Santino in America

E M E R G E N C Y

Please join me in an effort to raise money to help relief organizations
to save hundreds of thousands of lives right now in serious danger.
If you have already donate money let me know how can I help.
The following is what I found so far:

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
has launched a preliminary appeal for 7.5 million Swiss francs
to assist some 500,000 people and bring immediate support to relief
operations of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Sri Lanka,
India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and other countries in the region
after the strongest earthquake in 40 years caused massive tidal waves,
killing thousands and leaving more than one million displaced
and homeless.
Donate to IFRC

UNICEF's Home page has several information and a donation
page for each country affected.

International Rescue Commitee:
Only 150 miles from the epicenter of the earthquake is Indonesia's
Northern Sumatra Provence of Aceh, one of the areas most seriously
affected by the huge tsunami tidal wave this weekend.
The IRC is accepting donations for the victims in Aceh. 

Disaster Relief Agencies and NGO involved in Disaster Relief
Extended directory

And if you are skeptical about who is who, this is the website for
you: Give.org

LET ME KNOW YOU ARE THERE, leave me a comment

Weekly Review 12/21

The Office of Analysis of Information has approved the
pubblication of the weekly review, Great Leader' favorite
re-cap of the World news:

Via Harper's Magazine

[...]A virtual island on the planet Calypso sold for $26,500,
and the United States forgave $4.1 billion in Iraqi debt.
Congressman John Conyers Jr. said he would ask the FBI to
investigate "inappropriate and likely illegal election tampering"
in Ohio during the presidential election, and Gillette unveiled
its newest product, a vibrating razor for women called
"The Venus Vibrance."[...]

Weekly Review

Posted on Tuesday, December 21, 2004. By Theodore Ross andArno Kopecky.

Time Magazine named President George W. Bush "Person of the Year" and praised him for "reframing reality to match his design." Tommy Franks, George Tenet, and Paul Bremer III were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, and Donald Rumsfeld announced that from now on he would personally sign condolence letters sent to the families of soldiers killed in action, instead of using a machine. Fox News hired Zell Miller. United States military officials couldn't explain the failure of the most recent missile shield test, but maintained that it was "a very good training exercise." Senator John McCain said he had no confidence in Donald Rumsfeld. Scientists discovered a new monkey species, andMuamar Qaddafi said President Bush couldn't have won the election without him. The supreme court of Kansas declared that the state's death penalty is unconstitutional but then issued a stay of its own ruling. Representative Billy Tauzin, an author of the House Medicare Drug Law, announced that he will become alobbyist for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. The Securities and Exchange Commission accused Fannie Mae of cheating on its taxes. Pfizer admitted thatCelebrex doubled the risk of heart attack in certain patients, but declined to take it off the market, and a survey found that one fifth of all FDA scientists had been pressured to recommend approval of a new drug. The DEA told the University of Massachusetts it couldn't grow marijuana on campus. The Trust For America's Health reported that two thirds of U.S. states were not adequately prepared for a bioterrorist attack, and the National Guard was offering a $15,000 enlistment bonus. President Bush made privatizing social security a major priority for his second term, and his daughter Jenna considered becoming a schoolteacher. Scientists announced that 70.6 percent of husbands are obese.

The Iraqi Special Tribune opened hearings into the crimes of prominent former Baath government officials, most notably Hassan Al-Majeed, aka "Chemical Ali." Evidence against him included a tape on which he boasted that if any Kurd defied him, he would "blow him away, cut him open like a cucumber," and bury him with a bulldozer. The election season began in Iraqwith 73 parties participating, and car bombs killed more than 60 people in Najaf and Karbala. Fourteen U.S. Marines were convicted of abusing Iraqi prisoners, including one soldier who used an electronic device to make a detainee "dance." The United States Army decided to drive less and fly more. TheUnited Nations reported that there had been widespreadsmuggling of oil out of Iraq under the Coalition Provisional Authority, the British House of Lords said the indefinite detention of foreign terrorism suspects violates EU human rightslaws, and Osama bin Laden urged Muslims to attack oil facilities in Iraq and the Persian Gulf. Saddam Hussein met with his lawyer. Mahmoud Abbas called for an end to political violence, and Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom called Yasir Arafat'sdeath "an opportunity we should not miss," while Palestinianmilitants insisted that "the blessed Intifada will continue" and an Israeli raid in Gaza left 11 dead. The Pentagon announced it wanted to spend more time spying. The Tenth International Convention on Climate Change ended with a resolution for all parties to meet again soon, and General Motors sued a Chineseautomaker for cloning the Chevrolet Spark. Russian border guards discovered an underground "vodka pipeline" used to smuggle alcohol into Estonia, and an Australian man nearly diedafter his "jug helmet," a beer-drinking device made from a hose and a power drill, malfunctioned. Workmen discovered that U.N.headquarters in Geneva were bugged.

The prime minister of Spain accused his predecessor of erasing all computer files related to last year's Madrid terrorist bombing. "Not a single trace of any files was left behind," said one official, "zero, nothing." Augusto Pinochet had another stroke. A Washington State man received a three-year prison sentence for attempting to circumcise his eight-year-old son, and a Minnesotacompany was building a power plant that will be fueled primarily by turkey droppings. The Australian government warned its citizens to avoid major hotels in Indonesia. Russiaforced the Yukos oil conglomerate to auction off its largest subsidiary to a little-known company with suspected government ties in a sale that was widely interpreted as a way to punish Yukos's politically outspoken founder, Boris Khodorkovsky, who is currently in jail. A virtual island on the planet Calypso sold for $26,500, and the United States forgave $4.1 billion in Iraqi debt. Congressman John Conyers Jr. said he would ask the FBI to investigate "inappropriate and likely illegal election tampering" in Ohio during the presidential election, and Gillette unveiled its newest product, a vibrating razor for women called "The Venus Vibrance." A general from the African Union called the situation in Sudan a "bomb that could explode at any moment," as a deadline to end hostilities there was ignored. Scientists estimated that ten percent of all bird species will become extinct by the end of the century, and enrollment was down at London's premier Santa school. Twelve million honeybees died in a Las Vegas freeway accident.

Intraocular Pressure

LEADERONIA-Medical examination of the eyes of the Great Leader
revealed high levels of intraocular pressure which could lead to
Glaucoma therefore blindness, MD N. Klein said yesterday in a press
conference in the main hall of the Department of Sight.
The Great Leader was invited by MD N.Klein, to have scientific photos
of both eyes taken and be submited to him withing four months.
In a later cabinet meeting, the MINOFFISCADIS suggested the
Great Leader to use medical herbal remedy, currently illegal in the
Host Country of Leaderonia, namely Cannabis.

From the International Association for Cannabis as Medicine:

In 1971, during a systematic investigation of its effects in healthy
marijuana users, it was observed that cannabis reduces intraocular
pressure. In the following 12 years a number of studies in healthy
individuals and glaucoma patients with marijuana and several natural
and synthetic cannabinoids were conducted. Marijuana decreases
intraocular pressure by an average 25-30%, occasionally up to 50%.
Some non-psychotropic cannabinoids, and to a lesser extent, some
non-cannabinoid constituents of the hemp plant also decrease
intraocular pressure.

In most cases of glaucoma, the fluid that bathes the eye does
not drain properly and leads to increased pressure.
Some scientists believe that a defective protein produced by one
of the mutated glaucoma genes can trigger this heightened pressure
by clogging an area, known as the trabecular meshwork, that guards
the fluid's escape route.

Illustration by Lydia Kibiuk, Copyright © 1998 Lydia Kibiuk.

Glaucoma is a disease where internal pressure builds up inside the eye. It is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. It is poorly understood and difficult to diagnose.

To understand glaucoma, one must understand fluid mechanics of they eye. The eyeball, or globe, has an internal pressure to keep it spherically shaped. The fluid inside the eye is responsible for the intraocular pressure or "IOP." Eye pressure is generally independent of blood pressure.

Eye fluid constantly replenishes itself. The fluid is produced internally. Excess fluid is drained via channels near the iris.

Eye pressure becomes excessively high when too much fluid is produced, or the drainage canals become blocked. High eye pressure can physically compress the optic nerve or interrupt blood flow feeding the nerve. In either case, the end result is nerve damage. This causes vision loss.

Glaucoma causes peripheral vision loss at first leading to "tunnel vision." Central vision is lost in severe glaucoma.

Diagnosing glaucoma is difficult because it takes several years for damage to be noticed even to the highly trained. However, there are exceptions depending on the type of glaucoma.

Primary Open Angle Glaucoma, is the most common type. It is associated with age (usually over 65) and heredity. It is usually very slow in onset and progression.

Traumatic Glaucoma occurs when and injury to the eye makes the optic nerve more susceptible to small changes in IOP, and alters the structure of the drainage system. Traumatic glaucoma can show up many years after a significant injury.

Acute Angle Closure Glaucoma is relatively rare. It can be due to iris dilation and blocking the drainage canals. This leads to a rapid increase in pressure, and sudden vision loss if not treated quickly. It occurs most commonly in the elderly.

Sometimes people have high eye pressure without glaucoma. This is called Ocular Hypertension. Ocular hypertensives are labeled as glaucoma suspects. It is not understood why some people with high eye pressure develop nerve damage while others never do. There is currently a 10 year study in progress to determine if ocular hypertensives need to be treated preventively for glaucoma.

Heredity is also a major factor in glaucoma. Both ocular hypertension and most types of glaucoma run strongly in families, especially in siblings. And African Americans are also more at risk for glaucoma than other groups.

Three things need to be present to diagnose glaucoma. First is a suspicious looking optic nerve. There are certain characteristics of a glaucoma nerve that are apparent to the trained eye. Second is a documentable, and repeatable loss of vision. Third, although not always, is an above normal eye pressure.

Sometimes glaucoma can occur in an eye without high pressure. This is called Normal Tension Glaucoma.

It is very important that people diagnosed with glaucoma, ocular hypertension, glaucoma suspects, people who have family members or history of glaucoma or African Americans get their eyes checked every year. These groups are at much higher risk for glaucoma than other people. The best way to treat glaucoma is to catch it early.

Glaucoma is a preventable cause of blindness, as there are lots of medications used to lower the eye pressure. Eye drops known as "beta-blockers" are most commonly used. However, many different drugs are available that target different aspects of the fluid mechanics. Because these drops must be used for the rest of the patient's life, and can have some undesirable side effects, it is absolutely necessary to be sure someone has glaucoma before treating it.

There are also effective surgical options of glaucoma. A laser can open the drainage system or filtering procedures can be performed. This is reserved for severe glaucoma, or in cases where medications do not adequately control the pressure.

Re-MAKE of Leaderonia

The Commisariat of Infrastructures and Hypertext has released
the following WARNING that will be active immetiately:

Due to rewriting of the code for the Style and content of the
Main Index for the upcoming Holidays, Leaderonia is experiencing
SERIOUS but reversible technical problem making the daily
reading of the Communiques difficult.
The Commisariat of Infrastructures and Hypertext has contacted
Ms.Numberonehitsong, owner of the site of Leaderonia, and
with the blessed help of her kindness, is working around the clock
to deliver the improved face of Leaderonia to its people.

Who sits on the bank

LEADERONIA. The Information Secretary of the Evening Meeting
of the One Leader, The Great Leader has issued the following statement:

After review the report on the danger that comes from leaving the
Host Administration of the Land of Leaderonia, The United States, using
demagogy to sell out the social security of the people, the Great Leader
has appointed Mr. Cureforfolly to the most urgent post in the cabinet for
freedomization of the people of Leaderonia, The Fiscal Dissent Ministrelly.
Long time obedient and loyal member of the personal friend the new
Ministrel was an obvious choice for the GL, whom has walk miles of
dissent along with him.
Among the chief task of the MINOFFISCADIS, Mr. Cureforfolly will
undertake the task of completing a music video with the Secretary of
Moving Image, the Italian, on americans spending habits.

The Secretariat of the GL invites the people of Leaderonia to comment
on the appointment of Mr. Cureforfolly at the head of Fiscal Dissent.

In Memoriam

George Washington

Born: February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia
Died: December 14, 1799 in Mount Vernon, Virginia

From The Memorial Office of
The Secretary of the One Leader , The Great Leader

On April 30, 1789, George Washington, standing on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York, took his oath of office as the first President of the United States. "As the first of every thing, in our situation will serve to establish a Precedent," he wrote James Madison, "it is devoutly wished on my part, that these precedents may be fixed on true principles."

Born in 1732 into a Virginia planter family, he learned the morals, manners, and body of knowledge requisite for an 18th century Virginia gentleman.

He pursued two intertwined interests: military arts and western expansion. At 16 he helped survey Shenandoah lands for Thomas, Lord Fairfax. Commissioned a lieutenant colonel in 1754, he fought the first skirmishes of what grew into the French and Indian War. The next year, as an aide to Gen. Edward Braddock, he escaped injury although four bullets ripped his coat and two horses were shot from under him.

From 1759 to the outbreak of the American Revolution, Washington managed his lands around Mount Vernon and served in the Virginia House of Burgesses. Married to a widow, Martha Dandridge Custis, he devoted himself to a busy and happy life. But like his fellow planters, Washington felt himself exploited by British merchants and hampered by British regulations. As the quarrel with the mother country grew acute, he moderately but firmly voiced his resistance to the restrictions.

When the Second Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia in May 1775, Washington, one of the Virginia delegates, was elected Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. On July 3, 1775, at Cambridge, Massachusetts, he took command of his ill-trained troops and embarked upon a war that was to last six grueling years.

He realized early that the best strategy was to harass the British. He reported to Congress, "we should on all Occasions avoid a general Action, or put anything to the Risque, unless compelled by a necessity, into which we ought never to be drawn." Ensuing battles saw him fall back slowly, then strike unexpectedly. Finally in 1781 with the aid of French allies--he forced the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown.

Washington longed to retire to his fields at Mount Vernon. But he soon realized that the Nation under its Articles of Confederation was not functioning well, so he became a prime mover in the steps leading to the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia in 1787. When the new Constitution was ratified, the Electoral College unanimously elected Washington President

He did not infringe upon the policy making powers that he felt the Constitution gave Congress. But the determination of foreign policy became preponderantly a Presidential concern. When the French Revolution led to a major war between France and England, Washington refused to accept entirely the recommendations of either his Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, who was pro-French, or his Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, who was pro-British. Rather, he insisted upon a neutral course until the United States could grow stronger.

To his disappointment, two parties were developing by the end of his first term. Wearied of politics, feeling old, he retired at the end of his second. In his Farewell Address, he urged his countrymen to forswear excessive party spirit and geographical distinctions. In foreign affairs, he warned against long-term alliances.

Washington enjoyed less than three years of retirement at Mount Vernon, for he died of a throat infection December 14, 1799. For months the Nation mourned him.

GL taps Italian to MOVIMA

LEADERONIA.This past weekend, Our One Leader, The Great Leader (GL)
had appointed an Italian to lead the Ministry of Moving Image.
The new Secretary, whose identity is protected for legal reasons, will lead
the complex department without a staff and without a budget. The GL is
confident that the Italian will achieve the long awaited objective of finishing
the production of the Documentary, which the GL and the Italian had started
in year 2002.
Always disappointed, constantly surrounded by a cloud of smoke, irascible,
capricorn and with the gift of gourmet cooking, the Italian was an obvious
choice for the GL that knows the new Sec from the days of the Academy.
While achieving the the long awaited objective of finishing the production
of the Documentar, the Sec of MOVIMA will review from time to time a
diverse array of media and cinemathetic productions from all over the World.
The Secretary of the Office of Internal Affairs for Leaderonia and the Secretary
of The One Great Leader invite the People to post comments for the
new Appointee the Secretary of the Ministry of the Moving Image.

Buon Compleanno a Fabrizia

Oggi Fabrizia, detta Bicia, primogenita della sorella maggiore del
Grande Leader, compie 22 anni.
Il giorno in cui Bicia arrivo' al mondo l'allora giovane Grande Leader corse
da casa dei genitori fino a casa della nonna per annunciare la nascita.
Nel corso degli anni Bicia ha fatto tante cose, ballerina, ginnasta,
batterista, disegnatrice e pallavolista. Ora frequenta l' Accademia di
Belle Arti di L'Aquila. E oggi si stava facendo tatuare una schacchiera
quando lo Zio l'ha chiamata al telefono per farle gli auguri di
Buon Compleanno!

La Segreteria del Grande Leader augura a Fabrizia Basile un
indimenticabile compleanno.

Art is OK in Leaderonia

The past one was an extraordinary week in the life of Lederonia,
as it was the Great Leader Visit of the Museum of Modern Art in
Manhattan, which concluded a serial of gallery visits through our
prosperous and proud community, started on last thursday at Foley's
Gallery.
The One Leader, The Great Leader was impressed by Thomas Allen
photography, which in a playfull and clever way, old books covers
are blowed life into it.
The artist and the Leader exchanged ideas and memories in a brief
conversation while the gallery owner, Mr. Foley, dressed in a dark velvet
suit entertained the visitor party with usefull and educational information
on the work displayed.
The Great Leader did leave a message on the guest book: "Neat Work Tom!".

On Saturday, The Great Leader was accompained by Her Greatness and
by personal friend and owner of the domain name of this internet site,
Ms. Numberonehitsong, in a un-scheduled visit in a boutique gallery in Long Island City.
The work shown included a take on the biosphere, photographs of the
Parade in which The Great Leader was awarded "Best Neptune 2001",
abstract paintings on paper, jewelery, fashion apparels, metal work and a
strange fountain that spelled words and maybe poetry.
Later on that day, returning in Leaderonia, the last of the galleries exhibit,
The Great Leader with Her Greatness visioned the work of several young
artist and personal friend and talented artist Ms. Ku.
Ms. Ku's drawings were hung on the walls of the crispy Open Ground space,
some were hung right in the middle on the room. Her depiction of young girls
and birds were in the artist words a recall of the cultural revolution in China
during the Great Leap Forward. The visitors could enjoy the disturbing and
twisted nightmarish images while enjoy the presence of the artist dressed
prettily and innocentely in white.
The other artists exhibited some good work and some less good, in example,
the comic book-type pop imagery or the poorly executed childish small
drawings which were taped on the wall in front of a chair with a walkman
and headphones. A finer feature was a series of decoupages assembled
delicately in columns and rows.

On Sunday the Visiting party included the Secretary of The Moving Image
the Italian, the Minister of Research of Sound Mr. Jung and The Great Leader
family member Ms. Paupardin.
In the first official visit in teh New MoMA the Great Leader was struck by the
absence of signage and the surprising unprofessionality of the floor staff.
Once inside, the crowd moved from space to space in enjoyment of famous
and less known work.
The scheduled visit included the screening of an Italian filmaker which
disappoited the Great Visiting Party especially the Italian.

Visual Art Event

Saturday December 4th, the One Leader, The Great Leader
will be at Open Ground Gallery to attend the last opening of
the Open Season Series:

“Chance Encounters”.

The invitation was handed to Her Greatness by personal friend
and talented artist Fay Ku who will show her latest work.

Press Release

Photography Event

From The Ministry of Real Culture :

Thursday December 2nd, the One Leader, The Great Leader
will be at Foley Gallery to attend the opening of Thomas Allen's

"Uncovered".

The invitation was sent by Michael Foley in person.

THOMAS ALLEN: Uncovered

Dec 2 - Feb 5, 2005

Opening reception for the artist:
Thursday, December 2 from 6 - 8
At Foley's, located at 547 W 27th Street,
5th floor between 10th and 11th Avenue.