A CHRISTMAS STORY....

North Korea Hits Below the Belt!

2009-07-25T07:21:00.002-05:00

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made statements (rightly warranted) about North Korea's out right retaliation and resistance to coming together with all of the global leaders on the issue of launching missiles. They instead had a spokesperson insult Sec. Clinton personally, rather than try to make a case for their "obvious derelict behavior." When Sec. Clinton speaks, she is speaking for the President and the United States. Let's see what names they call our President and the American people. Come on North Korea, lets hear how you would insult the rest of us. I'm curious to read / hear how you will do that. I'll be waiting...

Bubbles for Health Care Reform?

2009-06-29T01:40:00.005-05:00

Tornado In Austin Minnesota - Reposting Spending a day in Austin...

2009-06-19T05:37:00.004-05:00

It was a little over a year ago that I ...~Walked from the hotel at the edge of town into downtown Austin Minnesota. Austin is one of the most beautiful Minnesota towns that I've had the good fortune to visit.~

Tornado In Austin Minnesota - Reposting ~ Spending a day in Austin Minnesota - Small Town USA Endures Flooding Saturday, June 14, 2008

Public Health Care Option Necessary ~ Single Payer Still a Better Plan...

2009-06-13T11:59:00.014-05:00

Share Your Story

The United States Department Of Health and Human Services is asking people to share their Health Care related stories and they asking for ideas and proposals.

From Mountain Sage Why we need a public options for health care and debunking Canadian health care myths Jun.08, 2009 "A woman in the United States, stands in the street with a can, begging for money to finish her chemo therapy!

Debunking Canadian health care myths By Rhonda Hackett at the Denver Post 06/07/2009

Update on Landmark Study on Single-Payer as Economic Stimulus from the California Nurses Association

The STUDY in PDF

I've been hanging out over at a new site that I absolutely love, Its called No Limits, where I've been able to stay connected to the issue of Health Care Reform. When my blog was mistakenly targeted by blogger Spambots in May, I got an email from Ann Lewis inviting me to visit the site. I couldn't get into my blog, so I had time to check out the site No Limits. I can't say enough about this amazing site and all of the important conversations going on.

Now, I'm behind the curve getting out information I come across. But I'm going to try to post as many Health care Reform stories as possible. I'm still completely shocked that Congress (the ring leader Max Baucus) has so many politicians railing against what I consider to be a true Human Right ~ Our Bodies Don't Exist in a Bubble, neither should the Health Care Industry!

Its good to be back on my blog!

Thank you Blogger! For Restoring My Blog....

2009-06-13T10:08:00.002-05:00

THANK YOU, THANK YOU BLOGGER! I was afraid I had lost my blog for good. I received a message when I logged on in May, that said my site had been identified as SPAM. I'm so relieved that Blogger got the time to look my site over. Thank you Blogger!

Rachel Maddow ~ My Hero!

2009-05-15T21:11:00.002-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

So Much In so Little Time - President Obama Is Amazing!

2009-04-28T21:28:00.003-05:00

Post from Amy Hamblin's Blog: A Foundation for Change By Amy Hamblin - Apr 28th, 2009 at 9:53 am EDT

I am extremely satisfied with the effort and action put forward by President Obama in his first 100 days! I'm hopeful things will get better. And I feel assured that the President Obama Administration IS looking out for all of us little people! The areas of concern right now...the fanatic extreme right wing are simply absent their sanity - absolutely obstructionistic - absolutely appear racist - absolutely acting arrogant - absolutely! Rep. Marty Seifert of MN - Marshall MN area, told a Chamber of Commerce gathering that only Minnesotans by birth should be eligible for state health insurance. But when asked how many guests were born in MN, only half of the Chamber attendees raised their hands. Then M Seifert goes on to add " I meant foreigners." They really don't get how the rest of us view their attempt to cause out right mayhem where ever they happen to be feeding!!! LOL!!! Michele Bachmann is not alone here in the great state of Minnesota!

Bachmann Wants to Know "What’s on Your Mind" from Dump Bachmann Monday, April 27, 2009

Bail Out Education, the South Park way....

2009-03-28T23:59:00.004-05:00

A big Thank You to Blue Man in a Red District for this one!!!!

i stopped blogging, temporarily, because i needed time to assess our new landscape once the bush administration physically left office and because i needed to put my attention else where. i'm not ready to come back and throw myself in to blogging as to what i've witnessed and what i've surmised since the new administration arrived. not quite yet. too soon still. i don't trust congress anymore any more than i did before. there is definitely something wrong up there on capital hill. seeing dems on the tv cheer leading troop deployment to afghanistan, same song different dance. or is that same dance different song? OMG is all i can muster right now about that one. i am patiently waiting for signs that washington is for the little people. still waiting, still waiting, still waiting. two dems from minnesota just authored a bill that would take away money earned from every wait staff - waiters and waitresses and i can't for the life of me understand why they think this is helpful. so many things still knocking around the working class. it's hard to weed out the really bad stuff from the smoke screen stuff. this is exactly why i will remain an independent. and i hope to never see republicans in power again...they are just the scariest bunch of fanatic authoritarians - steele, bachmann, bohner and canter. president obama and secretary clinton are still high on my list of 'hero's in action.' oh and lastly, i hope senator dodd loses his re-election bid and vice president biden still needs to prove he's for the working class, remember his bankruptcy bill that became a law. the one that makes the person spend a lot more money than necessary to get out of debt. drains the last reserve of savings, paying through the nose just to get out of debt? that law needs to be changed for the benefit of the regular middle of the road citizen, this year. so many things left unsaid.....

~ Thadeus Project ~

2009-01-27T05:33:00.001-06:00

Thadeus Project Live

~ WITHIN TEMPTATION ~

2009-01-27T05:30:00.001-06:00

The Howling

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ~ Nobel Lecture December 11, 1964

2009-01-18T09:51:00.008-06:00

"Peacemaker" Respectful Birthday Acknowledgement To Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Les Prix Nobel en 1964 ~ Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.The Quest for Peace and Justice Monday, January 15, 2007 "The Nobel Peace Prize 1964 Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Quest for Peace and Justice Martin Luther King Jr. Nobel Lecture*, December 11, 1964 Dr. King delivered this lecture in the Auditorium of the University of Oslo."

Copyright © The Nobel Foundation 1964 "Histoire d'un crime, "Conclusion-La Chute"

EVOLUTION OF DANCE ~ Brought To You By The Talented Jason Laipply

2009-01-15T05:42:00.003-06:00

List of songs from "Evolution of Dance" from Wikipedia

Andre has Been Caged - In REHAB???

2008-12-27T06:27:00.011-06:00

Update: Andre went home from the hospital the evening of 1/1/2009!

O.K. this is dark age stuff. Andre's Mom has been on a virtual roller coaster ride w/ the nursing staff in the Rehab unit. Never seems to end, the bad stuff! Neglect of practical care by the nursing staff is the number one issue. There is a list, that I will go into once Andre is home. Yes, Mercy Medical, I will be writing about you. And it isn't going to be a glowing report at all. Right now, I'm told that Andre has been placed inside a giant sized playpen. The One On One care (questionable to say the least) has been taken away. Now the nursing staff has placed a pen around Andre so that he will use the call button to the nurses station. Andre cannot discern when to use the button, per his Mom. I will write about where Andre is at on the cognitive scale in another post. Oh yea, the feeding tube that was green with puss and hurting Andre, that was cleaned by his mother. She lifted his shirt because he kept saying his stomach hurt. She asked for help from the nurses to clean the whole area. They would not help her. She did it herself. She found a puss and blood stained shirt stuffed among the clean shirts, when she went to put a clean shirt on Andre, too. Absolute neglect by the nurses. Really, with the very long list of stuff either not done for Andre's practical care (negligence) and the few out right "mean" things caught by visitors that nurses did to Andre, over all I would give Andre's mother a huge award. An award for endurance of the awful care that her child is receiving. Andre needs to be watched over, Yes. But putting him in a cage like an animal, which even that is considered backwards by today's standards for a recovering pet, a person with a Traumatic Brain Injury contained in a cage, today?!?! Some dark aged stuff going on at that hospital in Sioux City, Iowa. This is bad stuff.

Update 12/21/08: "Andre's Benefit Show was 'Snowed out', instead of 'Sold Out.' Sioux City had 10 inches of snow the day / night of the benefit..."

TAVIS SMILEY ~ The ROAD TO HEALTH Health Care is Not Color-Blind: Race Impacts Access to Care by Kauthar B. Umar, MA

KID ABLE TOYS, GREEN TOYS & MUCH MUCH More!

2008-12-22T04:26:00.015-06:00

MARA KAPLAN co-founded the Center for Creative Play which I started so that I would have a place to go and play with my son who is profoundly disabled.

Toys Aid in Development of Disabled Children

Toys Aid in Development of Disabled Children Minnesota
Toys of all types can help children develop essential skills, including children born with mental or physical disabilities like autism, multiple sclerosis, Down syndrome and other conditions, but some are more directly applicable than others.

Local Companies
Learn Baby Care Tips
Read Expert Articles on Bedime, Bathtime & Massage. Learn More.
www.babycenter.com

Baby Goods Online, Save 5%
Adorable Baby Gifts & Baskets Delivered. Register & Save 5%.
BabyBasket.com

Jensales Inc
(507) 826-3666
200 Main St
Manchester, MN

Toys R US
(507) 286-9291
808 Apache Ln SW
Rochester, MN

Kirkham Martin R
(507) 288-0219
5614 65th Ave SE
Rochester, MN

Northern Lights Books & Crafts
(218) 681-8242
208 Labree Ave N
Thief River Falls, MN

Toy World
(952) 831-5031
7525 France Ave S
Minneapolis, MN

Funcoland
(507) 388-9986
500 Raintree Rd
Mankato, MN

Toys R US
(763) 525-1697
14100 Wayzata Blvd
Minnetonka, MN

Toys R US
(952) 881-0287
7839 Southtown Ctr
Minneapolis, MN

Sadie's Toy Box
(763) 383-9380
12896 Highway 55
Minneapolis, MN

Kb Toy Liquidators
(651) 674-4706
Tanger Factory Outle
North Branch, MN

Ten Green Toys for 2008

Co-op America

2007 was a tough year for toy manufacturers, with popular, high-profile toys like Barbie accessories from Mattel, Sesame Street dolls from Fisher-Price, and Thomas the Tank Engine recalled due to the dangers of lead paint used by their Chinese manufacturers.

Just in the month of November alone, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced recalls of literally thousands of Chinese-made toys due to lead paint dangers, including: .................

Ten Green Toys for the Holidays From Coop America

10. Solar-powered house

9. Bamboo xylophone

8. “Family Pastimes” board games

7. Fair Trade sports balls

6. Doll clothes

Discover ...

What you should never buy again

Products to always buy green

25 ways to get and give what you need without money

Made in America is motto of American Aisle FROM THE LAKE COUNTY NEWS-SUN SUBURBAN CHICAGO NEWS December 12, 2008 Only U.S.-manufactured products offered in Round Lake Beach store

www.terraexperience.com/

Doll clothes!!! folk art, paintings, ethnic textiles, gifts and other fun and educational stuff from Guatemala and the Markets of the World.

B.R.A.G. Philadelphia

Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Huipils for American Girl
Looking for a way to instill some Guatemalan pride in your doll playing kiddo? The website Terra Experience sells traditional Mayan clothing that fits American Girl. So cute! Here's the link:

Posted by B.R.A.G.

Labels: Maya, shopping

hot topic: fair trade 20 Mar 2008 by fullyshopping
i’m proud that terra experience was identified as one of “top ten green toys” by co-op america before christmas. what i have done at this point is work with the weavers and seen how they weave. the weaving itself is sustainable. ...

Shopping Information - top 10 eco-friendly toys 1 Dec 2007 by jody

doll clothes – the owner of terra experience follows the fair trade federation model, by keeping close ties with her producer partners in guatemala. she partners with mayan weavers to offer high-quality traditional outfits that fit 18" ...

babybam Collection -

http://blog.babybamcollection.com/

5. Blue Rainforest Monkeys

4. Lamb (or bunny) towel doll

3. Lavender-filled stuffed animals

2. Wooden Pull Toys

1. Wooden trains

Its All About BOOKS This Holiday Season... Thursday, November 15, 2007

Close the Books on Hate: 101 Ways to Combat Prejudice to break the cycle of hate through reading

Review a list of 86 Book Titles and Internet Resources

Rainbow Library My Two Uncles

UMD Library Prejudice

Amazon.com All Kinds of Families Norma Simon

In The Spirit of "Green" Giving and "Fair Trade" Christmas 2007 Wednesday, November 21, 2007

PADDYWHACK LANE LLC.

Costume Club Kids

Costume Club Outfits

Books & Music

SHOP BY THEME

https://www.paddywhacklane.com/store/view_wholesalers.php

Find a Retailer In Your Area

Contact Paddywhack Lane...

Providing your family with the safe, natural, and fun toys.

We wanted to find safe and natural toys for our children to play with and that need inspired us to open our own store. Everything we sell is approved by us by our standards that we set for our own family. Our contact information

By email: 411@organictoybox.com

By standard mail: OrganicToyBox.com 25703 Cedar River Menifee, Ca 92585

By phone: 951-672-3938

411@organictoybox.com

Shipping Information:

Pull Along Zoo Animals

Stacking Construction Vehicles

Rolling Turtles

Haba rattles and teethers

Organic Bunny Blankie Friend

Organic Clothing

Pure Rest Organic Apollo Mattress Twin

Organic Lion

Organic 3 Tier Poplin Dress

Melissa and Doug Toys

INDEX

www.HealthyChild.org

Educational Toys and Specialty Toys

Educational Toys and Specialty Toys - Buy Online at Fat Brain Toys
Toddler Ride On Toys (37 products in this category) … Zipfy (3 products in this category) Zolo (3 products in this category) ……

Fat Brain's safe toy list
By Staff -- Playthings, 8/29/2007
ELKHORN, Neb.—Toy retailer and manufacturer, Fat Brain Toys, has developed a list of resources to assist parents in selecting safe toys.

Recent Testimonials from Our Wonderful Customers

Only store I know who supports the troops overseas!

interesting toys and games that I can use therapuetically to assist the students improve various skills

i want something better than plastic junk for my son,

We are a homeschooling family and we are always looking for unique and challenging toys for our family.

The real difference is that Fat Brain doesn't charge to ship to FPO/APO addresses.

I found the best selection of Melissa and Doug puzzles on your site.

Fat Brain Toys is an awesome website with quality toys and lots of fun educational options for kids too!

Fat Brain Toys has an awesome line up of high quality toys for kids that don’t play by themselves. You know the types. Plug them in and sit back and watch?

They also offer toys with a wide range of “earthy” qualities, such as:

• made from sustainable sources
• renewable woods
• non toxic, kid safe vegetable dyes
• minimal packaging
• organic toys
• environmentally-themed toys
• toys made from recycled or reused materials
• toys integrating solar and alternative energy sources
• toys that run on “kid power” (talk about renewable energy sources!)
• toys ethically manufactured by socially responsible companies

Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Dado Cubes from Fat Brain Toys
Now they have created a new line of toys that has won almost every toy award that is out there.

"Dado combines art and science as you explore architectural principles . . . proportion, balance, structure and color.

Life of a CT Yankee

They carry a great range of educational toys for all ages - babies to adults.

Be sure to check out Thames and Kosmos kits, Erector sets, and so many other cool things.

Natural Moms Talk Radio

Frightened Grasshopper Solar Powered Bug

Let Kids Play!!

Toy of the Week: Mary Meyer Earth Friends November 11, 2008

Mary Meyer's new Earth Friends line includes soft toys, rattles and blankets, all crafted from 100 percent certified organic cotton grown without the use of toxins, harmful pesticides, chemicals or dyes. Also, all colorants are tested to meet and exceed global safety standards.

Mary Meyer, Townshend, Vt.
http://www.marymeyer.com/

November 4, 2008: Broken Heart Dolls

The collectible Broken Heart Dolls ($15.99) are soft, 7-inch plush hearts created especially for teens and tweens. There are five characters in the original series, each with its own personal back story of emotional torment.

Shown here are purple Chrissie (the party girl), tan-colored Aarrchie (the punk bass player), chartreuse Clyde (tragic poet and muscle car fan) and black/white Susiee (the goth girl). Not shown: Wolfgang, the pink wannabe pop star.

Additional characters are planned to be unveiled seasonally.

Broken Heart Dolls, San Mateo, Calif.

http://www.bhdolls.com/

October 28, 2008: Mega Bloks Smart Builders Piano

The Smart Builders Piano, for ages 1 and up ($34.99), combines both music and blocks—both classic play patterns—into the first buildable electronic piano to inspire creativity as well as learning.

Without blocks, preschoolers can play the piano as a normal instrument, but by layering or removing blocks, young musicians can change the instruments and add different beats and melodies. Designed especially for small hands.

Mega Brands, Toronto
www.megabrands.com

October 21, 2008: Publications International's Poingo
Publications International, publisher of electronics-enabled storybooks, recently debuted Poingo ($34.99), a dedicated reading aid for preschoolers and kids up to age 7.

The interactive reading system’s namesake stylus uses an infrared scanner to “read” microscopic symbols imprinted into each of the system’s storybooks. When scanned by the Poingo stylus, the symbols trigger not only the story’s words, but also music, sound effects or interactive games from anywhere on the page by way of Poingo’s built-in speaker.

The system launched this summer with six Disney-licensed books, two of which are included with the Poingo stylus. Publications International will launch five additional interactive books this holiday season. They are: Digital Text Messaging Book, Countdown to Bedtime Soundbook, Flashlight Adventure Soundbook and Video Play-a-Sound Book. Additional Disney-licensed books are planned for early 2009.

1903

'Teddy' bears

World War II

'Barbie.

Lead Testing Consumer Products Testing Lab Fast Results 1-800-220-3675 www.EMSL.com

Katrina's American Angels - KATRINA.COM

2008-12-21T21:55:00.010-06:00

I've posted a few stories from people who posted on KATRINA.COM. These are real stories by people who survived the devestatation of Hurricane Katrina and the breech of the levee's in 2005. This Christmas, give to one of the families or individuals who need a lending hand. Thank you.

HELP GIVE CHRISTMAS......

ID # 0808-154: Details of my Experience: I've been through hurricane Katrina put my life back together then came gusto took away my job I'm looking for another right now I'm fighting to receive my unemployment that has been at least 12 weeks that they owe me a can't afford to buy my kids anything for Christmas my bills are behind so if i try to pay them next month my kids will not have a good Christmas I'm currently living in baton rouge, a trying to make a good holiday for my kids

ID # 0808-103: Details of my Experience: Katrina damaged our Home I had all of the material to fix it with but now some of the material has gone bad because my husband works six and seven days a week and I can only due so much by myself I need help repairing my home mostly labor help and some material. I will help do any labor that needs to be done and I will help buy all of the material that I can. I would just like to get home out of this FEMA trailer PLEASE HELP US GET HOME!

ID # 0808-104: Details of my Experience: Lost Everything in Hurricane Katrina and Rita. They currently are living with their grandson John in Tampa, Florida. Mr ________ is their caregiver and has provided them with everything they needed to start over. He really deserves a vacation and an award.

ID # 0808-110: Details of my Experience: MY DISASTER EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN VERY STRESSFUL. I WAS EMPLOYED FOR THE STATE OF LA AT THE TIME OF THE HURRICANES BUT NOW I SETTLED FOR A WAREHOUSE JOB. I AM UNDER DEEP DEPRESSION DUE TO ALL OF THIS. MY FAMILY MEMBERS WERE ALL SCATTERED AND I DO MAKE VISITS BUT I AM UNABLE TO GO NOW. EVEN THOUGH I MADE VISITS IT IS SO DEPRESS TO GO THERE. I WAS ABLE TO GET AROUND, ASSIST MY CHILDREN, WORK AT A BETTER ENVIRONMENT BUT NOW I AM BLESS TO BE WORKING BUT THE BILLS ARE OVERWHELMING TO WHERE I CANNOT BUY FOR ME NOR MY GRAND DAUGHTER.

ID # 0808-112: Details of my Experience: I am a survivor and have been trying to adjust to living in a city where I feel not wanted and so far away from home. I would love to go home but facing reality it would not be smart look at the cost of living and schools and jobs, the list goes on. I don't need much assistance just a little bit. I am not trying to get much but things such as a job after I give birth to my son or a reliable stay at home job that will enable me to watch my baby myself. I don't really trust anyone in Texas to watch him because their are so many individuals that hurt babies and I just can't take that chance. I have a eight year old daughter and being doing my best with my husband that has been discriminated against and for that reason he has been between jobs and we have been struggling for far too long. I have faith in God and really believe we are coming threw a break threw it just seems as if we keep moving backwards and not forwards. I appreciate whatever can be assisted with but since I am 8 moths pregnant I can't exactly go get a job but I would be glad to have a job not to mention help with work on my vehicle last a reliable babysitter that when I do go to work I will not have that to worry about getting a phone call that will say he has been harmed. My daughter is old enough to tell me if someone hurts her but my son won't be therefore I am just worried. Thank You for any assistance.

Bumping Up ~ Andre's Benefit Show Update ~

2008-12-21T21:49:00.000-06:00

Miracle On Christmas Lake Playing In Osseo, Minnesota

2008-12-18T20:16:00.011-06:00

Brought To You By The Yellow Tree Theatre

Miracle on Christmas Lake
November 28th - December 28th
Thursday-Saturday 7:30 p.m.
Sunday 2:00 p.m.
By Jessica Lind.

Jason@YellowtreeTheatre.com

Box Office: 763-493-8733

320 5th Ave. S.E. Osseo, MN 55369

Story at MINNPOST

Profile by Matthew Everett
MNARTISTS.ORG

Art Imitates Life at Yellow Tree Theatre

"We at Yellow Tree Theatre have this dream. We see the people of this community gathering together and getting excited about theatre."

"Colin and Tess have given up their acting careers in New York City to take over a failing community theatre in the tiny Minnesota town of Christmas Lake. Disaster strikes in the midst of the Christmas season when they lose the rights to Its a Wonderful Life, a play that has kept the theatre alive for years. With only twenty-four hours until curtain, Colin and Tess, along with the only two actors left, race to come up with a new Christmas play and save the theatre from bankruptcy. Hilarious and heart-warming, Miracle on Christmas Lake is the perfect holiday production for the entire family. "

~ ANDRE CURRIER Needs Your ~ GET WELL WISHES AND HOLIDAY GREETINGS ~

2008-12-14T11:08:00.020-06:00

SEND GET WELL WISHES AND HOLIDAY GREETINGS TO ANDRE

UPDATE: Andre has Been Caged - In REHAB???

UPDATE: ~ ANDRE CURRIER BENEFIT SHOW ~

Click graphic for more details about the benefit show in Sioux City, Iowa for Andre.

ANDRE CURRIER
% MERCY MEDICAL CENTER/
REHABILITATION CENTER
6th Floor Nurses Station
801 FIFTH STREET
SIOUX CITY, IOWA 51102
712-279-2114

I urge everyone to flood the nurses station with cards and letters for Andre. His Mother and sisters will read every last one to him. And hang up every card you send. When he sees how much people care about his recovery, even strangers from around the world, maybe it will give him the added strength to keep fighting his way back to the people who know and love him. Coma's are not like the TV or movie kind. It is a flicker of recognition and then it is gone. Andre stays in the safe place (we call it) most of the time right now. That must be the place where the memory of the accident is disconnected and where his level of pain is manageable. He had brain surgery, then a blood clot. He received reconstructive surgery on one side of his face. A metal plate takes the place of the bone where the eye socket rests. He was bruised and cut pretty badly. He has good use of his left side, but not his right side. This young man is very creative, fun loving, and a kind and gentle soul. It is more than a miracle that Andre is still with us. There are three Florence Nightingale Nurse's that have been merciful, attentive and sincere towards Andre in his care since the accident....they have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help Andre feel safe and comfortable. They truly have been a blessing for Andre's Mother. The rest of the staff, well, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. ....SILENCE....!!!!!!!

A close family member updates Andre's My Space page on a regular basis: ANDRE CURRIER

~ A BENEFIT SHOW FOR ANDRE CURRIER ~ Next Thursday Night....

2008-12-13T23:41:00.018-06:00

CLICK THE GRAPHIC TO GET BENEFIT SHOW DETAILS.....

Rappers find niche in Sioux City

"In time, locals have become more rap-friendly and now, the musicians have secured a performance spot every other Thursday at the Chesterfield."

"There are about 15 rappers in Sioux City, Jefferies said, and he hopes the label's continued success will open more opportunities for them. The more people hear local hip-hop, the more they'll appreciate it, Jefferies said. Ultimately, Jefferies would like to work with artists in other Midwestern states."

ANDRE's MY SPACE page is being regularly updated by a family member.

The Chesterfield
1225 Fourth Street Sioux City Ia

712-255-5658

GOOGLE MAP

FEATURING...

DEBO "aka Deric Hartnet DEBO's Latest Blog Entry -- Rap/Hip-Hop Night @ The Chesterfield (view more)"

Jon Jube

BUTTA.G’Z MUSIC PAGE

Trey Lane - FREE SHOW SATURDAY BRING A TOY !

Tha Family: General Info

Heard that Andre's younger brother Tony refuses to go to the hospital to see him. And I hear that Tony is causing his Mother more grief than she needs right now. Tony reminds me of his Uncle Michael when Mike lost his Mom to cancer. Andre is alive and he's asking to see his brother. This is heart breaking for Andre and his Mom.

2008-11-24T04:32:00.001-06:00

Biggest Toy Recalls of 2008 for Babies and Toddlers from Parents.com

Giving

2008-11-18T05:01:00.019-06:00

"...And the healing can begin." Thanksgiving: A Native American View By Jacqueline Keeler, Pacific News Service at Alternet Posted January 1, 2000

Thanksgiving Local & Organic Food Challenge: from Consumers Union November 13, 2008

Its almost time for my THIRD year of posting a holiday theme, getting ready for Christmas! In getting ready for Christmas, my one and only goal, is about the children, the families, the lone individuals that need to know someone or (better yet) a lot of 'someone's' care enough to include them on their holiday list. The first year offered a very small window because I just started blogging. Click the Christmas tree in the right side of the column to read my very first post. This blog started because of a family I hold dear, they lost everything in Hurricane Katrina, in New Orleans, when the levees breached and broke. This family was my inspiration for this blog A CHRISTMAS STORY. And the visible non-action of heads of states around the nation drove me into a frenzy of letter writing. A very mean spirited select group of people emerged during the aftermath. I wrote many Governors and I wrote all of the MN House of Representatives, several times. I must have written every Senator involved in a committee that had oversight of the funds needed to help restore the historical city of New Orleans and to make a safe way for "all" residents to return home. I wrote every little newspaper in Minnesota and I wrote many large newspapers around the country, many months after the worst disaster to befall any American city. I was compelled by what President Elect Obama termed as the 'Urgent Sense of Now.' I was dismayed by the quickly dwindling national news media's interest, all except -CNN's Anderson Cooper- on cable news. I felt anxiety over the possibility of the 'people' of New Orleans and the 'city' its self being forgotten. Although I was only a very small part of a network of a bigger more active group of caring people, I too, obsessively clung to the hope that more would be done to help all of the people of New Orleans, because time was of the essence. As time slipped away, so did the possibility of people returning to their home. Generations of family born and raised in Louisiana, exiled to places like Texas, California, Florida, New York and “yes” even Minnesota. Home is where your heart is and there is nothing stronger than the hearts that belong to New Orleans. My heart and thoughts are still with the people of the 'Big Easy.' Time is the only thing that can now heal what happened to our most gallant and dignified generation's of fellow country men, women and children - August 29, 2005.

In the coming weeks I will post many ideas for people during this upcoming holiday season. I have researched and collected ideas about resources for the holiday season, toys and other merchandise for children, how to adopt a child or the whole family for Christmas and how to help any one person during this holiday season of giving.

Thank you again to all who have visited my Kindness Means Safety Christmas 2007 post. I will be updating the 2006 / 2007 Katrina's American Angel's - KATRINA.com link in a few days, too!

Hope to see you back shortly, for brand new and renewed brands of ideas!

ps...the following post was my first towards the really awful experience of dealing with tainted toy's. That first post extended into several more as a flood of consumer products were deemed toxic and dangerous. Don't let your guard down this holiday just because congress signed a bill in August. It is still up to us to thoroughly evaluate what we buy and who made the item, all for the sake of the ones we love and care about and for the ones we may never have the privilege of meeting.
A Bad Grandma Moment! Toy Recalls Rattle Grandma World.... by awakening Sunday, September 09, 2007

6th Congressional Constituent Letter To Michele Bachmann

2008-11-09T23:04:00.073-06:00

"We Are All Related"

Mitakuye Oyasin

ونحن جميعا ذات الصلة

que todos estamos relacionados con el

Мы все связанные с этим

כולנו קשורים

note: used google translation tool

Change.gov

"Let Freedom Ring"
The Republican-NeoCon Reign Of Terror Is Almost Over!"

Well almost...

Update: Proposition H8 by jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville Saturday, November 15, 2008 "... perhaps the most tragically sad commentary on a nation that was founded on the principles of liberty, equality and the right to the pursuit of happiness..."

"Drunk on self-delusion, a staggering GOP whistles past the electoral graveyard,.." by Arianna Huffington at The Huffington Post November 8, 2008

Update: eight years of a drunken fraternity party from Raw Dawg Buffalo November 11, 2008

Updates from The UpTake: Coleman lead over Franken continues to shrink

Update November 11, 2008 from Dump Michele Bachmann Michele Bachmann's Misplaced Priorities Comment from Bill Prendergast: "...It's no wonder she's concerned about the Fairness Doctrine--first post on her blog after the election..."

The gigantic 6th Congressional District of Minnesota didn't fair too well, again.

I'm so happy for the The 5th Congressional District - Congratulations!

The 5th Congressional District had the good fortune to Re-Elect one of the best voices for the people, an authentic Public Servant. They held on to "U.S. Representatives Keith Ellison!" Congressman Ellison is the first African American sent to the United States House of Representative from Minnesota and the first practicing Muslim to be elected to the United States House of Representative.

Will U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann have real 'in person' Town Hall Meetings now?!?

Open Congress Committee Membership

Hark, what is that I hear, "Michele will be strongly obligated to hold In Person Town Hall meetings in 2009 and 2010?" Town Hall meetings once every month? Rotating all around our very, very large 6th Congressional District.

Town Hall Meetings for A-L-L constituents.

E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E can attend you say?!?

President Elect Obama http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/mnhome is asking everyone to roll up their sleeves and get involved.

What better time for United States Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and all of her constituents to get involved for the change's to come, to help repair the damage that was done the last eight years. Changes 'we' can make and believe in.

Hosting town hall meetings one time per month through out the district, 'Everyone' will have a chance to get involved.

We need to hear in person how Rep. Bachmann www.michelebachmann.com/ plans to proceed and she needs to receive our input as to how we would like her to carry our ideas and concerns to Congress.

Democracy In Action! Pretty Cool!

I would like to cordially invite the Michele that spoke 'nicely' and 'proudly' about President Elect Obama, to come to all of the town hall meetings that I attend.

I would rather the other Michele www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_pN2IPAw6E - 118k stay home on those Town Hall occasions, no offense meant.

If the 'other' Michele shows up I won't feel comfortable at all, mainly because I'm still not sure which culture of people my elected 'public' official deems as unequal. What if it is me? What if I am one of 'those' people?

Bachmann still hated by everyone except her 6th District voters Posted by Emily Kaiser at City Pages November 10, 2008

I would be so embarrassed to show up where I'm not wanted. Maybe even a little afraid. I don't think Michele would want harm to come to me, but what if there were people in the audience that didn't want me there and were mean to me? What if the mean people were so mean that they called me names to my face or chased me with pitch forks?!? That would be a frightful experience!

If its a choice of being forced to pay empty fee's for corporate greed, higher property tax and sky high rent and paying more for goods and services in my diverse neighborhood, I suppose I would be O.K. with that, if you can promise no one will chase me, my family or my diverse neighbors with pitch fork's or throw molotov cocktail's through our living room window's.

Oh I forgot, the gay couple down the street moved last year after being harassed by the 'new' neighbors and the Muslim family has a for sale sign out on their lawn, too. There was also the Arab family that ran a small store that someone burnt to the ground one night.

Oh yeah, and then there was that nice middle eastern husband and wife that the police swat team descended upon a few months back, they lived in the neighborhood for over ten years. I'll miss them all a lot! I think there are only two families left (including mine) on my one time growing diverse street, in the 6th CD now.

So, Michele could you write a bulletin and post it on your website or mass mail one of those glossy card board mailers? You could tell me, in your opinion, which cultures are not equal, which values are not equal and who is anti-american.

I would read the list and I would see if I could go to any of the town hall meetings in my district in the next two years. That seems fair, doesn't it?

Michele please let me know if I fit into the unequal, devalued or the anti-american category? Or, maybe I fit into 'all' categories? I'm sure I do fit into at least one of them. I'm almost sure that I fit all three.

I know, what if you had a town hall meeting for just the unequal, devalued and anti-American people, of your choosing? You could segregate us to the back of the room or better yet you could put us up in the balcony if there is one. You might feel much more at ease with us at least 10 feet away.

And you would never have to tell 'your' neighbors that we met and shook hands at a town hall meeting. That is, if you do shake hands with constituents. Do you? I'll bring the hand sanitizer for your convenience just in case.

If you will do an in person town hall meeting soon, I promise never to act like I know you out in public and I promise never to wave to you when passing you on the street. I promise to keep my eyes down when you talk to me, if you talk to me, too. If all of us unequal devalued anti-Americans sign a nondisclosure contract, then will you go to an In Person town hall meeting with all of us?

Excuse me, pardon me, I guess I got a little ahead of my self. I'm writing as though I'm one of "those" people already!

Anyway, I do look forward to attending one of your town hall meetings in the 6th Congressional District. Really can't wait! It should be a hoot! If I'm allowed.

The opportunity to have you teach us about your brand of politicking will be most rewarding and surely it will be informative. Thank you in advance for any small show of tolerance towards me or others like me.

I'll be waiting on pins and needles for your personal invitation to the first In Person Michele Bachmann Town Hall meeting!
Sincerely,
C.C. List

Please See My Profile below. This may help you and your staff in determining where I fit on your list...

I'm of mixed heritage with four distinct culture's running through my veins. I am of diverse origins, I am multicultural. When I was born it was still against the law in some parts of the United States for my Mother and Father to be a couple. There was a name for the once 'illegal' act of an inter-racial relationship called Anti-miscegenation Laws Repealed 1948-1967.

I am a spiritual person that believes everyone has the right to believe or not to believe what they wish and I support same sex marriage.

I am ProChoice.

My children are mixed.

I am an advocate for 'Equal Rights' under the law.

I am an advocate for 'Affirmative Action' under the law.

I am a human and animal Rights advocate.

I believe in separation of church and state.

My Favorite color is the Rainbow.

Michele Bachmann: "Not All Cultures Are Equal" EXCLUSIVE VIDEO FROM The UpTake October 24, 2008 "And it's because we all came here and we came together as one. Out of many one. Multi-cultural diversity says out of one many. And if we go with tribalism we will not long be one nation united under God."

Michele Bachmann Flashback: 'Not All Cultures Are Equal' "Oh, and "not all values are equal" either." BY TAYLOR MARSH 10.24.2008

Comment Daryl24 10.25.2008: "BTW Bachmann totally mischaracterized the riots in France as did the questioner. The kids over there never said no to joining the French culture or give us more welfare. As a matter of fact they have been SHUT OUT for the most part. Good grief."

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann: "Not all cultures are equal." from MOMocrats October 24, 2008

Watch:

Comment Tina October 25, 2008: "What's great to hear is how much money she raises for her opponent and other democrats every time she opens her mouth. Seriously how did this one ever make it to Congress in the first place."

"What is going on in that district?"

Another Bachmann liability: Mortgage troubles abound in her district By Molly Priesmeyer Minnesota Independent 10/20/08

Against all reason, Bachmann and others blame 1977 fair-lending law for adding to economic crisis By Andy Birkey Minnesota Independent 9/24/08

from mlive.com. Michigan court OKs ban on credit scoring in insurance Posted by David Eggert The Associated Press August 23, 2008

Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm said the ruling is "great news" that will lower rates for many residents.

"Critics said the practice is unfair, illegal and disproportionately affects minorities, younger insurance holders and the poor."

"California, one of only three states, prohibits credit scoring as a factor in setting auto insurance rates..." from Consumer Watchdog April 24, 2008

Colin Powell Endorses Obama from the Huffington Post October 19, 2008

Stepahnie Miller Show

Rachel Maddow Show

David Sirota

Help Us In The 6th CD! New Audio From Michele Bachmann... Thursday, November 06, 2008

Help Us In The 6th CD! New Audio From Michele Bachmann...

2008-11-06T04:46:00.028-06:00

Update 11/10/2008 6th Congressional Constituent Letter To Michele Bachmann Sunday, November 09, 2008

...Bachman and Levin call Rahm Emanuel a "scoundrel" and compare Emanuel and Barack Obama to "The Sopranos". from Dump Michele Bachmann Thursday, November 06, 2008

Comment from Anna: "...her own party is going to reward her with a seat on Ways and Means for comments on National TV that hurt the entire ticket? Comments that were so outrageous that Colin Powell stepped forward and called them "nonsense"?..."

Common Dreams

"And Bachmann continues to abuse the privilege by suggesting that she serves and speaks as a Minnesota "outsider" in the Wellstone tradition"

"But Michele Bachmann's visceral partisanship, rigidity and McCarthyism mark her as a polar opposite of the former senator."

"Bachmann opposed everything Wellstone stood for when he was alive, and she has maintained that opposition."

Free Speech is a right by law. But Free Speech backed up by an insidious agenda to oppress and obstruct a targeted people is nothing more than "HATE."

Michele Bachmann’s ‘Hardball’ blowup: Minnesotans knew it was only a matter of time from the Minnesota Independent

"From lesbian stalkers to secret US deals with terrorists — and now, anti-Americans skulking round Capitol Hill — few members of Congress have..."

A complete Library of Bachmann speak and Bachmann antics... Go to Dump Michele Bachmann - Iowa KKK Rallies Against Gay Marriage from Dump Michele Bachmann Monday, January 02, 2006 "Michele Bachmann uses some of the rhetoric that Sadler uses (about "God's law"), but she doesn't say that she thinks gays don't have the right to exist. That's the same way the MFC and Minnesotans for Marriage present themselves. But signs like these were prominent at the 2004 Bachmann amendment rally."

MinnPost ERIC BLACK INK Here we go again: My experiences covering Michele Bachmann's statements

Minnesota Monitor Bachmann Campaign Pressures Media to Pull Ads Tue Oct 16, 2007

"The efforts by Bachmann's campaign mirror Bachmann's statements to take on the 'fight." She told Jason Lewis on KLTK,, "They're planning a big demonstration at my office in St. Cloud... to beat up on me. They'll bring all the local media out... so that I'll cave and... switch my vote on SCHIP, which is not going to happen," she said. "And let's go ahead and go forward with it because if they wanna take this fight on I say Bring it on."

MNPublius Bachmann votes for identity theft by Zack Stephenson

"Bachmann apparently doesn’t want poor people to know what their tax options are."

OnTheIssues

Voted NO on restricting employer interference in union organizing.

Voted NO on increasing minimum wage to $7.25.

Voted NO on overriding presidential veto of Farm Bill.

Change to Win
"I am so proud to be from the state of Minnesota....we have more people that are working longer hours, we have people that are working two jobs."

I don't expect 'this' Representative to do anything meaningful 'for' the people of the 6th CD again, for the next two years. Two more years of enduring a twisted class, color and congressional set of ideals. Oh Goody! Two more years of paying taxes for a public official who does nothing to add to the quality of life in the 6th CD. Oh Goody! Unless Michele's colleagues in the House www.house.gov/ can get her to actually 'work' as our representative, there goes more of our hard earned tax dollars down the drain. So, to all of the U.S. House Representatives that are really about something and work hard for your constituents and actually meet with your constituents in person at real town hall meetings, please teach Michele Bachmann the most important lesson you can think of. Please teach her what it really means to be an 'All' American United States Congresswoman like Rep. Shiela Jackson Lee and Rep. Jackie Speier to name two out of many great all American Congresswomen. Please show her how to be a better Representative for the sake of her 'All' American constituents living in the 6th CD of Minnesota.

Huffington Post GOP Battle Against ACORN as Much About Financial Deregulation as Voter Registration by M.S. Bellows, Jr.
"For example, in a fractious panel interview with Larry King, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachman, acting as a surrogate for the McCain campaign, argued that anti-"redlining" legislation -- laws barring realtors and mortgage lenders from refusing to make loans in racial-minority neighborhoods -- caused the crisis:"

"Studies have shown, however, that the loans the McCain ad, Congresswoman Bachmann, and the other conservative politicians and pundits are talking about are not implicated in the current foreclosure crisis. In fact, 80% of subprime loans were made by institutions that weren't covered by the Community Reinvestment Act, and CRA-covered loans have a relatively low foreclosure rate."

Afro News Wall Street meltdown by Z. Prince

Bachmann Blames President Clinton, ‘Blacks,’ And ‘Other Minorities’ For Current Financial Crisis from Think Progress

"Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) sharply criticized Bachmann and other conservatives who have been trying to pin the economic crisis on minorities:"

The Environment Is Not A Truck: Michele Bachmann, Firedog Lake

"On the other hand, maybe Bachmann just thinks that as long as Christians are saved, whatever happens to the rest of the planet simply doesn't matter. But what are the odds of that?"

Rep. Michele Bachmann Votes Against Protecting Primates, Public Health and Safety The Humane Society Legislative Fund

SMILING WITH PRIDE!

2008-11-05T07:07:00.006-06:00

Congratulations President Barack H. Obama!

~ The Start Of Something Good Is Coming! ~ Tuesday, November 04, 2008

TRUST Monday, November 03, 2008

a simple hOpe to heal...

The will to make good changes through hard work is an extraordinary act. The Obama Administration will include many people from all area's without party lines, to start the restoration of my country. Senator Clinton and former President Clinton will be among an important united group of real change agents to help President Obama lead our country. The citizens of now and the citizens to come, will know they are 'all' included in the grand plan to help America heal. The first step will be the hardest. The first step is to heal.

Obama's election redraws America's electoral divide from CNN Nov. 5, 2008

The World Reacts To President-Elect Obama: ‘A New Deal For A New World’ By Ben Armbruster from THINK PROGRESS

~ The Start Of Something Good Is Coming! ~

2008-11-04T09:05:00.028-06:00

The NeoCon Agenda Changed America! The NeoCon Agenda Shamed America! The NeoCon Agenda Broke Our Country! The NeoCon Agenda Tortured and Destroyed Another Country! The NeoCon Agenda Has Got To Go!

TRUST

Seriously, I want to cry. "...I also just learned that my niece in SC, who is blind and voting for the first time, was told she had to stop voting because she'd gone over the time limit allowed..." from Valbee at BlogHer

Reactions, predictions, feelings, fears, experiences, emotions — anyone? "...When we got there a 97-year-old Black man was being wheeled out of the polls in his wheelchair. It was the first time he had ever voted in his life..." from NewMexiKen

Jill, official older daughter of NewMexiKen, reports: "...Mack hit the choice for president, Aidan for senator, Reid for the representative and all four of us hit the “Record Your Vote Now” button together..." from NewMexiKen

I VOTED!
This morning my husband and I headed for our polling place. We expected to wait. We didn't have to. Since there are never enough booths, only four for a good sized school district, we went right to one of the folding chair's along the wall. No signs with arrows leading the way to the area to vote, as there has always been for years and years of elections. Very small group of people for 7:15am in the morning. The sun is shining and everything feels right about today. I wrote in Hillary for President, adding a (D) as someone had suggested from the petition WRITE IN Hillary for President. I chose Dean Barkley (I) for United States Senator and El Tinklenberg (D -I) for United States House of Representative. I also chose the DFL candidate for the Minnesota House of Representative - Shawn Hamilton. My husband chose Obama for President, Dean Barkley and El Tinklenberg for United States House of Representative. My ballot didn't get rejected this time, my husbands did. I'm going to have to email the MN SOS and ask about these optical voting machines and why they do this. I had planned to take a picture of my ballot, except that I felt a little funny doing it out in the open in front of everyone. I'll still send the DNC my message though. Unfortunately the picture I wanted to take would have made a much bigger statement. This is how strongly I felt about the tactics used to dismantle Senator Hillary Clinton's 18 million supporters along with their vote. And being dismissed from serious consideration by not adding her the ticket. I feel good about my vote today! My conscience is clear! I trusted my instincts and it felt right! I feel really good about today!!!

Finally! Election Day 2008: Who earned your vote? by Lisa Stone from BlogHer

ROLL CALL
Minnesota Public Radio Campaign 2008

The Caucus New York Times

C-SPAN ~ AP Election Results and C-SPAN Politics

BBC News

Aljazeera.net

The Brad Blog Voting News and Updates

www.rachelmaddow.com/
Rachel Maddow Official Website

www.thomhartmann.com/
ThomHartmann.com

www.wegoted.com/
The Ed Schultz Show

The Zoo
Write Her In by awakening Saturday, September 06, 2008

TRUST

2008-11-03T04:41:00.017-06:00

By Mary From The Left Coaster Tuesday November 4, 2008 (added 11/4/08)
I look forward confidently to the day when all who work for a living will be one with no thought to their separateness as Negroes, Jews, Italians or any other distinctions. This will be the day when we bring into full realization the American dream -- a dream yet unfulfilled. A dream of equality of opportunity, of privilege and property widely distributed; a dream of a land where men will not take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few; a dream of a land where men will not argue that the color of a man's skin determines the content of his character; a dream of a nation where all our gifts and resources are held not for ourselves alone, but as instruments of service for the rest of humanity; the dream of a country where every man will respect the dignity and worth of the human personality. -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Finally, the day for voting has come.

Yes Hillary, I was In It For You. "The One I Will Write In"

Out With Michele Bachmann "Michele Bachmann Has Thousands upon Thousands of Supporters Who Voted For Her? Not One Ad Showing Any Of Them?

THIRD PARTY "Because The Two Party System Fell Down On The Job and Needs To Be Challenged!"

Election 2008 Powered By Twitter
Updates, Public Opinion, Share Thoughts....

ACORN ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, is the nation's largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families, working together for social justice and stronger communities.

"My friend volunteers for ACORN here in MN. They have done an 'amazing' job of pushing back on 'those' that take advantage of average citizens, average workers and average consumers. ACORN is a truthful voice, a forceful presence that helps all of us."

This Is Why ACORN Belongs To The People...

Campaigns

Foreclosures

Gulf Coast Recovery

Immigration

Living Wage

Paid Sick Days

Voter Engagement

Full List Here

SNL ~ Back To Life In 2008!

2008-11-01T20:58:00.007-05:00

Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin (Fey) address the Nation on QVC
COMMENTS:

dilligaf1958 Says "This why I love SNL!! And kudos to John & Cindy McCain, we need a little humor in these hard times. Tina Fey, love her!!!!

Blessed2day Says "This was great! I really do like McCain, I just don't agree with his plans for this country. I almost voted for him once! Had Bush not screwed this country over and if Obama wasn't such an outstanding rep for the Democrats, I'd vote Republican. If, "if" were a fifth, we'd all be drunk! Way to go McCain, now get back to Arizona with the very tanned and rich Cindy."

I'm going to miss all of the skits that SNL has creatively come up with during this election year. Hillary (Amy) is still my favorite. I haven't laughed so hard at SNL in a long time. I was a regular SNL viewer back in the 1970's as a teen and not so much in the 1980's. The 1990's were for a totally different generation. I couldn't stand Adam Sandler on SNL, but love him on the big screen. Go figure. SNL viewers, we are a fickle bunch. Which makes the show last and last and last. Sometimes the group clicks all over the place and sometimes they don't. I actually found it funny again.

RePosting...Yes Hillary: I was in it for YOU

2008-10-31T05:46:00.014-05:00

"We saw YOU!" An Open Letter to Senator Hillary Clinton From: Marcia A. Pappas, President of NOW NYS August 28, 2008

Write Her In ~ Senator Hillary Clinton... by awakening Saturday, September 06, 2008

There has been a steady stream of visitors from google since early September, on a quest to find other people who plan to write Hillary In on their ballot. I thought it fitting to re post the letter from Marcia Pappas from NOW that I stumbled upon after I posted and linked to the petition site to Write In Hillary. Marcia found the words that I was feeling about losing Hillary as a candidate to vote for and by not having her on the ticket at all. Marcia echos the sentiments that many of us still feel TODAY.

"I also plan on taking a photograph of my ballot and I'm sending the photo to the DNC." #1,174: We signed the "WRITE-IN HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT" petition!

Nov 1, Washington: WRITE IN the candidate -- don't believe those who tell you it won't be counted! -- Just MAKE SURE TO PUT a (D) or DEM after the name HILLARY RODHAN CLINTON.

from OPRAH.com WILL BE WRITING-IN HILLARY CLINTON ON MY GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT... *added 11/2/2008*

COMMENT from 2nurselady on 10/10/2008: "...the Clinton White House years were the best years of my life. Life felt great, our country felt great, and I felt as if the sun was shining on all of us who live in this great country. I long for days like those again. I would love for my grandchildren to feel how good it felt for most people in this country when the Clinton's were in the White House working for The People."

COMMENT from 2Nurselady on 10/12/2008: "I think the DNC and the Rules and Bylaws Committee have been totally out of line throughout this campaign and that both should be disbanded and restructured minus the present leadership."

COMMENT from 2nurselady on 10/14/2008: "...I feel good about it because I did not want to betray myself in making my decision. Hopefully, there will be others who make a statement with their votes and, hopefully, the message will be very clear for the candidates and, especially to the DNC leadership and Rules and Bylaws Committee members who I think behaved abhorrently in pretty much all that they did. I have to say..."

COMMENT from jryan999 at Newsvine on October 22, 2008: Hillary Clinton - The Write-in Candidate? "The right to vote doesn't mean the right to vote for who you are told to vote for. You don't have limited choices. The point of voting is to vote for who you best believe should be the leader of our country..."

from the Netherlands to the US ~ RACE IS AN ISSUE gepubliceerd op 29 oktober 2008 20:36, bijgewerkt op 20:36 By MICHAEL POWELL New York Times News Service

(I am of mixed heritage and do know some people still hug their prejudice's 'all sides' and cling to their class upbringing 'all sides'. This is the group that does need to try to remember someone nice on the bus, someone smiling at work or someone caring from a doctors office. One mental picture of someone nice that looked different, but had a common thread of feeling the same, melts away the fear of 'different' and warms the heart 'alike.')

(Associated Press -- There They Go Again, "ASSUMING SOMETHING!") Many voters yet to decide on candidate from The Boston Herald Saturday, November 1, 2008

PS... YOOHOO...Many presumed UNDECIDEDS for president have decided. But they - we choose not to tell anyone outside of a close family member or a friend, that we are going to either WRITE IN who we wanted all along or will leave the President blank and vote on a local level instead. We have two party's - the R and D (incompetent Research and Development) that messed with the majority of supporters and what they wanted. Both party's went ahead with their 'own' agenda, without care or understanding as to who their supporters really were. Media Is Not the unbiased clear eyed voice of the people either, as we have witnessed the last 8 years under a bush administration. Only a very few main stream United States media news outlets have done a good job at being objectively thorough in the realm of real JOURNALISM, period! Try focusing on the real news for once. Besides, we haven't forgotten who pads the pockets and pulls the strings of the U.S. mainstream media.

PSS...sorry if I offended the Boston Herald. If you have always followed the code by which journalistic integrity is depended upon by its readers, you are not among the list of "Integrity-Free" news outlets.

~ prOmise ~

2008-10-30T02:38:00.036-05:00

Read the letter Dear Red States from Blue Man in a Red District Wednesday, October 29, 2008
"....Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we'll need all of our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals."

"By the way, we're taking all the good pot, too. You get that dirt weed from Mexico and Kansas ditches. Peace out," The Blue States

I Voted For You, But… A New Website to Share Your Obama Voter Caveat. by Jim at Irregular Times Thursday, October 30th, 2008

I love color coded things, but never liked the red state - blue state concept. Too confining. Too TWO sided. Its for the Republicans and Democrat's only. What about all of the voters for Third Parties? Bet this years election will turn those red and blue states a different shade, a new hue. Maybe a Ralph Nader kind of fresh and honest rainbow cascade of color's.

If 'Everyone' voted their REAL CHOICE'S, we would have PSYCHEDELIC states by now.

Sorry, but the DNC and RNC have been discarded (thrown into the trash) by me for the rest of my life. The 'unforgivable' stunts the DNC pulled on Hillary and her caucus members at the convention still makes my stomach churn and my heart ache. And the absolutely 'deplorable' behavior of the RNC still yet today 5 days before the election, have proven they belong on a distant planet somewhere in the 3rd galaxy, far far away. They both better get their act together and toss out 'any' offending corrupt practices. Their antics disrupted more than just their members rights, they impacted every ones right to a fair and equal process. More than not, they ignored their candidates majority of supporters. Pitiful, just pitiful. As for the candidates, I am still writing in Hillary. My post's about why I am writing her in are easy to find if you want to search. But anyone who "WANTS" McCain for their president, after watching him, Palin and the RNC for the last month, must be completely heart sickened by their performance. Senator McCain seems to be missing something that would make him an honest opponent to Senator Obama. I don't know what it is exactly that makes him say one thing and then turn around and contradict what he just said the day before. I don't mind when he gets all tongue tied in his speeches, he's only human after all. I don't mind when he says 'My friends' one hundred millionth times in one speech. Not anymore. It's like that song 'Don't Worry Be Happy' running endlessly through your head. Pretty soon you just go numb from it. Next time someone says 'My friend', my alerted BS antenna will immediately pop up. I do mind that John McCain has confused me with his teeter totter style of campaigning. It makes him look as though he is not telling the truth when he switches his message around and around. Some say he is being erratic. Especially during the initial 'deafening sucking sound of our tax dollars' from the big Bait 'Us' and Bail 'them' Out scam. I summed his unpreparedness up to his staff not being on the ball with the information he needed to have in time for a public appearance. He could have smoothed down panic, but instead created a whole other problem for himself. I'm sure that isn't how he did business in the Senate! Otherwise, would he still be there now, after many, many years of serving his state? Why do you suppose he got all discombobulated? Palin is being blamed now and I don't think this has anything to do with 'her' personally. If anything, McCain was told by the RNC "this is your new running mate, so make it work if you want to be president." Because really, she will be president when you can no longer serve. Like for instance, if your health fails you and your VP has to take over. You know how that turns out. Haven't you ever been forced to work with someone you disagreed with both personally and professionally? It usually turns out to be a disaster for the one being force to adhere. The one forced to adhere is the one who ends up oddly laid off, fired or force to quit, feigning a health condition or some other unbelievable reason for their departure. Either you love what your doing so much you settle, or in this case, maybe you sell your soul for the one thing that eludes you. The one thing you want more than anything. The one thing you already tried getting. What a disaster for McCain. I didn't even notice him when he ran for president the first time against bush. But now I will never forget him and his painfully obvious obsession. I will forever tag him and connect him with the worst of the worst of the RNC and that worst of the worst is the NEOCON agenda. Sad, just so sad. If you aren't going to write in Hillary for President then by all means vote for Senator Obama. I am holding firm on why I'm writing in Hillary. I also plan on taking a photograph of my ballot and I'm sending the photo to the DNC. There are enough of us to make some kind statement about what the DNC did, even if we never plan on being a full fledged member (again), they - DNC need to see the results of their decision. There are enough Obama supporters to fill in for my lack of an Obama vote. After Obama becomes President I'll have to write his office about his FISA vote again, again and again. I've believed in Hillary since the 1990's and I believe Senator Clinton and former President Clinton believe in Senator Obama. They would not be out stumping for him tirelessly if they did not. Think about that for a moment. Anyone who supported Bill Clinton and/or Hillary Clinton probably should take another look at Senator Obama. Senator Obama does have that ability to walk and talk comfortably across party lines.

A vote for McCain isn't just a vote for a third bush term, its a vote for a President Palin and a fourth bush term. Four years times four years (4x4=16) is 16 years! Sixteen years of a bush dogma, bush style politics, bush talk, bush cronyism, bush crisis, bush wars. Can we really risk it and survive?

from Open Left I Voted by: Justin Krebs Thu Oct 30, 2008
Dear Suzan,
Today I, the great-great granddaughter of slave owners, voted for an African-American for President of the United States. When I saw his name on the voting machine, it hit me in a way I did not expect. I felt the weight of history and had to blink back tears until I got outside. No matter what the outcome, we have advanced as a people and a civilization in my lifetime and I feel privileged to have been a witness and a participant in all this.

Love,
Mom

A Chronicle of Despair, A Promise of Change by John Nichols at The Nation 10/29/2008

10/30/2008 by DHoward: "First time to post. I am in agreement with many of your other posters. I am a true moderate and was perfectly set to vote for McCain and then he picked Sarah Palin. WHAT WAS HE THINKING?? You don't win elections appealing to the base; they have nowhere else to go. You appeal to the middle. And that's exactly what this "infomercial" did. It's maybe the most powerful political ad I've ever seen (and I'm over 50). The star was not Obama but middle-class Americans who are struggling right now, not unlike some in my own family. This southerner from Arkansas might some day come back to the Republican party, but right now the party that best represents me is the Democrats. And it's sad to say, but race is the only thing that keeps this election from being a 60-40 landslide."

10/29/2008 by reality check:"...well done WELL DONE senator obama will make a fine COMPETENT president."

The Election of Our Lifetime by Dr Jill Biden at BlogHer 10/29/2008

"Electing Barack Obama and Joe Biden the next President and Vice President of the United States will be a victory for all of us. "

The Unraveling of the Neocon agenda by fresnoise at Fresno Famous Tuesday 06/05/2007 "It's their ideology that is so wrong and undermines the intent of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution."

Blog of the Day: ALMOST DIAMONDS

2008-10-29T04:54:00.014-05:00

When a writer captures my attention and holds it, I'm actually thrilled!

This blogger has a wonderful way with words and her format is pressed in a way as to not complicate some very 'complicated' subjects. Stephanie structures her sentences so that even I can understand what she is getting at. When I first saw the word 'SCIENCE' I thought "uh oh...I'm probably not going to understand a lot of her posts, but I'll give it a shot."

I was a terrible science student, my teachers couldn't get through to me because of my tendency to want to remain in the mysticism of the moment. To relish in the unexplainable. I wanted the mysteries of the universe to remain in my thoughts. Those were the thoughts and images I put on canvass with acrylic's and water color, in a sketch pad with charcoal or ink, doodling on a piece of scratch paper with a worn down pencil or writing randomly in the form of poetry in my journal.

"I" wanted to be wonderfully surprised every time there was a blooming flower in the snow of early Spring, a sidewalk full of night crawlers after a rain shower in the Summer and the ever growing noisy locusts when the humidity seemed to rise before Fall.

My Science teachers sort of gave up on me because my questions were not very scientific and it frustrated them to no end. I refused to dissect anything put in front of me and received quite a few 'F's for my nonconformist ways. But not once did one of my teachers ask me to try think beyond my own little bubble of thought. Nor do I recall any teacher's encouraging me to seek out different aspects of Science. Nothing we did in class captivated my interest. And sometimes what we were expected to do repulsed me.

No field trips, no outside the box thinking, just strictly by the book. One teacher out of all - Mrs. Feldmann from my 1970's junior high school days , who was in her thirties with long hair parted on the side, probably the most progressive minded teacher (if I had only known that then), was the one teacher I regret not trying harder for. If she had come to us at a younger age, many of us would have probably done much better in all of our subjects. Learning and applying a different type discipline at that age would have been the foundation I probably would have benefited better by, even today.

But by then, the math issue had taken shape. The test phobia had hold. Being told by a math teacher 'you might as well just give up on math,' I couldn't hear Mrs. Feldmann the Science Teacher by the time she arrived to my school. I struggled with that math and test phobia all through school. To understand science you have to understand math. It saddens me that I was in such a foggy phobia at the time. And unfortunately I didn't realize until later in life that there was a whole world of science I wanted to explore. I wished I had explored.

I don't have a scientific mind and can't seem to approach things in a scientific way because I have nothing to base it on. Two triumphs in my life are my son and daughter. Both are in their twenties and both are very smart about an array of subjects. I recognized that they needed a forceful advocate when each encountered difficulty in school with a certain teacher's attitude about what they were and were not capable of doing.

I learned the subject at hand in order to translate the meaning to both at different intervals. Sometimes staying up all night to pour through their text book's, re-reading and doing the exercises in the book. Calling the teacher, going to chat with the teacher and often times my child would begin educating me after they got it. They excelled past me. The most satisfying point to it all.

It was the only thing of value I could give my children as their parent, other than a home, clothes on their back, a warm meal and Lot's of hugs and kisses. I gave them a piece of me and they did better and bigger with all of those pieces than I ever could have. They are so much smarter than I'll ever be.

So, that's what Stephanie's blog post's did for me. It got me to think. THANK YOU Stephanie!

Stephanie at Almost Diamonds...
Diversity Now October 15, 2008

"Setting aside the social justice issues as givens, I have two very selfish reasons for wanting the inside of science to look the same as the world outside."

"The problem with having a limited outlook is that we don’t--we can’t--know what it is that we don’t know. None of us can know who will ask different questions than we do, important questions. None of us can know how different the world looks from even a slightly different angle, what connections others can see that we can’t. We need this information."

Young Science by October 25, 2008

"A History of Complexity" AND "The Forgotten History"

Rep. Michele Bachmann ~ Because She's Just That Way!

2008-10-25T20:12:00.056-05:00

Dear Michele Bachmann,

I am just as afraid of you, as you are of me, Now! For the past few years I was hoping that you would be more involved in all aspects of our districts happenings.

But sadly you chose to hide away, often times in someone’s living room. I probably wouldn't be invited to any of your forums, because I embrace everyone for who they truly are, differences and all. Which from what I can tell, you do not.

At least if you had had actual town hall meetings from time to time since you were elected (eons ago), maybe some of us would have at least helped you to understand US better and we would have given you a fair chance too. I'm sure you would have accepted us in a more respectful way, if you had only gotten to really know some of us better.

Your repeated passive aggressive accusatory tirades mattered little to an average citizen like me. Except it did tend to make me feel awfully uncomfortable, many times saddened and sometimes it just plain pissed me off. Those painfully embarrassing moments when you get caught in a lie and try as you might to back peddle, only helped grow the divide between you and me. The divide between you and me is now the total distance from the US to Iraq and back.

If you continually exaggerate the 'simple' and always falsify the 'truth', you are the worst kind of politician there is. You make me work too hard to sort out "ANYTHING" you say. And if you can't get the words right sometimes (all of the time to be exact), then you most definitely should not be in the business of being a public official. As a constituent, YOUR spoken words are all I have to go on as a Representative of my district. I tried to recall anything you have said in the last two years that was clear, concise and meaningful policy making. I can't!

I am just a working stiff, who wants to make life better for my family. I enjoy helping other people along the way, too. I care about life in my district, I care about life in my township, I care about life in my state. And I care about life in our country. Our district cannot boast about the things we once could declare as successful outcomes to the whole of the district.

Which added to the entire states well being, it made a remarkable statement on how Minnesota always built better, stronger foundations to lift up the quality of life for everyone. Every citizen had a hand in building better communities, including fair taxation for county / state businesses. The best motto of Minnesota was "All for one and one for All!" Our district is doing very, very poorly after the last few years. Especially looking back the last eight. Maybe 'Our' district is 'Too Big' for one U.S. Representative.

I'll have to look back at your record as a State Representative for the Stillwater area. For some reason I am resisting recall of that time frame. It may be I can't bring myself to look. Then I'd have to think about all of your followers, who brought you to my district in the 6th. If redistricting hadn't take place in the early 2000's, I think you would probably be a fuzzy bad tasting memory by now.

You didn't seem to do "any one thing" for the 'people' of this district as far as I can tell. I can't find one thing that you might have been helpful in developing in the area to grow our Minnesota quality of life that I took for granted. Nor can I identify something of value for the entire district that you assisted in bringing to us.

I actually liked paying taxes for the quality of life I and my family could see, touch, taste and hear. We aren't wealthy, but I sure felt 'rich in life' for what we did have. I liked knowing my tax dollars also helped my neighbor and helped people with basic needs. I used to be proud to pay my taxes! You instead supported cutting at the social fabric that I liked supporting with my tax dollars. Your representation has slowly 'helped' to continue gutting our district's social safety nets, along with our exiting and down sized commercial sector. Now, I don't know what I'm paying for, but I know I'm paying something for "It."

What have you brought to us? No JOB growth (not even a little), No New Companies, NO Foreclosure Prevention relief, No Eviction Prevention help, No Childhood Wellness Plan, No Senior Citizen Support Systems (remember meals on wheels being cut back?), No Farmer Conversations, No Wildlife Preservation initiative, No Environmental Clean up regulations, and No Public Education Collaboration, and No Consumer Protection Aid.

Nothing for future growth that I can tell. And nothing put away for continued maintenance of social and community programs that I can see. What have you been doing all of this time?!?

Its possible you would have gotten some things done if you were a different sort of person. One good thing though, you still can change. If you do ever change into a more "Inclusive" "Proactive" "Fair Minded" Public Servant (a real humanitarian type of individual), Please, by all means, try again someday. I would be happy to take another look at you, if you really have changed.

Until then, you must NOT BE ALLOWED a platform for your hate mongering or for your prosperity driven false piety. I will VOTE YOU OUT using the only candidate that has a strong chance of booting your behind out of the 6th CD. Even though I would never vote for Elwin willingly (I didn't like him much as a Mayor) and not sure what he did as a Transportation Commissioner, I will be most happy to cast a protest vote instead.

You my dear, dear lady, need to exit political life and work on your inner self, a lot. If you ever want to return to politics and you can convince us that you have learned your lessons well, then please come out and meet us face to face. Come out and talk with us. Sit down in a round table for a chat, like Paul Wellstone used to do. Don't be so afraid of us next time around. Next time, only if you do change, you must publicly apologize to all of us for the horrible job you did with the 6th Congressional District.

I know it is because of the way you are, that we in the 6th CD had to endure your misinformation, your malice, your missteps, your misstatements and your out right lie's as our Representative. I won't forget, but I can forgive someday. Thank you and I wish you all of the best in your journey through life ahead and out of the 6th CD.
Sincerely,

ALL Constituent's, ALL Americans and ALL People Offended By Rep. Michele Bachmann At One Time Or Another

(this list may not be complete, as there are still 10 more days until the Election.)

Mexican American Business Chamber of Commerce

Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce

AMERICAN ARAB CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Minnesota American Indian Chamber of Commerce

Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Minnesota

Gay Nurse

Latina

School Teacher

Public School Principal

Minister

Critical Thinker

Abstract Thinker

Pastor

Muslim Man

Muslim Woman

Minority Business Owner

Minority Homeowner

Minorities

Low Income Homeowner

Adoptive Parent

Foster Parent

Foster Child

Adoptive Child

Latino

Retired African American

Senior Citizen on Social Security

Widow

Widower

Lesbian

Arab

Homeless Veteran

Desert Storm Veteran

Wounded Homeless Iraqi Veteran

30 year old AIDS Patient

Foreclosed Family

Family Evicted

Unemployed Construction Worker

Laid off Worker

Atheist

Agnostic

Wiccan

Spiritualist

Poor Person

High School Student

Teen Parent

Child

Feminist

Teen Boy

Native American

Farmer

Migrant Worker

College Student

Librarian

Environmental Activist

Ex-Felon

Recovering Alcoholic

Recovering Drug Addict

Cancer Survivor

Conservative Republican

Spanish Nun

Teen Girl

Iranian Pacifist

Somali Professor

Disabled Protestant

Low Income Lutheran

Russian Jew

Law Enforcement Officer

World Traveler

Real Tax Lawyer

Truck Driver

Tupperware Representative

Military Family

Iraqi

American

Buddhist

New Immigrant

Bank Teller

Little Person

Outdoor Enthusiast

Artist

Author

Friend

Who Is Anti-American? by Almost Diamonds October 18, 2008

Dump Michele Bachmann

Obama's message of unity is on the money "We are not separated by the pro-America and anti-America parts of this nation -- we all love this country, no matter where we live or where we come from." from The Star Tribune October 26, 2008

Bach-pology! (Sort of) by Chris Cillizza The Washington Post Posted 10/25/2008

$800,000 and Counting! Thanks, Michele Bachmann! from Pundit Mom Tuesday, October 21, 2008

STUCK ON STUPID ALERT: MN Republican Blames Minorities for Bad Economy! from THE SAUDA VOICE Spetember 30, 2008

Discover Help ~ Discover Hope ~ Discover HOW....Discover RESOURCE!

2008-10-25T15:45:00.053-05:00

Discover RESOURCE! Where a world of diverse people discover their potential and achieve their dreams!

Are you looking for a family to adopt this Christmas?

Are you looking for someone to mentor all year round?

Are you looking for someone to train for a new job?

Are you looking for someone to help send to college?

Are you looking for someone to donate something special to?

Are you looking to assist people in some way?

Are you looking for an organization that makes a wise and honest effort of putting all of it's resources back in the hands of the people they serve?

For over 45 years, RESOURCE's four divisions have been leaders in providing high-quality, caring and effective services in the areas of:

Employment (Employment Action Center)

Training & Disability (Minnesota Resource Center)

Mental Health (Spectrum Community Mental Health)

Chemical Health (Recovery Resource Center)

Resource Inc. and their divisions provides a myriad of support and services to individual's and for the whole family; with a special connection to many twin city communities and to the companies that do business in the area.

How you give your time and/or your donation is up to you!

Attend a program tour if possible.

But if you can't, no problem. Just email, call or fax your questions about what you can do to share your good fortune with someone who needs to know you care.

For your convenience here is all of the Contact Information:

RESOURCE Administration
1900 Chicago Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55404
Phone (612) 752-8000
E-mail: resource@resource-mn.org
www.resouce-mn.org

Minnesota Resource Center (MRC)
Phone (612) 752-8100
TTY (612) 752-8019
E-mail: mrc@resource-mn.org

MRC FlexWork Duluth – (218) 722-9700

MRC FlexWork St. Cloud – (320) 259-5717

Recovery Resource Center (RRC)
Phone (612) 752-8050
E-mail: rrc@resource-mn.org

Spectrum Community Mental Health
Phone (612) 752-8200
E-mail: spectrum@resource-mn.org

Charaka South Hennepin – (612) 752-8350

Northwest Hennepin – (612) 752-8300

Lighthouse Minneapolis – (612) 752-8200

Employment Action Center (EAC)
Phone (612) 752-8800
E-mail: eac@resource-mn.org

EAC Women’s Programs – (612) 752-8400

EAC Youth & Young Parent Programs – (612) 752-8800

EAC Welfare-to-Work Programs – (612) 752-8800

EAC Adult Programs – (612) 752-8400

EAC Dislocated Worker Programs – (612) 752-8400

Discover RESOURCE where a world of diverse people discover their potential and achieve their dreams!

2008-10-22T05:16:00.017-05:00

WRITE IN HILLARY 1,101 signatures!

Hillary Hatred Lives On BY TAYLOR MARSH

Comment from Psychodrew08 10.20.2008: These anti-Clinton nutcases are in for a big surprise when Obama takes office in January.

Comment from Taylor Marsh 10.21.2008: "...I hope you break your quota. We're on the same team, at last."

TPM aka Talking Points Memo is Still Smearing Hillary By Big Tent Democrat at TALK LEFT, Monday Oct 20, 2008

Voting suppression report: Colorado and Ohio from Later On 10.21.08

Director and Executive Producer of the award-winning election integrity documentary, Uncounted: The New Math of American Elections tried to vote, BUT Obama Vote Won't Register, Then Flips to Other Candidate, as Similarly Reported Recently in WV... by Brad Friedman from The Brad Blog 10/21/2008

CSPAN Washington Journal Tuesday 10/21/2008 morning: Election Procedures from Common Cause spokeswoman Susannah Goodman was not a helpful spokes person for Common Cause. If an organization such as Common Cause is going to really educate the viewers, they need to draw from their staff who possess a stronger speaking style. Susannah Goodman may be a valuable asset to Common Cause.org, but she really needs to stay with areas where she excels. I was driving in the car when I listened to her and got the feeling that she doesn't think there will be magnified irregular or extreme election / voter problems compared to 2000 or 2004. She said so. A few of her answers were short and curt. I was left with an impression of someone who didn't seem to enjoy educating her audience. I admit I'm still thirsting for more knowledge about voting irregularities and suppression tactics. I probably wouldn't be as interested if I had not had my cardboard ballot ejected / rejected for the first time in 2006. For the first time after moving to my current precinct in the 6th CD in 1999. Prior to this I never had a problem with voting, ever. My daughter was a few miles away at her polling place in 2006 where she cast her vote about an hour apart from my mine, she also had a problem with her ballot. But both my husband and son In law were fine. 2006 was my daughters second time voting. It planted a seed of doubt right then and there and I haven't been able to shake it off. Especially after Michele Bachmann won by a hair. Even a friend who was an Election Judge, in a different precinct, said she hadn't heard of that happening before. I am VERY interested in what I should do if I or another should encounter problems again. The reason I was disappointed with Goodman's interview, I didn't seem to get the up to date information I believe I needed to add to the information I already have. The Brad Blog has been one of my main sources of accurate voting and election news. Thank Goddess for Brad Blog!

GREAT POST... "On the Web, Thinkers Thrive: A Guide to Political Life Online" Welcome to the Jungle was put together in a way that provides balance of popular political blogs - Both sides. October 13, 2008

Censure Michele Bachmann by Peter Rothberg at The Nation 10/18/2008

2008-10-20T06:14:00.005-05:00

and then there's Michele Bachmann

Latest Smear - Obama’s A. . . wait for it. . . SOCIALIST!!!!! (And You May Be Too According to Rep. Michelle Bachmann) from Bad American October 18, 2008

"One more time: SOCIALIST? IF ONLY!!"

OPEN SECRETS

In Britain, Bachmann is considered a nutter from Dump Michele Bachmann Monday, October 20, 2008

The Season of Fall: Food, Fun and Folk Lore

2008-10-19T23:58:00.011-05:00

Apple Butter Recipe by Mountain Sage October 19, 2008

Apple Butter Time

Baking with Apples

Quick & Easy Apple Kuchen

The Apple Tree - Wisdom and Lore By Darkwing at Associated Content April 06, 2007 (5) pages

"Folk and country lore refers often to the virtues of the Apple Tree."

"Apples are a natural remedy for the heart, stomach and bowels, our main organs of giving and receiving."

"Choosing the path with a heart and the path of beauty helps in these decisions."

Halloween History From: National Geographic Oct. 18, 2007

POOH-Litics To Go Crazy By....

2008-10-18T21:04:00.018-05:00

Video: Crazy by Seal

Irritable Powell Syndrome David Weigel at Reason Hit and Run October 19, 2008

Documentary Banned By the Bush Admin to be shown on PBS watch! from torturingdemocracy.org — "...documentary on the use of torture by the U.S. government in order to protect its funding."

MORE POOH-LITIC COMMENTARY:One of my not so fun but very important chores is Doggy Pooh Day. As I canvass the backyard for doggy doo doo by two, I scoop up the poop and deposit it into an old plastic flower pot before bagging it for the garbage. As weird as it might sound to a person not owned by a pet, casually assessing the pooh is one of the best ways to monitor the health of any pet. Dogs don’t always show symptoms of illness through their behavior initially. If you notice a change in your furry friends pooh when their diet has remained the same, it might be a flag for something else. Our furry babies happen to love their vegetable medley after they eat their crunchies, so they do tend to poop a lot! They also like to try and eat other things not meant for consumption. Of course cleaning up puppy pooh is a gross and disgusting job, but somebody has got to do it! That got me to thinking about how I was the one in the family with the chore that equals to the other chore that I dislike - cleaning the toilet. If I don’t do it than who will? If I don’t clean up the mess it will cause unsanitary conditions that don't just affect my puppies and my family, but it affects me. Rather than have the puppies pay that price, the space must be cleaned for them to roam comfortably through out the yard. It must be cleaned up for the benefit of everyone. The dogs can’t do it. Someone has got to clean up the mess. Its so simple. So why do others run away from messy chore’s and leave it up to another to clean it up? Why do some expect others to do chores they can’t perform? This Puppy Pooh Day chore analysis of mine reminds me of the national mess we face today, it reminds me of one big stinky Puppy Pooh Day, every day the sun comes up. The multiple mess makers keep piling on more, made by the bush administration, by the 109th and 110th congress, by all of the US Corporations, including Wall Street. All of the original mess makers and all of the piles of mess made since then, there is no other way to define our mess except to equate it to Pooh. The new 111th Congress is going to have Doggy Pooh Day all day long, for a long time. They won’t be able to freely walk in to start new business because they are going to be hounded by all of the old piles of mess that the 109th and 110th made. All of those piles of mess! The condition of our entire country’s infrastructure, the condition of an entire network of systems and the condition created in other countries because of us; its just too big and too overwhelming to assign some sophisticated polite metaphor to please the prim and proper. The likelihood I'm going to feel any sense of relief at how things might turn out for all American people is hard pressed to do right now. Which ever person that gets in as president, their going to have one big pile of mess to contend with. We need someone with brains, tact, experience and common sense. A philosophy of "the needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few" is who we need badly as our next president. The only person I saw as that person was Senator Hillary Clinton. She is without a doubt the one I believed could clean up the mess without making more. Without her on the ticket, all I can imagine is miles and miles of Puppy Pooh Days to come, lots of stressful Pooh-Litics to drop on our shoulders, without a scoop of mercy. I tripped over someone the other day that told me she was going to "Write In Hillary" too! That really made my day brighter! But then my reality of 'man bites dog' set in later that evening when I tried to watch the most recent presidential debate, again. A feeling that the American people have been dumped into miles and miles of piles of pooh, enveloped me. A feeling that we've been duped big time, keeps getting in the way of creative thought. That’s all I could think of. So depressing! I know I wouldn't be thinking this way if Hillary were printed on the ballot as the President or Vice President. Without her on the ballot all I have is my plan to write her in. I’m really stubborn about this still. Will 2009 be a Pooh Day year? Now, I sort of feel like I'm part of an unseen "Underground" group of voter's who feel compelled to write in Hillary. It was exciting to know that so many people are going to write in Hillary no matter what and I will still proudly write her in too. I will feel like pooh when I go to the polls because I’m not excited about the election anymore. I will feel like pooh because I dread having my ballot spit out again and I’m going to feel like pooh because right now I don’t feel any sort of hope for our immediate future. I love to laugh and have fun, but I don’t feel the same anymore. It would be awful if our country turned into a grey cold shell of its former self. Do I exist to laugh or do I laugh to exist. I love making people laugh. If I couldn’t laugh again, how could I get others to laugh with me or even at me? I ponder this thought frequently as of late. I ponder this because people I know have lost 5 digits (tens of thousands of dollars) of their retirement fund because of the financial fiasco at the hands of our very own movers and shakers among the financial sector. I ponder the lost American Dream because people are being charged more for everything, including bumped up property taxes on thirty year mortgages and ARM‘s getting ready to set again. People are mandated to pay higher car insurance now, they are being denied available jobs and people can’t get a place to live; all because their credit history was destroyed by lay offs, health issues, helping family members and friends in times of similar crisis. Not to mention a host of other reasons. I ponder the appropriateness of being happy because we are still occupying a sovereign country and our leaders don‘t seem to want to stop there. What makes this election year feel like one big pile of doggy pooh, is that I don't have my candidate on any official presidential ballot. The person I believed was the best for us in our time of national crisis. She gave me hope by being the type of person she is. I don't like that other party candidates were shut out from all of the presidential debates and I don't find any comfort in a two party system. You might be wondering then "why would I want Hillary for President when she comes from one of those bully parties?" It was because of that big bully party that my respect for Senator Hillary Clinton actually hit a new level I didn't think was possible. She did stand up to the status quo and the good old boy network by staying in the race as long as she could. She believed, so I believed. That took nerves of something much stronger than steel. What’s the nose cone of the space shuttle made of? No one can compare to her national and global leadership style of embracing a true sense of what it is to be anyone in America. And ‘anyone’ is me. The entire 110th Congress has been steadfast at ignoring the average citizen as a whole. Several years later and a few like Hillary, they kept fighting for the people, they were overshadowed by the ones that appear to be in congress for a whole other reason. Certainly some left their stump speeches behind once they got elected. I will look forward to not hearing Speaker Pelosi talk about "What the People Need" after Cindy Sheehan victoriously pooper scoops her out of congress. Cindy is a real voice for the people in her district. They are lucky. So far I haven’t been impressed with the local Minnesota races. Pooh-Litic Dog Day afternoons where the 6th CD is concerned. I suppose having Michele Bachmann voted out would be satisfying. But then again, I’m still suspect as to how she was able to win in 2006 in the first place. I won’t hold my breath for her departure. I won’t vote for any of the democratic or republican candidates. I’ve seen and heard enough of them and they don’t impress me at all. They all sound the same. Which is disturbing. Some candidates may be hidden by the democratic and republican shadow machines, so I might still spot someone of interest yet. The past eight years has got to be one of the nastiest, even worse than Reganomics. My family budget barely survived that one. This past eight has been a cesspool of toxic government, toxic military and toxic corporations, which has got to be the largest proverbial poisoned watering hole invented by those who were supposed to be smarter, more cultured and economically savvier. They may look 'Pretty dumb,' unfortunately it seems to be something far worse. The new administration will have lots of piles of pooh to clean up, if they are the responsible type. If not, we will just have more piles of mess everywhere. Making it Pooh Day all day long. If we get someone who gives a pooh, won't it be nice to roam freely without fear of stepping in it every few feet? I'll do my duty with polite courtesy. I‘ll be saddened not to see Senator Hillary Clintons name on the ballot, this I know. I’ll make an effort to print her name clearly on my paper ballot. I’ll try hard not to spill my tears on her neatly printed name, lest I ruin my paper ballot. I’ll make my third party choices with thoughtful reserve. One thing is for certain, I’ll never forget this moment in my life, in our history. Will our country take the road less traveled or will it take the road littered with piles of pooh? A Happy Pooh Day to all and to all a goodnight!

Make Your First Choice a THIRD PARTY
Ralph Nader, Independent

Chuck Baldwin, of the Constitution Party (endosed by Ron Paul)

Cynthia McKinney, Green Party (well known favorite of the Israeli/AIPAC contingent)

Bob Barr, Libertarian

Roger Calero, Socialist Workers party

Gloria La Riva, Socialist

Jeffrey Boss, Independent

Brian Moore, another Socialist

The Bailout of the Banks: Subversion, Titles of Nobility and Treason by Allen Heart at OpEd News October 16, 2008

Senator McCain, Sir? Can I ask a question? You Say That Energy Independence is the Key to Recovery From the Economic Crisis. So How Do You Explain Energy Independent and Bankrupt Iceland? .Common Sense 10-10-08

On the Bush administration's approval of the abuse of detainees Submitted by Rob Kall at OP ED News October 18, 2008

1,078 Signatures for Write-IN Hillary Clinton for President!

Pooh-Litics ~ A NeoCon and NeoLib Impact Alert!

2008-10-18T04:11:00.130-05:00

Caution! This post may be too gross for you to handle. But if you are an American and living on the edge, through no fault of your own, then this post might be too tame for you.

A PoohLitical Post!

Todays Pooh-Litics, Tomorrows ___________ (be creative)!

The Bailout of the Banks: Subversion, Titles of Nobility and Treason by Allen Heart at OpEd News October 16, 2008

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 681

I see the Republican NeoCon haven't lost their talent for causing grief and gridlock.

"Will the GOP's campaign to deter new voters and discard Democratic ballots determine the next president?" by ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. & GREG PALAST October 2008

A take on Monty Pythons Flying Circus - and now for something completely different...

The damage they cause may be better compared to the tortuous pains caused by a Fecal impaction.

A pain that can double you over and drop you to the floor. If at its worst, a physician might need to assist the body back to its normal constitution by manually evacuating the impaction. (Its O.K to use your imagination.)Fecal impaction usually happens when pesky uncomfortable constipation is ignored too long.

The condition of having a NeoCon Fecal Impaction within the bowels of the nation, it is likened to a too long list of damage done to the architecture of sound justice, natural democracy and the health of the American Constitution.

The vulnerability that an untreated condition causes, also sets the body up for a myriad of other disease and conditions. Dangerous to mortality if left unchecked to say the least. The NeoLibs are more like the affects of a condition known as Celiac Disease. If logical options are made available to the educated sufferer, the sufferer can have a much better quality of life without feeling hopelessly deprived.

But if NeoLiberalism and NeoConservatism are left to grow a manifestation of symptoms over time and left untreated, the affects are just as hazardous and dangerous to the body.

So here we are today, without a sign or signal of a balanced constitution in our system as a whole.

How could a balance be obtained?

Let's start with The Green Party of Nutritional supplements, the Independent Party of Multiple Vitamins, the castor oil of the Libertarian Party, the antiseptic movement of Constitutional Party, the organic sustenance of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and the holistic US Pacifist Party to give way to a preventative cycle of effective function.

In order to maintain a strong immune system, a solid mixture of this and that must take place. The last eight years have been an awful experiment gone awry, in how really bad bacteria grew so large that it contaminated normal and natural bacterial environments.

Ultimately creating volumes of queasy symptoms that led to the demise of countless unsuspecting victims. We wound up with no way to effectively rid our selves of the neocon and neolib toxins that gave us these terrible signs and symptoms.

Thankfully, many thoughtful common sensed scientific minds are working tirelessly to come up with a vaccine full of natural antibodies to rid us of this epidemic come November 2008.

Once 2009 arrives we might not feel so trapped by this nasty affliction that promotes secret protectionist habits. If judiciously eradicated; we will be able to safely flush the toxic waste into treated septicals that will be sent to a third branch for correctional action.

Pooh to Pooh-Litics Day! Say goodbye to the dreaded condition of "neolib and neocon impactions" in 2009. GO Vote!

Next week I'll discuss the Joys and Jolts of being a NeoCon and NeoLib, appropriately titled "WHATS THAT SMELL - When Trying To Look Innocent Doesn't Work, Anymore?!"
Statement: If I have offended anyone with the above, I do apologize. That is, I only apologize to those sufferers with the real affliction of Celiac Disease, chronic constipation and Fecal Impaction. The above story, as in all of my posts, are written to protect the names and lives of the innocent, namely my family and friends. Plus I could never be this gross in person.

Now for important VOTING information....

Rolling Stone Magazine Block the Vote

"Will the GOP's campaign to deter new voters and discard Democratic ballots determine the next president?" by ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. & GREG PALAST October 2008

Carolab's Comment: "the McCain-Palin campaign's tactics of division through false smears to incite fear in the electorate are the same ones that elected George W. Bush and got us into the mess we are all in right now."

Carolab Comments: "Obama is NOT a Muslim. Get it through your thick skull." October 18, 2008

52vincent Comment: "And is anyone surprised that Republicans are going after ACORN?" October 17, 2008

The Acorn Story -- NY Times editorial Submitted by Margaret Bassett at OP ED News October 18, 2008

1,078 Signatures for Write-IN Hillary Clinton for President!

Irregular Times On The Last Presidential Debate...

2008-10-16T06:41:00.014-05:00

The Power of "In Other Words" by Peregrin Wood from Irregular Times

McCain then said that Americans must "not spread the wealth around."

#1 Comment by tom — "Finally, a true statement by McCain!"

AND

#2 Juan Cole over @ informed visits Irregular Times to comment too...

The Great Reagan Pyramid Scheme Comes Crashing Down

WATCH OPEN DEBATES ON TELEVISION

"Presidential debates were run by the civic-minded and non-partisan League of Women Voters until 1988, when the national Republican and Democratic parties seized control of the debates by establishing the bi-partisan, corporate-sponsored Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD)." (caught a spokesperson on CSPAN yesterday morning.)

I will add my opinion after I watch the whole debate, AGAIN! I got side tracked by Obama's smirks...which he did when he debated Hillary. uggghhh! Because of that, I went into my Writing In "Hillary for President" mode. I was glad that Obama brought up the very disturbing behavior coming from the McCain / Palin rallies. McCain seemed almost too animated at times, so that was off putting and weird. I couldn't be completely objective because my feeling kept getting in the way...biting my lip, clasping my hands, shaking my head, leaving the room. My poor husband, who by the way has been making short statements (that’s a lot for him) about McCain being racist, every time he hears him on the radio. My husband, who is of Irish decent and 62 years of age, is making these statements. I will have to watch the debate again. This time maybe more objectively, without those pesky anxiety ridden emotions that keep wanting to bubble up to the surface. I heard on the radio that blue collar men and non-college educated women are the only hold outs left. These pundits are off the mark as always. Former Governor Ventura is one of my favorite examples here in MN, that prove pundits and polls are only useful for sheer entertainment value.

Denver: Undecideds (3/4 of which were Republican or Independent) Laughed at McCain's Debating Antics by .Common Sense

"there weren't enough for Greenberg to separate them into a post-debate focus group."

Joe the Plumber... Bummer from What Happened to My Country?

"So, how did the myth that is Joe the Plumber come about?"

Bush issues two more presidential signing statements. By Satyam Khanna at THINK PROGRESS

"Bush has issued signing statements to bypass more than 1,100 sections of laws."

"....White House again is willing to subvert good-government accountability in order to buttress self-serving claims of unfettered authority."

COMMENT #2 unbelievable Says: Can someone please take his crayons away from him for the next 3 months? October 15th, 2008

2008-10-13T21:23:00.045-05:00

Simply put, I had fun putting this post together, even though there was a seriously sober reason for doing it. It took me a little time to look through all of the information out on the web. I guess its getting to be a habit with the historical nature of the presidential campaigns we have running this year. I seem to get my best refresher course on cultures, customs and countries when something odd or disturbing hits the public airwaves. I don't seem to have to do this kind of research because of everyday life. I do happen to be lucky enough to know people from all over the globe and its nice to be among a diverse group of people. But the ugly side of human nature has reared its head repeatedly when it comes to anything connected to the Republican Party. I can think of very few things where the Democrats are concerned. But nothing, absolutely nothing compares to what I have picked up on by the NeoCons (the fanatic side of the Republican party) on television, on the radio and in the newspaper. Freedom of speech says they have the right to express themselves. I will always stand by their right for freedom of speech, no matter how hateful, backhanded or backward it may be. America and freedom of speech go hand in hand. But freedom to cast -dispersions by performing character assassination using racial and cultural stereotyping- is something else entirely. Its racist, its feeding into prejudices and bigotry. Don't the NeoCons want to break out of this very old, very divisive and very intolerable style of doing politics in this very diverse world? Institutional racism found its place in our country because of the tactics being used right now, stemming from a basic need to belong somewhere. If you don't fit in, you don't belong. And if you don't fit in safely, you cause fear. If you cause fear, than you are dangerous. And if you are dangerous you must be a ______. A frenzied hysteria was caused by a few people to start with in the Salem Witch trials. Why do we know about this story? Why do I use this story as an example? I'm using it because it is one of many original examples of our country’s horrific legacy of persecuting people for their inherit differences. Innocent women and men died, were murdered because a few people whipped up an entire town of people over a period of time. All logic, all intelligence and all common sense slowly went out the window, all for the opportunity to pervert facts so they could torture and kill vulnerable human beings who were inheritly different. I wonder what other traits the victims had in common, if any? Do you think that a person who think themselves better than others in every way, actually have conscience enough to stop themselves from hurting the people they think beneath them? Of course they can stop themselves. But what about the ones that can't stop themselves after they are gorged on crowd hate? The guy that brought the Curious George doll with the Obama sash, does he appear raging? The lady who thought Obama was an Arab, does she seem out of control? Subtle hints of racism send out pretty loud messages. The person of Arab decent, do they deserve to be targeted and labeled by racists? No they don't! With the diversity of the world today, we will have a president of Arab decent someday. People who hate the 'difference' before they know a person must have a disconnect in their hearts and minds simply because the person looks different. What has happened to people from the Middle East at the hands of the haters in our country, is our newest horrific saga to add to our history of lifes lessons. Sometimes it just takes one person to say "A person is a person, is a person, is a person" simply put. So it's O.K. to be Arab, African, Indian. Its O.K. to be Black, Native American, Mexican. Its O.K. to be an American! Its O.K. to be Kind, Merciful, Thoughtful. Simply put, Racism is not O.K.

Decent Family Men, Women and Kids, Citizens in my Neighborhood… who are Arab by by Jim at Irregular Times Tuesday October 14th, 2008

"...does John McCain need another attitude readjustment at this late date in his life?"

from Annie's letters ADC Shocked and Dismayed by Senator McCain’s Response to "Arab slur" by Annie Monday, October 13, 2008

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee www.adc.org "All over the country people are asking for materials on Arab culture, history and religion. Listed below is a selection of resources and lesson plans we have put together on this subject. Feel free to print out and use these materials, just make sure to indicate ADC as the source."

The one thing about throwing a racist ridden accusation out to an audience, is that the person who does it needs to know that their audience is of "like minded thinking." by awakening from "Quality of Life" Can I Get Some Back Before I Forget What It Is? post on 10/08/2008

History of Arabia

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, and other Arab countries
Arabian culture is a branch of Semitic civilization; because of this and because of the influences of sister Semitic cultures to which it has been subjected at certain epochs,...

In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved October 12, 2008, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: history of Arabia.

Archives in History - QUEEN NOOR
Official Website of Her Majesty Queen NoorHM Queen Noor's web site. Reflects her activities and concerns and international commitments. Resume of the Queen, picture gallery, touching pictures of...

A Foot in Two Worlds: Jordan's American-Born Queen by Brantley Anders

from Heeb Magazine

Dispatches From The Culture Of Cool ~ In Sheik’s Clothing Photo by Filip Kwiatkowski and Text by Rebecca Wiener Heeb Media, LLC

So it’s no surprise when Arab-American artists seek to tap into that rebel ethos.

"Iranian-American Maz Jobrani (Iranians are actually Persian not Arab, but few people make the distinction in this post-9/11 world) started a comedy show called “Arabian Nights” in 2000..."

"A group that has long been invisible or marginalized from mainstream audiences, and, more recently, violently harassed and stereotyped by their fearful fellow citizens,..."

rebecca says (REPLIES TO COMMENTS) 07.05.07 -- "...We are imagining a world where Arab culture becomes so painfully cool that kids don burkas for street cred."

"Why would Muslims want to live in America? Why would not Muslim live in Saudi Arabia or some other Muslim country?" By Khaled Hamid for the St. Louis Post Dispatch Civil Religion Blog Friday, April 11, 2008

Ethnic Denim

Arab Culture is more or less also known as Islamic / Muslim Culture.

Arabian Allure

The romance of a desert oasis, the clear starry nights and the allure of a hidden veil all put together can be summed up in one word - Arabia.

Arab Geography

Arabian Clothing and Fashion:

The Jilbab

In modern day usage, jilbab refers to a long, flowing, baggy overgarment worn by some

The Abaya

The abaya is an overgarment worn by some....

The word hijab comes from the Arabic for veil and is used to...

The al-amira is a two-piece veil...

The shayla is a long, rectangular scarf...

The niqab is a veil for the...

The burqa is the most concealing of all...

The khimar is a long, cape-like veil...

The chador, worn by...

Arabian Business and Cultural Guide

Guide to understanding the culture, business culture, and how to do business with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Al-Sabt

Women's Clothing

In addition to the Abayah, a very conservative woman would also wear a face and head cover.

Men's clothing

These head covers protect the head from direct sunlight and can be used to cover the mouth and the nose during sand storms or cold weather.

Fun Stuff!
Your Best Wedding Rhinestone veil for brides (arab makeup and style Thursday, August 28, 2008

Hairstyles for brides, hairstyles for Arab brides, hair accessories, possible ideas for bride who doesn't want traditional veil.

October 1, 2008 1 comments: ...everything about that picture is absolutely *BEAUTIFUL* !!

A week in the kingdom A female SAISer’s perspective By Tania Nour Hamod at The SAIS Observer

"Although some women may remain covered because of their religion, many choose to do so because it is an important custom and tradition."

"We were taken to a conference room where we met with incredibly intelligent, articulate, personable women, most of whom had doctorates."

"Change is happening, she said, but slowly and in a way that can only work for Saudi Arabia."

The UPTAKE is Cutting edge journalism equal to the MN Indpendent (they seem to scare Erik Eskola from WCCO radio)

Sometimes pity and forgiveness is what matters most when they know not what they do the first time around... The UPTAKE

Gayle says she obtained the information on Obama being an Arab at "her local library" and from a pamphlet obtained at a local McCain campaign office (provided by a fellow volunteer not the campaign itself).

There is nothing wrong with being of Arab decent!

(the ones that feed the supporters with lies, well that is a different story, they get no mercy, no forgiveness and no tolerance from me)

vIDEO McCain Rally In Lakeville-Full Event

Presidential Debate By Topics

MN US Senate Debate By Topics

DENIED ACCESS - Coleman Campaign Prevents Independent Media From Attending "News Conference"

Take Action: Be A Citizen Journalist

Add your event or story to our Future News

Hope she does return to update her blog. Very good writing!
saudi stepford wife About Me -- American/Saudi with a dash of religiosity, a pinch of realistic feminism, and usually with humorous overtones. (the coexistence graphic came from this site, i just gave it a little colorful flair)

You Simply Melt!
Arabic Music

Passionate Music

Arabian 2000 from Monday, March 31, 2008

An Informative Post!
Global Voices Online: Saudi Arabia ~ Stephanie’s Thoughts

"This blogger writes passionate articles on issues, events, and news of racism, internet censorship by Saudi officials, and even an extremist riot that bombards the opening of a theatrical performance."

Artistic and Unique!
Design style : ARABIAN FEATHERS

SHOWROOM LOCATION: All the gowns & accessories featured on this site are Chantal Mallett original designs (unless otherwise stated). Both the designs & photographic images on this web site are copyrighted to Chantal Mallett.

2008-10-12T22:06:00.026-05:00

I admit that I "didn't trust" bush, the secretary of the treasury and congress when they wanted the people's attention and support for the financial crisis bail out package. I didn't believe the plan they had was of any use to main stream middle America. The list of why I don't trust them is a long one. I "did" believe there was a growing problem in our midst, for several years, as I witnessed the ill gotten gains of greedy power grabbing while doing my job every single day. I still am suspect of their true agenda. We don't have time to thoughtfully and thoroughly sort out this mess, unfortunately. Because the fallout will come down to human lives.... the fallout will be much more devastating to the "world" at large. I can't help feeling like my country is a financial 'disease' being forced into incubation for the critical 'good health' of the rest of the world. Or, maybe I'm just being paranoid?

I really hope the world continues to watch our governments actions and behavior, closely watching them, closely monitoring them, every second of every day.

Financial crisis is 'man-made catastrophe', says World Bank chief By Jon Swaine Telegraph.CO.UK October 13, 2008

"For the poor, the costs of the crisis could be lifelong," he said. "The poorest and must vulnerable groups risk the most serious – and in some cases permanent damage."

Carla Zinn Says: Is the economic fix in yet? Letters to the Editor Summit Daily News by Carla Zinn Monday, October 13, 2008

"In the meantime, the poor, misled homeowner is still being evicted, still has to pay a loan back that he cannot afford on a home that is overpriced."

"...This all started a chain reaction with cash flow."

"...in 1995 we were battling this “flipping” from investors then."

"We do not as a country have this money to bail anyone out! We will have to borrow it (from whom?), or print it, but it is no longer guarantee by gold, only by our reputation!"

"Instead they all have done very little but left it up to the states to try and resolve a national greed dilemma."

UN secretary-general calls for financial reforms The Associated Press October 13, 2008 "The secretary-general said "the ad hoc manner in which governments have had to respond to the management of this crisis' reflected serious problems in the global financial system."

Created By Public Events - Humphrey Institute - HUMPHREY EVENTS Panel discussion on the current financial crisis starting 4:00pm Tuesday October 14, 2008 located at Cowles Auditorium

This event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and registration is required. Guests may register by phoning 612-625-5002

Hubert Humphrey Institute Of Public Affairs

Hold your meeting or event at the Humphrey Center
Visit our Conference Center for details or contact Margaret Oltmans.

U.S. Changes Course on Bank Rescue Plan Government Wants to Take Direct Stakes By Edmund L. Andrews and Mark Landler from redOrbit.com Originally published by The New York Times Media Group Monday, 13 October 2008

But on Friday, Paulson not only confirmed his intention to buy stakes in banks but gave the idea central billing."We can use the taxpayers' money more effectively and efficiently, get more for the taxpayers' dollar, if we develop a standardized program to buy equity in financial institutions," he said."

"The new bailout law gave the Treasury the authority to buy up almost any kind of asset it wanted, including stock or preferred shares in banks."

Debt clock draws confused looks, anger or nothing By MARCUS FRANKLIN October 12, 2008

"The clock was put up by the late real estate mogul Seymour Durst in 1989 when the U.S. government's debt was a mere $2.7 trillion, and was even turned off during the 1990s when the debt decreased."

The Little Congress That Cried Wolf, by Proxy... Saturday, October 04, 2008 Why Paulson is Wrong by Luigi Zingales - "Do we want to live in a system where profits are private, but losses are socialized? Where taxpayer money is used to prop up failed firms? Or do we want to live in a system where....."

--I listened to Mr. Zingales on Washington Journal CSPAN radio with Greta on the way to work Monday morning 10/6/08..."He makes sense out of the bail out scheme and I sure hope congress took notes when he testified yesterday.

NO MORE Manufactured Political Distractions... Friday, April 18, 2008

A Bitter Sweet Kick In The Pants ~ A WAS Made In America True Story Sunday, April 13, 2008 "Manufactured Memories ~ LIFE IN AMERICA was MADE IN AMERICA"

"Quality of Life" Can I Get Some Back Before I Forget What It Is?

2008-10-08T05:32:00.043-05:00

1,004 signatures! No way, no how, no McCain / Palin or Obama / Biden!

# 1,000: 4:39 pm PDT, Oct 7, Kansas -- "i do not like either of the men and i well write in because i think it is time for a women to show the good ole boy club how to run a country and how to change things for the better in this united states"

Not Sure Who To Vote For? You’re Not Alone by Melanie Nelson at BlogHer "...but here are a few other conservative women who aren’t sold on either candidate and what they are saying about this dilemma."

Economic Globlization and Speculation Coming Home to Roost published by cyrano2 at THOMAS PAINE'S CORNER Oct. 7, 2008

The Obama and McCain debate went on as planned. Interesting that McCain didn't throw his "TERRORIST" label at Obama on stage. While Obama was 'up front' with his repeated labels for McCain.

The one thing about throwing a racist ridden accusation out to an audience, is that the person who does it needs to know that their audience is of "like minded thinking."

One thing McCain didn't have last night excusively...his "like minded base." You know, the ones that 'call' themselves christian's, the ones that showed up to McCain’s rally the other day. This is really bad for McCain. This is really dangerous for Obama.

Now I'm pondering what "Sara Jane Olson (Minnesotan), and Patty Hearst" might think of Palins putrid politicKKKing about today’s much matured good citizen William Ayers? I think I might actually like having these three as my neighbor today, rather than the people who show up to a rabid McCain / Palin rally. YIKES!

As far as I can tell, the three people --Olson, Hearst and Ayers-- have given much more back to their communities over the years and seem to have made great strides in their every day lives. So much so, I can't really say the same thing about McCain / Palin or the shadowy bush administration.

Is this really about "one persons terrorist is another persons freedom fighter?"

No, it is only about the past and forgiveness today.

Palin is hurting not only someone who had paid their debt to society, but is hurting their entire family in the process. If only McCain and Palin could realize that their words fell on ears better left deafened. The sores of hate will just fester within those that hate anyone not like them. This is really bad for "all" of us.

More ponderings every time I pick up on McCain’s campaign tricKKK’s. Headaches, more headaches!

“EMERGENCY!!! Suspend the Elections!”

ps....Senator Clinton and former President Clinton are not racist and never have been!

Below are my ponderings with answers.

How can you forgive misdeeds and criminal acts that just keep on coming, over and over?

No one person from this present administration, nor their followers seems to believe they are doing great harm to this amazing country. Therefore, they will not believe they have any debt to pay back to society.

So traditional methods and techniques do not work with this group. I can think of many examples and none of them speak more plainly than actions....Actions speak louder than words. rushing to implement the program

The 110th Congress is fatally entangled in this administrations awful and horrendous governing.

McCain / Palin is the extension of the bush administration.

Obama is the extension of the DNC that took Sen. Clinton down. Voting 'Third Party' locally and writing in Sen Clinton for President of the United States.

Military Families Speak Out ~ Funding the war is killing our troops!

~PONDERING~ from The Little Congress That Cried Wolf, by Proxy... Saturday, October 04, 2008

"Do racist people actually get a thrill from making things up about Sen. Obama and his wife?"

"Do paranoid people get a thrill out of making things up about Sen. Obama?"

Answer from Bad American "Is McCain-Palin Campaign Inciting Violence Against Obama?" October 7, 2008

~PONDERING~ from The Little Congress That Cried Wolf, by Proxy... Saturday, October 04, 2008

"Is this how bush ran texas?"

Answer from Common Dreams ~ Texas Legislature Busy Reversing Course from Bush Era Tuesday, April 10, 2001 in the Contra Costa Times by Molly Ivins

"It turns out that one of his parting gifts was to bury that we could only pay for 23 of the 24 months of Medicaid for nursing homes."

"The state has a potential shortfall of $700 million just two years after Bush's last $1.8 billion cut."

"We are also unable to cover teachers' health insurance or a raise for state employees."

"According to an interim study, 163 of the 192 schools chartered so far have severe problems."

Answer Mother Jones ~ The Uncompassionate Conservative By Molly Ivins November/December 2003 Issue

"It's just that when it comes to seeing how his policies affect people, George W. Bush doesn't have a clue."

"Take any area -- environment, labor, education, taxes, health -- and go to the websites of public-interest groups in that field. You will find page after page of minor adjustments, quiet repeals, no-big-deal new policies, all of them cruel, destructive, and harmful. A silent change in regulations, an executive order, a funding cutoff. No headlines. Below the radar. Again and again and again."

"Bush's lies now fill volumes. He lied us into two hideously unfair tax cuts; he lied us into an unnecessary war with disastrous consequences; he lied us into the Patriot Act, eviscerating our freedoms."

"It's the kiss of death if the president comes to praise your program."

Bush's Energy Secretary Choice -One of Texas' Top Five Worst Polluters Date Posted: Jan/18/2005

By Proxy "The Little Congress That Cried Wolf"

2008-10-06T01:24:00.006-05:00

Poor Little Misfit Congress Christmas Story Sunday, December 16, 2007

UPDATE 10/7/08 - Why Paulson is Wrong Luigi Zingales Robert C. Mc Cormack Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance University of Chicago (listened to Mr. Zingales on Washington Journal CSPAN radio with Greta on the way to work Monday morning 10/6/08..."He makes sense out of the bail out scheme and I sure hope congress took notes when he testified yesterday.)

Nader Warns Against Mammoth Bailout Wednesday, September 24, 2008

When it was critically apparent for the House and Senate to exercise rational behavior, fiscal common sense, simple humanitarianism and sound practicality; the 110th Congress could not, would not and will not help their country men and women. The “bill” that finally passed the House, feels like treason. At the heart of the mess that Congress made, yes they did, is a big black cut out where the American citizen should be beating. The heart of this land, the American citizen is forced into Code Blue. DOA. My knee jerk reaction when Secretary of Treasury Paulson threatened complete annihilation of our system, was to be against his recommendation of a $700B infusion into the financial market. It smelled funny (not ha-ha) and it sounded bad. When bush took to the airwaves, I became vehemently against the bill. Bush has been bad for the US in every way possibly imagined and unfortunately unimagined, for an entire 8 long grueling years. McCain was completely wiped off my radar as a consideration for president. I don't like his politics, but then again I don't like the politics of the other guy either. McCain showed me something that I absolutely detest in any politician, he showed me a twisted maneuver of his own selfishness. Instead of coming to the people truthfully to explain the situation, he caused public confusion over his sudden “I'm suspending my campaign and won't do the scheduled debate with Sen. Obama” power wrestle. Weird, just plain weird! He caused a lot of grief for the people who worked tirelessly to put that debate together and caused many of us to scratch our head in disbelief. Airplanes Sen. McCain, we have airplanes that get us from A to B in a matter of minutes to a few hours around the nation!?! What was McCain thinking? Whatever it was, I don't want any of it in my next president. No way, No how, No McCain. Gov. Palin showed her face when she saw nothing wrong with VP Cheney’s self proclaimed mini kingdom of presidential and congressional power mongering. He probably has done much worse, but we won’t know all of the details until some truly brave patriots put Impeachment into the halls of Justice. When Governor Palin said she saw nothing to oppose, nothing about this two term VP who has adorned himself with the power of a co-presidency, It was at that moment she emerged as the NeoCon thoroughbred in the race. Dangerous to the frayed fibers of our US democracy after eight years of a bush reign. I agree with Sen. Biden that Cheney is the most dangerous VP in known history. Palin more than McCain strengthened the connection between McCain and the Bush administration...wink -- wink! Palin is the creation of the NeoCon’s that created the bush administration. We need a third party, and maybe a fourth party. The democrats have failed to listen to the majority, so maybe Ralph Nader will move quickly to the fore front of this presidential race, now. The one thing of many about Ralph Nader, is he is honest. He Is honest. Wow, imagine the concept of staffing the 111th Congress with honest, common sensed, hard working, democracy loving - We the people - kind of elected officials? Just imagine? The debate brought me to the place of thinking about Ralph Nader and Cynthia McKinney. Who would’ve guessed. Biden got me with his raw emotion and Palin got me with her smart ass remark. Between each one of their answers I was thinking “Writing in Hillary” and “where is Ralph Nader?” Where is Ralph Nader in the Presidential debates? McCain and Obama are why I want Hillary for my President. I looked up the word “Plutocracy” yesterday, after a CSPAN caller used the word to describe the “BAIL OUT.” Last year I had to look up the word Oligarchy. What ever the word is to really describe the condition of our country, the seeds of the disease seems to be coming from a most powerful place. Every time some mouth piece comes out to publicly defend the undoing of one of our founding fathers foundational fences, I think…hmm--hmm, their being paid to say that. One thing I am smart enough to discern about the last eight years of a NeoCon government, is that they are all about “SHAMING” the American people in to a deep dark hole. I would like to hold my head up in pride again. I would like to have my country back and I would like my government to be about the people again. A Third Party may be the only way to get there now….Pride in America depends on who our next President will be. The leader of the free world must be a sound role model for "all" Americans. The leader of the free world must have integrity, be truthful and equally as important, be honest with us and for us....a President Nader (on the ticket) or a President Clinton (write in). You decide on America's pride.

Pondering these things daily….

Is this how bush ran things in Texas?

Why does Gov. Palin sound Minnesotan?

Do racist people actually get a thrill from making things up about Sen. Obama and his wife?

Do paranoid people get a thrill out of making things up about Sen. Obama?

A third party could enforce the U.S. Constitution's separation of church and state.
Roll call staff writer steven dennis "congress got what they wanted all along"

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 681

H R 1424 YEA-AND-NAY Oct 3, 2008

QUESTION: On Motion to Concur in Senate Amendments
BILL TITLE: Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

Yeas Nays PRES NV
Democratic 172 63
Republican 91 108
Independent
TOTALS 263 171

---- YEAS 263 ---

Abercrombie
Ackerman
Alexander
Allen
Andrews
Arcuri
Baca
Bachus
Baird
Baldwin
Barrett (SC)
Bean
Berkley
Berman
Berry
Biggert
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Blunt
Boehner
Bonner
Bono Mack
Boozman
Boren
Boswell
Boucher
Boustany
Boyd (FL)
Brady (PA)
Brady (TX)
Braley (IA)
Brown (SC)
Brown, Corrine
Buchanan
Calvert
Camp (MI)
Campbell (CA)
Cannon
Cantor
Capps
Capuano
Cardoza
Carnahan
Carson
Castle
Clarke
Cleaver
Clyburn
Coble
Cohen
Cole (OK)
Conaway
Cooper
Costa
Cramer
Crenshaw
Crowley
Cubin
Cuellar
Cummings
Davis (AL)
Davis (CA)
Davis (IL)
Davis, Tom
DeGette
DeLauro
Dent
Dicks
Dingell
Donnelly
Doyle
Dreier
Edwards (MD)
Edwards (TX)
Ehlers
Ellison
Ellsworth
Emanuel
Emerson
Engel
Eshoo
Etheridge
Everett
Fallin
Farr
Fattah
Ferguson
Fossella
Foster
Frank (MA)
Frelinghuysen
Gerlach
Giffords
Gilchrest
Gonzalez
Gordon
Granger
Green, Al
Gutierrez
Hall (NY)
Hare
Harman
Hastings (FL)
Herger
Higgins
Hinojosa
Hirono
Hobson
Hoekstra
Holt
Honda
Hooley
Hoyer
Inglis (SC)
Israel
Jackson (IL)
Jackson-Lee (TX)
Johnson, E. B.
Kanjorski
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilpatrick
Kind
King (NY)
Kirk
Klein (FL)
Kline (MN)
Knollenberg
Kuhl (NY)
LaHood
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lee
Levin
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (GA)
Lewis (KY)
Loebsack
Lofgren, Zoe
Lowey
Lungren, Daniel E.
Mahoney (FL)
Maloney (NY)
Markey
Marshall
Matsui
McCarthy (NY)
McCollum (MN)
McCrery
McGovern
McHugh
McKeon
McNerney
McNulty
Meek (FL)
Meeks (NY)
Melancon
Miller (NC)
Miller, Gary
Miller, George
Mitchell
Mollohan
Moore (KS)
Moore (WI)
Moran (VA)
Murphy (CT)
Murphy, Patrick
Murtha
Myrick
Nadler
Neal (MA)
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Peterson (PA)
Pickering
Pomeroy
Porter
Price (NC)
Pryce (OH)
Putnam
Radanovich
Rahall
Ramstad
Rangel
Regula
Reyes
Reynolds
Richardson
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Ros-Lehtinen
Ross
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Ryan (WI)
Sarbanes
Saxton
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schmidt
Schwartz
Scott (GA)
Sessions
Sestak
Shadegg
Shays
Shuster
Simpson
Sires
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Solis
Souder
Space
Speier
Spratt
Sullivan
Sutton
Tancredo
Tanner
Tauscher
Terry
Thompson (CA)
Thornberry
Tiberi
Tierney
Towns
Tsongas
Upton
Van Hollen
Velázquez
Walden (OR)
Walsh (NY)
Wamp
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson
Watt
Waxman
Weiner
Welch (VT)
Weldon (FL)
Weller
Wexler
Wilson (NM)
Wilson (OH)
Wilson (SC)
Wolf
Woolsey
Wu
Yarmuth

---- NAYS 171 ---

Aderholt
Akin
Altmire
Bachmann
Barrow
Bartlett (MD)
Barton (TX)
Becerra
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Blackburn
Blumenauer
Boyda (KS)
Broun (GA)
Brown-Waite, Ginny
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Butterfield
Buyer
Capito
Carney
Carter
Castor
Cazayoux
Chabot
Chandler
Childers
Clay
Conyers
Costello
Courtney
Culberson
Davis (KY)
Davis, David
Davis, Lincoln
Deal (GA)
DeFazio
Delahunt
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
Doggett
Doolittle
Drake
Duncan
English (PA)
Feeney
Filner
Flake
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Gallegly
Garrett (NJ)
Gillibrand
Gingrey
Gohmert
Goode
Goodlatte
Graves
Green, Gene
Grijalva
Hall (TX)
Hastings (WA)
Hayes
Heller
Hensarling
Herseth Sandlin
Hill
Hinchey
Hodes
Holden
Hulshof
Hunter
Inslee
Issa
Jefferson
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, Sam
Jones (NC)
Jordan
Kagen
Kaptur
Keller
King (IA)
Kingston
Kucinich
Lamborn
Lampson
Latham
LaTourette
Latta
Linder
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Lucas
Lynch
Mack
Manzullo
Marchant
Matheson
McCarthy (CA)
McCaul (TX)
McCotter
McDermott
McHenry
McIntyre
McMorris Rodgers
Mica
Michaud
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Moran (KS)
Murphy, Tim
Musgrave
Napolitano
Neugebauer
Nunes
Paul
Payne
Pearce
Pence
Peterson (MN)
Petri
Pitts
Platts
Poe
Price (GA)
Rehberg
Reichert
Renzi
Rodriguez
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Roskam
Rothman
Roybal-Allard
Royce
Salazar
Sali
Sánchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Scalise
Scott (VA)
Sensenbrenner
Serrano
Shea-Porter
Sherman
Shimkus
Shuler
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Stark
Stearns
Stupak
Taylor
Thompson (MS)
Tiahrt
Turner
Udall (CO)
Udall (NM)
Visclosky
Walberg
Walz (MN)
Westmoreland
Whitfield (KY)
Wittman (VA)
Young (AK)
Young (FL)

US Financial Crisis Triggers Global Concern By Robert Raffaele Washington VOA October 3, 2008

They on the other hand, are the bad guys....

Essay: The Faces of the Financial Crisis

I still believe that the "GOOD" gals and guys always win, eventually.....from Balto- Good Guys Win

Even when things look their worst, when things seem their bleakest, when bad stuff feels never ending, I still believe that the "GOOD" gals and guys win, eventually!

We are the good guys ...

RIDERS IN THE SKY - Gene Autry - 1949 - Trailer

Saturday October 4, 2008 CSPAN Washington Journal Callers spoke to America. Here are snippets of an American conversation...

"Who ADDED the PORK?"

"FIRE the Sec. of Treasury"

"Put them jail"

"Not Constitutionally right"

"Plutocracy"

"Largest robbery in history"

"Treason at its highest level"

"Why wasn't the unemployment extension included in the bill?"

"Didn’t give any consideration to the bottom class"

"FINE THE COMPANIES"
"Market to Market Accounting connected to ENRON failure"

"Where did the money go?"

"The mortgage companies lied and the poor people need someone to speak for them now"

"30 year republican will vote for Ralph Nader!"

"Very manipulative"

"Helping the little people on main street, I don't see it, I don't believe it"

"Fascism is when government and big business are fused....."

Oct 1, 2008 - -
EMERGENCY ECONOMIC STABILIZATION ACT OF 2008 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES—110th Cong., 2d Sess. H. R. 1424

Senator Bernie Sanders voted no.

"110th Congress BLAH - BLAAH - BLAH - bush - BLAH - blackmail - BLAH - cya - BLAH BLAH - voting you out!!!!"

"This Day of Infamy - US Congress Swamped Us Again and made the 'us against them' a miserable reality..."

The Little Congress That Cried Wolf, by Proxy...

2008-10-04T22:24:00.066-05:00

UPDATE 10/7/08 - Why Paulson is Wrong Luigi Zingales Robert C. Mc Cormack Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance University of Chicago (listened to Mr. Zingales on Washington Journal CSPAN radio with Greta on the way to work Monday morning 10/6/08..."He makes sense out of the bail out scheme and I sure hope congress took notes when he testified yesterday.)

Oct 1, 2008 - -
EMERGENCY ECONOMIC STABILIZATION ACT OF 2008 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES—110th Cong., 2d Sess. H. R. 1424

Senator Bernie Sanders voted no.

"110th Congress BLAH - BLAAH - BLAH - bush - BLAH - blackmail - BLAH - cya - BLAH BLAH - voting you out!!!!"

"This Day of Infamy - US Congress Swamped Us Again and made the 'us against them' a miserable reality..."

Saturday October 4, 2008 CSPAN Washington Journal Callers spoke to America. Here are snippets of an American conversation...

"Who ADDED the PORK?"

"FIRE the Sec. of Treasury"

"Put them jail"

"Not Constitutionally right"

"Plutocracy"

"Largest robbery in history"

"Treason at its highest level"

"Why wasn't the unemployment extension included in the bill?"

"Didn’t give any consideration to the bottom class"

"FINE THE COMPANIES"
"Market to Market Accounting connected to ENRON failure"

"Where did the money go?"

"The mortgage companies lied and the poor people need someone to speak for them now"

"30 year republican will vote for Ralph Nader!"

"Very manipulative"

"Helping the little people on main street, I don't see it, I don't believe it"

"Fascism is when government and big business are fused....."

I still believe that the "GOOD" gals and guys always win, eventually.....from Balto- Good Guys Win

Even when things look their worst, when things seem their bleakest, when bad stuff feels never ending, I still believe that the "GOOD" gals and guys win, eventually!

We are the good guys ...

RIDERS IN THE SKY - Gene Autry - 1949 - Trailer

US Financial Crisis Triggers Global Concern By Robert Raffaele Washington VOA October 3, 2008

Essay: The Faces of the Financial Crisis
They on the other hand, are the bad guys....

Roll call staff writer steven dennis "congress got what they wanted all along"

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 681

H R 1424 YEA-AND-NAY Oct 3, 2008

QUESTION: On Motion to Concur in Senate Amendments
BILL TITLE: Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

Yeas Nays PRES NV
Democratic 172 63
Republican 91 108
Independent
TOTALS 263 171

---- YEAS 263 ---

Abercrombie
Ackerman
Alexander
Allen
Andrews
Arcuri
Baca
Bachus
Baird
Baldwin
Barrett (SC)
Bean
Berkley
Berman
Berry
Biggert
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Blunt
Boehner
Bonner
Bono Mack
Boozman
Boren
Boswell
Boucher
Boustany
Boyd (FL)
Brady (PA)
Brady (TX)
Braley (IA)
Brown (SC)
Brown, Corrine
Buchanan
Calvert
Camp (MI)
Campbell (CA)
Cannon
Cantor
Capps
Capuano
Cardoza
Carnahan
Carson
Castle
Clarke
Cleaver
Clyburn
Coble
Cohen
Cole (OK)
Conaway
Cooper
Costa
Cramer
Crenshaw
Crowley
Cubin
Cuellar
Cummings
Davis (AL)
Davis (CA)
Davis (IL)
Davis, Tom
DeGette
DeLauro
Dent
Dicks
Dingell
Donnelly
Doyle
Dreier
Edwards (MD)
Edwards (TX)
Ehlers
Ellison
Ellsworth
Emanuel
Emerson
Engel
Eshoo
Etheridge
Everett
Fallin
Farr
Fattah
Ferguson
Fossella
Foster
Frank (MA)
Frelinghuysen
Gerlach
Giffords
Gilchrest
Gonzalez
Gordon
Granger
Green, Al
Gutierrez
Hall (NY)
Hare
Harman
Hastings (FL)
Herger
Higgins
Hinojosa
Hirono
Hobson
Hoekstra
Holt
Honda
Hooley
Hoyer
Inglis (SC)
Israel
Jackson (IL)
Jackson-Lee (TX)
Johnson, E. B.
Kanjorski
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilpatrick
Kind
King (NY)
Kirk
Klein (FL)
Kline (MN)
Knollenberg
Kuhl (NY)
LaHood
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lee
Levin
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (GA)
Lewis (KY)
Loebsack
Lofgren, Zoe
Lowey
Lungren, Daniel E.
Mahoney (FL)
Maloney (NY)
Markey
Marshall
Matsui
McCarthy (NY)
McCollum (MN)
McCrery
McGovern
McHugh
McKeon
McNerney
McNulty
Meek (FL)
Meeks (NY)
Melancon
Miller (NC)
Miller, Gary
Miller, George
Mitchell
Mollohan
Moore (KS)
Moore (WI)
Moran (VA)
Murphy (CT)
Murphy, Patrick
Murtha
Myrick
Nadler
Neal (MA)
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Peterson (PA)
Pickering
Pomeroy
Porter
Price (NC)
Pryce (OH)
Putnam
Radanovich
Rahall
Ramstad
Rangel
Regula
Reyes
Reynolds
Richardson
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Ros-Lehtinen
Ross
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Ryan (WI)
Sarbanes
Saxton
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schmidt
Schwartz
Scott (GA)
Sessions
Sestak
Shadegg
Shays
Shuster
Simpson
Sires
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Solis
Souder
Space
Speier
Spratt
Sullivan
Sutton
Tancredo
Tanner
Tauscher
Terry
Thompson (CA)
Thornberry
Tiberi
Tierney
Towns
Tsongas
Upton
Van Hollen
Velázquez
Walden (OR)
Walsh (NY)
Wamp
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson
Watt
Waxman
Weiner
Welch (VT)
Weldon (FL)
Weller
Wexler
Wilson (NM)
Wilson (OH)
Wilson (SC)
Wolf
Woolsey
Wu
Yarmuth

---- NAYS 171 ---

Aderholt
Akin
Altmire
Bachmann
Barrow
Bartlett (MD)
Barton (TX)
Becerra
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Blackburn
Blumenauer
Boyda (KS)
Broun (GA)
Brown-Waite, Ginny
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Butterfield
Buyer
Capito
Carney
Carter
Castor
Cazayoux
Chabot
Chandler
Childers
Clay
Conyers
Costello
Courtney
Culberson
Davis (KY)
Davis, David
Davis, Lincoln
Deal (GA)
DeFazio
Delahunt
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
Doggett
Doolittle
Drake
Duncan
English (PA)
Feeney
Filner
Flake
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Gallegly
Garrett (NJ)
Gillibrand
Gingrey
Gohmert
Goode
Goodlatte
Graves
Green, Gene
Grijalva
Hall (TX)
Hastings (WA)
Hayes
Heller
Hensarling
Herseth Sandlin
Hill
Hinchey
Hodes
Holden
Hulshof
Hunter
Inslee
Issa
Jefferson
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, Sam
Jones (NC)
Jordan
Kagen
Kaptur
Keller
King (IA)
Kingston
Kucinich
Lamborn
Lampson
Latham
LaTourette
Latta
Linder
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Lucas
Lynch
Mack
Manzullo
Marchant
Matheson
McCarthy (CA)
McCaul (TX)
McCotter
McDermott
McHenry
McIntyre
McMorris Rodgers
Mica
Michaud
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Moran (KS)
Murphy, Tim
Musgrave
Napolitano
Neugebauer
Nunes
Paul
Payne
Pearce
Pence
Peterson (MN)
Petri
Pitts
Platts
Poe
Price (GA)
Rehberg
Reichert
Renzi
Rodriguez
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Roskam
Rothman
Roybal-Allard
Royce
Salazar
Sali
Sánchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Scalise
Scott (VA)
Sensenbrenner
Serrano
Shea-Porter
Sherman
Shimkus
Shuler
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Stark
Stearns
Stupak
Taylor
Thompson (MS)
Tiahrt
Turner
Udall (CO)
Udall (NM)
Visclosky
Walberg
Walz (MN)
Westmoreland
Whitfield (KY)
Wittman (VA)
Young (AK)
Young (FL)

Pondering these things daily….

Is this how bush ran things in Texas?

Why does Gov. Palin sound Minnesotan?

Do racist people actually get a thrill from making things up about Sen. Obama and his wife?

Do paranoid people get a thrill out of making things up about Sen. Obama?

A third party could enforce the U.S. Constitution's separation of church and state.

Nader Warns Against Mammoth BailoutWednesday, September 24, 2008

When it was critically apparent for the House and Senate to exercise rational behavior, fiscal common sense, simple humanitarianism and sound practicality; the 110th Congress could not, would not and will not help their country men and women. The “bill” that finally passed the House, feels like treason. At the heart of the mess that Congress made, yes they did, is a big black cut out where the American citizen should be beating. The heart of this land, the American citizen is forced into Code Blue. DOA. My knee jerk reaction when Secretary of Treasury Paulson threatened complete annihilation of our system, was to be against his recommendation of a $700B infusion into the financial market. It smelled funny (not ha-ha) and it sounded bad. When bush took to the airwaves, I became vehemently against the bill. Bush has been bad for the US in every way possibly imagined and unfortunately unimagined, for an entire 8 long grueling years. McCain was completely wiped off my radar as a consideration for president. I don't like his politics, but then again I don't like the politics of the other guy either. McCain showed me something that I absolutely detest in any politician, he showed me a twisted maneuver of his own selfishness. Instead of coming to the people truthfully to explain the situation, he caused public confusion over his sudden “I'm suspending my campaign and won't do the scheduled debate with Sen. Obama” power wrestle. Weird, just plain weird! He caused a lot of grief for the people who worked tirelessly to put that debate together and caused many of us to scratch our head in disbelief. Airplanes Sen. McCain, we have airplanes that get us from A to B in a matter of minutes to a few hours around the nation!?! What was McCain thinking? Whatever it was, I don't want any of it in my next president. No way, No how, No McCain. Gov. Palin showed her face when she saw nothing wrong with VP Cheney’s self proclaimed mini kingdom of presidential and congressional power mongering. He probably has done much worse, but we won’t know all of the details until some truly brave patriots put Impeachment into the halls of Justice. When Governor Palin said she saw nothing to oppose, nothing about this two term VP who has adorned himself with the power of a co-presidency, It was at that moment she emerged as the NeoCon thoroughbred in the race. Dangerous to the frayed fibers of our US democracy after eight years of a bush reign. I agree with Sen. Biden that Cheney is the most dangerous VP in known history. Palin more than McCain strengthened the connection between McCain and the Bush administration...wink -- wink! Palin is the creation of the NeoCon’s that created the bush administration. We need a third party, and maybe a fourth party. The democrats have failed to listen to the majority, so maybe Ralph Nader will move quickly to the fore front of this presidential race, now. The one thing of many about Ralph Nader, is he is honest. He Is honest. Wow, imagine the concept of staffing the 111th Congress with honest, common sensed, hard working, democracy loving - We the people - kind of elected officials? Just imagine? The debate brought me to the place of thinking about Ralph Nader and Cynthia McKinney. Who would’ve guessed. Biden got me with his raw emotion and Palin got me with her smart ass remark. Between each one of their answers I was thinking “Writing in Hillary” and “where is Ralph Nader?” Where is Ralph Nader in the Presidential debates? McCain and Obama are why I want Hillary for my President. I looked up the word “Plutocracy” yesterday, after a CSPAN caller used the word to describe the “BAIL OUT.” Last year I had to look up the word Oligarchy. What ever the word is to really describe the condition of our country, the seeds of the disease seems to be coming from a most powerful place. Every time some mouth piece comes out to publicly defend the undoing of one of our founding fathers foundational fences, I think…hmm--hmm, their being paid to say that. One thing I am smart enough to discern about the last eight years of a NeoCon government, is that they are all about “SHAMING” the American people in to a deep dark hole. I would like to hold my head up in pride again. I would like to have my country back and I would like my government to be about the people again. A Third Party may be the only way to get there now….Pride in America depends on who our next President will be. The leader of the free world must be a sound role model for "all" Americans. The leader of the free world must have integrity, be truthful and equally as important, be honest with us and for us....a President Nader (on the ticket) or a President Clinton (write in). You decide on America's pride.

Poor Little Misfit Congress Christmas Story Sunday, December 16, 2007

Remembering Yesterday because of Today....

2008-09-21T22:45:00.008-05:00

"Some people call you the elites; I call you my base." YouTube

Oct. 20, 2000 CBS NEWS Presented by ExxonMobile - Bush And Gore Do New York
...Dueling Jokes At Dinner Of NY Political Elite NEW YORK

An $800-a-plate crowd...bush acknowledges his "...haves and the have-mores,"

Response to Original message from WLKjr at democratic underground 1. I believe it was from the Correspondence Dinner. I think or maybe that was the one wear he made fun of not finding WMD in iraq. from Wed Jul-14-04

It was at the 2000 Al Smith dinner in NYC. Gore also appeared. He was a lot funnier than bush, but the audience was so obviously pro-bush that it was painful to watch.

I call you my base

Bush’s Legacy Of Squandering Taxpayer Money By Ali at Think Progress Sep 21st, 2008

Senator Hillary Clinton ~ Greatest Leader For These Grim Times! ~

2008-09-21T00:47:00.015-05:00

When I listen to Senator Clinton I "ALWAYS" understand her meaning, her reasoning and her position! She "ALWAYS" takes the reins in a way that makes me know she is the one with the steady hand and a clear mind. The President I desire to have is the President who can make a way for the rest of us.

Clinton Calls for Immediate Action to Halt Market Crisis

Hillary's Plan to Get Us Out of This Economic Meltdown by Alegre at Alegre's Corner September 18, 2008 "So folks, listen to what she's got to say. She's speaking about what needs to be done NOW to address the economic meltdown taking place up on Wall Street this week. She talks in detail for over 20 minutes and dammit it just breaks my heart that someone this capable and brilliant isn't headed to the White House this fall. But maybe this wise and mighty Senator from the Empire State can talk some sense into her collegues and the regulators out there. Check it out..."

338 Responses to “Patsy explains it all” FROM The Confluence "Give em' Hell Patsy!"

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/4/hillary-clinton-for-president IS BEING Maintenanced until tonight, so check back and add your voice

2008-09-20T05:55:00.018-05:00

NO TRUST - MCCAIN

NO TEST - OBAMA

NO SURRENDER - WRITE-IN HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT
(signatures and messages are up to 869 as of this morning 4am, from all over the nation....)
AS OF 6AM THIS MORNING.... We expect services to be restored by 10:30pm Pacific Time. Service Temporarily Unavailable www.thepetitionsite.com/4/hillary-clinton-for-president is temporarily unavailable for scheduled maintenance.

Remembering Democratic Dysfunction The United States Leaders Need To Take A Chill Pill & Grow Up...... by awakening Friday, September 22, 2006 "I wrote about the democratic party leaderships manic behavior when President Chavez voiced his opinion about bush, this after he supplied heating oil for United States citizens when they had none. The democrats leaped upon their soap boxes to bash Chavez for his statement. Yet, I don't believe they ever thanked him for helping "our" citizens stay warm in their home, in the cold, in the winter."

Poor Little Misfit Congress Christmas Story by awakening Sunday, December 16, 2007

"As I wrote in my last post, I will also post republican dysfunction, misdeeds and mongering from the past eight years too. Neither party gets a free pass. Pathetic is our governments in-action to head off the current disaster. Pathetic is the series of disasters under eight years of republican rule. Pathetic is....my head hurts!"
Liar Loans....Pols duck the truth on crisis Michael Goodwin New York Daily News Wednesday, September 17th 2008

"Both political parties aided and abetted the crime against the law of economics, with the skids greased by support from advocates and the dollars of lobbyists."

COMMENT from bills4 Sep 19, 2008 "This article should be required reading for every concern citizen."

Boots Riley Comes Out Swinging against the War in Iraq: The Coup Calls Up MySpace Friends to Encourage G.I. Rebellion 03/28/07

"Congress hasn't done more than give lip service to wanting the war to end."
THE COUP - WE ARE THE ONES

Republican Congress - the Meanest Mess Makers Ever....

2008-09-18T03:44:00.044-05:00

from BAD AMERICAN What’s Confusing You is The Nature of Their Game September 18, 2008

"Don’t let them tell you this economic meltdown is a complicated mess. It’s not."

Bill of Rights

Vermont candidate to prosecute Bush if she wins By JOHN CURRAN AP 9/19/08

Eighhhhhhhhhhhht looooong years of being bulls eyed and bushwhacked. Reason number ONE why I'd never vote for a Republican president! Not at this juncture. Before the Republican congress lost to the Democrats, Republican rule was mean, elitist and was completely obstructionistic....because congress was solely there to do the bidding of the bush administration. No doubt about that. In an odd turn of events the Democrats tried on the leadership hat and have not been able to bring the congress to a place where the citizens feel that their government is working for them. Increasing awareness of doubt across this land of 'us little people' should have been minimized after the Democrats took over. For me, I think it was all of the subpoenas that the Senate committees sent out to people in the bush administration, that were blatantly ignored. All of those hearings without justified closure and justice served. It made the Democratic congress look weak. So, therefore, the entire congress looked weak and inept. No thanks to the Republicans who made a million messes over the years. Great goddess, can you imagine a plain old citizen sending a note to a judge for traffic court or a murder trial, saying "No, I will not honor your honor?" This act of pure disregard for the law by the bush administration taught our younger citizens that some people don't have to follow the law all of the time. What a nasty blotch on our country's reputation around the world. The Republicans had had congress for a long time. They sort of still do. So, is it any wonder that the Democrats are still trying to balance the job of cleaning house and doing congressional chores?!? The Democrats, however, have gone over the top with their vision of what the people need. Not what the people want, but "what they need?" The religious spouting - GAWD awful is what that is. Giving Loony and corny reasons for their dismal approval rating. They can't fathom that they are being included in the numbers. Dear congress - hello, "All of you" you are all part of the problem....reason for your dismal approval rating. plain and simple. If they are a believen' that this is the way the meek inherit the earth, Goddess help us. And what is this mixing church and state junk? Better get off that bible thumping, proverb slapping soap box, cuz its maken' people tune you out congress. Especially the ones thumping for Senator Obama. I won't vote for McCain or Obama....to me, in my opinion, mine alone...they are both part of the problem now, not the solution. I've been attempting to find something about each one, something presidential, something commander and chiefish. Nope, can't find it and don't hear it in their speeches. That is 'Reason number TWO' why I'm writing in Hillary. In the next several weeks I'm gonna post stuff that concerns me about the Republican congress....where they should've gave pause, should've considered, where they needed to bend and where they brought this country to date. The Democrats don't get a free pass either. When I decided to Write-In Hillary, I also took into account that the election process and voting machines were messed up by Republican NeoCons too. But the (D)'s get lumped in there now because they won't discuss the elephant in the room, so to speak. So, I figure that my write in has a much better chance of getting through than a pre-printed presidential candidate's name. don't ya think?

POD Alert for Old Agenda ~ New Reasons...The guide on * How to Trap and Tag American Workers* Saturday, January 07, 2006

"Comments: Blue Cross of California said... Great blog I hope we can work to build a better health care system as we are in a major crisis and health insurance is a major aspect to many."

The World Can't Wait Friday, September 08, 2006

"My conversations with others rarely center on anything political, its typically about local everyday happening. What used to be simple everyday pleasures or planned time off moments...They're being constantly consumed by things that cause stress and worry. Like never before - it just keeps on growing. You can see 'it' in more faces and hear 'it' in more voices....And it ain't fear from the threat of terrorism."

Look at the results of Social Service Privatization in Texas...An American Social Responsibility gone tragically to outsourcing in another country.

Etched In My Memory ~ New Orleans Thursday, July 27, 2006

"An eternity to the living breathing dignified survivors, the yearning exiled, the patient trailer dwellers, the pioneering tent dwellers, the determined neighborhood rebels."

Tent City in Texas Among Immigrant Holding Sites Drawing Criticism February 02, 2007

The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog

"About 2,000 illegal immigrants, part of a record 26,500 held across the United States by federal authorities, will call the 10 giant tents home for weeks, months and perhaps years before they are removed from the United States and sent back to their home countries."

Homeless Saturday, July 26, 2008

"Most people when they go homeless still have a great amount of pride and dignity and don’t usually approach people for money."

New Orleans City Leaders ~ Somewhere Under the Radar Monday, July 31, 2006

"I decided that day to become a card carrying Democrat (like my Mom and her family - long ago immigrants from Ireland), until Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro lost the election. The backbone of our economy the blue, pink and gray collar worker and the over all mainstream working class were hit pretty hard after that presidential election."

"Several years ago in Minnesota,, an important law that kept landlords accountable, helped to sustain reasonable rents and helped to preserve affordable housing, vanished out of law. It gave landlords credit for keeping rents at affordable rates, not market rates. With the laws - ordinance time line finished, it didn't take long to see the awful impact on some families and individual renters. Minnesota (the land of principled social safety nets) was the most unlikely place to see social neglect happening, but it was and still is today. Can you imagine the rest of the country?"

Part One....Off Paper? No, Not Yet? How Many Years Later? Never? Saturday, June 02, 2007

"History, even a few years back will serve to create the foundation that we are facing today....See this link......July 13, 2005 -- STATE GOP CHAIR RIPS CLINTON'S VOTING RIGHTS SCHEME Wednesday, July 05, 2006 New York GOP ~ The Felon - The Vote - The Agenda......This is how the then toxic GOP fear mongers were spinning the reason to not give back the right to vote to anyone with a felony. Purely spinning the worst of criminal behavior, the most extreme side of crime and using that to spread the blanket of discrimination over all convicted felons."

Alabama prison commissioner, under GOP pressure, halts prison voter registration drive by Radical Russ from Pams Houseblend Fri Sep 19, 2008

LA's Homeless Blog Where Do They Go, If A Tent City Is Dismantled? Tuesday, September 09, 2008

"This is the question that folks in Tennessee are asking. They state that there are nearly two dozen homeless camps around Nashville, the capital. And one large encampment is planning to be dismantled."

COMMENT:Caleb Childers said...
I believe that more permanent housing needs to be provided. We have seen in the past how temporary housing has worked out for the homeless, especially in the recently destroyed tent city in Ontario, CA.

Caleb Childers

Why Not Turn Foreclosures Into Affordable Housing? Friday, August 29, 2008

Suburban Tent City? North America Housing Reuters Posted by: Michael Dudley at planetizen.com December 24, 2007

:As foreclosure rates rise across the country, former homeowners are seeking shelter in suburban "tent cities" while municipalities struggle to cope with extra costs and declining tax revenues.:

Tent city in suburbs is cost of home crisis By Dana Ford reuters Fri Dec 21, 2007

"the once-booming suburbia of Southern California."

"House prices are going down, but the rentals are sky-high," said Steve. "If it wasn't for here, I wouldn't have a place to go."

So let’s get this out of the way right now. I hate both American political parties for different reasons."

"See, I’m a Bad American."

BEST COMMENT: Daniella May 25, 2008

I agree with being a “Bad American” as you so well described it. I think that many others now are set to re-evaluate what is this supposed “best standard of living” which has been offered as a trade-off for not having health care which is portable, some kind of dignified assistance for our weakest members such as children, poor people, seniors and now unfortunately badly damaged veterans.

I heard that a MN group is attempting to file for the arrest of GWB himself on the grounds of war crime. Check it out in the MN Startribune.

I know it won’t happen but what a notion!

Bad AmericanBushvilles? Of Tent Cities and Golden Parachutes March 19, 2008

Danny Schechter’s latest, as always, is a great if terrifying read.

"He and his wife, Tishara, stopped paying their mortgage in February. They signed up with a new company called You Walk Away to help guide them through the multi-month foreclosure process."

States Accuse Pentagon Of Threats, Retaliation By Lyndsey Layton Washington Post September 19, 2008

from Rachel Maddow Show McCain keeps causing confusion....for himself

2008-09-15T04:09:00.020-05:00

Is The Bush Economy About To Tank? by Steve Soto

Best COMMENT from The Left Coaster...

September 14, 2008 Posted by BDBlue: Can the Democrats save the economy or financial system? I'm not convinced. It seems to me that McCain and the Rs are determined to continue down the same disastrous road. But Obama and the Democrats seem unwilling or unable to fully take on the task either. Obama's answers to most economic questions have too often involved tax cuts, IMO. What's more, the Democratic Congress hasn't exactly been out in front on this issue or proposing solutions that do more than attempt to alleviate the symptoms, instead of fixing the underlying disease. So what I fear is that with McCain we're headed as fast as we can into disaster and with Obama what we'll get is half-assed solutions, which if we're lucky will soften the blow, but if we're unlucky will only delay the day of reckoning and by delaying will make it worse.

I think we're in for very bad times regardless of who is elected. The bill is coming due on Bush's recklessness and on the Democratic Congress' unwillingness to reign it in the last two years. They've punted the problems into next year, but the problems are much bigger than they were 2 years ago.

I'd say we're looking at a spectacular failure of government and while most of the blame belongs on Bush, the Democrats certainly deserve some of it.

I disagree, btw, that it was the home purchaser's greed that was driving it. It was Wall Street's greed. Sure, there were a few greedy home buyers, but I think a lot of people saw the upward climb of the housing market as a chance to buy a home when they couldn't afford one before and use the upward swing to help them pay for it. The mortgage companies wrote loans no one was going to be able to afford if the market went down, but people like Alan Greenspan kept telling buyers it wasn't going down. Sure, some of us knew that was a joke, but I think the people who got taken the worst were some of the less sophisticated and less wealthy folks. They were just trying to make money like everyone else. Of course, what they should know is that poor people and middle class people don't get to make money like rich people do. That's not how it's going to work. Which is why even many of these Wall Street executives get severance bonuses, even as their companies are having to be bailed out.

"We will have a list of foreclosed homes and will make sure people aren’t voting from those addresses," AND "Here's a bunch of question's... "Even 'if' someone is foreclosed upon, don't they still have a..." By awakening from Friday, September 12, 2008

Minnesota's unemployment rate jumps to highest in over two decades by Martin Moylan, Minnesota Public Radio on August 14, 2008 AND "income drop was biggest in Scott, Anoka and Wisconsin's St. Croix counties" from Gas & Bag US - MSP Twin Conventions

How can they not know? The NeoCons are the mess makers, the Democrats are their care takers and I guess we - the people are the day dreamers. By awakening from Marie Dressler Reminded Me Why We Do What We Do... Monday, August 04, 2008

America's Job Bank Ceased Operations July 1, 2007 by awakening from Homeless Saturday, July 26, 2008 "Could that be another reason why the youth in our area are being displaced from their home’s, the mortgage crisis? Remember renters rent from a home owner, so that loss rolls down hill to the renter. A youth being displaced from the life they had had is scary."

The OFCCP regulations require covered Federal contractors and subcontractors to make job postings available to the appropriate local employment service office. Use of America's Job Bank satisfied these requirements, but ceased operations on July 1, 2007.

SNL ~ HILLARY AND SARAH LOVED IT!

2008-09-14T07:31:00.011-05:00

LIVE from Saturday Night! Gov. Palin and Senator Clinton address the nation

"As a female Republican - I loved this skit! It's nice to see both sides being made fun of for a change. Go Tina ! Go Amy!" goecu

"This will make SNL's top 5 ever!!" JEWhite

"Wow, I stopped watching SNL years ago due to the sharp decline in humor. This however, was uncharacteristically funny. Keep up the great work. You may just be back on track to the glory days." avg_joe101

"attack ads should be focused on the candidates and not tied to habits of potential voters." History will record that never have so few listened to the voices of so many and disregarded them . . . by sportsone234 at Hillary and Me September 14, 2008

Write Her In ~ Senator Hillary Clinton... We signed the "WRITE-IN HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT" petition!

2008-09-12T05:06:00.009-05:00

Republicans: Lose Your House, Lose Your Vote By Jeralyn TALK LEFT Wednesday Sep 10, 2008

"We will have a list of foreclosed homes and will make sure people aren’t voting from those addresses,"

Greg Palast Says It's All About The 2008 Elections Saturday, May 26, 2007

Here's a bunch of question's... "Even 'if' someone is foreclosed upon, don't they still have a period of time to vacate - physically move and change their address? What about people who honestly still reside in their homes, even if foreclosure has taken place? Will they have to bring an official letter to their polling place that states they are still a resident of that particular voting district? For everyone to hear? This seems more damaging than just telling a few (less than few I'm sure - maybe 0) who have moved, that they are not welcome at their local polling place. This seems to be worse than just telling a very, very few (0 most likely) that they will be publicly humiliated and denied their rights when they show up to vote. The saddest part about this ploy is that it is meant to OBSTRUCT "all" voters. As we all know, homes not foreclosed on will be on that list too, thereby challenging voters to prove that it isn't. An old game with a new twist. NeCons haven't gotten it right yet...what proof do we have that they-NEoCons can actually come up with a truthful list of vacated foreclosed homes, period? What proof is there that says people will return to vote once they have moved? Vacated foreclosed homes that were occupied by good and decent people living the American Dream. Good and decent people who will make their way back to the very place that now probably feels like salt being poured in to their open wound of financial failure and personal crisis?" NeoCon Republicans, the party of Rapture for Ruin? EGADS! So this is what the mortgage crisis was all about?!?