Chris Ernesto

Chris Ernesto (born October 16, 1963) is a founding member of St. Pete for Peace, a non-partisan antiwar organization providing peace oriented education events and services to the Tampa Bay, FL community since 2003. He created and manages the StPeteForPeace.org, OccupyArrests.com and USinAfrica.com websites. Ernesto has also organized numerous demonstrations, published multiple articles and videos, and is a lead researcher for St. Pete for Peace where he has developed dozens of fact sheets.

Early life

Ernesto was born in Oakland, CA and raised in San Leandro, CA by working class parents, Tony and Judy Ernesto. He graduated from Marina High School in 1981. He obtained a Bachelors of Art in Economics (with a minor in Statistics) from the University of California, Davis where he was a three-year letterman in baseball and member of the 1985 UC Davis baseball Hall of Fame team. He then obtained his Masters of Science in Applied Statistics from the University of Alabama.

Biostatistician career

After completing a research residency at the U.S. Department Of Energy as a Statistician/Policy Analyst (Washington, DC), Ernesto continued his first career in the non-profit/educational arena as a Statistician for The Investment Company Institute (Washington DC), as a Research Analyst at Southwestern College (Chula Vista, CA), as a Statistician for the University of California, San Diego Neurosurgery Department, as a Biostatistician for the prestigious University of California San Diego’s Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study (La Jolla, CA) and finally as owner/lead Statistician for the statistical consulting firm, Alpha Analysis Group (San Diego, CA). Ernesto co-authored numerous peer reviewed scientific and scholarly articles specific to statistical analysis in Alzheimer's Disease clinical trials.

Antiwar activist career

After moving to St. Petersburg, Florida in 2002, Ernesto began joining antiwar demonstrations during the lead-up to the war in Iraq and co-founded the antiwar group, St Pete for Peace.

Ernesto helps organize for St Pete for Peace, which presents free, weekly socially conscious movies since 2007, sends out weekly updates on news topics and future events, organizes antiwar protests and rallies in the Tampa Bay area and across the country, facilitates webcasts, podcasts, concerts and guest speakers. Ernesto has been webmaster for the StPeteForPeace.org website since 2003 which is a repository of information showcasing upcoming events and demonstrations, fact sheets (sourced information about intriguing or low profile news events), articles published on various news oriented websites, videos spanning a wide range of topics, a chronological listing of past events and photos, and podcasts. Ernesto also created and manages the USinAfrica.com website which chronicles the US military involvement in Africa and OccupyArrests.com which is a historical archive of the number of Occupy protesters arrested around the US during the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Body of work

Academic publications

Ernesto is a prolific co-author of many scientific and scholarly articles regarding clinical trials and statistical analysis in the areas of Alzheimer’s Disease. Publications include:

• A Controlled Trial of Selegiline, Alpha-Tocopherol, or Both as Treatment for Alzheimer's Disease; The New England Journal of Medicine; Vol. 336, No. 17, April 24, 1997.

• Rationale and Design of a Multicenter Study of Selegiline and Alpha-Tocopherol in the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease Using Novel Clinical Outcomes; Alzheimer's Disease and Associated Disorders, Vol. 10, No. 3, 1996.

• Computing Power in the Design of Clinical Trials Using Ordered Polychotomous Logistic Regression; Controlled Clinical Trials & Seventeenth Annual Meeting of the Society for Clinical Trials; April 1996, Vol. 17, Number 2s; presented May 1996.

• Clinical Monitoring of Rating Scales in Multicenter Clinical Trials; Controlled Clinical Trials & Seventeenth Annual Meeting of the Society for Clinical Trials, April 1996: Vol. 17, Number 2s; presented by Schafer, May 1996.

• Neuropsychological Assessment of Severely Demented Elderly - The Severe Cognitive Impairment Profile; Archives of Neurology, Vol. 53, April 1996.

• Longitudinal Examination of American National Adult Reading Test (AMNART) Performance in Dementia of the Alzheimer Type (DAT): Validation and Correction Based on Degree of Cognitive Decline; Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology; 1996: Vol. 18, Number 6.

• Clinical Dementia Rating training and reliability in multicenter studies: The Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study experience; Neurology, Volume 48, June 1997.

• The Severe Impairment Battery: Concurrent Validity and the Assessment of Longitudinal Change in Alzheimer’s Disease; Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, Volume 11, Supplement 2, 1997.

• Assessing Patterns of Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease Patients with the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory; Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, Volume 11, Supplement 2, 1997.

• An Inventory to Assess Activities of Daily Living for Clinical Trials in Alzheimer's Disease; Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, Volume 11, Supplement 2, 1997.

• Development of Cognitive Instruments for Use in Clinical Trials of Antidementia Drugs: Additions to the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale That Broaden Its Scope; Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, Volume 11, Supplement 2, 1997.

• A Multicenter Evaluation of New Treatment Efficacy Instruments for Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical Trials: Overview and General Results; Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, Volume 11, Supplement 2, 1997.

Antiwar publications

Ernesto is the author of many articles which have been published online over the last several years. These peace and social justice themed articles include commentary ranging from Hollywood and the Obama Myth, to ISIS, 911, the destruction of Iraq and military violence as it relates to school shootings:

• "Don’t Bomb ISIS on My Behalf" | This article appeared in the Sept. 14, 2014 edition of RINF Alternative News.

• "Hollywood and the Obama Myth" | This article appeared in the Aug. 21, 2014 edition of Antiwar.com.

• "Too bad no one has proven 911 was an inside job" | This article appeared in the Sept. 9 edition of RINF Alternative News.

• "Arming ISIS in Syria – Bombing them in Iraq?" | This article appeared in the June 15, 2014 edition of Antiwar.com.

• "Six US Presidents have destroyed Iraq" | This article appeared in the July 4, 2014 edition of Antiwar.com.

• "Israel and the US have bombed 8 Muslim countries this year" | This article appeared in the July 27, 2014 edition of Antiwar.com.

• "Thank you President Obama, Love Israel" | This article appeared in the July 12, 2014 edition of Antiwar.com.

• "Step up to the Plate, Democrats" | This article appeared in the June 19, 2014 edition of Antiwar.com.

• "Brzezinski Mapped Out the Battle for Ukraine in 1997" | This article appeared in the March 15, 2014 edition of Antiwar.com.

• "Downed Malaysian Jet Intensifies Russia Bashing" | This article appeared in the July 21, 2014 edition of GlobalResearch.

• "The Irony of Clinton's Comparison of Putin to [...]" | This article appeared in the March 7, 2014 edition of the Huffington Post.

• "Americans Getting Played on Ukraine" | This article appeared in the April 24, 2014 edition of Antiwar.com.

• "Heads Up – the US is Losing in Ukraine" | This article appeared in the May 29, 2014 edition of Antiwar.com.

• "School Shootings and US Militarism" | This article appeared in the June 13, 2014 edition of Counterpunch.org.

• "Report Card: American Exceptionalism" | This article appeared in the May 2, 2014 edition of the Huffington Post.

• "20 Ways Obama and Democrats Have Betrayed the World" | This article appeared in the Dec. 22, 2013 edition of the Huffington Post.

• "Does the 'Red Line' Apply to Syrian Rebels, Too?" | This article appeared in the Aug. 26, 2013 edition of the Huffington Post.

• "From Iran in 1953 to Egypt in 2013 -- Why Should the World Have to Pay for U.S. Empire?" | This article appeared in the Aug. 21, 2013 edition of the Huffington Post.

• "Weapon Manufacturers' Influence on Egypt Policy" | This article appeared in the Aug. 1, 2013 edition of the Huffington Post.

• "Is Obama Really the 'Lesser of Two Evils'?" | This article appeared in the June 18, 2013 edition of the Huffington Post.

• "Will the U.S. Violate Its Own Laws by Arming Rebels in Syria?" | This article appeared in the May 8, 2013 edition of the Huffington Post.

• "Arrests Exceed 7,000 As the Occupy Movement's Spring Plans Unfold Across the Nation" | This article appeared in the May 3, 2012 edition of the Huffington Post.

Videos

Ernesto has produced many multi-themed videos regarding peace and social justice issues, including:

• The Israel Lobby Protects Neo-Nazis in Ukraine | This video appeared on YouTube on Nov. 28, 2014.

• Five short videos on ISIS, Syria and Iraq | This video appeared on YouTube on Oct. 28, 2014.

• I Really Like the Cops | This video appeared on YouTube on Aug. 18, 2014.

• Victoria Nuland admits to Neo-Nazis in Ukraine | This video appeared on YouTube on July 18, 2014.

• 5 musical artists with a message | This video appeared on YouTube on May 24, 2014.

• 5 Dirty Tricks Played on Russia and Ukraine | This video appeared on YouTube on May 9, 2014.

• Why Americans should cheer for Putin | This video appeared on YouTube on April 18, 2014.

• Why is the US involved in Ukraine? | This video appeared on YouTube on March 21, 2014.

• US support of Neo-Nazis in Ukraine – Video Compilation | This video appeared on YouTube on March 18, 2014.

Fact sheets

Ernesto has researched, produced and maintains numerous fact sheets for St. Pete for Peace, including:

• Report Card on American Exceptionalism | This fact sheet appeared on St. Pete for Peace in 2014.

• News from the US covert war in Yemen | This fact sheet appeared on St. Pete for Peace in 2012.

• Among other things since becoming president, Barack Obama has… | This fact sheet appeared on St. Pete for Peace in 2009.

• Debunking Obama’s case for war on Syria | This fact sheet appeared on St. Pete for Peace in 2013.

• 20 Ways Obama and the Democrats Have Betrayed the World | This fact sheet appeared on St. Pete for Peace in 2013.

• The Real Threat to Americans | This fact sheet appeared on St. Pete for Peace in 2008.

• Obama 6 Bush 4 | This fact sheet appeared on St. Pete for Peace in 2011.

• The US is on the Same Side as Al-Qaeda in Syria | This fact sheet appeared on St. Pete for Peace in 2013.

• Protesting Works | This fact sheet appeared on St. Pete for Peace in 2011.

• Iran Talking Points | This fact sheet appeared on St. Pete for Peace in 2010.

• 20 Words in Reaction to Obama’s 2014 State of the Union Address | This fact sheet appeared on St. Pete for Peace in 2014.

• US/Iran Timeline | This fact sheet appeared on St. Pete for Peace in 2010.

• Star Wars VII – The US Empire Strikes First | This fact sheet appeared on St. Pete for Peace in 2007.

• The World Is Rising Up | This fact sheet appeared on St. Pete for Peace in 2011.

• Good News from 2009-2011 | This fact sheet appeared on St. Pete for Peace in 2009.

• Who Knew? Blacks, Women and Democrats MORE Likely to Support NSA Spying | This fact sheet appeared on St. Pete for Peace in 2014.

• What’s the Deal with Kony 2012 | This fact sheet appeared on St. Pete for Peace in 2012.

• Tunisia Starts the Arab Revolution | This fact sheet appeared on St. Pete for Peace in 2011.

Protests and events

Since 2003, Ernesto has led dozens of protests and events throughout Florida and across the country against U.S. and Israeli wars on Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen and Palestine. In addition, Ernesto led the fight for First Amendment rights when the city of St. Petersburg, FL attempted to stop antiwar demonstrations on a public sidewalk in front of the Baywalk shopping mall. And Ernesto participated in the struggle for homeless rights in St. Petersburg and Tampa, FL when local police slashed the tents of homeless people and strict anti-homeless laws were enacted.

He has also organized demonstrations against weapon’s manufacturers, the AIPAC lobby, NSA spying, drones, racial profiling, both the republican and democrat political parties and national conventions, political fundraisers, the Quran burning, BP oil disaster, military speakers, torture, the financial bailout, military recruitment centers at high schools, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Rudy Giuliani, David Petraeus, and police oppression. Events were also held in support of Bradley Manning, Edward Snowden, Cindy Sheehan, youth in Afghanistan, WikiLeaks, human rights, gay rights, and the US Constitution.