Bicycle Built 4 Two

Who's Out of Touch?

2008-04-12T22:49:00.002-04:00

Senator Obama’s comments in response to the Clinton and McCain campaign’s attacks -

TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA – At a town hall meeting in Indiana, U.S. Senator Barack Obama made the following comments in response to the Clinton and McCain campaign’s attacks:

“When I go around and I talk to people there is frustration and there is anger and there is bitterness. And what’s worse is when people are expressing their anger then politicians try to say what are you angry about? This just happened – I want to make a point here today.

“I was in San Francisco talking to a group at a fundraiser and somebody asked how’re you going to get votes in Pennsylvania? What’s going on there? We hear that’s its hard for some working class people to get behind you’re campaign. I said, “Well look, they’re frustrated and for good reason. Because for the last 25 years they’ve seen jobs shipped overseas. They’ve seen their economies collapse. They have lost their jobs. They have lost their pensions. They have lost their healthcare.

“And for 25, 30 years Democrats and Republicans have come before them and said we’re going to make your community better. We’re going to make it right and nothing ever happens. And of course they’re bitter. Of course they’re frustrated. You would be too. In fact many of you are. Because the same thing has happened here in Indiana. The same thing happened across the border in Decatur.

The same thing has happened all across the country. Nobody is looking out for you. Nobody is thinking about you. And so people end up- they don’t vote on economic issues because they don’t expect anybody’s going to help them. So people end up, you know, voting on issues like guns, and are they going to have the right to bear arms.

They vote on issues like gay marriage. And they take refuge in their faith and their community and their families and things they can count on. But they don’t believe they can count on Washington. So I made this statement-- so, here’s what rich. Senator Clinton says ‘No, I don’t think that people are bitter in Pennsylvania. You know, I think Barack’s being condescending.’ John McCain says, ‘Oh, how could he say that? How could he say people are bitter? You know, he’s obviously out of touch with people.’

“Out of touch? Out of touch? I mean, John McCain—it took him three tries to finally figure out that the home foreclosure crisis was a problem and to come up with a plan for it, and he’s saying I’m out of touch? Senator Clinton voted for a credit card-sponsored bankruptcy bill that made it harder for people to get out of debt after taking money from the financial services companies, and she says I’m out of touch?

No, I’m in touch. I know exactly what’s going on. I know what’s going on in Pennsylvania. I know what’s going on in Indiana. I know what’s going on in Illinois. People are fed-up. They’re angry and they’re frustrated and they’re bitter. And they want to see a change in Washington and that’s why I’m running for President of the United States of America.”

I've been bitter, pissed off, irritated, angry... You name it... For eight years or more.

Olympic Torch in San Francisco

2008-04-10T10:27:00.002-04:00

Olympic Torch Protests Overwhelm San Francisco
By Matt Renner
t r u t h o u t | Report

Thursday 10 April 2008

San Francisco, California - A day-long mass gathering intended to protest the running of the 2008 Beijing Olympic torch ended anticlimactically when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom decided to cancel the downtown closing ceremony and instead hold the ceremony at the airport.

Newsom told The Associated Press he decided to move the closing ceremony because of the protests.

Moving the ceremony away from the downtown area capped off a chaotic day and was seen as a victory by protesters who did not want the torch to pass through the city without resistance. Initially, the torch was supposed to travel along the waterfront and circle back to the downtown area for the closing ceremony. The route was altered because officials feared protesters might clash with police and disrupt the relay. The new route was kept secret until the runners were underway, leaving the protesters disorganized.

Deviating from their announced plans, San Francisco officials put the torch and all 80 torch bearers on buses and drove them up to Van Ness Avenue - about two miles away from the original route - where they proceeded to run through the city toward the Golden Gate Bridge with little interference.

Upon hearing reports the relay course had been changed, the most committed protesters sprinted uphill toward where they thought the torch was headed. A spectacle ensued with hundreds of confused protesters jogging through the streets of the business district, waving flags and asking each other if they knew where to go.

On Wednesday morning, human rights activists gathered outside of a well orchestrated official rally, complete with Chinese drums and colorfully costumed dancers. The tension was palpable, as police escorted people holding Tibetan flags out of the area. "Its not safe for you here," a smiling police officer told a young protester with Tibetan prayer flags wrapped around his body, while escorting him to the designated protest areas.

The ceremonial Olympic torch relay across the globe has drawn heated protests in recent days, with activists flooding relay routes throughout Europe, and attempting to extinguish the Olympic torch. Tibet freedom activists have capitalized on the world attention being paid to the Chinese government in advance of the Beijing Olympics by voicing their opposition to what they see as an occupation of Tibet by China and the human rights abuses China has perpetrated against the people of Tibet.

About half an hour before the torch was scheduled to be set aflame and carried along the San Francisco Bay waterfront, protesters began marching down The Embarcadero - a wide street that borders the eastern edge of the city - toward McCovey Cove where the lighting ceremony was underway.

A blue tour bus escorted by police motorcycles suddenly pulled away from the ceremony location. Apparently thinking the Olympic torch was aboard the bus, protesters began running toward the bus and crowding in front of it. The driver seemed to panic momentarily as protesters began banging on the windshield and shouting "free Tibet, free Tibet, free Tibet." After initially stopping to avoid running over the protesters, the driver began to accelerate, attempting to drive through the crowd at roughly five miles an hour.

Screams and shouts from the protesters and police in front of the bus eventually compelled the driver to stop after traveling about 100 feet. Protesters clung to the windows and windshield wipers of the bus, plastering it with Tibetan flag stickers. As police stepped in to try and disperse the crowd, a large metal object, thrown from a long distance, clanged off the windshield. A bottle was smashed against a side window. A police officer caught in the throng looked terrified as he was swallowed up among the rowdy protesters.

The situation was diffused when fellow protesters decided the bus was empty, a decoy used by police to try and draw the protest away from the ceremony. Police said the bus had just dropped people off at the torch lighting and was not intended to misdirect the crowd.

Early reports stated San Francisco officials decided to change the route of the torch relay in anticipation of violent demonstration. It is unclear whether the tour bus incident prompted the course change, but the incident made clear the level of anger and energy driving the protests.

The successful rope-a-dope maneuver left thousands of protesters and casual observers milling around the waterfront area, unsure if they were going to catch a glimpse of the Olympic torch on its only stop in North America.

Left stranded away from the action, the two protest factions turned on one another.

"The Tibetan protesters are rioters. China is making good progress," Steve Hu, a Chinese immigrant and vocal counterprotester said. Many counterprotesters waving Chinese flags marched through the streets, exchanging insults and fiery rhetoric with those advocating for an independent Tibet. Interactions between the two groups varied. The most common encounters were limited to basic insults and impolite hand gestures.

In more heated confrontations, people yelled at one another, their faces just inches apart. On multiple occasions, the warring groups actually clashed in what can only be described as flag on flag sword fights.

The emotional battles remained peaceful, with calmer individuals stepping in when violence appeared imminent. The majority of protesters on both sides recognized both had the right to demonstrate and to express their deeply held political positions.

"Everyone has a right to protests," Justin Zhang, a Chinese immigrant who was waving the Chinese flag said. "I'm disappointed because I didn't get to see the torch."

Tsering Choedon, an Indian immigrant who was protesting in favor of Tibetan independence, said she was thankful the city of San Francisco could hold such an event where both sides could be heard. "I want the Chinese government to let the reporters into China and Tibet so that the world can know the truth," Choedon said from her seated position on the crowded sidewalk. The small woman held a Tibetan flag and wore a mask over her mouth to represent the silencing of Tibetan voices in China.

While protesters advocating for the freedom of Tibet tend to receive the majority of attention, various other groups were quite prominent.

Muhammad Suleiman, a Sudanese immigrant and a protester with the Save Darfur coalition, said his presence at the protest was intended to "send a message to China that genocide and the Olympic games cannot coexist." Suleiman accused China of supplying weapons to the government of Sudan who, in turn, use them to commit atrocities against their own population. "I want the Chinese government to know that they have a moral obligation to stop this," Suleiman said.

New Game at Left of Centrist

2008-03-20T12:08:00.000-04:00

Play Bush x 3 - a new game launched by Robert over at Left of Centrist. I played and feel better already! I'm having kind of a crappy day, but this game is sure to lift your spirits, well if your Left of Centrist that is.

Five Years - A Personal Memoir

2008-03-19T10:51:00.008-04:00

Casualty

Fear arrived at my door
with the evening paper
Headlines of winter and war
It will be a long time to peace
And the green rains
by Virginia Adair

Five years ago today I was eight months pregnant with my son and staying with my mom in her home day and night as she tried desperately to recover from surgery to remove a tumor and battled painfully against the cancer which had spread throughout her body. My daughter, still a toddler lie sleeping in an extra room my mom had made just for her. My mom lay in her own bed while I waited for her to call for me, for ice chips, for meds, for anything at all she needed. I sat staring at the TV without recognizing sound or images, a book in my lap, not knowing what to do next, just waiting.

My mom and I had both opposed the beginnings of any kind of invasion of Iraq, but watched day after day as our government fed the world lies and any opposition was crushed and/or faded from the landscape. While sanctions and inspections and non-violent negotiations were thrown aside, my mom and I helplessly glimpsed the loss of our own personal battle. No amount of medication could ease the suffering she endured and no amount of reasoning or resistance could thwart our government from invading Iraq.

When the news broke that evening I sat frozen, more incapable of movement than I had the moment before. I wept quietly so as not to wake the house. I knew at that moment half a world away people were dying; innocent people we were expected to demonize so their deaths would not faze us or we were expected not to acknowledge in light of our country's agenda. I can't tell you how many times I have found myself trying to convince neighbors and yes, even some friends that the people of Iraq are just like you and me. They are mothers and fathers and children and brothers and sisters who seek to be happy and to be able to care for one another just like you and me. It's exasperating that I've ever needed to even address this idea.

I did not know whether to go tell my mom the news. What would this mean to her? She was already dealing with so much. At some point a while later she called to me. I brought her ice chips and water, her medications and straightened her bed clothes. Such small comforts were all it seemed I could give her. I told my mom the news then. She insisted I help her to the living room to see the reports for herself. We all hang onto every thread of hope until it's gone, don't we? We wept together. We hung our heads in grief. We spoke little of what the future would bring for the world, for us. I know we both thought of my children, her descendants. One sleeping peacefully in the next room and one waiting to be born.

The next few weeks are a blur of memories for me. We tried to keep going against fading hope. My mom pretended to regain her strength and sent me home only to call me back to her side almost immediately. By the end of March my mom was in the hospital unable to open her eyes or speak anymore. I caught glimpses of what was going on in Iraq as I passed hospital TV sets. My only contact with the outside world... I could not bear to watch. My mom died at Hospice less than a month after the war began.

Five years later, though I see the truth everyday, it is inconceivable to me that this war still continues, that the war is as old as my son and as old as my own grief. For awhile after my mom died I couldn't grieve her passing. I thought instead of the people of Iraq and how my own grief could not even compare to what so many of them had lost. It took me awhile to understand that my grief was my own and that I needed to feel it and not compare it with others, so that I might move forward. So that I might one day be able to again emulate the things my mom had taught me and shown me through her own great life, her hard fought convictions and her endless strength.

I have watched friends and neighbors leave for Iraq in the last five years, some more than once. It seems each time two or three are coming home, two or three are on their way. A friend of my husband's lost his life in this terrible war and we see the effects on those who came home with their lives, but with their lives irrevocably changed.

I think of my mom and what her thoughts and feelings would've been during the last five years. I know she would've felt compassion, sorrow and worry for everyone involved in this war; the Iraqi citizens, the soldiers, the people who have lost something and sometimes everything due to this war. I know she would've worried about what she loved most in her life, her grandchildren. Just as she and my father had hesitated to have children due to the tremendous turmoil of the the sixties and seventies because they worried what kind of world I would grow up in, I know she would wonder and worry the same for her grandchildren. I know on this day, five years after this terrible war began, my mom if she were alive, would be attending the vigil to be held in our city. I know I would be with her. Tonight, I will be there and my mom will be with me in my heart.

Because of all the ways my mom and I are alike, we both just always hoped and wanted for a better world for our children and for all children.

Women For Women International

2008-02-29T13:12:00.002-05:00

Linda at Ramblings of an Ageless Hippie Chick posted about Women For Women International. Read her post! Watch this video! Visit their website!

One woman can change anything. Many women can change everything.

A Little Friday Fun

2008-02-22T14:16:00.001-05:00

Gobble! Gobble!

I'll See You There!

2008-02-21T12:31:00.003-05:00

Please join Allen County 4 Obama for an informational gathering. Meet local Obama supporters and learn how you can get involved. Change can’t happen without you!

The event will be held at:

Downtown Library Branch

900 Library Plaza

Fort Wayne, IN 46802

February 27, 2008 at 7:15pm

Our Time Is Now!

2008-02-16T12:52:00.003-05:00

I double dog dare you to try not to believe...

March 19 Iraq War Blogswarm

2008-02-13T12:27:00.004-05:00

Statement of Purpose from March 19 Iraq War Blogswarm
Hosted by March 19 Iraq War Blogswarm blog, "this blogswarm will promote blog postings opposing the war in Iraq and calling for a full withdrawal of foreign occupying forces in Iraq. Five years of an illegal and catastrophic war is five years too many. On the March 19 anniversary of the conquest of Iraq by the Bush Administration, there needs to be a loud volume of voices countering the pro-war propaganda from far too many politicians and corporate media outlets."

If you also have a lot to say and want to make your voice heard sign up and pass the word. For more details on how to participate, click here or on the link on our sidebar.

Other March 19 Actions
Five Years Too Many
Resist In March
ANSWER Protest - Los Angeles

A Hopeful Year for Unions!

2008-02-10T08:47:00.000-05:00

From an editorial in The New York Times

By virtually every indicator, 2007 was a dismal year for American workers. Job growth slowed, unemployment jumped and wages lost what little ground they had gained against inflation since 2003. There is one sliver of good news: the percentage of American workers who belong to a union rose for the first time in three decades...

...There is little doubt that American workers need unions. Wages today are almost 10 percent lower than they were in 1973, after accounting for inflation. The share of national income devoted to workers’ wages and benefits is at its lowest since the late-1960s, while the share going to profits has surged. The decline in unionization has been a big part of the reason that workers have lost so much ground...

...the uptick offers hope that the renewed emphasis on organizing workers by some of the nation’s largest unions — like the service employees’ union, the Teamsters and others that split off from the A.F.L.-C.I.O. to form the Change to Win coalition — might start paying dividends despite the difficult odds.

A bill that would have made it easier for unions to organize workers died in the Senate last June. Congress should take up this issue again to stop companies from using threats and other aggressive tactics to keep organized labor out, and to help win workers their rightful share of the economic pie.

View full article here.

I constantly wonder where the public and our country's labor force's outrage is when CEOs consistently walk away with such a higher percentage of the profits than do the labor force. I completely agree with analysts when they attribute this to union busting and the decline in union membership. Another contributing factor is how our country's CEOs have been transformed from the bosses into media icons. They are praised rather than criticized for their high incomes and their lavish lifestyles. We have been "convinced" that the outright disparities between the workers and the bosses is okay.

As noted by economist, teacher and author Paul Krugman whose most recent book, The Conscience of a Liberal, "the percentage of workers in unions declined from a high of 35 percent in the mid-1950s to today’s level of 12 percent. As a result, the United States has 'lost something that’s essential to maintain a decent society.' Krugman attributes the nation’s worsening economic inequality in large part to declining unionization and the erosion of legal protection of workers’ freedom to choose unions and bargain...
...Krugman explained that when a high percentage of workers are in unions and workers’ freedom to choose unions is protected, there is an “umbrella” effect in which all workers, union and nonunion, benefit."

Super Tuesday! Come On People! Yes, We Can!

2008-02-05T11:31:00.001-05:00

I know this video is "old" news from yesterday to many of you. But my computer at home was jacker-izing me yesterday and I couldn't get it to play past the first 2 seconds. Quick, someone call the computer medics!

Anyway, today I'm at work and I'm finally able to watch this wonderful video. Shhh! Don't tell my boss. Oh, wait I am the boss. Sometimes, I have to remind myself.

So, check this out (if you haven't already). My favorite part is when you hear a crowd chanting, "We want change!" Mmm hhm! That says it!

YouBama.com

2008-01-30T12:15:00.000-05:00

That's Right!
Check It Out!
YouBama.com

Hat Tip: Left in Aboite

Freaky Friday! And Groundhog Day!

2008-01-28T10:19:00.000-05:00

First off, yes, I know it's not Friday. I'm referring here to the classic movie where daughter and mother "switch" places and get to experience the other's life for a day. I've had this reoccurring fantasy where the same thing happens to George W. (Now keep in mind, I'm trusting you with this information. Let's not disclose it to my therapist please.) Only in my fantasy, the movie Groundhog Day plays a major role as this "Freaky Friday" situation happens to George W. every day he wakes. The big difference is George W. lives a different person's life everyday of someone that is being hurt by one of his administration's policies. As you can imagine, the list is incredibly long!

Well, today I've added to my list a Native American person whose health care spending by our government is 50% less per capita than that of felons in prison! Now there's motivation to break the law!

President Bush’s threat to veto a bill intended to improve health care for the nation’s American Indians is both cruel and grossly unfair. Five years ago, the United States Commission on Civil Rights examined the government’s centuries-old treaty obligations for the welfare of Native Americans and found Washington spending 50 percent less per capita on their health care than is devoted to felons in prison and the poor on Medicaid. Read full article here.

Reeling In Bill

2008-01-28T09:55:00.000-05:00

Reeling In Bill? Someone needs to. Bill's rhetoric has been downright annoying since Iowa. On the other hand, I think the Clinton "war machine", as I've heard it referred to many times over the weekend, has perhaps inadvertently proven that Senator O'Bama is "tough enough" to make it in Washington after dealing with President Clinton the last couple of weeks.

Clinton's Camp Seeks Gentler Role for Ex-President

Following are some points that apparently the Clinton camp has absorbed. Read full article by Patrick Healy here.

“I think his harsh style hurt Senator Clinton — it polarized the campaign and polarized the electorate, and it also made it harder for Senator Clinton’s positive message to break through,” said Celinda Lake, a Democratic strategist and pollster who is not affiliated with any of the candidates.

“Voters don’t like the idea of a co-presidency, and he became so high profile that he made people begin to see this as a possible co-presidency,” Ms. Fowler said. “It’s even more problematic because she’s a woman. It looks like she either needs him to fight the big battles for her, or she can’t keep the big dog on the porch.”

Mr. Clinton’s ability to be a distraction was evident on Sunday as reporters repeatedly asked Mrs. Clinton about her husband’s role in the campaign and his comments about Mr. Jackson, which she characterized as benign.

Clinton advisers said that Mr. Clinton would continue to campaign nearly full time for his wife in the days leading up to the Feb. 5 primaries and caucuses in 22 states, yet they added that he would take a more positive tone.

A President Like My Father

2008-01-27T16:43:00.000-05:00

For a girl who grew up with stories of the Kennedys told to me at bedtime, who has boxes and boxes of Kennedy family memorabilia that had been collected for years by my mother and left to me after her death, who witnessed my mom's elation as she met Senator Ted Kennedy on a Boston street when I was five and whose biggest hero is Robert Kennedy... This is significant and moving!

A President Like My Father
By Caroline Kennedy
The New York Times

Sunday 27 January 2008

Over the years, I've been deeply moved by the people who've told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama.

My reasons are patriotic, political and personal, and the three are intertwined. All my life, people have told me that my father changed their lives, that they got involved in public service or politics because he asked them to. And the generation he inspired has passed that spirit on to its children. I meet young people who were born long after John F. Kennedy was president, yet who ask me how to live out his ideals.

Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.

We have that kind of opportunity with Senator Obama. It isn't that the other candidates are not experienced or knowledgeable. But this year, that may not be enough. We need a change in the leadership of this country - just as we did in 1960.

Most of us would prefer to base our voting decision on policy differences. However, the candidates' goals are similar. They have all laid out detailed plans on everything from strengthening our middle class to investing in early childhood education. So qualities of leadership, character and judgment play a larger role than usual.

Senator Obama has demonstrated these qualities throughout his more than two decades of public service, not just in the United States Senate but in Illinois, where he helped turn around struggling communities, taught constitutional law and was an elected state official for eight years. And Senator Obama is showing the same qualities today. He has built a movement that is changing the face of politics in this country, and he has demonstrated a special gift for inspiring young people - known for a willingness to volunteer, but an aversion to politics - to become engaged in the political process.

I have spent the past five years working in the New York City public schools and have three teenage children of my own. There is a generation coming of age that is hopeful, hard-working, innovative and imaginative. But too many of them are also hopeless, defeated and disengaged. As parents, we have a responsibility to help our children to believe in themselves and in their power to shape their future. Senator Obama is inspiring my children, my parents' grandchildren, with that sense of possibility.

Senator Obama is running a dignified and honest campaign. He has spoken eloquently about the role of faith in his life, and opened a window into his character in two compelling books. And when it comes to judgment, Barack Obama made the right call on the most important issue of our time by opposing the war in Iraq from the beginning.

I want a president who understands that his responsibility is to articulate a vision and encourage others to achieve it; who holds himself, and those around him, to the highest ethical standards; who appeals to the hopes of those who still believe in the American Dream, and those around the world who still believe in the American ideal; and who can lift our spirits, and make us believe again that our country needs every one of us to get involved.

I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president - not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.

Hey Hey Nancy!

2008-01-22T12:16:00.001-05:00

Here's a new video from Robert Rouse over at Left of Centrist. I think this is his best video to date that I've seen. The interaction between Robert's "personalities" is awesome! Too funny man! And yet, very serious!

In Honor - Peace

2008-01-21T12:54:00.000-05:00

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies - or else? The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'

Biodiesel - No War Required

2008-01-18T15:20:00.000-05:00

Fields of Fuel - Promo

Bush Declares Recession To Be Terrorist Organization

2008-01-18T11:59:00.000-05:00

Earlier this morning as advised by key members of his staff George W Bush officially named the impending recession and in fact any economic downturn as a terrorist organization. This declaration allows bush the ability to dispatch crack military teams to infiltrate the Federal Reserve, Unites States Mint, Fort Knox, Wall Street and other bastions of the U.S economy, or as he stated, “We gotta git in ther and fight the econo-tera; ‘cause they hate free money!”

Thinking All The Time

2008-01-10T13:02:00.000-05:00

I am in an especially cranky mood today! Could be my lack of sleep as our family is on its third round of sickness since mid-December. My mood could be contributed probably to a number of things and while I usually try not to give in to a mood like this, today, I am embracing it fully!!!!

I came across the following over at Left In Aboite, who in turn found it at Betmo. Betmo seems to have found it on someone else's blog... Gotta love the blogoshpere! Anyway, thanks to all because it made me LAUGH and that isn't likely to happen again today. Additionally, I'm just cranky enough today not to care about offending anyone, so here goes!

It started out innocently enough. I began to think at parties now and then -- just to loosen up.

Inevitably, though, one thought led to another, and soon I was more than just a social thinker.

I began to think alone -- "to relax," I told myself -- but I knew it wasn't true. Thinking became more and more important to me, and finally I was thinking all the time.

That was when things began to sour at home. One evening I turned off the TV and asked my wife about the meaning of life. She spent that night At her mother's.

I began to think on the job. I knew that thinking and employment don't
mix, but I couldn't help myself.

I began to avoid friends at lunchtime so I could read Thoreau, Muir, Confucius and Kafka. I would return to the office dizzied and Confused,asking, "What is it exactly we are doing here?"

One day the boss called me in. He said, "Listen, I like you, and it hurts me to say this, but your thinking has become a real problem. If you don't stop thinking on the job, you'll have to find another job."

This gave me a lot to think about. I came home early after my conversation with the boss. "Honey," I confessed, "I've been thinking..."

"I know you've been thinking," she said, "and I want a divorce!" "But honey, surely it's not that serious." "It is serious," she said, lower lip aquiver.

"You think as much as college professors and college professors don't make any money, so if you keep on thinking, we won't have any money!"

"That's a faulty syllogism," I said impatiently.

She exploded in tears of rage and frustration, but I was in no mood to deal with the emotional drama

"I'm going to the library," I snarled as I stomped out the door. I headed for the library, in the mood for some Nietzsche. I roared into the parking lot with NPR on the radio and ran up to the big glass doors. They didn't open. The library was closed.

To this day, I believe that a Higher Power was looking out for me that night. Leaning on the unfeeling glass, whimpering for Zarathustra, a poster caught my eye, "Friend, is heavy thinking ruining your life?" it asked.

You probably recognize that line. It comes from the standard Thinkers Anonymous poster.

This is why I am what I am today: a recovering thinker.

I never miss a TA meeting. At each meeting we watch a non- educational video; last week it was "Porky's." Then we share experiences about how we avoided thinking since the last meeting.

I still have my job, and things are a lot better at home. Life just seemed easier, somehow, as soon as I stopped thinking. I think the road to recovery is nearly complete for me.

Today I took the final step...I joined the Republican Party. . .

Feel the Power!

2008-01-08T11:19:00.000-05:00

Bloggers bring big net gain for Obama

By Chris Stephen

Picture: Getty

Barack Obama addresses a rally of his supporters in Clarement, New Hampshire, ahead of today's vote.

BARACK Obama's support is snowballing ahead of today's New Hampshire primary thanks to the "blogosphere", with tens of thousands of internet users scrambling to jump on his bandwagon.

After his shock victory in Iowa last week, Mr Obama has opened a double-digit polls lead over his main rival, Hillary Clinton.

It is the internet that is accelerating his support, with bloggers organising events across the United States. So much for the little guys being not making a difference!

More than 4,000 support groups have registered on the Illinois senator's website, ranging from Diabetics for Obama to Americans in Italy for Obama.

His campaign staff have been forced to post an apology on his campaign site, because they have sold out of T-shirts, badges and other paraphernalia. The number of fundraising events has also exploded: Mr Obama's site lists 115 in the New York area alone, compared with only ten on Mrs Clinton's site.

Meanwhile, bloggers are jamming the Obama site with messages of support. Typical is this from "Pamina" in Florida: "My parents are in their late 70s and have NEVER voted for a democrat in their life. Team Obama not only has their vote but I somehow managed to get $20.00 out of them." This is my favorite part. This is what I'm hearing from all over, but especially right around here in my little red state. Unbelievable!

See full article. Excerpt from The Scotsman

O-BA-MA! Coming Through!

2008-01-05T10:28:00.000-05:00

I spent most of yesterday in this quite delirium that I was able to share with my hubby, my good friend Cindy and my friends in the blogosphere as I relished Obama's Iowa Caucus win Thursday night. My husband and I have been debating the Democratic and the Republican candidates for months now; discussing the "electability" of each.

I believe Barack Obama is THE candidate for the Dems right now. I'm not saying that I don't think the other candidates wouldn't do a good job as our next president and there is a huge part of me that would love to see a woman in the White House as much as I would love to see an African American there, but all in good time. If I live to see both in my lifetime, I will have lived in a truly fabulous age! I can't believe this is a thought I'm even considering given the nightmare I feel we've been living through for the last eight years.

I think Obama can ignite a fervor in the voters of this country that we haven't seen in many years and more importantly, I think he is appealing to a wide range of voters. Considering the results of Thursday night, I think perhaps my feelings are correct.

We watched Charlie Rose last night; the "post Iowa" show and the three political analysts on the show could not stop talking about Obama. I think David Brooks himself might cast his vote for Obama given the chance. Brooks has just been waiting to get back to his liberal foundation. Unfortunately, the show is not available online yet, but here's a small excerpt:

Paul Begala on Hillary's Chances in New Hampshire

And from Daily Kos today on the Democrats' dinner in New Hampshire last night :

I thought Hillary speech was incredibly lackluster and unfocused. Bill Richardson was fired up and kept it short and sweet. But Bill was barely off the stage when Obama's supporters started their "Fired Up!" "Ready to go!!" chant and an ocean of his "O" signs went up. This kept up for several minutes with the chants getting louder, when the announcer said that everyone "for safety concerns" should take their seats. (loud, defiant boo's - nobody sat down) Then Obama entered and the crowd went insane. His speech was constantly peppered with "O-Ba-Ma!, O-Ba-Ma!, O-Ba-Ma!" I was really taken aback by this New Hampshire support. I hafta wonder if Hillary might have gotten a bit queasy witnessing that kind of support right off the bat.

I'm telling you, this man is a phenom.

There's also something I predict, because I feel it myself. America is in love with this candidate. And if anyone tries to rough him up too much or slime him (and you know that's going to be attempted - what other choice do his rivals have?), the PEOPLE aren't going to take too kindly to it. I can already see a fierce protectiveness of this man. He's the real deal - genuine, authentic, warm, idealistic, and yes, a hope-monger. (I love that line).

Get ready, America. An Obama tsunami is coming!

Thank You Iowa!

2008-01-04T13:58:00.000-05:00

Way to go Iowa! Thank you! Do I dare to believe? Let's go New Hampshire!

Wordy Wednesday New Year's Style

2008-01-02T15:15:00.000-05:00

New Year's eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights. - Hamilton Wright Mabie

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. - Benjamin Franklin

New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual. - Mark Twain

For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning. - T. S. Eliot

The Conscience of a Liberal by Paul Krugman

2007-12-29T13:20:00.000-05:00

I've been reading a lot lately. Books that is, not blogs. Our computer is housed in our sun room which is a bit chilly this time of year, especially in the evenings and when I'm at the bookstore, I've actually been working. Imagine that! Both scenarios have left me with very little time to spend leisurely perusing the blogosphere or making many posts of my own.

The book I just finished is The Conscience of a Liberal by Paul Krugman and I think it is one of the single most important books I have read in years. If you believe our country needs a Universal Health Care system, read this book! Or if you often wonder why the economy seems to go to the dogs when our friendly conservatives are in office, read this book! Krugman is an economist and so some parts of it are a bit dry. I even flashed back to my Econ 101 college days every now and then whilst reading and remembered how I'd have rather jammed toothpicks underneath my fingernails than read my Econ text.

This book fortunately did not create such urges, I think mainly because Krugman weaves within his text, topics besides economics including politics, unions, race and comparing and contrasting our system with those of Canada, France, Germany and Britain to support his arguments. The parts of the book which focus on the role of unions during the last 100 years of our country and it's economy was particularly interesting to me as my dad was a union steward during his life and I am a supporter of unions. Perhaps I'll go more into that aspect of the book in a later post.

So for those of you who just can't get enough Paul Krugman in your life, which will most decidely be the case after you have read the book, he has a blog through the New York Times! So yes, try and hold back your glee as I have had to... You can connect with this man's thoughts daily. Sigh! Sob! Life would be so terribly dreadful without the internet. Wouldn't it? I can't believe I lived through the first five-sixths of my life without it.

The Business of Bali

2007-12-15T12:34:00.000-05:00

The events of the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali have been resonating in the shadows of my daily world. I've gone about my days, taking care of my family, schooling my children, conversing with my friends and running my business, but my heart and soul took a trip to Bali recently. No one would've known to see me and I've said very little to anyone until yesterday, but that's where I've been, hoping that some progress would be made, agonizing really.

Watching diplomatic processes such as these are mental torture. Perhaps, I should have just waited to tune in to the aftermath. But then I would have missed all the drama and bali-hoo taking place. I've pulled some excerpts from "Tortured End to Bali" from Time.com which convey some of the drama that exploded at the end of the conference.

It was only with the help of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, who made an emergency stop in Bali, that negotiations got kick started. The South Korean, in office for less than a year, is known as diplomatic even by UN standards, but he arrived without mincing words. "Frankly, I am disappointed at the lack of progress," said Ban to a packed audience. "Seize the moment, this moment, for the good of all humanity." With that, Ban left the chamber to a standing ovation.
Yes! What exactly is our problem? Divided we fall... WHY must it always be soooo difficult for nations (for people from different groups in general) to work together?

After India reiterated its objection — and was essentially supported by the European Union — the lead American negotiator Paula Dobiansky turned to speak, and announced that the U.S. would not accept India's changes, which sought to lighten the expectations from developing countries. (The UN negotiating process requires total consensus.) Boos rained on the U.S. delegation from NGO observers and even the press gallery, breaking the last remaining appearance of diplomatic placidity.
I don't know if my boos can be heard from here all the way to Bali... I keep thinking of the Dr. Seuss book, Horton Hears a Who. Thank goodness the Who's down in Who-ville made themselves heard!

Nation after developing nation rose to criticize the U.S. in language more often reserved for a political debate than a UN conference. A representative from tiny Papua New Guinea — one of many small island states most immediately threatened by climate change — recalled the old Lee Iacocca line about leading, following or getting out of the way. "If the U.S. will not lead, get out of the way," he said, to gallery cheers. "Please get out of the way."
While I would love my country to be looked back on at this point in history as a leader on this issue, I just don't see it happening. I do see individuals and large groups of U.S. citizens standing out a part from our government. Count me in with them. Yes United States, PLEASE GET OUT OF THE WAY if you're not going to lead!

...not one of the allies that had generally stood with the U.S. the past two weeks — Australia, Russia, Canada — rose in its defense. The near-total isolation of the U.S. on climate change — which had been building since its rejection of the Kyoto Protocol nearly a decade ago — was now obvious, apparently even to the U.S. Dobiansky turned to speak. "We've listened very closely to many of our colleagues here during these two weeks, but especially to what has been said in this hall today," she said. "We will go forward and join consensus." Boos turned to cheers, and the deal was essentially sealed.
Now what was so difficult about that? The U.S. had to be ridiculed and shamed into doing something positive... Like I said, thank goodness the Whos down in Who-ville made themselves heard. Thank you to the European Union and the developing countries who refused to keep silent. To the thousands of supporters and activists who made the trip to Bali. And thank you even to Australia, Russia and Canada who kept silent for once.

The Closing Press Briefing by Yvo DeBoer

While many will argue and debate on the outcome of the conference, I see this as a positive step. And let's see where we can go now... But remember, it's not just about these decisions made by the world's governments. It's about each of us individually and our attitudes about taking care of our beautiful planet, what we do and what we say. I challenge everyone to permanently change a habit or two in your lifestyle in the next month that conveys your commitment to our planet and all life that resides here.

The Future is Green

2007-12-14T12:32:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, my day began with the BBC reporting on the Climate Change Conference in Bali and hearing parts of Al Gore's speech. I was filled with hope. A smile spread across my face as I listened to Gore.

A few excerpts from Gore's speech follow:

"I am not an official of the United States and I am not bound by diplomatic niceties. So, I am going to speak an inconvenient truth. My own country, the United States is principally responsible for obstructing progress here in Bali. We all know that. But my country is not the only one that can take steps to ensure that we move forward from Bali with progress and with hope."
Perhaps, the world can move along a path towards preservation without a commitment from the U.S. We probably don't have a choice, at least for a little while longer.

"Over the next two years the United States is going to BE somewhere it is not now. You must anticipate that."
I can only hope! The last 7 years have been tense to say the least. I remember the shock I felt when I heard that the U.S. had walked way from the Kyoto treaty in 2001. This sick feeling fell into the pit of my stomach had has loomed there since.

"These are not political problems. They are moral imperatives."
What will we choose? I know what I choose daily, but it's frustrating when I see people around me being so wasteful. My family and I make permanent changes in our lifestyle frequently to help preserve our beautiful world, but there is always more we can all do. My new favorite blog is Green as a Thistle. The blog is best described by the author herself. "I decided to take on a bit of a challenge: Spend each day, for an entire calendar year, doing one thing that betters the environment. The idea is that everything I do, I keep doing (so if I switch brands, it's a permanent switch; if I turn down my thermostat, I keep it down), so that by day 365, I'll be living as green a lifestyle as it gets. I hope, in the end, this proves that being an environmentalist doesn't necessarily have to require massive change, compromise or Greenpeace levels of dedication — it can be simple, and inspiring." This woman is an inspiration to me and has got me thinking of my own personal Green Attack. Waa...ha...ha...

"We are one people on one planet. We have one future."
Too bad we have one rotten government ruled by huge corporations standing in the way of doing something truly significant to protect our one planet, our one people, our one future!

Below is about 9 minutes of Al Gore's speech at the conference. It is definitely worth checking out!

Al Gore in Bali

Wordy Wednesday

2007-12-12T13:06:00.000-05:00

Scott and I saw Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett on Saturday night performed at IPFW. This is one of my favorite plays! I enjoyed it, though the production was somewhat startling to me as it was produced in a very vaudville-ish fashion. I personally find the play so filled with such meaningful dialogue that first of all the laughter that ensued in the audience caused us all to miss some lines. Secondly, the audience REALLY got on a roll and took the laughter too far as far as I'm concerned laughing at Didi and Gogo as they contemplate suicide, laughing at the character Lucky who is a servant with a rope tied around his neck and is called names like pig and hog and laughing in Act 2 as Pozzo has fallen and is calling for help. Like I said, I prefer a bit more serious production of this play, but the actors in Saturday's performance were very good and overall it was enjoyable. Best of all, Scott and I got to spend the evening out together.

Some of my favorite lines from Waiting for Godot...

We are all born mad. Some remain so.

Let us not waste our time in idle discourse! (Pause. Vehemently.) Let us do something while we have the chance! It is not every day that we are needed. Not indeed that we personally are needed. Others would meet the case equally well, if not better. To all mankind they were addressed, those cries for help still ringing in our ears! But at this place, at this moment of time, all mankind is us, whether we like it or not. Let us make the most of it, before it is too late! Let us represent worthily for once the foul brood to which a cruel fate consigned us!

Why are we here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in this immense confusion one thing alone is clear. We are waiting for Godot to come.

We wait. We are bored. (He throws up his hand.) No, don't protest, we are bored to death, there's no denying it. Good. A diversion comes along and what do we do? We let it go to waste. . .In an instant all will vanish and we'll be alone once more, in the midst of nothingness!

The tears of the world are a constant quantity. For each one who begins to weep, somewhere else another stops. The same is true of the laugh. (He laughs.) Let us not then speak ill of our generation, it is not any unhappier than its predecessors. (Pause.) Let us not speak well of it either. (Pause.) Let us not speak of it at all.

And my favorite quote in regards to Godot by Samuel Beckett himself... "If I knew who Godot was, I'd have put it in the play."

Be Wary of the Forwarded E-Mail

2007-12-11T10:29:00.000-05:00

I get a variety of e-mails forwarded to me as my list of contacts grows and grows. Such is the world of the Internet and e-mail. Most the e-mails are just for fun like the one of "The Wedding Dance" which has gained such notoriety. If you haven't seen it, check it out as it is hilarious.

Other e-mails are informative and serious. But lately, I've become wary of these type of e-mails and have gotten in the habit of checking these "informative" and "serious" e-mails on Snopes.com to check the um... honesty and validity of these e-mails. For instance did you know that despite e-mails you may have gotten stating the contrary:

1. Illinois Senator Barack Obama is NOT a radical, ideological Muslim NOR did he swear on the the Koran rather than the Bible when he was sworn into office. Obama's father was Muslim with whom Obama had very little contact with as he was growing up. Additionally, Senator Obama has said that he is a Christian. During official congressional swearing-in ceremonies, newly elected members do not place their hand on any book.

2. George W. Bush does NOT have the lowest I.Q. of all the presidents of the last 50 years. This study never took place and the Lovenstein Institute which is credited with the study does not even exist.

3. Madalyn O'Hair is NOT campaigning to remove all Christmas programs and Christmas Carols from the public schools NOR has she been granted a hearing with the FCC to eliminate the bible from being read on all television and radio broadcasting networks. Mrs. O'Hair has been dead since 1995, but apparently is still a real threat.

The most recent e-mail I received is about some observances Ben Stein made a few years ago on CBS Sunday Morning about Christmas. The e-mail started off well enough with Ben Stein remarking how people seem to "worship" superstars, that as a Jewish person, he is not offended by Christmas trees, manger scenes or when people wish him a Merry Christmas. He then states that "I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians." Fair enough and well stated as I don't think anyone likes getting pushed around for their beliefs.

But about a third of the way through the e-mail the tone of it completely changes and things start to become a little distorted and I can see that right away words are being put into Ben Stein's mouth. Especially at the end as the entire e-mail is credited to Ben Stein and he concludes with an Amen. So I went on over to Snopes.com to discover if my feelings that something was amiss were accurate. Sure enough at the point in which the tone of the e-mail changes, the author also changes. Ben Stein did author the first part, but not the last.

The e-mail disturbed me so much because it keeps trying to convince the reader that we live in a hugely secular country and this is the reason for our woes. I think the e-mail propagates a continued us versus them mentally which helps no one. I find it hard to understand why some Christians in the United States feel so threatened. 80% of our country's population profess to being Christian while only about 14% percent claim to be atheists . Those who feel so threatened by those 14% should really try living in Sweden for awhile where 69% of the population claim to be non-believers.

One of the things that struck me most about this e-mail is the portion about Dr. Spock. "Then Dr. Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide)."

This really got my dander up as the part about Dr. Spock's son is an outright lie. How perverse of people to say such terrible things! And additionally, Dr. Spock encouraged parents to be more flexible and affectionate with their children. He never said not to discipline children AND I get tired of people pointing their fingers at this guy and blaming him for the "problems" with the last few generations of children. When will we all start taking responsibility for our own choices that we make in regards to well, everything?

Another part of the e-mail states "I think it all started with Madalyn O'Hair (spelled completely wrong) who complained she didn't want prayer in schools and we said okay. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school and we said okay."

Wow! I wonder if the author of this would be okay with children reading the Koran or other holy books in school. Just wondering... considering people want Philip Pullman's books pulled off library shelves everywhere. And by the way, several of my students over the years brought their bibles to school or books of children's Bible stories to read during our daily silent reading time and I never once refused this. Why would I?

Anyway if you'd like to read the entire e-mail, you can link to it here.

So all I'm saying is when you get these "informative" and "serious" e-mails, check them out first for validity before you send them along. Especially, if they could be hurtful to other people (i.e. Dr. Spock's family). We all know the power of the Internet in our lives. Let's try to use it for the best of things, shall we?

Wednesday Again? Already? Hhhm...

2007-12-05T12:42:00.001-05:00

Well, this Wednesday sure did sneak up on me! Here it is Wordy Wednesday again and I have not posted since last Wednesday. That is mostly due to me having my head stuck in a book, actually books for the last 5 days.

I had to take a break from many of my "extra-curricular" activities so I could turn my attention to Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy which begins with the book, The Golden Compass. I've actually had the trilogy sitting on my shelf now for more time that I'd like to admit. But as you know if you've ever visited my house, my husband and I probably own more books than we'll ever possibly be able to read. We don't mind though, we've learned to decorate with them!

Anyway, I receive lots of e-mails from a variety of sources and have recently been bombarded with e-mails calling for a boycott of the upcoming "controversial" movie, The Golden Compass. Don't you just love controversies? It amazes me how much energy people will put into boycotting and banning other people's thoughts and creations. My curiosity piqued, I put all other reading materials aside and dove in. I'm half way through the second book. The books are excellent reading so far, especially for a fan of fantasy such as myself.

For now, I will leave my commentary at that and leave you with everyone else's in the true spirit of Wordy Wednesday. Each quote is linked to a full online article.

"They’re intentionally watering down the most offensive element,” Donohue said. “I'm not really concerned about the movie, [which] looks fairly innocuous. The movie is made for the books. ... It's a (pro-atheist) deceitful, stealth campaign."

Calgary Bishop Fred Henry said there are more pressing issues facing Catholics than debating a children's fantasy novel.

For anyone who hasn't yet read the books, Tom said they would appeal to anyone who likes to ask questions about the world we live in and what things mean.

The plot involves (in the books at least) one side (the Church) trying to rid the world of sin by committing atrocious acts against children, while the other side, headed up by Lord Asriel, which is trying to stop them, are not clearly the "good guys" either. Unless someone has substantially changed the plot for the film to something that is certainly not in the book (and I doubt that, given that New Line would like this film to be marketable), saying this story is about a little girl trying to kill God is both misleading and irresponsible.

Welcome to WORDY WEDNESDAY

2007-11-28T12:19:00.000-05:00

So on lots of blogs, I often come across "Wordless Wednesday" posts where the authors of blogs simply post a picture. I get this idea as Wednesday can be a trying day in Western Society. It's the middle of the week and any rest saved up from the previous weekend has been spent. At the same time Friday is just too far away to seem like it is within our grasp. Hence, brain cells are fried.

But here at Bicycle Built 4 Two, I have once again decided to swim up mainstream and from this day forth declare every Wednesday as Wordy Wednesday in which I will post quotes or poems or both from people in the world who have at some point expressed themselves in such a way as to make it unforgettable.

Feel free to post quotes or poetry you enjoy in the comments or e-mail me some of your favorites and I'll post 'em.

I'm just a human being trying to make it in a world that is very rapidly losing its understanding of being human. John Trudell Native American Activist, Poet & Musician

Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater. Albert Einstien US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)

Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night. Edgar Allen Poe US Author (1809-1849)

Things do not change; we change. Henry David Thoreau US Author (1817 - 1862)

When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other. Chinese Proverb

If we value independence, if we are disturbed by the growing conformity of knowledge, of values, of attitudes, which our present system induces, then we may wish to set up conditions of learning which make for uniqueness, for self-direction, and for self-initiated learning. Carl Rogers US Psychologist (1902 - 1987)

If you're not living life on the edge, you're taking up too much space. Anonymous

Post Thanksgiving Thoughts

2007-11-26T03:20:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving can be a wonderful time of getting together with family and reflecting on all the things we have in life to be thankful for, but there is one thing I hate about this holiday. It plays a huge part in continuing our stereotypes of Native Americans. Recently, I found myself cringing when it was mentioned that a child I know had dressed up as an Indian at school last week, because her teacher had told the students to come to school dressed as either an Indian or a pilgrim. I could not bear to ask for a description of what was worn by her or her classmates. I can only imagine... How many "Hows" do you think were uttered during the course of the day? It makes my head spin.

It infuriates me how ignorant so many classroom teachers are. I used to hate the month of November when I was a public school teacher as I watched so many of my colleagues perpetuate stereotypes and not even bother to teach the real story of Thanksgiving or discuss differences between the many tribes of the Americas. When I made my concerns known, I was always met with a glazed silent expression or an, "Oh, but the kids think it's so fun."

One of my favorite poets, Joy Harjo recently posted on this subject on her website. A portion of the post states the following:

THE NATIVE AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE
"Young children's conceptions of Native Americans often develop out of
media portrayals and classroom role playing of the events of the First
Thanksgiving. That conception of Native Americans gained from such early
exposure is both inaccurate and potentially damaging to others," says
Debbie Reese in "Teaching Young Children About Native Americans," an
ERIC Digest (May 1996).

For example, a visitor to a child care center heard a four-year-old
saying, "Indians aren't people. They're all dead." "This child," Reese
says, "had already acquired an inaccurate view of Native Americans, even
though her classmates were children of many cultures, including a Native
American child."

Check out her entire post here www.joyharjo.com

Thanksgiving

2007-11-20T12:34:00.000-05:00

Happy Turkey Day!
(the immigration holiday)

The Campaign to Protect Children's Nutrition

2007-11-17T10:30:00.000-05:00

Corporate profiteers and their backers in Congress want to privatize Food Stamp eligibility determination, which means auctioning off nutrition for needy children, the elderly and disabled to corporate bidding.

Food Stamp privatization results in multibillion dollar contracts for big corporations like IBM, MAXIMUS, Accenture and others. But for millions of needy children, elderly and disabled Americans, it means their next meal could depend on the whims profit-seeking CEOs, not professional, experienced caseworkers whose only motivation is to help those in need.

In July 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives voted for language in the Farm Bill that prevents the Administration from allowing states to bypass the existing prohibition that prevents companies from taking over the process of deciding who is eligible for Food Stamps. Now the Senate must act.

The Food Stamp program has its origins in the 1940s, as many American families struggled to put food on the table due to harsh economic conditions. Enacted into law in the 1960s, the modern Food Stamp program now enables as many as 26 million Americans each month to afford the nutritious food they need for good health.

To guard against corruption, federal law required that only qualified, merit-based civil service employees would determine who was eligible for Food Stamps. But in the mid-1990s, major corporations began lobbying for huge state contracts to take over most of the eligibility determination process for Food Stamp, Medicaid and other public welfare programs.

These efforts failed miserably in Texas. And despite the Texas disaster, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels seems determined to force his State down the same road. So to protect accountability and the integrity of the Food Stamp program, a coalition of anti-poverty, anti-hunger, women’s, children’s and labor groups created the Campaign to Protect Children’s Nutrition.

The campaign won a provision in the 2007 Farm Bill that bars the administration from allowing states to auction off nutrition for needy Americans to corporations. The House approved the language in August and the Senate will act soon. But big corporations are now doing all they can to strip the Farm Bill of the anti-privatization provisions.

Make your voice heard on this matter and protect those in our country who are greatly in need of the Food Stamp program. Head to www.needovergreed.org and sign the petition. Call or e-mail your congress people. If enough of us speak out, I believe we will be heard.

Hat tip: Left in Aboite
Thanks John for the post!

Samantha Power - The Age of Genocide

2007-11-14T23:21:00.000-05:00

Last night I attended the Omnibus Lecture Series at IPFW with two great friends. It was better than a night out at Henry's. :) The presenter was Samantha Power and the topic was the Age of Genocide. Power is a fantastic speaker.

When she was just in her mid-twenties she covered the wars in the former Yugoslavia for U.S. News & World Report, The Boston Globe, and The Economist. Holy cow! Let's not even discuss what I was doing in my mid-twenties! She states, “The fact that you could see those men, in real-time, looking just like those black and white pictures we had all seen from the Holocaust, made a profound difference on whether people were prone to call their congressman. Congress, in turn, made a profound difference on the executive branch to respond.”

Power's lecture focused on genocides throughout the world in our recent history including Rwanda and she discussed the "tools in America's toolbox" that our government has to try and deal with such atrocities. She explained how the toolbox was never even opened to prevent the killing of hundreds of thousands of people, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE! Power told of remarks made by a congress person to the press during the 1994 mass killing in Rwanda as the press wondered why nothing was being done. The congress person stated that their office had received many calls on the threat to the endangered gorillas in Rwanda during this time, while not one call had been made by constituents concerning the people of Rwanda. Makes you kind of ashamed, doesn't it?

Powers continued her lecture discussing the current atrocities in Darfur and how she believes that one of the reasons the people of our country are reacting now and putting pressure on our government in regards to Darfur is a result of the lack of awareness and reaction during recent past genocides. Throughout her entire lecture, Power remained adamant that it is the pressure from citizens not just in our country, but in countries around the globe that forces governments to open their "toolboxes" to try to put a stop to genocide.

Throughout the lecture though, I kept wondering where was the media coverage of Rwanda while the genocide was taking place? Why wasn't every citizen who tuned in aware? Why were most of us only acutely aware after it was too late?

And then I started thinking about the blogosphere. I have heard countless journalist complain as of late about bloggers who are "reporting the news". I'm tired of this. Why shouldn't we blog about about what is going on that we are aware of, that we are passionate about, that is often on page 9 in the newspaper or isn't covered at all, that we want to share with the people who subscribe to our blogs? We should.

I have become a blogoholic in the last few months and almost every blog I check daily is a news blog. And the best thing about blogs is that you can, if you are so inclined and I hope most people are, check blogs from various points of view. Hey, some of them aren't easy to read, but I still do. The other great thing about blogs is that they are written by people like me and you. Our views may be slanted, but at least we're passionate! Can we say the same about our media? Slanted? Yes. Passionate? I'll leave that up to you.

Power's lecture touched on many other things which at this point I am still processing, but overall, her lecture focused on how you and I as individuals can make a difference by calling up our representatives and voicing our concerns. Technology has made it easy for us. You can call 1-800-GENOCIDE to connect with your reps today. 1-800-GENOCIDE? Ya, I know it's disturbing, but you can't deny it's easy to remember.

Samantha Power's book Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide was awarded the 2003 Pulitzer for general non-fiction, the 2003 National Book Critics’ Circle Award for general non-fiction, and the Council on Foreign Relations’ Arthur Ross Prize for the best book on U.S. foreign policy. Check it out. It's next on my list. Let me know what you think.

Quiet...

2007-11-12T12:34:00.000-05:00

I've taken a few days off after the election to "regroup". I put so much of my time, energy and heart into working to get Tom Henry elected that I think I went through some sort of emotional free fall the end of last week.

Election Day comes and goes and suddenly so many of us are left with a lot less to do... But not really, because I spent last week seeing some friends I hadn't spent time with for awhile, watching some movies with my family, sleeping, getting "back" to work at my store, reading my blogroll daily, thinking introspectively and figuring out what "projects" I want to put my energies into next.

We all need some time to rest and reflect. The result is that hopefully it will help move us forward.

Welcome!

2007-11-07T23:50:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our new blog, Bicycle Built 4 Two. This is a blog my husband and I will share as we throw our perspectives about life upon the blogosphere (you have hereby been warned). We started this new blog because as duly noted, our blog Gathering Up The Pebbles was originally started to share the adventures of our family with our family and friends. But as I am sure you have noticed (if you are an avid reader) I have been filling this blog the last few months with info regarding local politics. Once I got started, it was truly hard to control myself! But control myself I have, because trust me on this one, there have been lots of thoughts spouting from my over active brain that I have NOT blogged about.

As a result, we have created a vehicle for such thoughts to spare many of you who just want to see pics of our kids, hear about our adventures as a family and share our world minus the politics and such. Now, don't get me wrong, because of course, our views and actions do effect the lives of our children and will continue to. So, every now and then, you may see a post on Gathering Up The Pebbles that you love or irritates the pants off you. Nonetheless, you will from this day forward find most of the topics you love or irritate the pants off you written about here.