Make a Difference

Huge Ash Spill in Tenessee

2009-01-14T17:40:00.002-05:00

Ok so it is from Common Dreams and it screams environmentalism, but c'mon. Here are some of the highlights to the title link. Written by David Cook

a man-made pond containing toxic ash...more than one billion gallons of coal ash spilled into the Tennessee River and its tributaries.

The spill is 40 times larger than the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska

The Kingston coal power plant is one of the many energy plants owned and operated by the governmental agency known as the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Go to United Mountain Defense for more information about the disaster and to donate to their relief efforts. So far TVA "Tennessee Valley Authority" is not providing any type of refief aid.

Make a Difference -- Vote 2008 -- Ohio Issues 5 and 6

2008-11-03T23:59:00.005-05:00

Here is an embedded video from my business partner and I. We are working on a new show called "Capitol Beat" or something to that effect. Jeremy is a West Wing fan. Anywho, check out the video and send feedback to our listed e-mail. Jeremy finished the video on his own so don't worry, we are not yelling at anyone, just the wrong font size for some of the lettering. If interested in being a rant contributor or political opinion giver we also ask that you consider joining The G1NBC Connection or visiting our newest afiliate page for G1NBC Toledo.

The video talks a little about the upcoming Presidential Election and some rant/opinion from Jeremy about Issues 5&6 on the Ohio Ballot. We have video and pictures from early voting in Columbus this past weekend.

Jeremy and I are novice media elites soon to be kicked out of a lot more places. We hope that you will join us on our ride.

Remember to Vote Today

Make a Difference -- Make your voice heard -- Global Poverty

2008-10-15T22:12:00.005-05:00

I did not get the e-mail util this morning, but I have been thinking about what to post for Blog Action Day. I mean we have had the ONE.Org campaign banner on Make a Difference since like 2006 or something. Why isn't that poverty thing done yet?

The campaign is based on achievement of the Millenium Development Goals [United Nations] of cutting cases of extreme poverty and global disease in half by 2015.

You can take action now to help reach the goal. Here are a few ways presented by Stand Up Take Action:

Organise a free lunch/food distribution
Donate used-books / stationeries
Mosquito nets distribution
Public speech
Letters of opposition or support
Group lobbying
Overloading of facilities by emails / faxes / letters
Pray-in
Web online / SMS actions

We have had several posts about AIDS here on our site and also want to believe that the goal is achievable. So we are posting this in recognition of Blog Action Day. However,

This could be the beginning of a long journey, if today helps shape discussion on these important issues. What should America's role be?

Make a Difference -- Remember -- [No Farms, No Food tm]

2008-07-25T11:55:00.004-05:00

At the Perrysburg Farmers Market there was a frenzy of people clouding the white tent with the "No Farms No Food" bags hanging from each end. There were pencils, brochures, postcards, and a free bag for everyone who signed up. At the local level, I did not catch the name of the donor of the bags, but the American Farmland Trust is the title link for this post.

Here is a brief snip from their overview page:

American Farmland Trust is committed to protecting the nation's best farm and ranch land and improving the economic viability of agriculture.

The AFT seeks to shape a new debate about the future of American Agriculture by outlining the debate for the Farm Bill.

Here are some links for Ohio agriculture:
For Kids-colorful and cheery
State of Ohio--statistics, up to date?
Historical Ohio--historical perspective

Nuisance complaints for farms. A complaint that can change city ordinances to keep out agriculture. A very interesting phenomenon. I love the huge cornfield next to McDonalds on Reynolds, an interesting combination for Toledo.

Bye Bye Budweiser!! Anheuser-Busch gets 70$ a share from InBev!!

2008-07-13T22:49:00.007-05:00

The title link has the bloomberg.com article. Wow an American giant, sold. No FDIC bailout in this case, like Fannie or Freddy.. The makers of Stella Artois now have this brand:

pic link

A Debate Between Ben Konop and Maggie Thurber?

2008-07-11T17:47:00.003-05:00

Roland Hansen of "Roland Hansen Commentary" has initiated a call for a possible debate on the economy from former Lucas County Commissioner Maggie Thurber had this to say about a potential meeting:

I think it would be a good idea and would do my best to arrange my schedule in order to participate.

The discussion launched when Roland made the post on his blog. The Toledo Free Press titled the Article written by Thurber as "Konopnomics" and Konop's article was appropriately named "Thurbernomics".

Nothing so far on Ben Konop's Elected Official's Blog about their potential participation.

Capitol Hill Buzzing -- A perfect imphment storm.

2008-07-11T12:45:00.004-05:00

This just in from Robert Wexler D-Fla. It seems that several items are creating a reason to hear Articles drafted by Dennis Kucinich from Cleveland. They are as follows:

• Karl Rove once again thumbed his nose at Congress and the American people by brazenly ignoring a lawful congressional subpoena to testify before the House of Representatives;

• Judiciary Chairman John Conyers indicated his willingness to use the power of inherent contempt against Rove if necessary;

• Rep. Dennis Kucinich introduced another article of impeachment on Bush's lies regarding the Iraq war; and

• Speaker Nancy Pelosi was quoted today saying that the House Judiciary Committee should address the issues that Kucinich raises in the House Judiciary Committee.

Here is an interview with Mr. Kucinich by E.D. Hill on "America's Election HQ," July 10, 2008. Thanks to Fox News for the link.

The title link will expmore about the article from Op-Ed News.

Here is a link to an article describing John Conyers possible attempt to prosecute Rove for contempt.

Big Developments, let's see where it goes from here.

Why Does John McCain hate bloggers?

2008-07-07T10:00:00.003-05:00

The title link goes to Toledo Talk, which shows a video clip of McCain making a little joke about bloggers.

Does he really hate all of us?

Obama

2008-06-03T23:43:00.001-05:00

Ohio Superdelegates Divided--What a shocker--Could we take some action please?

2008-05-13T15:36:00.002-05:00

With all of Ohio's Democratic "superdelegates" named, the Dayton Daily News reports that more remain uncommitted than those pledged to presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. This is getting rediculous. Could you people commit and drive her out of office.
Click the link above to read more...

Report: FBI Asked to Investigate Dann

2008-05-13T15:33:00.001-05:00

The Columbus Dispatch reports that the FBI has been asked to investigate Attorney General Marc Dann's dealings with gambling interests, reportedly by a task force that is part of his office. I'm so glad that we will get a fair investigation. Read more in the Columbus Dispatch by clicking the link above

House Dems File Articles of Impeachment Against Dann

2008-05-13T15:30:00.002-05:00

For those who have interest: The House Democratic Caucus Tuesday filed nine Articles of Impeachment against Attorney General Marc Dann, accusing Dann of misconduct and malfeasance in office.

Promoting Obama: The time for change is now

2008-05-13T14:53:00.004-05:00

Wanted to highlight a couple YouTube videos I found on Obama. Hats off to his campaign and supporters. The time for change is now.

An Ad on climate change

An ad that is a music video of sorts

AIDS Housing Goes Blobal: Satellite conference at IAC to address housing, poverty

2008-05-09T14:57:00.011-05:00

I like seeing groups working to bring themselves together for change

If you plan on attending the International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Mexico City in August, don't miss the "International Summit on Poverty, Homelessness and HIV/AIDS" satellite session: This first-of-its-kind meeting will create a strategy for addressing homelessness and poverty as significant barriers to fighting the AIDS epidemic.

The two-hour summit is organized by the National AIDS Housing Coalition, Housing Works and the Ontario HIV Treatment Network, with committee members from Thailand, China, Kenya, South Africa, the U.S. and Canada. Participants will work together to develop and present to the IAC a declaration demanding adequate housing as a fundamental human right and an essential element of effective HIV prevention and health care.

View AIDS 2008 fact sheet here.

Click to learn about a proposed National AIDS Strategy

Hotel Hell: AIDS and housing advocates renew the fight against greedy SRO landlords

2008-05-09T14:53:00.005-05:00

***Received this via email from Housing Works and thought I would share***

A spirited rally last Saturday targeted landlord Hank Freid for illegally converting commercial single room occupancies (SROs) meant for low-income people, many with HIV, into hotels for tourists.
"It's a crime and a shame," said Eric Abrams, a HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) client who is suing Freid to stay in his room at Freid's Broadway Hotel on Broadway & 101st Street. More than 50 people attended the rally, organized by the Goddard Riverside West Side SRO Law Project, New York City AIDS Housing Network (NYCAHN), City Councilmembers Melissa Mark Viverito and Gail Brewer, the Housing Conservation Coordinators and the West Side Neighborhood Alliance, and included a skit (see below) featuring a HASA representative throwing money at a scary, giant Freid.".

No Names Released for Barrett Replacement

2008-05-09T14:43:00.003-05:00

The Lorain Morning Journal reports although the deadline to apply for the vacant Ohio 58th District seat was yesterday, the Ohio House Democratic Caucus has not yet released the names of the at least seven applicants.

Click on title to view the complete article.

Paid Sick Leave Coalition Looks to November Ballot

2008-05-09T14:39:00.002-05:00

Business First reports that proponents of a paid-sick-leave mandate are racing to secure a spot on the November ballot.

Ohioans for Healthy Families is the Coalition Organization. Sick Days Ohio is the name of the campaign.

Here is a list of Interested Citizens and Organizations.

2008-05-08T14:41:00.005-05:00

***Posting from a friend of mine who used to run the Daily Speech Blog.***

OUR party has had an extraordinary battle for the presidential nomination. Two amazing historical candidates.
OUR great country (yes it is great, indeed) has seen a woman and an African American stand as serious viable candidates for the most powerful office on the planet – President of the United States.
Think that through folks, how amazing that is. You are living through history your great grandchildren will study in school.
Because of the strength and greatness of these two amazing people, passions are great on both sides, the passions of their respective supporters.
Many older women who fought the hard battle for gender equality in the 60s and 70s and even into today were busting at the seams with pride in Hillary Clinton and understandably so. She is a very talented intelligent gutsy woman and she would make a fine President. As a male feminist, I too look forward to seeing that highest glass ceiling broken.
The Democratic race for the nomination is not over yet, but what is so clear is we need to begin the process of healing our party and preparing for the fall battle against John McCain.
We need to be united to strengthen our majorities in the House and Senate and elect such fine Democrats as Mary Jo Kilroy.
Even as I praise what Hillary Clinton represents, the dreams she inspired and helped people to believe in, we also have an amazing candidate in Barack Hussein Obama. That’s right folks, use his middle name with pride!
When I saw this dynamic young state senator from Illinois give his rousing speech less than 4 years ago at the Democratic National Convention, his enthusiasm and his emphasis of national unity, I felt chills up my spine and I said at that moment, “We are watching the first black President of the United States speak”.
I am confident many Hillary Clinton supporters felt the same way hearing Obama speak then. Yet they as well as I never dreamed we were talking 2009.
To be sure, many Hillary Clinton supporters are angry that Barack Obama did not “wait his turn”. After all he is only 46 – 8 years from now he would still be quite young. Why could he not let Hillary Clinton serve her 8 years and then he could follow her?
Such anger is understandable. But often times history does not play as we wish it would.
September 11, 2001 saw a seismic shift in this country. Initially the whole country and even the world were united and George W. Bush squandered a historic opportunity by embroiling us in an unnecessary oil driven war in Iraq. While wasting precious lives and incredible money on that misadventure, he also paid his corporate buddies with continued tax breaks and no-bid contracts at the expense of the middle class and poor. He cravenly used the fear of 9/11 to win a squeaker “re-“election in 2004. Now Gallup says he is the most unpopular president since they started polling 70 years ago.
John McCain IS a Vietnam War hero and we need to honor his great service to this country. He ran a truly maverick campaign against George W. Bush in 2000 and opposed Bush many times in the last 8 years. But as he approached 70 years of age he realized his final opportunity to be president had arrived and he caved on virtually every principle he had. He was against Bush’s wasteful tax cuts for the rich. He is now for them. He championed campaign finance reform, and yet “used” the system last December to finance his cash starved campaign and turned around and broke FEC rules, he was a passionate opponent of Bush’s war crimes torture policies and now is muted on that (and as a former POW for God’s sake!), he criticized the likes of Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell as “agents of intolerance” and then kissed Falwall’s ring at an appearance at Liberty University last year. He turned from a man of honor to an old man desperate to be president at any cost, willing to pander in anyway necessary – the hell with his principles.
John McCain has morphed into George W. Bush and we cannot allow him to be President.
So let’s finish this Democratic nomination race for President on a high note. Let’s let the remaining states and territories vote. Let’s find a fair way to seat Michigan and Florida and let’s unite behind the nominee of our party when that is made official. For the supporters of whoever loses the nomination, we will not forget we are fighting for the same things and that we will stand behind you and WITH you as we fight to bring to Washington a new voice for the people, a person who will bring true hope and respect back for our country, here and abroad.
For the candidate I support since day one, I leave you with this:

DOE Plan for Nuke Waste is Reshelved

2008-05-08T14:37:00.002-05:00

The Department of Energy plans will not happen anytime soon on the grounds of the former uranium-enrichment plant in Piketon according to a report in the Columbus Dispatch. Click on the above link to read more.

Governor Signs Bill Eliminating Tobacco Group

2008-05-08T14:30:00.003-05:00

Gov. Ted Strickland signed legislation, effective immediately, abolishing the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation and authorizing state Treasurer Richard Cordray to liquidate its $270 million in remaining funds - with $230 million going to a new state jobs fund. Read more in the Dayton Daily News by following the link above.

McSame Video -- John McCain Hugging G.W. Bush

2008-04-14T19:23:00.003-05:00

This article from NPR provides some good information about the private group. Let the mudslinging begin. Here is a CMD Log about the group Campaign to Defend America

Do commercials work?
Is this a convincing argument?

George Bush {Will Farrell} tells Jon Stewart What's Up

2008-04-14T19:08:00.005-05:00

Title link is to funnyordie.com . A great video of Will Farrell as GW. He crushes Jon Sterwart in this interview.

Buy a T-Shirt for the Worst President Ever

2008-04-11T10:34:00.005-05:00

So I came across this article in the Huffington Post today and I said to myself "Worst President Ever" in a similar fashion that the comic book guy from The Simpsons.

Then I said to myself, that would be a great T-Shirt, Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons saying "Worst President Ever". I thought, no way, someone already has this T-Shirt idea out there. And, voila:

Oh Man, that just worked out too well. Then I got a little sketchy about whether or not the article was correct. Well if you click on the title link you will be taken to pollingreport.com where you can look at Bush's statistics from all of the major News Networks polls, including {ahem, cough--cough} Fox. He is deinitely on a downward trend from 2005 to his lowst rating to date. Oh Comic Book Guy.

What will Patraeus say about Iraq?

2008-04-07T16:59:00.003-05:00

General Patraeus testifies to Congress tomorrow, giving an update on Iraq, the "Surge" and the latest string of violence. The yahoo article from Nancy Youssef (McClatchy's chief Pentagon correspondent)here outlines these pitfalls, just in the past few weeks:

Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki launched in the southern port city of Basra and in Baghdad two weeks ago. Instead of ridding the city of rogue Shiite Muslim militias, the operation exposed the frailty of the U.S.-trained Iraqi military, emboldened rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr and his fighters and showcased Iran's powerful influence on Iraq's security and politics.

Click on the title link to order a transcript .pdf from NHPR tomorrow.

Make a Difference -- Talk to People about the War on Drugs

2008-04-03T20:46:00.004-05:00

In 2002, the rate was 1 in 142, now it is 1 out of 99. Our incarceration rate has skyrocketed in the past few years and is now the highest in the world. See more from this article written by CBS and AP.

Below is an embedded video from the IDPI - Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative and Common Sense Drug Policy, two groups that are working together to make a difference in the wasteful complex and ineffective "War on Drugs". The other video can be seen at this link or you can e-mail info@cdsp.org for more information.

They want to get the word out about this initiative and ask community organizers to take these steps:

1) Get free copies of Clergy Speak Out Against The War On Drugs and the ACLU’s new Marijuana, It’s Time for a Conversation, featuring Rick Steves
-Copies of Clergy Speak Out Against The War On Drugs are available by contacting info@csdp.org

2) Organize a local meeting, watch the DVDs, and then…

3) Have a one-hour discussion, and invite local policy makers and media to a follow-up meeting to address your concerns.

Is Ron Paul Still Running for President

2008-04-03T18:35:00.004-05:00

I have not heard anything from our media about Ron Paul, since McCain was dubbed as the nominee, so I search the internet tubes to find that he is still going stong with his campaign. The title link goeas directly to his campaign updates. The video below is an interview he did with Glenn Beck where he talks about our economy, the housing crisis, Wall Street and the Federal Reserve. His message should be brought mainstream, but when will people listen? Of couse it ran on April 1st, so most people might just think he is kiddding, but he makes compelling arguments.

Democrats in Primaries, Vote for Obama not Hillary Clinton

2008-02-17T21:39:00.001-05:00

Olberman 12/06/07 George Bush is a Liar, if not worse.

2007-12-07T00:15:00.000-05:00

Layin' the smacketh down...

Deceiving the U.S. on Iran

Minute Man Cartoon

2007-12-04T14:15:00.000-05:00

Here is a cartoon from MinuteMan Media, a great new independent op-ed that I came across thanks to The Man with the Muck Rake.

If you read Fast Company, your a good person....

2007-12-04T11:58:00.000-05:00

but, if you join people this decade (before 2010) to convert your energy preference from oil to bio-diesel, we can change our countries political politics. The first step is for citizens to increase the demand for a diesel engine. In an article from Fast Company's November magazine a transfer from our current 86-93 octane back to diesel (I believe this was the primary oil used in the 60's and 70's) we can cut our emissions by 90 percent and our gas mileage will increase 40%.

In a single stroke, that would improve the nation's mileage by as much as 40%, and, because diesel fuel is already widely available, drivers could take that step with a minimum of disruption. What's more, given that many diesel engines can also run homegrown biodiesel, a mass conversion to diesel would help kick-start that market.

Here is another quote from the article "Motorhead Messiah" disuccing the implications of a shift to deisel fuel:

"...if we converted merely one-third of America's passenger cars and light trucks to diesel, we'd reduce our oil consumption by up to 1.4 million barrels of oil per day--precisely the amount we import from Saudi Arabia."

Once we convert back to diesel engines, then we can consider using bio-diesel.

I thought this trailer was great. If you are interested in helping me organize a showing at a local theater please send me an e-mail.

I think these would be some great first steps in reducing our reliance on foreign oil and saving money by increasing our gas mileage.

The North American Union, The Amero, SPP, and The Trilateral Commission

2007-11-29T14:37:00.000-05:00

Here is another article from our friends at PrisonPlanet.com about the media cover up on plans for a North American Union.

It seems our media is out to get us and the power elites in our world desire one world government. What to do, what to do.....

This link is well written, embedded with videos and actual information. Make sure to read it with a keen eye and make up your own mind.

Unity 08 -- Achieve Ballot Access

2007-11-27T13:05:00.000-05:00

One way to shake up politics is to shake up the power structure that exists. Getting ballot access is one area where it will only take a few organized individuals to make a change in Washington. Organizing with Unity 08 to get a 'Unity Ticket" on the ballot can help change the pace of our country.

As each candidate panders to their base and tries to win their party nomination, some candidates will not continue to the big dance (election day 08). With Unity 08, we can organize people around the issues and elect a ticket that can be comprised of Democrats, Republicans, or Independents depending upon how each candidate reponds to what we (members of Unity 08 and our audience) feel are the issues facing America. But first we need to get Unity 08 on the ballot.

Here is a video from Shilpi Niyogi about the importance of gaining ballot access in all of the States:

To the Toledoans out there, if you want to meet up and talk about Unity '08 please send me an e-mail (on my profile page).

New Ghostbusters Video Game--Original Cast signs on to participate.

2007-11-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

Who You Gonna Call?

Just found this article today, the original cast of ghostbusters is reuniting to lend their voices and faces to a revamped Ghostbusters game on all major platforms. The aticle from the BBC said the game will be out late next year (Christmas time, I',m sure).

Thanks to zero g for his great photo with the infamous g-busters cigar smokin' villan slimer!!

Video from

2007-11-13T12:03:00.000-05:00

Dave Foster, Marketing Manager at Unity08, talks about Florida's and Michigan's decisions to move their primaries up and the Democratic party's decision not to count their votes.

With our two party system, there will be some good canidates that do not get the nod from their respective parties. If Unity '08 grows its membership, and can galvanize American's around issues to elect a Unity ticket (possibly members from both parties, or in combination with an independent) then we can elect a ticket that will change the face of politics.

I will be dedicating some posts to Unity '08 in the following months, to help build a bigger membership and reach a larger audience to help shape our presidential landscape.

Make a Difference : Buy a child a laptop and get one for your family.

2007-11-10T11:22:00.000-05:00

One Laptop per Child begins its kickoff program where US citizens can purchase a laptop for $399 and the Organization will donate 1 laptop to a child in a developing country.

Nicholas Negroponte, Chairman of the program has this as the purpose of the organization:

"The OLPC Foundation's mission is to stimulate local grassroots initiatives designed to enhance and sustain over time the effectiveness of laptops as learning tools for children living in lesser-developed countries."

Here is a link that takes you directly to the hardware specifications of the 1LPC laptop.

I think this is a great idea with a lot of potential, but I also think that we need more programs focused on increasing our populations access to affordable computers. A lot of youth and families cannot afford current prices and this type of product would be beneficial for ensuring their access to good computers and the web.

Attention non-profit grant writers: Use this 1LPC program to get affordable laptops for your school or youth program. Use half of the laptops to get affordable laptops for your program and then the other laptops are already donated for you and you can use it in your pr that your group donated through the program. You might even go as far as, starting a web-based "pen pal" program with the children who recieve the laptops.

Mass production for the laptops is already underway and the program may have a rival sooner than they hope.

We are change, Info Wars, Neo Cons, PNAC, Iran War

2007-10-24T15:49:00.001-05:00

Now I know most of our country does not believe any of the dissent with regards to 9/11 and how that tragedy really occurred. A close look at the evidence, rather than what was pumped to us via our steadfast media does tell a very different story. However, the point of this post is not to discuss that tragic event at all, rather to discuss two groups that are steadfast in trying to decompress the media that we are confronted with on a daily basis and searching for the truth.

I consider these types of New Media outlets to be one of my preferred sources for stories and perspectives that the big conglomerates don't follow or don't find "newsworthy". And since the drum up to the Iran War seems to be going full force, it seems clearer to me that this occupation of Iraq is just the starting point. Iran is next, and we will occupy and dominate a good portion of the Middle East in the next decade (unless we do something).

One is Alex Jones--he has a site called Info-Wars and a daily radio show where he is able to discuss and interview people that "mainstream media" would consider "conspiracy theorists". His site is full of information regarding Gun Control, 9/11 Investigations, North American Union, and the economy etc.

The Next site is We Are Change. They are a relatively new group of miscreants, who arm themselves with cameras (sometimes) and "invade" Book Discussions, TV Shows (Bill Maher, lately), and other public figure interviews looking to find and demand the truth behind 9/11.

The reason I am posting this today is because we are change confronted NeoConservative (a former liberal by the way) Norman Poderetz at a book signing and asked him some tough questions about the PNAC, The Iraq War, and the possibility of Bombing Iran. The video is a great watch as you can see, even some people who were not with the We Are Change group actually confront Mr. Poderetz on some of his views regarding "Islamofascism". Towards the end, you can see that he has had enough and looses his cool, telling on audience member to "just shut up". Here is the write up of Poderetz and his relationship to George W. Bush and his current campaign candidate Rudy Giuliani.

In conclusion, I am not sure what I believe to be the truth yet, I get my news from various sources, and these sites alone do not make the "truth" but represent a more holistic picture than just watching tv or reading the daily newpaper.

Don't forget me when I'm gone...

2007-10-24T15:46:00.000-05:00

Dear 11 daily readers, I appologize for my absence over the last two weeks. My laptop crashed at home and I was sick with a viral infection, hindering my ability to get to a functioning computer. I am all better now and looking to kick into full gear.

Make sure you check out this site and my blog for the iptv site to keep up on some current campaigns. If you want to take part in working with me I would love to hear from you.

I think that I am going to shy away from my progressive roots for this year's presidential ticket. I like the ideas proposed by Unity 08 and I think this is a more effective use of my desire to be involved in presidential elections. It is also an idea that I think is crucial to helping our country move beyond our individual differences and start working together to find common ground and Make a Difference.

As more develops, I hope you will take notice.

Make a Difference--Click on the new links.

2007-10-06T08:01:00.000-05:00

The new links are for a site named CharityUSA.com and they offer several webpages, where just on click can Make a Difference. I chose to include links for Literacy, Breast Cancer, Hunger, and Child Health. I opted out on a link to their Rainforest and Animal Rescue site.

Either way, click on my links and go to www.charityusa.com to visit the sites and get more information.

Here is a quote from their main site:

"Our websites bring together communities that care, giving you the power to make a difference in the world with simple, every day actions."

Please let me know if you click on any of the links.

Thanks.

Ron Paul -- 5 Million for the Third Quarter

2007-10-03T21:45:00.000-05:00

There is nothing I love better than the underdog and trust me 2008 will be the year of the underdog. The parties will select their nominees, but the people will elect the president. I would like to see the highest turnout for any presidential election since '69, but I also really want a candidate who can affect substantive change in our country.

I have voted democrat and independent for the last two elections, and I am still undecided for this upcoming election. I do know who I do not want, but if you read any of my posts or comments, you can probably figure that out.

I wanted to share with you a video that Ron Paul made/had filmed in 1987. He has not changed much around his viewpoints and it is staggering to see some of [what I see/feel] are truths to this day. It is originally from a Libertarian Site -- On Second Thought, and any fan of independent media is a friend of mine, unless of course, nevermind...

Make a Difference: [Realize] The Outsized Power of Young People to Change The World

2007-10-03T20:28:00.001-05:00

Everyone wants to know how they can make a difference. You make a difference by being in the mindset of making a difference. If you believe you can change the world around you, then the best thing you can do is go out and do it. I am very big on values. When I talk with people we usually have a discussion of theories and values. What are your theories about how our world works? What values do you live by? They are different for everyone, but the more in tune people get with these questions they better they are at being leaders and being people. I searched the site for a while because I was intrigued by the post and found this post about Values in the 21st Century. I said Yes, Yes those are good. So here they are:

1.Reduce, Recycle, Reuse
2.The Individual is more important than the corporation
3.Those who make the mess, should clean it up.
4.Collaboration between people is more important than government efforts. And more effective.
5.You can make an impact. To magnify your impact, collaborate with others.
6.Don’t blindly trust your leaders.
7.Don’t blindly believe the media.

These are values that I can rally around, and these are values that can Make a Difference. What are yours? How would you change the world?

Here is the Digg.com write up of the original post:

Individuals can change the world, and for us to change the course that society is on it will be individuals that will have to lead the changes. It’s only individual people who have the ability to change the world when it comes to environmental issues.

read more | digg story

Code Pink For Peace, Arresting Protesters, Marcy Kaptur, AEGIS, and Defense Department Oversight

2007-10-02T21:30:00.000-05:00

Ok, so these next snippets and articles are somewhat related, inter-related, and too vast for me to explain all of it. As some of you may know there were hearings all day by the oversight committe on Private Contractors. Of the parties who gave testimony were Blackwater CEO Erik Prince and members of the State Department. During this session, I was astounded at some of the numbers I heard and the testimony of our state department, let alone the lack of oversight on Blackwater and other private security forces currently in Iraq. Here are just a few of the snippets, please contact C-Span for full transcripts.

* Blackwater has conducted 3,073 Missions on Behalf of the State Department (The American People do not hear about these because they are private contractors, we even outsource our military operations)

* A State Department Official testified that American Troops and Diplomats are attacked on average 6,000 times per month.

* The State Department testified today that the issue of jurisdiction "is now" being examined. {our military and private security forces are immune from Iraqi law- CPA Order 17, they are now examining how to provide oversight}

* Blackwater was given the no-bid contract on the basis of urgency and compelling circumstances. Four other companies were considered, no one asked who they were.

* In 2001 Blackwater had less than 1 million in private security contracts with the State Dept. Now they have over 1 Billion.

* There are 160,000 private independent contractors in Iraq.

* Security Officers from private companies are hired @ 2-3 times that of primary American commanders in Iraq

Quotes from Henry Waxman (Oversight Committee Chair)

To State Department:

"We've had better response from Blackwater than we have from the State Department"
"You provide oversight to Blackwater and we provide oversight to you"
"You owe us more answers and we are going to continue to try and get them."

Then later I was watching this video about peaceful protester being arrested outside of a "pro-war rally". The organization involved in the protest was code pink and two mentionables at the pro war rally were Joe Lieberman and John McCain.

So I looked up code pink to see what they were all about and I came across this video of Code Pink members talking with Toledo's own Marcy Kaptur. She has a frank discussion about the occupation of Iraq, the story that is being kept from the American people, and the name drop of a private contractor from England AEGIS. If she tells Code Pink to investigate AEGIS, then dammit I am going to look into it as well. I did not have to look real hard to find out that this private contractor was given a 2 year contract worth 475 million.

The occupation of Iraq is costing billions of dollars and most everyone in the know knows that we are not paying for it now. People in my generation and younger will be bearing the burden of this occupation long after these people are out of office or in retirement. We do not see any of these statistics on attacks, crimes, and spending because it is outsourced to private companies. The American people are paying for these contracts and people are letting it continue.

The U.S. Embassy in Iraq Update

2007-10-01T23:52:00.001-05:00

Here is a link for a blog post by Jill over at Writes Like She Talks. It contains a link for a new article about the size (80 football fields) scope (a city within a city, while most iraqis don't have necessities) and cost (568 million sound like enough?) of the project.

So I guess the occupation of Iraq is going alright?

Sorry, you have to click on the title link to see the post and article!

Iraq War, Blackwater, Military Industrial Complex, Corruption

2007-10-01T22:54:00.000-05:00

This is a good video from the Bill Moyers journal. It outlines some of the corruption, politicking, and private scandal that is the Iraq Occupation [it is a war no more]. Namely:

*2008 -- Will be the most expensive year to date for this military plan. [When I am older, I will refuse to pay for this sham]

* 6 Billion in contracts under criminal review.
* 88 Billion in contracts audited for criminal fraud.
* Shey Assad- Dept. of Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy -- "We have not done a good job at educating our leadership...on the ground on "doing contracting""
* 630 Private companies are under U.S government employment in Iraq [Bigger than Blackwater]
* There is no financial reporting
*Whistleblower Rober Isakson talks about a scheme where hee was asked to file fake invoices for work. The company allegedly recieved 10 million for 3 million worth of work [ahhh. America]
* Condi Rice is holding off the release of key Blackwater documents.

Thanks Bill for keeping it real :)

Mike Gravel, Hillary Clinton, The White House, Joe Lieberman, War with Iran

2007-10-01T20:58:00.000-05:00

Here is a classic video of Mike Gravel at last weeks democratic debate. He applauds some colleagues for voting against legislation to give Bush authority to invade Iran and he scolds Hillary for voting for it. The legislation was written by our Independent friend (he ran as an independent because he lost the republican primary last year) Joe Lieberman. Here is Gravel's blog reply to Hillary from the Huffington post.

Air Strikes being mulled over, The White House says they are still persuing dimplomacy...[today].

Texas Legislature--Voting more than once, Good News Clip

2007-09-28T16:06:00.000-05:00

This is a video of the Texas state legislature that shows how some lawmakers vote on issues brought to the table. I do not know if this is funny, disturbing, or a typical sign of our times.

Bill Richardson--The Only Democrat who wants out of Iraq

2007-09-25T13:59:00.001-05:00

Here is a video of Bill Richardson and his position on getting the troops out of Iraq. I am posting it for two reasons, one I like underdogs (I have a few Ron Paul videos up here), and two I think it demonstrates how deep this Middle East foreign policy really goes. I do not see Hillary as anything different, from a global economy or military perspective, than what we currently have in office. Her husband is a member of the Trilateral Commission just like George W. and his father. People that plan together, hold power together in my opinion.

We'll just wait and see how this all pans out.

Garofolo, Rob THomas, Rushdie, and Bill Maher

2007-09-25T08:50:00.000-05:00

Here is a great video of the current state of the Iraq War, The failure of our local media outlets and news media in general, civilian American contractors in Iraq, and the Blackwater debacle.

Not for conservative eyes unless your ready to confront the lies.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Protests, Bush, Hypocrisy- A look into the mirror

2007-09-24T23:21:00.000-05:00

I was happy when I heard Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran was going to Columbia University for the World Leaders forum. I personally do not know the guy, so I decline to call him the names that my fellow Americans believe so vehemently.

I watched the news with interest as to what our media was going to do to this event, and in true idiot fashion they did not let me down. We decided to start it off with a grilling on 60 minutes The interviewer asked him what he liked about GWB, the Iranian president promptly threw the question back to the reporter, who replied that he liked GWB's sense of religion and Christian belief.

Here was the Presidents reply:

“What religion, please tell me, tells you as a follower of that religion to occupy another country and kill its people, please tell me, does Christianity tell its followers to do that?” Ahmadinejad asked."

Most of the protest and uproar from our country was from those who are Jewish or who are sided with Israel in terms of the conflict in the Middle East. This article clearly outlines some of the discussion about the impact the visit may have on the state of Israel

As you may or may not know the president of Iran questions the truth behind 9/11 and the holocaust, although he does admit that both did in fact happen. We are heating up for war with Iran, as part of the neo-conservative PNAC, as our work in Iraq will be continuing until Americans rise up, or by happenstance we happen to elect someone who will get us the hell out of there.

What I really thought was funny was this coverage the whole weekend. I heard flaming radio idiot Micheal Savage, not deserving of a link, talk about how the visit was cancelled. Liar. Then the coverage of the protests began on Sunday night. However, when the cameras were outside the University, the protesters just "called it a night", but we were reassured by our friends the reporters that the protesters would be back in the morning, and they were.

What is interesting is how quick most Americans are to judge. People hate the middle east because of 9/11 and believe that our government is keeping us safe from terrorism. People who oppose this stupid war an Oil Policy not a terrorist hunt, Greenspan et al have confirmed that, are made to feel like fools by our fellow Americans and are spied on by our own intelligence officers If we protest the war we are idiots, but if we protest another countries president it is ok and encouraged. There are those who do not even think Iran is a global threat, but we [Americans] will go along with what we are told by our friends on the hill and in the media.

However the real kicker is that this is the second year in a row where Ahmadinejad has challenged our president to a world forum debate, and the second year he has refused. I for one would pay up to 75$ to watch the debate between the two presidents on pay-per-view. I am not joking. However, most people know that our president barely gets through the State of the Union Addresses' and press hearings looking credible; let alone an actual debate [not including our sissified presidential debates].

Anyway,

I know I am putting myself out there with this post, but that is my reaction to this news story. I will just sit back and see how this all pans out, as I am in no position to make a difference on this matter.

"Make a Difference" Donate Life Straw

2007-09-24T23:06:00.000-05:00

I was watching the news this evening and I watched the story about the state of the drinking water in India. I did a little research and found two articles that talk about the growing water crisis and a discussion about water that should belong to the commons. During my research and witnessing of the news I remembered the LifeStraw, a device made by Vestergaard Frandsen that actually filters water as people use the device.

If you have some extra cash, you should look into contacting the Rotary Club of Menorca Spain in the title link.

One criticism of the news article and the problem of drinking water is that the Asia LifeStraw office is in New Dehli India! Why doesn't India embrace a product that has been proven effective to help with its water crisis?

Anyway, the LifeStraw seems like a good little gadget to help drinking water isssues in developing countries.

Robin Weirauch running for vacated seat in Congress

2007-09-20T15:03:00.000-05:00

Robin Weirauch has made her announcement to run for the Congressional seat that was vacated by the passing of Paul Gillmor. Gillmor was a well respected leader but Robin made a heavy dent in her 2006 campaign where she garnered 43% of the vote. Here is a copy of her canidacy announcement for this special election.

Make a Difference-- Buddy Walk for a cause!!

2007-09-20T08:43:00.000-05:00

You don't always have to give money to make a difference, in fact volunteering and actively working give a much better immediate "return on investment" than sending an organization a check. The National Down Syndrome Society is havings its annual Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome Awareness. Northwest ohio will have its Buddy Walk on October 7th at the Lucas County Rec. Center at 11a.m.

As an advocate for persons with developmental disabilities, I am aware of the struggle to stop hurtful language and limit stigma for these individuals. The link has contact information and more info about the Buddy Walk.

Bush setting up to invade Iran, Cheney wants war, Condi wants diplomacy.

2007-09-20T07:58:00.000-05:00

This is a great article from the telegraph.uk from Philip Sherwell and Tim Shipman. It outlines CIA intelligence that is looking like a set up for a War with Iran. Condoleezza Rice sufficient capital hill support for military efforts and Cheney justs think we should invade them now. Here are two great passages from the article:

The source said: "When you go down there and see the body language, you can see that Cheney is still The Man. Condi pushed for diplomacy but she is no dove. If it becomes necessary she will be on board." LOL, Who was the source? A soap opera writer? Cheney is the ringmaster theorists win this round.

"The Sunday Telegraph has been told that Mr Bush has privately promised her that he would consult "meaningfully" with Congressional leaders of both parties before any military action against Iran on the understanding that Miss Rice would resign if this did not happen." So Condi is telling that that "this time" you need to make sure you have the support of the house and congress or she'll walk, you wouldn't be the first to walk out on this administration honey, you should have done it a while ago.

I wonder, even when presented with this scenario why people believe that this is still a reaction to the 9/11 attacks rather than an administration that has a larger strategy? President Bush already said in his address that the war will last into the next administration. They seem to want to control the oil in the Middle East(just trying to keep our prices down, man), not fight terrorism. As some people know just this morning, American troops arrested an Iranian Agent in Iraq this morning.

I will continue to watch this story, I hope you do to. I think that it is time to stop responding to 9/11 in Iraq, this is an outright strategy to control the Middle East. By our silence, we are allowing our government elect take us into yet another war. But is it a war? How will we know when we are done? Iran is next, then who?

G1NTOL Live Blogging at Artomatic 419 This weekend.

2007-09-11T12:53:00.000-05:00

We are going to be blogging live on the g1ntol blog this weekend at Artomatic 419 Lite!

Feel free to come by or e-mail me interesting comments about art and personal expression. I will try to include everything I can, including pictures, videos, and posts.

Funny Pic!

Project for an Old American Century -- "Liberal News from Unbiased Sources"

2007-08-29T16:28:00.001-05:00

Not to be confused with PNAC-Project for a New American Century http://www.newamericancentury.org/iraqclintonletter.htm; Who outline an actual plan to improve America by rebuilding our Defenses and act as World Police Officershttp://www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf; POAC uses multiple sources to cover hot topics.

read more | digg story

Alberto Gonzales Resigns!!

2007-08-27T07:16:00.000-05:00

The NY Times has reported that embattled AG, head Bush Law guy, and all around liar, Alberto Gonzales, has resigned.

Bye!!

John Stewart vs. Steven Hayes (Author of Cheney)-- Debate the Iraq War, the Drum-Up and Patriotism

2007-08-16T09:39:00.000-05:00

Here is a video clip from Comedy Central with John Stewart and Steven Hayes discussing pleasantries regarding oil baron, vice president, person poacher, and Iraq War Protagonist (2001) and Antagonist (1994).

A Web Comic -- xkcd

2007-08-14T11:43:00.000-05:00

I sorted through a couple of his comics and had to link him up. Good Site. Click on the pic to enlarge.

New Study Reveals-- Antioxidants don't do $h!T.

2007-08-13T22:58:00.000-05:00

Found this article on Web MD discussing the most comprehensive study yet, looking into the potential benefits of diet supplements and antioxidants. The study was for women, but this study is another in a line of research that cannot find a positive correlation between these supplements and heart-healthiness.

As mentioned in the article and every other Health site known to man, the best food combos are a mix of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Plus exercise.

A link to Thurber's Thoughts

2007-08-13T12:10:00.000-05:00

Here is a link to Maggie Thurber's blogsite. She is a former Lucas County commissioner and a voice for conservatism in Toledo. Although we disagree on national politics, her insight into the innerworking of Toledo are spot on.

This link discusses the issue of the mayor shutting down a rally/ protest at a North Toledo park.

Yet another example of government telling people where and what they can protest. Check out her post and some of the other links to local blogs like Glass City Jungle, History Mike, Hooda Thunkit, Jay Ott and Toledo Talk.

The Super Highway, North American Union, An Average American Patriot, Its not a conspiracy if there are already plans in place.

2007-08-13T09:58:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the infrequent posts lately, I am starting to ramp it back up and welcome all of you to continue to comment or send me e-mail feedback. I also urge you to check out my newest Toledo blog for our IP/TV venture known as SGE Media Group/ G1NBC Toledo.

Here is a post from our last newsletter, we have not put out a newsletter in a while as we have been blogging frequently and working on other projects (G1NBC!). This has some of my initial research into the North American Union debate It outlines some fo the current research and old articles that outline definite beginnings of an Economic pact between Mexico, Canada and the United States, with one of the outcomes being a highway spanning from Texas to Detroit.

Well last week I was checking out some of my American Bloggers for Inclusive Debates websites and I came across a post from the Average Americam Patriot that outlines an article from the progressive/left The Nation concerning the current political state of the supposed North American Union and the NAFTA Superhighway.

I would suggest reading all of the links thoroughly to look at this interesting strategy. To me it is not a conspiracy as these are American Organizations and it seems to be a part of an overall strategy. As this is a sovereignty issue, it affects all of us, no matter what side of the political aisle we might fall.

Cheney, Rove, 9/11-- Does the word shady come to mind.

2007-08-13T09:22:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,

First I wanted to share a video from 1994 that shows Dick Cheney in 1994 talking to the American Enterprise Institute about Iraq. He is talking about what a quagmire would develop if we tried to invade Iraq. He references loss of life and discusses his recommendations to avoid military conflict. Funny how things change:

Next, as you may or may not know Karl Rove is resigning by the end of the month. Probably because he does not want to testify to congress. Here is a list of other Administration officials that have resigned since November, taken from a Terrence Hunt AP article:

"White House counselor Dan Bartlett, budget director Rob Portman, chief White House attorney Harriet Miers, political director Sara Taylor, deputy national security adviser J.D. Crouch and Meghan O'Sullivan, another deputy national security adviser who worked on Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was forced out immediately after the election as the unpopular war in Iraq dragged on."

Finally,

I traced back the Cheney video as coming from a very new website cataloging the 9/11 inequities in a new site called Grand Theft Country. Now, I am not certain I believe the 9/11 truth movement, but I know I do not believe the Administration nor the Mainstream Media portrayal of the events. This site has some good links, videos, and information covering the ongoing saga of the 9/11 attacks.

Making a Difference- The Parable of the Starfish

2007-08-06T22:46:00.000-05:00

So I saw this on a new site I stumbled upon today called madhukarshukla's blog, entitled Social Entrepreneurship and some perspective on making a difference.

The Animal Rescue Klub is not sure who wrote it. This is the one reference to the story in wikipedia.

And our friends at Pitts Aldrich and Associates who advocate for the Make a Difference parable with all of their clients.

The title link has the parable on a scenic background of the beach. It is a good perspective on making a difference.

Rove refuses to testify on role in prosecutor firings

2007-08-01T22:54:00.001-05:00

"White House senior adviser Karl Rove has rebuked a Senate Judiciary Committee subpoena and will not appear Thursday to testify about his role in the firing of nine US Attorneys, Sen. Patrick Leahy said late Wednesday."Humm. Never saw that one coming... I wonder what all this means. Why would he refuse?

read more | digg story

Digg for Today-- Ohio's 2004 Presidential Election Records Are Destroyed or Missing

2007-08-01T09:08:00.001-05:00

"In Violation Of Federal Law..."I saw this link on Digg.com today. This is an interesting article from the progressive alternet.org. I like to read people's comments, and this one is no different. Check out the article for a quick read and look at the comments for more perspectives.

read more | digg story

The Simpson's Movie-MMMMMM-Simpsons

2007-07-26T16:46:00.000-05:00

Here is a picture of my television showing the "Pie Man" episode. I somehow caught the show just as the Dalai Lama finished speaking and right before the Pie Man (aka Homer J) socks him with a big tasty pie. TV.com gets the link for episode information, yahoo gets the title link for the movie. Why does FOX have to own the rights?

Opens tomorrow.

Please post all comments on my life of nerdiness below. I can take it.

AIDS activists dissed at N.C. State, Homophobic comments fuel campus debate over tolerance

2007-07-26T05:36:00.001-05:00

Posting Notes:

At the beginning of this month, I had the opportunity to work with the Youth Action Institute, a training for youth that are leading and advocating in the HIV Community. What an inspiring group of individuals they were! During my attendance at the conference, I seen many of the aspects of intolerance and flat out disgusting misunderstandings of HIV & AIDS that is mentioned in the article I have reposted below. Though I believe that many times, intolerance can be a two-way street, not one time did I see any participant take such an intolerant role with members of the NC State student body. I feel the article captured the situation well, and wanted to share it with our readers.

Article Repost:

Printed from the Independent Weekly website: www.indyweek.com

POSTED ON JULY 25, 2007:

AIDS activists dissed at N.C. State

Homophobic comments fuel campus debate over tolerance

By Mike Alberti

Twenty young people from around the nation gathered on the N.C. State University campus earlier this month for the Campaign to End AIDS Youth Action Institute.

They came to learn the ins and outs of AIDS advocacy, but in addition to lessons in attracting media attention and lobbying politicians, some NCSU students gave them an education in intolerance.

Institute participant Brett Calka was sitting outside the dorm where his group was staying for the week, smoking a cigarette with a friend and minding his own business on the third day of the conference.

"We began to hear someone yelling from another building in front of us," said Calka, a 23-year-old from Chicago. "At first, I couldn't hear what they were saying, but then I heard the words 'faggot' and 'sissy.'" Calka could not identify who was yelling because the blinds were drawn over the windows.

Some of the participants, ages 13-26, are openly gay. Others are not, but believe the abuse stemmed from an ongoing stigma that AIDS is just a "gay disease."

NCSU was chosen to host the third annual youth conference because the South has a rapidly growing number of new HIV infections and a general lack of support organizations, says organizer Charles Long.

Quintana Lane, a 20-year-old from Miami who has been infected with HIV since birth, ran into resistance trying to explain the group's presence and educate two students with whom she had a negative encounter.

"I wanted to let them know why we were there," said Lane. "After I told them, they said they didn't want us bringing HIV and AIDS into their community. Then one of them said, 'And I don't like gay people, either.'"

Lane told the young men that for at least 10 years, the infection rate has been dropping among gay men while rising among African Americans and Hispanics. Lane says as a colleague hailed her to rejoin the group, the men said, "I guess you have to go. Your faggot is calling you."

"I think they saw the AIDS posters we had up and just associated it with homosexuality," says Lane. "It shows how much work needs to be done."

Long said that he was not surprised to encounter homophobia while working on HIV/AIDS related issues.

"However, it was surprising to encounter so much of it on a college campus," Long says. "People are there to expand their minds, and you'd tend to believe that when they don't know about something they'd want to learn about it instead of just dealing with it in an ignorant way."

The participants say hateful remarks were directed at them in the dining hall and the gym as well as in the dorm.

"Almost everywhere we went, we were made to feel uncomfortable," said Calka. "I have never experienced so many people being so negative. It was shocking to see homophobia to that extent, especially from people who go to school and are educated enough to know that being gay is not a disease."

The incidents around the July 4-8 conference reflect N.C. State's struggle to establish a culture of tolerance regarding LGBT issues. The school recently ranked 17th in the Princeton Review in the category of "Alternative Lifestyles Not An Alternative." And although Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill both have campus LGBT centers, NCSU has been slow to establish one. Advocates working to do so last year confronted strong and hateful reactions from students and staff.

At a meeting of the LGBT subcommittee of the University Diversity Advisory Committee last year, the need for a center was identified, and a proposal was drafted for submission to the student and faculty senates, as well as campus officials.

The center would serve as both a haven for the LGBT community and an organizational headquarters for programming and events to educate the campus at large about LGBT issues.

The proposal was unanimously approved by the faculty senate, but the student senate was not as easily persuaded, though the plan was eventually approved over the objections of 14 dissenters. After a story about the vote ran in NCSU's newspaper, The Technician, there was such an outrage among the student body that the student senate held a town hall meeting to discuss the issue.

"The meeting was one of the most hateful events I've ever been to," says Celeste Richie, assistant director of diversity for the College of Natural Resources. "There were a lot of students there from the LGBT community, and other students were saying such hateful things. Some people quoted from the Bible. Some had prepared statements about why they were ashamed of the university."

Some of the dissenting students were so adamant that they started a Facebook group, "Students Against NCSU LGBT Center," which has more than 1,000 members. (An opposing Facebook group, "Students For NCSU LGBT Center," has 568 members.)

Members posted opinions online, and a heated debate continued throughout the school year. Much of the disagreement was about the center's funding, which could be taken in part from student fees.

Sophomore Justin Stewart posted: "I think I speak for a lot of people when I say it's pretty disgusting and sad that N.C. State wants to take money out of my pocket to fund something that I strongly oppose and am against both biblically and morally. If such a thing does happen, I'll be bound for another school that will not do such a thing. I mean, I haven't seen a straight center."

Other students also cited religious reasons. Junior Ishma Pinckney wrote: "We as Christians have a obligation to be soldiers for Christ and fight against anything ungodly.... If we stand by and say nothing just to get along instead of being evangelists for Christ our faith will be the same as all sinners not just the LGBT."

Some students didn't have a concrete reason. Sophomore Eric Dobbins wrote: "I think the real purpose of this fag house is to pass out anal lube. I'm mad that N.C. State was the 17th most unappealing to homos, I believe we should strive to be first."

In spite of this reaction, Vice Provost for Diversity and African-American Affairs Jose Picart says that the majority supports diversity.

"There are a lot of people, for religious and other reasons, who have negative feelings, but that is not the norm on our campus," Picart says.

Deb Luckadoo, activities director for Talley Student Center, where the LGBT center would be located, believes that the homophobia on campus mirrors a conservative society.

"This is the South," says Luckadoo. "This is the heart of Southern Baptist country. It's hard for students to disengage from their backgrounds. That's exactly why we need an LGBT center here. We need to change the overall climate of our university."

Vice Chancellor Tom Stafford agrees. "The center is very much needed," he says. "It's something I've personally been working on for 20 years." Stafford says that, although the center has been approved by the senate and the provost, funding has not been decided.

Although key members of the administration support the center and LGBT issues in general, Richie is still dissatisfied with the university's response to the blatant discrimination that surfaced during the debate.

"You can't just want to support a group," she says. "You have to take action. It's great that we're getting support from the university, but I'm still waiting to see results. We still don't have a center. NCSU is still a hateful climate for queer and transgender people."

Richie says the problem lies in the fact that many of the people who are making the decisions have never experienced the discrimination that LGBT students face at NCSU. Jeremy Hall, executive coordinator of Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Allies, says he regularly experiences homophobia.

"There's apathy everywhere at N.C. State," says Hall. "You walk around and you hear the traditional 'that's gay' or people calling other people fags. I feel much safer walking around downtown Raleigh than I do on campus."

For the Youth Action Institute participants, the conference brought lessons that were unexpected, but useful.

"It didn't detract from the Institute because it fueled a conversation," said Long. "It gave them more courage to go back into their communities and do something proactive."

Alberto Gonzales: No Constitutional Right of Habeas Corpus

2007-07-25T10:08:00.001-05:00

Ok, I am just posting this video so you all can go back and look at the other ones posted on you tube. For me it seems clear that Alberto Gonzales has no credibility as Attorney General. He was blasted yesterday by Dems. and Reps. from the Senate. In this one he is saying that not everyone has a right to habeas corpus. This is getting ridiculous and I am sure it is only going to get worse. He tries to reframe every question and does not really give straight forward answers. I do not even know where to begin with this travesty and no one really seems to care either, except the senate and the people I heard in the background during every intermission screaming "resign" and "this country is run by liars". If anyone had clips of that exchange it would get at least 10,000 hits on you tube (c) because it was hillarious.

New Website Offers Information about Health Care and the Presidential Campaign

2007-07-24T05:55:00.000-05:00

FYI, just thought I would share:
With health care emerging as the top domestic issue in the 2008 presidential election, the Kaiser Family Foundation has launched a new website -
http://health08.org/
- that will provide analysis of health policy issues, regular public opinion surveys, and news and video coverage from the campaign trail.

Russ Feingold threatens Censure Papers this week.

2007-07-22T11:03:00.000-05:00

Russ Feingold D- Wisc. said on Meet the Press Today with Tim Russert, that Democrats will be filing censure papers again on the current administration. It will cover two major points:

1.) The War in Iraq
2.) Lack of Adherence to the constitution

I searched for video, but obviously it was too soon.

This Iraq War...Its like no argument matters now because we are already there. No, Its too late to turn around. We risk more Iraqi casualties and could leave the country worse than before we invaded. The Administration did a great job in beating the drum for war, knowing that once we were in, getting out would be in the hands of others and not on them. Must be nice.

Well That was nice of them.

2007-07-21T08:56:00.000-05:00

Usually, people give slack to France for not supporting us going into the Iraq War and our big drum up to the never ending and very difficult to define "War on Terror". However, it seems some old school Frenchmen remember the strong ties we had to France during WWII. 2500 citizens of France met on Omaha Beach in Normandy and inscribed these words in the sand:

"FRANCE WILL NEVER FORGET"

Commemorating the liberation of France by the Americans during WWII.

I thought that was a pretty cool find. You can click on the title link from the French Consulate in Atlanta, but I pretty much told the story.

Cheney's in Charge!! Go Nuts America

2007-07-20T17:12:00.000-05:00

Vice President Dick Cheney will become "The Decider" this weekend, as Mister President has an invasive scoping procedure performed. The question is, who can have more fun?

"when the boss is away..."

Michael Duffy Time Article: "The Cheney Branch of Government"
"Cheney's dustup with the normally non-controversial National Archives and Records Administration is the latest reminder that Cheney believes he can play by his own rules. And it probably secures for Cheney a place alongside Richard Nixon in the Washington pantheon of secret-keepers."

Pagans displeased with painting of donut-wielding Homer Simpson

2007-07-17T15:04:00.001-05:00

"Where was he planning on putting that donut anyways?" The main article is from Boing Boing. com. Hillarious article and picture.

read more | digg story

Al Jazeera English-- A clip from the "Americas" section.

2007-07-14T08:18:00.000-05:00

I traveled to this site today on a link from this site Shimmy's Blog and found a link to Al Jazeera English. I immediately clicked on the "Americas" section to see what they had to report.

The Senate voted 87-1 to increase the bounty on Osama Bin Laden. They want any information leading to his death or capture and are offering 50 Million Dollars. I am just passing the information on to any Americans not in the military looking for sub contracting situations. Some military training preferred.

The article also mentions how in 2001 our president wanted to find Osama and bring him to justice and then in 2003 he was not that concerned.

My Digg this week--[National Update]-Kucinich angrily reacts to Clinton-Edwards exchange on limiting debate

2007-07-14T07:27:00.001-05:00

“Candidates, no matter how important or influential they perceive themselves to be, do not have and should not have the power to determine who is allowed to speak to the American public and who is not,” Kucinich said in a statement released by his campaign.

A Digg post from an AP article by Beth Fouhy is awesome. It has a great exchange with two top presidential canidates, a clip about the Republican Party of Massachesuts and a reference to Mike Moore of "Sicko" fame and "Mike Huckabee" of almost no fame.

First off

Thank you for Kucinich. I appreciate someone with enough integrity to call out Hillary and John for their comments:

Edwards:
"Edwards was heard suggesting to Clinton that they try to exclude some of their rivals from future gatherings" AP
“We should try to have a more serious and a smaller group,”
Clinton:
"Clinton agreed, saying the forums were “trivialized” with too many candidates crowding the stage." AP

Really? Excluding rivals and feeling debates are trivialized? Or limiting media time so those ideas don't get attention? Hmmm. Either way good job Dennis to stand up to those two.

Also in the article:

The Massachusetts Republican party has made some changes to its primary delegations. Helping Rudy and potentially Hurting Mitt.

Mike Huckabee is all over Micheal Moore for his Sicko movie. Blaming Moore's weight for high health care costs. The article also states that Megan O'Hare, producer of Sicko had this to say about Huckabee's comments:

"Looks like Mike Huckabee is auditioning for some insurance company dough, since he's raised just about no money and sparked zero interest since jumping into the race" (I say, oh snap)

Go see Sicko, It is a good movie. It is worth a look and always unnervingly funny.

read more | digg story

SEIU Protests outside a local Toledo bank.

2007-07-12T13:17:00.000-05:00

SEIU Local Three was holding a protest outside of 5/3rd bank today. Their current contract expires on July 14 2007 and they are fighting for a "living wage and benefits". This will cover over 600 janitors in the Toledo area.

Call 419-243-0447 for more info. That was the number on the brochure they gave me.

I happened to be walking back from Beaner's and they were protesting outside of the bank. I would estimate around 100-150 people, but my crowd measurement statistics are not in tune. Either way, they were picketing, singing songs and chanting phrases. They drew some curious faces and handed out flyers.

Dana Corp- Works with Investor Group- Tries to inch out of Chapter 11

2007-07-06T07:45:00.000-05:00

This post is a National story with a local Toledo company.

The title link goes to an article I found online from CNN Money. It discusses the steps Dana Corp. has taken to get out of Chapter 11 banruptcy. In the article it mentions the deals it is goin to ink with the UAW (Auto) and USW (steel) unions to convert its helthcare system to a VEBA account which is eplained as:

"A VEBA is a special, tax-deductible trust that can be used to provide certain benefits, such as medical reimbursement, to participants and their beneficiaries"

Included in the deal is also a four year partnership with the two unions and Centerbridge Capital Partners. Centerbridge Capital will be investing money to help with the reorganization of Dana Corp.

I do not have an opinion on the deal, I just hope that the "reorganization efforts" proceed smoothly. I also like the transition of the current healthcare system into the VEBA accounts.

National Update-- 11 Congress Members now support Impeachment of Cheney and Bush

2007-07-03T20:35:00.000-05:00

Wildman presidential canidate Dennis Kucinich now has 11 co-sponsors who have signed his bill filing articles of impeachment on Mr. President (aka. captain commute) and Mr. VP (aka. captain "Go F*^% Yourself").

The title link goes to Jim McDermott's site for his Congressional House seat. The link has an actual transcript and a video of the speech he gave on the House Floor.

Getting verey interesting...

National Update - Wolfowitz joins AEI

2007-07-03T08:56:00.000-05:00

The title link has an article from the people's daily (China's most influential newspaper, they say) that former World Bank leader Paul Wolfowitz will join Washington D.C. Think Tank American Enterprise Institute or AEI for short.

Xinhua is the article's source and described Wolfowitz's duties will include:

"At AEI, Wolfowitz will work on entrepreneurship and development issues, Africa, and public-private partnerships"

He was let go from his world bank position on June 30th and already has a new job! If only most Americans were so lucky the world would be a better place.

Digg Link--Cheney claims a non-executive privilege - Los Angeles Times

2007-06-28T23:27:00.001-05:00

"He asserts he's exempt from showing an agency how his office keeps secrets because he's not fully part of the administration."

This is the last digg of the night. I just wouldn't be complete without linking to this article which explains the laughable and arrogant statements made by our VP. These guys are non-compliant, crooked and corrupt. They will try to outlast any loophole that will keep them from transparency. Cover it up and let's hope the people don't fight back. Well they're right. Americans won't fight back because our national politics have been influenced by complete hacks who only know smear campaigns and misleading information. Citizens don't trust "the other side" and thus we are divided, which is why when we are faced with people who truly do not have the best interest of every citizen at heart, we all fall down.

Here is another article discussing the 217-209 vote in opposition of defunding the office of the VP. So sad it failed, but it only lost by 9 votes. I say keep on this administration and you will uncover how bad they are for our country. http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2836805120070628?pageNumber=2

read more | digg story

Digg Clip-- Report : Pentagon Can't Account For $19 Billion Spent On Iraqi Forces

2007-06-28T22:49:00.001-05:00

"The Pentagon "cannot report in detail how many of the 346,500 Iraqi military and police personnel that the coalition trained are operational today," according to the 250-page report. "We have no idea what our $19 billion has gotten us," said Rep. Martin T. Meehan (D-Mass.), chairman of the Armed Services subcommittee on oversight and investigations"

Again I see that transparency is a problem. Are you telling me that with the onset of computers, technology and Microsoft excel or some other higher end database software that our governemnt does not track the money it spends in Iraq? You have got to be kidding me. Oh well, huh, life goes on you know. Governments sucks, but oh well, they'll never change.

read more | digg story

Digg Clip--White House exerts executive privilege on documents

2007-06-28T22:42:00.001-05:00

"The White House, moving toward a constitutional showdown with Congress, asserted executive privilege Thursday and rejected lawmakers' demands for documents that could shed light on the firings of federal prosecutors. Bush's lawyer says he does it "with much regret.""

To Me, lack of transparency = something to hide.

No one wants to believe that this group is corrupt and willing to pull out all the stops to get out of office untarnished. They do not answer to the people, they do not listen to others. The simple fact that these guys are still in office baffles me. What is worse is that people defend them and will believe they are great people and pass that on for generations. It is utterly ridiculous.

read more | digg story

WWE Superstar Chris Benoit is Dead--Apparent Murder Suicide

2007-06-26T17:47:00.000-05:00

Oh Man,

As a wretling fan (haven't watched since the WWE took ownership of every company) I always like to watch the "Canadian Crippler" Chris Benoit. He used to head butt people from the top rope and he could jump halfway across the ring. He also used to pick people up and slam them three times in a row, in a fashion that the other wrestler would actually have to get up in motion only to be slammed again. If I were a pro wrestler I would have refused to let him do that to me three times as I would have laid motionless after the first slam and refused to move.

Anyway it is plastered all ver the news that his wife and son were murdered and that he committed suicide by hanging himself with a cable from a weight bench. I included a link from MTV in the title and this article from the Edmonton Sun. The Edmonton Sun article is a review that his wife once filed for domestic violence charges, which she later dropped. She also refused to get a restraining order on him. Well, now they are all dead.

My buddy and I were discussing how it could very easily have been "roid rage" and clearly the "Guardian Unlimited" wanted to know as well. They describe "roid rage" in the article as "explosive outbursts" brought on by using steroids.

We also wondered if his son and wife were put in the "Crippler Crossface", which was Chris's patented strangulation wresting move with a link from "Everything 2". If you are going to go so far as to kill your wife and son, why not use a patented wrestling move? (I am not trying to make light of the loss of this family, but I believe I am distanced enough from all of them that I can freely make the statement. My heart does go out for all of the families involved)

Anyway,

There were bibles left next to the two victims. They are currently treating it as a murder suicide and it looks like it will remain that way.

Its a mad mad world.

Click Here To Make Your Next Hotel Reservation

2007-06-26T16:59:00.000-05:00

I thought this would be a good site to review, since I am always booking my travel online. The name of the site is Hotel Reservations . com and they are similar to other online travel sites. I went online and did a few searches on some of their pages. The page navigation was easy, the layout of the site made it easy to follow, and the content is easy to read and laid out well.

The site has several options for choosing your travel needs. You can book hotels, flights, rental cars, or package all of the options together, making for easy travel itineraries. They also have golf destinations, resorts, and vacation packages as options to search for on their site. I did a search for Hotel, Flight and Car from Detroit to Orlando and found prices comparable to other sites. The site does offer a discount club, group rates, and a special internet rate guarantee.

It appears from the site that Hotel Reservations will match a trip price if booked online (with criteria) or let you out of an existing trip if you find a lower priced option. Obviously they are not covering New Years Eve or the Superbowl, but if you find cheaper fares online, they are at least willing to work with you. I will be sure to check them out for future travel plans. Click here for-- Cheap Hotels

They have English and Spanish available as languages on their site. They also have several different numbers for different countries to dial up and make their travel plans, providing enough numbers to make a small rolodex out of just their information. So for the next business meeting, family vacation, or quiet trip to Las Vegas, make sure you check out Hotel Reservations . com as part of your trip planning. This was a sponsored post!

The Brown and Orange--My New Sports Blog!!

2007-06-19T21:18:00.000-05:00

I have a new blog to report all of my rants and raves about everyone's favorite professional footbal team in Cleveland. Nope not St. Ed's or St. Ignatius. Feel free to add the site to your list if you too are a fan of the Brown and Orange!! If you want to be a contributor or support crew please let me know, I would love for the blog to take off.

Dear 11 Daily Readers (on average)

2007-06-13T18:20:00.000-05:00

It has been 13 days since my last post and I feel terrible. I have not been up do date with my posting and I missed a few things in no order:

Paris in jail
Paris out of jail
paris in jail
failed "no confidence" vote in the senate
Recall Carty Campaign
J-Fo and the school board
UT Creating Hybrids
Robert Jobe tried as an adult

Anyway,

Sorry about being gone, please come back as this summer is sure to be grand. You might also check out www.g1ntol.blogspot.com for some a new type of media company. That g1ntol guy sure seems fun.

Great Night for Cleveland Sports

2007-05-27T22:35:00.000-05:00

I consider this to be a great sports week for Michigan and Ohio this week. The Cavs and Pistons are battling it out for a shot at the NBA Finals and the Indians and Tigers are duking it out for 1st place in their division.

Tonight was a great night for Cleveland.

The Indians rode a good pitching performance from their newcomer Carmona. It was fun to see Sheffield and Mesa on the Tigers team. Seeing Mesa reminded me of the great run the tribe had in the 90's. Seeing Sheffield reminded me that Detroit is still a pretty big market ballclub. The tribe's closer Borowski is really coming on and the club gets solid hr's from Garko tonight. The Indians swept the weekend series with the Tigers and will play them on Friday of next week.

The Cavaliers found a way to beat the Pistons, after two close 79-76 losses. LeBron scored 30 and paced the Cavs to a great win. He made some great fade aways and clutch shots. I hope Larry Hughes is alright, but Daniel Gibson seems tough under pressure. I also like Z this series and season. He is diving, picking up the outside man, and making good plays. The Cavs got a much needed win against a tough and experienced Piston squad.

Either way, Cleveland and Detroit have national spotlights' on them now. That is good for both cities and the Midwest in general.

Voice of America- Hamas Fires Rocket-Kills One Israeli

2007-05-27T16:22:00.000-05:00

Here is a link to that article. It also seems that there are air strikes on the Gaza Strip and no one is callling for a cease fire. The Israelis and Palestinians are at it again. How big will this event get? Will they ever get along? What, if anything, can we (humans) do about the political and cultural differences of religion? What else fuels this fire between the two nations?

Unseen War Casulty--Combat Stress Disorder

2007-05-27T13:50:00.001-05:00

This memorial day I am using my blogging time to talk about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is a form of mental illness brought on by life events that cause a high level of stress or contain a traumatic event. Sometimes we have seen the disorder after pregnancies and we have seen them after war. Here is a wiki of the disorder for a quick glance. We will see a lot of this occurrence as the war in Iraq and Afghanistan continues in the name of Combat Stress Disorder. This tells us that we need to be ready to handle the rigors of dealing with people who have experienced trauma while serving our country.

For that reason I am in support of Mental Health Parity to ensure that our affected servicemen and women get the support they need when they come back to our country. Not only will it ensure that our service men and women are taken care of, a National Statement will ensure that those with mental illness in our country do not go forgotten about. In my field(s) I have noticed that Mental Illness gets the least amount of government funding. Education is number one of course and mental illness is last, right behind people with Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.

Here is why I would support the legislation

1.) Legislation will help mental illness get the same validity of physical illness in terms of health care coverage.
2.) The government money used can go to programs that can improve diagnosis and treatment of the disorder; hopefully they will also try to track fraud.
3.) It will strengthen our communities by providing more resources to our mentally ill population. This will decrease family and caregiver stress and hopefully improve the lives of people living with Depression, Personality Disorders, Bi-Polar and PTSD.

Here is an article that will discuss in further detail a discussion about Combat Stress Disorder. It talks about the disorder and the numbers they are seeing already with troops men and women) early cases. We need to be able to respond as a country to make sure these people get the best care for their mental health that we possibly can.Written by By Jessica Fargen
Boston Herald Health & Medical Reporter

Click Here for the Article

Here is a list of about 95 organizations, regional and National who are in support of the legislation:

Click Here: List of Organizations Involved mhlg.org

Finally here is a write up of the Mental Health Parity Bill that they hope to sign this year. It will really effect insurance companies and employers, there is a lot of detail about exemptions and small businesses. You can read the full text at the following link:

Link to The Mental Health Parity Act of 2007

Feel free to give me any feedback you want regarding this post. I think mental illness is an easy target for people because it is hard to see, hard to diagnose, and some people can experience the same events and not feel emotional pain. It affects a lot of people on a daily basis.

Make a Difference joins Pay Per Post.

2007-05-26T12:50:00.000-05:00

To all thirteen of our faithful (daily average for the month) readers,

We are now going to post Pay Per Post offers on our Make a Difference Blog. We hope that you consider this act of shameless advertising more as a means of giving us the ability to continue doing our creative media work rather than "pimps" of internet marketers.

ads on blogs

We believe we are both, but only want to mention it just this once. Anyway, if History Mike can do it, then so can we dammit!

Anyway, pay per post is pretty easy,

1. You sign up and get you blog approved.
2. Look at the opportunities you are qualified for. (we do not qualify for many, yet)
3. Decide whether or not you want to "Pimp" I mean post.
4. Post
5. Wait for people to blast you for your posting a piece of crap or thank you for making their day with products, websites, software programs, and other items offered to write about.

Please feel free to comment on this post or any other for that matter. Also, you get to choose what items you want to sponsor on your site. We will try to be selective!! We love feedback.

historymike: Bush Finally Finds His al Qaeda-Iraq Connection, Albeit Post-Invasion

2007-05-23T22:19:00.000-05:00

historymike: Bush Finally Finds His al Qaeda-Iraq Connection, Albeit Post-Invasion

Here is a link to a good piece written on Toledo's History Mike's Musings, a local Ohio blogger. A great discussion of the George Bush revelation today about the Al Qaeida and Iraq. The anonymous poster is also funny in the comments section. Although, I do wonder how many people actually believe that speaking out against war is somehow leftist.

Then I read this post by Kris Kling on his blog The Kris Kling Opinion going off on someone:

http://tkko.blogspot.com/2007/05/you-are-proving-your-own-point.html

I don't know if the two posts go together, but I thought I would highlight their thoughts and keep encouraging change.

How many people vote for America idol but don't vote in US elections?

Go Ted, and f*ck the Right Angle blog

2007-05-17T14:42:00.000-05:00

I normally don't post to the blog on the gay issue, but I feel compelled to do so today after spending time perusing the blogs.

Background:

On last Saturday, I attended the ODP State Dinner, where the Columbus Gay Men's Chorus was asked to sing two songs,as an addition to the great entertainment for the function. The governor, during the event, even went so far as to come over to the chorus members, right before they performed, to acknowledge their presence. This invitation to the Gay Men's Chorus was an unprecedented event, and was just one of the steps that the governor has taken to keep his promises to the LGBT community, which came together to raise a great deal of money and contribute many volunteer hours during his political race last year.

As I watched the news and the blogs this past week, I saw nothing written about the Gay men's Chorus performing at the dinner. In fact, some bloggers went out of the way to not cause trouble for the governor by calling the group "the chorus". This was fine with me, as I didn't expect anything to surface just because of the Gay issue; after all, the Governor was simply promoting inclusion of all groups, and working to make Ohio a state the doesn't treat groups of people differently. Even attempts to share the news of the passing of Jerry Falwell, a destructive and slanderous pillar for Conservative America, was done with taste by the bloggers.

On to the issue:

So, this morning, the Governor signed an executive order that includes GLBT people in the current protections of employment discrimination for state employees:

______________________

6. Prohibition Against Discrimination. For the reasons stated above, I am declaring it to be the policy of the State of Ohio that no person employed by a Cabinet agency or by a State of Ohio Board or Commission may discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in making any of the following employment related decisions:
a. Hiring
b. Layoff
c. Termination
d. Transfer
e. Promotion
f. Demotion
g. Rate of Compensation
h. Eligibility for In- Service Training Programs

___________________________

View the full text of the Executive order at http://governor.ohio.gov/News/May2007/News51707/tabid/280/Default.aspx.
Again, this protection is not asking for special protections for GLBT people, it is asking for equal protection for such people, the same equal protection that is afforded to all people in this great country.

What fired me up was this text, which I am quoting from the Right Angle Blog:

______________________

...this could be seen as a back door (no pun intended) handout to the trial lawyer lobby, since anyone working in state government or applying for a job in state government will be empowered to file frivolous lawsuits against their employers. Since homosexuality is a lifestyle choice, anyone would have the ability to file such a lawsuit, regardless if they have or haven't taken part in homosexual activity in America...

_____________________

Some people's stupidity just pisses me off to no end. I am not a lawyer but I can tell you that someone would not claim that they are gay to keep their job, and even if they did, the law is going to insist that they prove their claim. Does the blogger really believe that some straight guy is going to subject himself to testimony that he has engaged in such "perverse lifestyle choices", as it is described within the blog post? Why must some people try to scare the hell out of people; oh yeah, it is because that is how they ensure they get the votes.

I will close with a paraphrase of comments that I heard Joyce Beatty deliver to a group of people participating in a lobbying effort from Equality Ohio yesterday. She explained that each person should remember, as he or she talks with his or her senator and Representative, that he or she is simply advocating for equal protection and treatment, the same equal protection and treatment that is given to all of the citizens of this country.

It is herein that I personally thank and congratulate our Governor on his efforts to make Ohio a state where all people are treated equally and protected equally. It is only through such efforts that Ohio will begin to recover from its 16 years of losses, begin to repair its inadequately funded education system, and begin to develop an economy that attracts the best workers and secures the best future for its residence. Ted, I hope you continue to "Turn around Ohio".

Wolfowitz Gone; will it ever be Gonzales's Turn?

2007-05-17T11:51:00.000-05:00

Well, World Bank Leader Paul Wolfowitz has "resigned on his own terms" after his promotion and bonus giving to a female "friend". I did not know that he was the architect of the Iraq War.

When will it be Alberto Gonzales's Turn to step down? Or is he going to be drug out kicking and screaming? A few more Republicans are calling for his ouster, the Democrats are filling a vote of no confidence, and GOP report remains strong.

Meanwhile,

The Leader of the Republican Party in Michigan wants Ron Paul banned for his comments about the Iraq War.

And I saw a clip on The Colbert Report tonight that had this Bushism found at crazylinks:

--Reporter: Is the tide turning in Iraq?

-- Bush: "I think - tide turning - see, as I remember, I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of, it's easy to see a tide turn - did I say those words?" June 14, 2006

July 8 begins Ride Transit/Bike/Walk to work week

2007-05-17T10:32:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Abandoned Stuff for giving us the heads up on a great effort related to trying to impact the Gas Price Situation. Check out an excerpt from the event being proposed for the Week of July 8 through July 15:

___________________________

“Get out of your cars and enjoy the world!”
From July 8-15, 2007, all around the globe, people are going to try their hardest to get out of their cars for their daily commute, and walk, ride transit, or bike to work for a whole week. A chance for all of them to save gas, produce less traffic and pollution, and enjoy life a little more.

__________________________

Though I do not feel this will have a huge impact on profits of suppliers or significantly reduce the price of gas, the longer duration might help to show the effects of a boycott on gas. I'm also hoping that participants may realize that they can, in fact, find other ways to get to work. But, as I stated in my previous post, the only real way to decrease the price of Gas is to consistently, over time, decrease our use of gas.

Read more about the event on Facebook or at http://www.1337hax0r.com/?p=557

I thought I would present this as a follow up to my post last week on the Gas Out.

Urgent Action by June 4: The Department of Energy wants to turn Southern Ohio into a nuclear waste dump.

2007-05-16T14:41:00.000-05:00

I received this email today from a recently formed group: The Southern Ohio Neighbors Group (SONG). Any time a group of people come together to stop corruption and turn around Ohio, I think it is worth getting the word out.

The following is an excerpt from the text of the email that I received:
___________________________

The federal reservation near Piketon, Ohio, has been proposed as a storage site for high-level nuclear waste, imported from other counties, other states, and other countries. These plans were developed in secret without public disclosure and with fraudulent claims of community support.
________________________________

The group, in conjunction with Progress Ohio, has put together testimony, which, after signed by all of us, will be delivered to the Department of Energy. The deadline to take action is June 4, 2007.

In addition to the message quoted above, you can view their Video directly on You Tube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kI8QAqRDqg&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eprogressohio%2Eorg%2Fpage%2Fpetition%2FDoEpetition

Remember, please go to http://www.progressohio.org/page/petition/DoEpetition to take action on a great cause by June 4. Let's keep challenging our government to clean up Ohio.

A NWO Blog--Who won the 2nd Republican Debate

2007-05-16T11:28:00.000-05:00

Here is a link from Framed Discourse and Debate about who won the 2nd Republican Debate last night. The blogs author is James Trumm. I am copying his work on Rudy Guiliani and Ron Paul because it highlights my previous post, Why are we at war. James goes into a little more detail about the exchange and I think he does a great job in highlighting the scenario. You should also check out his blog (Title Link) for the rest of his reactions to the debate winners and losers.

Rudy Guiliani:

Giuliani didn't. He was doing fairly well--calling the Democrats' plan to get out of Iraq a "timetable for retreat," and handling the abortion questions much better that last time--until Ron Paul suggested that just maybe U.S. policies in the Middle East had something to do with motivating the 9/11 terrorists. Rudy went borderline apoplectic about this and took off after poor little Ron Paul like a rabid badger. It's a pretty basic rule of debate that you don't pick fights down; you can only hurt yourself. That's what he did. He overplayed his 9/11 hero cred and wound up looking like a bully--and not a very bright one at that.

Ron Paul:

Paul didn't, though as noted above, he probably benefited from having Rudy the Rabid charge after him. He could have gotten an even bigger boost had he not seemed to physically shrink in the face of Giuliani's bullying. He had the virtue of offering the most coherent philosophy. He had the courage to advocate dismantling the Department of Homeland Security, saying we didn't need another layer of bureaucracy to fight terrorism. He zinged the other candidates who used the term "enhanced interrogation techniques," saying it sounded like Newspeak. Yesterday I noticed that "Ron Paul" was the top Google search of the day, and his performance last night will probably keep him on top of those rankings for a while. Still, his repeated references to "my argument is . . ." made him seem like he was competing in a high school debate contest, not a Presidential primary. People don't vote for arguments.

Why are we at war?

2007-05-16T06:42:00.000-05:00

Here is a post from the New Republic discussing the difference between Rudy Giuliani and Ron Paul regarding the War that Bin Laden has waged with the US.

I like what Ron Paul has to say about this war. His views are opposite of Rudy Giuliani who believes Islam does not like us because "freedom and women's rights."

Ron Paul believes that America's presence in the Middle East is because of

(1) US Involvement in the Middle East, (2) Palestine, and (3) Sanctions on Iraq as reasons why he has declared war

To me, just by reading the differences in thought Ron Paul's assessment seems more realistic. But just for probings sake I "scoured the internets" to see what else I could dig up on Bin Ladens reason for declaring War on The US. Here is what I found:

Here is a PBS transcript of the original FATWA (declaration of war) against the US

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/terrorism/international/fatwa_1996.html

Here is a transcript in Osama's own words discussing his anger about the occupation of the Holy Land and our relationship ($$) with Israel.

http://www.wethepeoplefoundation.org/UPDATE/Update2007-05-07.htm

Here is some video of the Republican debate last night where Rudy blasted Ron Paul about his beliefs for our occupation and the reasons for war. Again using 9/11 as "the day the world changed" But more importantly it is a great compassionate compelling reason to really ask "Why do they hate us"
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YWMyMTBjOTMzOWY5NmIyYTRjNjAzNWYwY2NiYTVmNTg

What I think is sad is the fact that Ron Paul got a few claps and relieved cheers and Rudy got a raucous applause for his one liner.

To me it seems clear that we (the United States) have had a vested interest in the Middle East. We do fund a lot of projects in Israel, we do have a president with huge ties to Saudi Arabia, we have a desire to gain cheaper access to foreign oil. We have been in the middle east for as long as I remember. I think Rudy Giuliani is wrong by dismissing and attacking Ron Paul for his viewpoints and so are people who believe that the US is innocent in what it is strategically implementing overseas. Our actions have angered people and will continue to do so until we have a government that is able to take a look at itself and evaluate what is really best for our country. An American Embassy in Iraq that is bigger than the Vatican, should not be a priority.

A Cleveland Player, Mayor, and an ex TPS Super

2007-05-14T21:37:00.000-05:00

My buddy (not really) Braylon Edwards gave 1 million of his hard earned NFL earnings to the Cleveland School System for the advancement of a new scholarship program. The mayor of Cleveland was also in the house, in addition to our famed Dr. Eugene Sanders former Toledo Public Schools.

Other than being there, they did not mention Sanders as being a critical component of this event.

Looks like Braylon has his own foundation dedicated to underserved youth and educational opportunities. Here is a link to his foundation.

http://www.braylonedwardsfoundation.org/index.asp?ID=1

I think it is great that athletes venture out from their NFL roles and give back to the community. I also saw on his site that he fed 500 families from Detroit and had this to say:

“I am grateful to be in a position where I contribute to the lives of so many people,” Edwards says. “It feels good to return home to see family and friends, but more importantly, to make a difference.”

You go Braylon.

Cavs won tonight too.

He's back! What a "Sicko"

2007-05-12T20:38:00.000-05:00

Here is an article from MSNBC about Michael Moore. This time he is being questioned about breaking the trade embargo with Cuba. The Treasury's OFAC-Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued this investigation and Mr. Moore is already blaming George Bush and the administration as being responsible for the pressure.

Looks like good timing for Moore's new Movie "Sicko" coming out this summer. The article also states that the movie has gotten good reviews on both sides of the political aisle. It also stated that some enemies of the movie will be "Big Pharma" and HMO's (imagine that).

Seems to me that the administration would like to silence Mr. Moore. Seems to me that Mr. Moore does a great job at getting media attention. I will go see "Sicko" to piss off the neo-con's and see what we can do about fixing health care.

The May 15 Gas Out—Organizing for Real Change?

2007-05-10T09:28:00.000-05:00

I have received at least three different emails talking about the Great Gas Out which is scheduled to take place on May 15, 2007. For your reference, one of them reads:
NO GAS...On May 15th 2007
Don't pump gas on May 15th
In April 1997, there was a "gas out" conducted nationwide in protest of gas prices. Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight.

On May 15th 2007, all Internet users are being asked not to go to a gas station in protest of high gas prices. Gas is now over $3.00 a gallon in most places.

There are 73,000,000+ American members currently on the Internet
Network and the average car takes about 30 to 50 dollars to fill up. If all users did not go to the pump on the 15th, it would take $2,292,000,000.00 (that's almost 3 BILLION) out of the oil companies' pockets for just one day. Send this to all your contact list. With it saying, ''Don't pump gas on May 15th"

At S & G Endeavors, we are committed to change on all levels, whether it is using our strategic planning services to help create organizations with great ideas or using our media services to create media for a changing world. I, personally, am extremely committed to the Bill of Rights for this country, which provides us with the ability to organize in groups to protest those things that we feel unfair. Though I do not drive, I believe the gas prices to be a true injustice to those who do, and have held several conversations with friends, family members, and my business partner regarding the subject. I fully support the intentions of this protest, but my higher commitment to leading change is compelled to ask the following question:
Just how effective is this “protest” going to be, and what will be yielded to the consumer as a result of such efforts?

Before you get upset with my question and assume that I am just spouting off a negative attitude, I ask you to continue reading…

Emails like the one above have been in circulation on the Internet since 1999. The Urban Legend Reference Pages explain why:
This year's e-mails (proposing a one-day "gas out" in May 2007) is yet another recasting of similar messages that have been circulating since 1999. All of them are reminders that "protest" schemes that don't cost the participants any inconvenience, hardship, or money remain the most popular, despite their ineffectiveness. A one-day "gas out" was proposed in 1999, and a three-day-long event was called for in 2000, but both drew little active participation and had no real effect on retail gasoline prices.
The premise behind all these messages is inherently flawed, because consumers' not buying gasoline on one particular day doesn't affect oil companies at all. The "gas out" scheme doesn't call upon people to use less gasoline, but simply to shift their date of purchase and buy gas a day earlier or later than they usually would. The very same amount of gasoline is sold either way, so oil companies don't lose any money.
Further research yields similar statements—from CBS2Chicago.com:
Chances are the plan is more fantasy than feasible…"I think in theory it may have some effect. But in reality or practice it would have little or no effect at all," said Jason Toews, co-founder of gasbuddy.com, a gas price-tracking site that allows visitors to post and compare local gas prices. “Getting enough people to participate would probably be difficult,” he said, “as well as the fact that those participating would probably just fill up the day before or after the boycott.”
And in addition, we find the following written in the Post Tribune:
BP Amoco spokesman Scott Dean said a one-day strike wouldn't affect operations. "If suddenly, people no longer demand gasoline ever, certainly it would affect supply and therefore price," Dean said. "But for a single day? It doesn't change the picture for the month, the year or the decade."
And, finally, as reported on NJ.com—who featured the article from the Gloucester County Times:
It would take more than a one-day boycott to have an impact, said Eric DeGesero, executive vice president of the New Jersey Fuel Merchants Association. "They aren't going to have any long term impact until they change their behavior," DeGesero said.

And, there we have it! An email goes out; it motivates people to think they will make a great impact; and, all that happens is the people are portrayed by the media as a joke. Check out these headlines from previous similar efforts provided by The Urban Legend Reference Pages:
Reports indicated few motorists paid attention to a nationwide boycott touted initially by Internet e-mail and later by word of mouth.
Although a gasoline boycott that began as an electronic mail campaign kept some drivers nationwide away from the pump, dealers say they saw little, if any, effect on their traffic.
Friday's gasoline boycott was an effort that sputtered, coughed, then died. Motorists continued to fill up gas-guzzling sport-utility vehicles and trucks alongside smaller vehicles despite a one-day protest aimed to pressure oil companies to lower gas prices.

This is not to say that a boycott does not send a message, but the research suggests that the effects are minimal at best. In addition, the only supporting comment I found when doing my research was, ironically, from a Democratic Congressman in Gary, Indiana, as reported in the Post Tribune:
"It sends a message that people have power," said state Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, who is trying to convince constituents to protest on May 15.
It takes all of my effort at this time to not pick up the phone, call the Congressman, and ask him why he is using his time encouraging his constituents to waste their time with a boycott that lacks effect instead of using his resources to advocate on their behalf. To me, his comment only demonstrates that he is good at deflecting his own responsibility for not addressing the issue. As a fellow democrat, I am disgusted at the spin control he is using on his own people.

My purpose in writing this post is not to discourage people from boycotting fuel; it is quite simply put, to demonstrate that we need to take a more aggressive strategy with our boycotting efforts. If we are going to use resources to bring the people together, why not bring the people together for a cause that will have a greater effect?

How can a greater effect be achieved by consumers?

According to the Urban Legend Reference Pages:
Not buying gas on a designated day may make people feel a bit better about things by providing them a chance to vent their anger at higher gasoline prices, but the action won't have any real impact on retail prices. An effective protest would involve something like organizing people to forswear the use of their cars on specified days, an act that could effectively demonstrate the reality of the threat that if gasoline prices stayed high, American consumers were prepared to move to carpooling and public transportation for the long term.
Gasoline is a fungible, global commodity, its price subject to the ordinary forces of supply and demand. No amount of consumer gimmickry and showmanship will lower its price in the long run; only a significant, ongoing reduction in demand will accomplish that goal. Unfortunately, for many people achieving that goal would mean cutting down on their driving or opting for less desirable economy cars over less fuel-efficient models, solutions they find unappealing.
And, from Break the Chain.org, we read:
In order to influence a reduction in prices, producers must either make more oil and refined fuel available, or consumers must reduce the demand for it. But this means a reduction in overall demand over a significant period of time. The United States is among the world's top consumers of gasoline. Fuel-efficiency on America's highways has not improved significantly over the last ten years and light trucks (including SUVs), which typically get the worst mileage, comprised nearly 55 percent of all new vehicles sold in 2003, and have accounted for more than half of all sales each year since at least 2000.
And from CBS2Chicago.com, we are told very simply:
"People just have to stop using their cars," Toews said. "They'd have to start using public transportation or carpooling. That's what it's going to take, not a 'gas out."

So, what do I propose?—to start the discussion, I feel it best to include another excerpt from Break the Chain.org:
The bottom line: If we want to save money at the pump, we must use less gas - slow down on the freeway, plan outings to get everything in one trip, walk more, ride a bicycle and trade in that gas-guzzling SUV for an economical compact or hybrid car for starters. Unfortunately, this has proven to be a very unpopular approach to the problem.

Leave your comments, please. Based on the information discussed in this post, what do you think we should do—should we protest for a day, or should we do something else? Should we pressure our Congress members to stop wasting our time with spin control and to do something about the problem like using our income tax to invest in public transit that we can use? Should we pressure our country’s leader to use his family connection to oil to begin to fix the problem? I’m looking forward to your comments.

Make a Difference

Huge Ash Spill in Tenessee

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Obama

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House Dems File Articles of Impeachment Against Dann

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An ad that is a music video of sorts

AIDS Housing Goes Blobal: Satellite conference at IAC to address housing, poverty

Hotel Hell: AIDS and housing advocates renew the fight against greedy SRO landlords

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Governor Signs Bill Eliminating Tobacco Group

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Make a Difference -- Talk to People about the War on Drugs

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Olberman 12/06/07 George Bush is a Liar, if not worse.

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The North American Union, The Amero, SPP, and The Trilateral Commission

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Make a Difference : Buy a child a laptop and get one for your family.

We are change, Info Wars, Neo Cons, PNAC, Iran War

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Make a Difference--Click on the new links.

Ron Paul -- 5 Million for the Third Quarter

Make a Difference: [Realize] The Outsized Power of Young People to Change The World

Code Pink For Peace, Arresting Protesters, Marcy Kaptur, AEGIS, and Defense Department Oversight

The U.S. Embassy in Iraq Update

Iraq War, Blackwater, Military Industrial Complex, Corruption

Mike Gravel, Hillary Clinton, The White House, Joe Lieberman, War with Iran

Texas Legislature--Voting more than once, Good News Clip

Bill Richardson--The Only Democrat who wants out of Iraq

Garofolo, Rob THomas, Rushdie, and Bill Maher

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Protests, Bush, Hypocrisy- A look into the mirror

"Make a Difference" Donate Life Straw

Robin Weirauch running for vacated seat in Congress

Make a Difference-- Buddy Walk for a cause!!

Bush setting up to invade Iran, Cheney wants war, Condi wants diplomacy.

G1NTOL Live Blogging at Artomatic 419 This weekend.

Project for an Old American Century -- "Liberal News from Unbiased Sources"

Alberto Gonzales Resigns!!

John Stewart vs. Steven Hayes (Author of Cheney)-- Debate the Iraq War, the Drum-Up and Patriotism

A Web Comic -- xkcd

New Study Reveals-- Antioxidants don't do $h!T.

A link to Thurber's Thoughts

The Super Highway, North American Union, An Average American Patriot, Its not a conspiracy if there are already plans in place.

Cheney, Rove, 9/11-- Does the word shady come to mind.

Making a Difference- The Parable of the Starfish

Rove refuses to testify on role in prosecutor firings

Digg for Today-- Ohio's 2004 Presidential Election Records Are Destroyed or Missing

The Simpson's Movie-MMMMMM-Simpsons

AIDS activists dissed at N.C. State, Homophobic comments fuel campus debate over tolerance

Posting Notes:

Article Repost:

Printed from the Independent Weekly website: www.indyweek.com

More Alberto Links

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Russ Feingold threatens Censure Papers this week.

Well That was nice of them.

Cheney's in Charge!! Go Nuts America

Pagans displeased with painting of donut-wielding Homer Simpson

Al Jazeera English-- A clip from the "Americas" section.

My Digg this week--[National Update]-Kucinich angrily reacts to Clinton-Edwards exchange on limiting debate