s Newspaper, including the Sunnyvale Library, City Hall, the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce, and all my email subscribers. See the Ads Published section.
Visit My Blog!
To see more history on Matthew’s Newspaper, or to leave a comment on any of the articles you’ve seen here, visit my blog at http://www.matthewsnewspaper.blogspot.com/.
Weather Forecast
Here is my weather forecast:
Wednesday-Sunday: Sunny, highs around 85 °F
(Editor’s Note: The UV Index is 9 on a scale of 1 to 10 – extremely dangerous! Wear sunscreen!)



Puzzle Corner
For a whole website of jokes, go to http://www.mnjokes.blogspot.com/.
Ads Published



NOTICE: We are no longer doing crossword puzzles. For unlimited crossword puzzles, go to http://www.mncrosswords.blogspot.com/ as of 9/12/06!!

Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Matthew's Newspaper
”News and views that you can use”
Serving the Santa Clara County since 2002






Vote Yes, Vote No, But Vote!
Background on local political races
District Attorney:
On October 12, 2006, Matthew’s Newspaper attended a breakfast where both candidates for district attorney, Karyn Sinunu and Dolores Carr, gave 5-minute speeches.
Dolores Carr went first.
Matthew's Newspaper joins Judge Carr
She encourages you to visit her website at www.judgecarrforda.com. This is the first truly contested election for district attorney in 16 years. Her top priority is public safety. She is endorsed by 75 to 80 defense attorneys. Six retired Assistant District Attorneys, each with 30 years experience all endorse Carr. They had supervised both Carr and Sinunu.
Carr was the deputy district attorney from 1985-2000. She has a broad perspective on cases, since she has seen them from all sides (as a defense attorney, as a prosecuting attorney, and as a judge.)
Karyn Sinunu went second. Sinunu says, “I am the business-friendly candidate.” She believes that it is important to have a safe and friendly community, which she promises to continue. Her campaign is about critical differences. She has tried every kind of case (murder, gang, white collar, etc.)
Sinunu is also an award-winning trial attorney. She says, “My opponent can’t claim that.” She also has supervised 190 attorneys, and she says “that’s administrative experience my opponent does not have.” She has made changes to the criminal justice system. She is endorsed by the San Jose Mercury, the Palo Alto Weekly, and other county newspapers. While we’re talking about endorsements, though, retiring DA George Kennedy withdrew his endorsement for Sinunu in July.
Sinunu has independence from the police, where she brings up that her opponent is married to a police officer. She claims that three times the number of elected officials endorse her, including Sunnyvale Mayor Ron Swegles. (Note: Mayor Swegles also endorses Judge Carr.) To close her speech, she says, “I’m a real veteran career prosecutor.” Her website is www.sinunu4da.com.
Matthew’s Newspaper Interviews Dolores Carr
On Wednesday, October 18th, Matthew’s Newspaper had the opportunity to interview Judge Dolores Carr, candidate for District Attorney for Santa Clara County. Here are the questions and answers from the interview:
Matthew’s Newspaper (MN)> What experience do you have to be the District Attorney?
Dolores Carr (DC)> I have 26 years as a lawyer, and I spent the first few years of my career in private practice, where I handled civil litigation and criminal defense work. I spent the next 15 years in the District Attorney’s office handling the day-to-day work as a D.A. I ended my career there supervising the sexual assault unit, and in that job, I supervised the trial lawyers on rapes and child molest cases. There were some other cases, but that’s the bulk of them. I made the decisions on what charges to file in those cases for the two years I did that job. I also tried sexual assault cases, misdemeanor cases, I charged felony cases, I represented abused and neglected children in juvenile dependency court and I prosecuted juvenile delinquency cases. Those are just examples of the kinds of cases I worked on for those 15 years.
MN> You said that you managed a group of trial lawyers?
DC> Yes – senior trial lawyers, because the lawyers that are put in charge of trying the sex crimes are usually senior lawyers, and so I was in charge of supervising them; I managed several grants, and then I made the charging decisions on the cases that came into the office, and then passed them off to the lawyers to actually handle them in court.
So, not only do I have private practice experience, but I’ve been a DA for 15 years, and then I’ve been a judge for 6 years. This gave me the opportunity to see cases that the DA would bring into court, and I was the judge who would hear those cases. The District Attorney position itself is a leadership position. So, the DA, at least in our county, because it’s very large, does not try any cases, rarely goes to court, and really manages the office, handles the budget, deals with the Board of Supervisors, sets the expectations and the mission for the office, deals with the Chief of Police for the various police departments in the county, works on prevention and works with the community, at least in my vision, to improve the services that the DA brings. So, rather than being a trial lawyer, or a lawyer on particular cases, the DA is really the manager of a very large law firm.
MN> Why do you want to be District Attorney?
DC> I want to be the District Attorney because I understand how important that leadership position is, to make sure that public safety is maintained, that we keep a very low crime rate, and also make sure that the cases that are brought to court are brought fairly, and with an eye to justice and with an eye toward compassion and fairness.
MN> Do you have the option to turn down a case?
DC> Absolutely. All the DAs who make those kinds of decisions have that option, so what they look at are several things: First, when they read the police report or the investigation, they’re looking to see whether or not a crime has been committed. Once they determine that the crime has been committed, they also have to determine whether it can be proved to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt – not just that the defendant probably did it, but can it be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, because that’s the burden of proof in court. Then, in addition, you have to look at whether or not it’s a fair and just thing to do. So there could be some circumstances where there was a crime, and the defendant did commit it, and you think you could prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, but it really would not be a just thing to prosecute. The DA also has the discretion on how many charges to file, whether the charges in certain cases would be misdemeanors or felonies, which are the less serious and the more serious, and so it really is a matter of judgment on the part of the deputy district attorney who’s making that decision.
MN> Don’t you feel that you want to be in a position of power?
DC> I want to be in that position because I know I can make a difference in a positive way for our community. And that means that I would have some power in the sense that the position is an important one. But I think that the thing to remember is that in order to accomplish anything, to really get anything done, it takes the cooperation of the people you work with. In other words, you can have the best idea in the whole world, but if nobody will sit down at the table and listen to you about your idea, or take your idea and implement it or put it into effect, your idea can go to waste. Just because you have the power or the position doesn’t mean you can get anything done.
MN> What do you like to do in your free time when you’re not campaigning?
DC> Well, I haven’t had much free time since I’ve been on the campaign trail, but I’ll tell you that once I have some free time, I would like to begin my work-outs again, to go to the gym and to jog and to exercise and to take walks outside. I also like reading, and I like music, and I like to play the piano, and I like to dance. Those are some of the things that I would like to do when I have some free time. And although I would not LIKE to do this, I intend to clean out my garage.
MN> Do you have any promises to make to the voters?
DC> Yes, I do have some promises that I will make to the voters. Those promises are not to take the obligation to work for justice in the community for granted, and to always make sure that everyone in the office is being as responsive to the public as possible, and not to take for granted the power that the DA has to make decisions that affect people’s lives. So, it’s always being sensitive to the fact that the District Attorney’s office does have a tremendous amount of power to charge somebody with a crime that would cause them to go to jail, and that power has to be exercised with common sense and with compassion and fairness, and always with an eye as to whether or not it’s the right thing to do. So that would be the promise that I would make – that I would always maintain that in the forefront of the decisions that I make.
MN> What about skills that you have that your opponent doesn’t have?
DC> I try very hard not to say anything negative about my opponent, so the way I could answer that is that I think that I have better skills at communicating and cooperating and working collaboratively with the people that the DA needs to work with to be successful. So, I have all the support, pretty much, from the law enforcement associations in the county (the police groups), and I also have a significant majority of support, I believe, from the defense attorneys, the attorneys who work for the defendants in these cases. I think that comes from a history of being able to work cooperatively with other people. I think that’s a real strength that I have.
MN> How many attorneys would you be supervising, as the District Attorney?
DC> There are about 180 lawyers, almost 100 investigators, and there are several hundred staff members.
MN> Do you have something good you would like to say about your opponent?
DC> What I will say about my opponent that is positive is that I believe that she is a hard worker, and that she has done a good job in a number of areas, and has been a competent and successful trial lawyer. I think she has some very good individual skills.
MN> What was your hardest case as deputy district attorney?
DC> Probably the hardest case that I handled was a case where a woman who was developmentally delayed was raped by someone she knew and she reported it to the police, but she had a very difficult time communicating about what had happened. So the difficulty was that because it was a case where it was her word against his word, it became very difficult to prosecute because of her inability to really communicate effectively about what had happened to her. It was hard, because I felt that she had been truly victimized, but that I could not proceed on the case without having enough evidence without her being able to testify effectively.
MN> What should voters know about your opponent?
DC> Voters should know that my opponent has been a top-level manager for the last 10 years in the DA’s office. And because these elections don’t come along very often, it is an opportunity for the people who work with her in the DA’s office to kind of give a “report card,” or to give information through their endorsements to the public about whether or not they want to work with her in the future. I think it says a lot when all of the law enforcement associations (the police groups) that work with the DA’s office regularly all support me; that a significant number of lawyers support me; that all the members of the board of supervisors who have made a decision on who to support, support me; and that the six assistant district attorneys who either worked with or supervised both my opponent and me, and who are now retired so they don’t have anything to gain or lose by making an endorsement, all support me; and that her own boss, George Kennedy, who had earlier endorsed her, withdrew his endorsement. I think that is a kind of report card on what they think about how she would be if she were the district attorney.
District Attorney for Santa Clara County: Matthew’s Newspaper endorses Judge Dolores Carr because of her broad experience and her passion for fairness, as well as her ability to work well with so many other people.
Prop. 83: Matthew’s Newspaper: No position California Chamber of Commerce: No position
Prop. 84: Cleaner, safer water: endorsed by

Matthew’s Newspaper California COC League of women voters Sunnyvale COC
Prop 85: Waiting period and parental notification before termination of minor’s pregnancy
Matthew’s Newspaper: Oppose Calif. COC: No position
Prop 86: Tobacco Tax initiative
Matthew’s Newspaper: Support Calif. COC: Oppose
Prop 87: Argument for “California is dangerously dependent on foreign oil. Yes on 87. We can rely on alternative fuels.”
Matthew’s Newspaper: Support Calif. COC: Oppose
Prop. 88: Education funding, real property parcel tax.
Matthew’s Newspaper: Oppose Calif. COC: Oppose
Prop. 89: Political campaign contributions, corporate tax increase
Matthew’s Newspaper: No position CA COC: Oppose
Prop. 90: Government acquisition, regulation of private property
Matthew’s Newspaper: Oppose CA COC: Oppose
Santa Clara County Measure A: SC County Land Conservation InitiativeArguments against: “don’t risk Santa Clara County’s future”
Matthew’s Newspaper: Oppose Sunnyvale COC: Oppose
Recipe Corner
Here are two recipes you might like to try: cabbage ramen salad and spinach dip.
Cabbage Ramen Salad (great pot luck recipe)
Ingredients:1 lg. head cabbage, shredded4 green onions, sliced4 T. toasted sesame seeds1 c. slivered almonds2 pkgs. Chicken-flavored Top Ramen noodles, crushed
Mix above ingredients in extra large salad bowl.
Dressing:¾ c. oil4 T. sugar1 tsp. salt½ c. white wine vinegar2 pkgs. Chicken flavoring from Top Ramen
Mix dressing ingredients in small bowl. Toss with salad and noodles at last minute so salad doesn’t get soggy. Recipe can be halved and still feed a large family.
Spinach Dip
Ingredients:1 pkg. Knorr leek soup mix1 c. mayonnaise1 c. sour cream1 can water chestnuts, chopped finedash Worcestershire sauce1 pkg. chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained
Mix first 5 ingredients together, then add the spinach. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours for best results. Cut top off round loaf of sour dough French bread. Hollow out until ¼” on sides.

New Traffic Light Goes up at Sunnyvale-Saratoga Ave. and Fremont Ave. in Sunnyvale
New sign faces Valero gas station
On October 17, 2006, we noticed a new traffic sign facing the Valero gas station. Are they really going to make the people leaving that lot wait at a light? If you look at the lower part of the picture, you see a . It IS pretty dangerous to cross the driveway. Besides, in all the other directions at the Sunnyvale-Saratoga/Fremont intersection, there are already s. But maybe they will turn the sign another way. See their progress in the next issue.
Upcoming Events – Mark Your Calendars!
To get your event listed here, please call (408) 504-8612.
Month of October Special curbside garbage collection
Friday, Oct. 27 Free card-making class at Craf’it (1139 Tasman Dr. @ Lawrence Expwy., Sunnyvale)
Tues., Nov. 7 Election Day – don’t forget to vote!
Wed., Nov. 29 Nob Hill’s grand re-opening (Grant Rd. @ El Camino in Mountain View)
Season of Fall Sunnyvale special vehicle tow-away

Classified Ads Now Available in Matthew’s Newspaper
Having a garage sale or yard sale? Something that’s all text no graphic? Matthew’s Newspaper is a great way to reach people anywhere in Santa Clara County. For just 75¢/line, we can get you some great publicity.

Matthew’s Newspaper Autumn Deal on Ads
Will you “fall” for our “trick deal?” You can choose one! Buy three get one free or 10% off any ad! It’s up to you. Act now! Offer good all fall!!
For Halloween-related things, see the last page.
Mountain View Nob Hill Changing Location
Nob Hill groceries of Mountain View on Grant Rd. near El Camino will be moving next door to a bigger area where Circuit City used to be. They will re-open on November 29 at their new location. Right now, they are preparing the new parking area. The new store will be much larger than the current one.

ord crimmage
Theme: Elections. If you need help, the answers are on the last page.

_______________________ Hint: Someone who holds a political office.
N E S T A R O
_______________________ Hint: One of many on the ballot.
S U M A R E E
_______________________ Hint: A formal enactment by a legislature.
T U T A S T E
_______________________ Hint: These are counted to see who wins an election.
L A B L O S T
Jokes
Levels of jokes:
A=Adult S=Senior M= Mid-teens C=Child T=Toddler
Q1: (C-S) Where do happy cats come from?
Advertising Space Available!
We charge $5.00/issue for a business card ad. If you pay $15.00 for three issues, the fourth one is free! This is a great way to reach all the subscribers to Matthew’s Newspaper, including the Sunnyvale Library, City Hall, the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce, and all my email subscribers. See the Ads Published section.
Visit My Blog!
To see more history on Matthew’s Newspaper, or to leave a comment on any of the articles you’ve seen here, visit my blog at www.matthewsnewspaper.blogspot.com.


Ads Published

Global Equity Lending
We need loan agents to help us in our expanding nationwide company.
No experience required.
Free ongoing training classes.
No major investment fees.
Work from home or office, part-time or full-time.
What sets us apart from all other lending companies?
Do you want financial freedom?
Call us at (408) 449-6709 or
visit us at our website, www.globalequitylending.com.
Accusatory Mailers sent to Villa del Sol Residents
The mailer just above is complaining about the pool temperature at the Villa Del Sol Apartments. But they went WAY too far! In fact, the apartment’s mailer sent in response says that they have set the pool to the fall/winter temperature, 83-85°F, and in spring/summer it’s 78-80°F. If you can’t read the mailers, feel free to go to www.mnandvilladelsol.blogspot.com as of Oct. 26.
Weather Forecast
Here is my weather forecast:
Thursday-Friday: Sunny; highs upper 70°s to 80°
Saturday-Monday: Cooling trend, highs upper 60°s to 70°
(Editor’s Note: The UV Index is 5 on a scale of 1 to 10.)

The Answer Section

Here are the answers to the riddle and puzzle:

Joke answer: Peru (Purr-u).

Word Scrimmage Answers

1.SENATOR 2.MEASURE 3.STATUTE 4. BALLOTS

MN's version of eBay

Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Matthew's Newspaper
”News and views that you can use”
Serving the City of Sunnyvale since 2002

Social Worker Wrongfully Terminated by Palo Alto VA

Cheryl Hewitt has a Masters Degree in Social Work, and recently moved here from Michigan to start a job with the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. Although Cheryl faces many challenges every day because of cerebral palsy, she is a very competent professional who prides herself on being independent and self-sufficient. In fact, she was awarded the “Professional Disabled Woman of the Year” in 1988 by the state of Georgia Chamber of Commerce. She was also instrumental in crafting the “Americans with Disabilities Act” and was at the presidential signing in 1994.
When Cheryl accepted the position with the VAPAHCS in January, her employer knew that she had cerebral palsy, which impacts her motor skills. The agency also knew that she uses a wheelchair for mobility, and that some reasonable accommodations would have to be made so that she could perform the essential functions of her job.
Once Cheryl started her job, she identified several accommodations that would help her: an ergonomic keyboard and trackball, a direct dial-out phone, a new computer with word prediction software, a more efficient, faster fax machine, and clerical help. All these were promised by the VA, but only the keyboard, trackball, and direct dial-out phone were provided. Cheryl never received the clerical help she needed. Not only that, but there were several safety concerns identified by her union representative: a wall clock that had fallen on her head, inaccessible office space, tangled wires under her desk, and a door she couldn’t close (although the VA was kind enough to tie a 6-foot rope to the door so she could pull it closed behind her. They only recently replaced the rope with an automatic closing mechanism.).
As of July 28, 2006, Ms Hewitt is being discharged from her job for “failure to qualify” during her probationary period. After an unsuccessful attempt to fire her for putting false information on her application (which was not true), the VA stated that she was “unable to function independently as a Social Worker.” Ms. Hewitt has filed a complaint of discrimination with the VA’s Office of Resolution Management. She has an attorney and Local 2110 of the American Federation of Government Employees fighting on her behalf.
What can you do to help? Please contact our local government representatives: U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (boxer.senate.gov) and Dianne Feinstein (feinstein.senate.gov), and Representative Anna Eshoo (eshoo.house.gov), and let them know about this gross injustice. The state of California can do better than this to comply with the laws regarding employees with disabilities.

Relief from Record-Breaking Heat is On the Way!

Temperature records fell all over the bay area this past weekend as people crowded into any place that was air-conditioned. We heard that the only way you could buy an air conditioner was to order it on-line, because every other place was sold out! The malls were so crowded, you would have thought it was Christmas!
In the meantime, we need to conserve energy to avoid involuntary blackouts. Companies can volunteer to have their power shut off in exchange for lower rates, so that helps cut down power usage. Not using the dryer or the oven or stove can help, too. If we don’t save enough power, we will have continuing blackouts. Over the weekend, 180,000 customers were without power in California. As of early Monday morning, that number was down to 100,000 in Northern California and the Central Valley, and another 44,000 in Southern California. Thank goodness, relief is in sight. We should be down to about 82 degrees by this weekend.

Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce Hosts Business Expo August 2nd

Please come and visit the Matthew’s Newspaper booth at the business expo on Washington Avenue in downtown Sunnyvale on Wednesday, August 2nd. We’ll be on the end closest to Sunnyvale Avenue. We will have M&M’s, if that encourages you. You can also hear music by the Hitmen and check out the Farmer’s Market. This event will last from 5:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m., with music performed from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Lost and Found

This sign was seen in Vacaville, CA last weekend: Lost Bird: African Gray Parrot; gray with red tail. Reward! Call (707) 761-0407. In case he flew down to the bay area, be on the lookout!

Found: key ring, Friday, July 14th on the corner of Floyd and Fremont Avenues. Call (408) 245-4038 to claim.

Upcoming Events – Mark Your Calendars!

To get your event listed here, please call (408) 504-8612.
July 24-28 Vacation Bible School at Crosswalk Church in Sunnyvale
August 2 Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce’s Business Expo & band music Murphy Avenue/Washington Avenue intersection

Jefferson – the 51st State

This map is one proposal for the borders of the new state of Jefferson, which includes portions of Northern California and Southern Oregon.

The paragraphs below were taken from the www.jeffersonstate.com website.

There have been many attempts at forming a new state comprised of northern California and southern Oregon, but none has gained so much attention and retained it as the secession movement of 1941.
The abundant supply of minerals and timber in this region was largely inaccessible due to the lack of sufficient roads and bridges into the rugged mountain border country. The local pioneering people grew weary of unfulfilled promises from Salem and Sacramento to help fund sufficient highway projects in the region while building campgrounds in the cities where there were more votes.
Representatives from the mountain border counties involved met in Yreka, CA on November 17, 1941 to form an alliance to obtain federal aid for the construction and repair of bridges and roads. The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors voted to allocate $100 to research the possibility of seceding from the state of California and joining the other counties to form a new 49th state. The Yreka Chamber of Commerce was very instrumental in persuading the Board.
The local newspaper ran a contest to name the new state and the winning entry was Jefferson. The winner of the contest pocketed $2 for his efforts. Yreka was designated the temporary state capital where the ‘State of Jefferson Citizen’s Committee’ was formed.

Giants Baseball Recap

The Giants finished a 4-game series against the San Diego Padres by taking 3 out of 4 from the first-place leaders. On Saturday, July 22nd, after winning three in a row, the Giant’s were temporarily in first place, with San Diego ½ game behind. In Sunday’s game, Armando Benitez blew a save opportunity in the 9th inning, and the Padres ended up winning it in 12 innings, 6-5. That was a sad one! After a day off on Monday, the Giants head to Washington to play the Nationals for a three-game series, then they go to Pittsburgh for another 3-game series. They return home and play against the Nationals on Monday, July 31st.

Word Scrimmage

Theme: Jewelry. If you need help, the answers are on the last page.
_______________________ Hint: It can cut glass.
D D N A O M I
_______________________ Hint: “Wear jewelry and make a _______ statement.”
N H S O F A I
_______________________ Hint: It’s green.
R D E E M A L
_______________________ Hint: An inexpensive kind of jewelry.
S T U C O M E

Advertising Space Available!

We charge $5.00/issue for a business card ad. If you pay $15.00 for three issues, the fourth one is free! This is a great way to reach all the subscribers to Matthew’s Newspaper, including the Sunnyvale Library, City Hall, the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce, and all my email subscribers. See the Ads Published section below.

Visit My Blog!
To see more history on Matthew’s Newspaper, visit www.matthewsnewspaper.blogspot.com.

Ads Published

Sunnyvale Health Care Center
1291 S Bernardo Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94087
Rehabilitation, Transitional and Extended Care
“Families caring for family”
Family owned and operated
Specialists in pain management
24 hour skilled nursing care
Individualized, comprehensive therapy
Specializing in Orthopedic Rehabilitation
Open air garden patios
Social and educational activities
Bright and cheerful facility
Call us at (408) 245-8070 or visit us on our website, www.svhcc.com

Game Recommendation

There’s a really cool hand-held game called 20Q that almost ALWAYS guesses what you’re thinking of within 20 questions. You would be amazed at how quickly this electronic game can zero in on a category and then guess the right answer. You just have to press a button to say
YES
NO
SOMETIMES
RARELY
UNKNOWN
You can also press the UNDO button to go back to the last question and change your answer.
The other way you can play this game is by going on-line to their web-site at www.20Q.net. Go ahead – try it!

Weather Forecast

Here is my weather forecast:
Wednesday-Thursday: Sunny, highs around 88 - 92°F

Friday-Sunday: Mostly sunny, high around 84°F
(Editor’s Note: The UV Index is 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 – extremely dangerous! Wear sunscreen!)

The Answer Section


Here are the answers to the Word Scrimmage puzzle:

Word Scrimmage Answers

1. DIAMOND 2. FASHION 3. EMERALD 4. COSTUME

Tuesday, June 27, 2006
”News and views that you can use”
Serving the City of Sunnyvale since 2002

Hybrid Cars You Can Buy Now—Help Stop Global Warming

Fuel emissions from cars and other forms of transportation contribute about 40% of climate-changing emissions. Hybrid cars help reduce fuel emissions because the hybrid engine gets power from the battery instead of gasoline when the car accelerates. When the car is stopped, the hybrid gasoline motor shuts off and the car runs on electricity. Here is a list of hybrid cars that are available now:
Ford Escape SUV (The Ford Escape Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient SUV on the road.)
Toyota Highlander SUV
Toyota Camry
Toyota Tundra
Honda Civic
Honda Accord
Chevrolet Silverado
Lexus RX
Mercury Mariner
Infiniti M

Global Warming is Affecting Our Climate
(Please see the Matthew’s Newspaper Weather Forecast)

Global warming is causing a lot of changes in our climate. We are having more record-breaking temperatures, more floods, stronger hurricanes, and more droughts. With the warmer weather comes:
more mosquitoes, poison ivy, and ragweed
glaciers melting faster
more droughts and crop failure.
One thing we can do now to reduce carbon emissions is buy hybrid cars. We can also use our heaters and air conditioners less, insulate our houses better, and use ultra-efficient light bulbs. Another idea is to ask our government officials to buy climate-friendly cars and products. Here is a website that has more ideas on how to affect climate change: www.parade.com.

Wednesday Night Band Music in Downtown Sunnyvale

On Wednesday, June 21st (Happy first day of summer), Matthew’s Newspaper went downtown to hear band music, and they have fruit and accessories stands. They have great music that’s fun to listen to. They allow pets there. There were mostly dogs. There is also a wishing fountain that is kind of hard to find. Matthew’s Newspaper recommends that you go there. The sound of music will help you find your way.

M&M’s—New Products
Did you know that you can order M&Ms with a customized message in your choice of 21 colors? The message can be two lines on each M&M, with each line having up to 8 characters. They also have pre-packaged 8 oz. bags with a happy birthday theme or a wedding theme. You can check it out at www.mymms.com.

Upcoming Events – Mark Your Calendars!

To get your event listed here, please call (408) 504-8612.
July 4 Sunnyvale State of the City Picnic in the Park11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Washington Park
July 23 Michaels’ of Cupertino Grand Re-Opening
July 24-28 Vacation Bible School at Crosswalk Church in Sunnyvale
August 2 Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce’s Business Expo & band music

Be Prepared! What to Do if Your Car Goes into the Water

This will probably never happen to you, but if it does, you should be prepared. If your car goes into the water (a lake, a bay, or any body of water) and starts to sink, here’s what you should do:

Leave the keys in the ignition. The battery will still work under water, and power windows will still work.
Take your seat belt off.
Unlock the door.
Roll down the window. If the window is stuck, use a “Power Punch” tool to break through the glass.
Start climbing out. Sit on the window and push off.

Giants Baseball Recap

On Saturday, the 24th, Barry Bonds hit home run #719 against the Oakland A’s. The Giants could not hold on to their lead, however, and going into the ninth inning, the Giants were down 7-5. Then, Ray Durham came back in the bottom of the 9th with a 3-run homer to win the game 8-7. In Sunday’s game, the Giants lost to the A’s by a score of 10-4. Their record is 37-38 as they head into a 3-game series at home against the Texas Rangers.
ord crimmage
Theme: Equipment. If you need help, the answers are on the last page.
_______________________ Hint: Small power source.
T R Y B E A T
_______________________ Hint: The Wright brothers flying _______.
N I C E H A M
_______________________ Hint: Eco-_______.
M E S S T Y S
_______________________ Hint: Way of showing information.
P L A I D S Y

Advertising Space Available!
We charge $5.00/issue for a business card ad. If you pay $15.00 for three issues, the fourth one is free! This is a great way to reach all the subscribers to Matthew’s Newspaper, including the Sunnyvale Library, City Hall, the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce, and all my email subscribers. See the Ads Published section below.

Ads Published

Come visit Dr. Sawyer at Murphy Avenue Pet Clinic, located on the corner of Murphy Avenue and Hendy Avenue. He has separate entrances for cats and dogs.
Don’t forget – you can read the latest issue of Matthew’s Newspaper in the waiting area.

Sunnyvale Health Care Center
1291 S Bernardo Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94087
Rehabilitation, Transitional and Extended Care
“Families caring for family”
Family owned and operated
Specialists in pain management
24 hour skilled nursing care
Individualized, comprehensive therapy
Specializing in Orthopedic Rehabilitation
Open air garden patios
Social and educational activities
Bright and cheerful facility

Call us at(408) 245-8070 or visit us on our website, www.svhcc.com

MICHAEL'S is relocating!
Come visit us at our new BIGGER, BRIGHTER, BETTER location next to PW Super.
Grand Opening on Sunday, July 23, 2006!

David Hunt says, “I’m on the HUNT for your real estate needs.” He has lived in Sunnyvale for nearly 40 years.




Visit MY Blog!
To see more history on Matthew’s Newspaper, visit www.matthewsnewspaper.blogspot.com.

Weather Forecast

Here is my weather forecast:
Wednesday-Friday: Sunny, high around 85°F
(Should be good butterfly weather!)
Saturday-Sunday: Partly cloudy, high around 80°F
(Editor’s Note: The UV Index is 11 on a scale of 1 to 10 – extremely dangerous! Wear sunscreen!)

The Answer Section

Here are the answers to the puzzle:

Word Scrimmage Answers

1. BATTERY 2. MACHINE 3. SYSTEMS 4. DISPLAY