Open Thread – Basic Training
This weekend, anyone who’s anyone in progressive politics is going to have noses to the grindstone, shoulders to the wheel, boots on the ground, hands in the air, and brains focused on the Democracy for America Campaign Academy. We’ll be learning all kinds of fun things you need to know to win campaigns, and make the progressive community in Alaska more effective.
Detailed information is HERE.
Hope to see you there!
Endangered species
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Cartoons
There are some good opinion pieces today, highlighted on the Daily Kos:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/09/19/1017993/-Abbreviated-Pundit-Round-up?via=blog_1
Yes, it’s very good news, which I received in my inbox (it pays to get updates from environmental organizations). Congratulations to the Elwha people.
This is good news! This weekend is the beginning of the removal of the Elwha dam in Washington State – the largest project of it’s kind. Here is the utube ‘cartoon’ of the projected progress of the removal. This dam has been in place for 100 years and nearly destroyed the livlihood and culture of the Elwha people. I have followed this for a few years now, the Elwhas have been tireless in their pursuit of this outcome. Congratulations to them!
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=elwha+dam+removal&mid=C9E48FD0FBDD7BDE54FAC9E48FD0FBDD7BDE54FA&view=detail&FORM=VIRE7
I went and looked at your link and some of the surrounding information. I want to look some more. Thank you for pointing to this.
The Klamath River dam stories I’ve followed some but had not the Elwha.
I am so Alaska-centric in many ways that I miss important things going on elsewhere.
Detroit Intl. Bridge Co. is owned by a billionaire who has a monopoly on traffic crossing from Canada to Michigan. It is a toll road and about a quarter of all traffic between both countries cross there. The State of Michigan in joint cooperation with Canada want to build a public bridge between the two countries at a cost of 950 million dollars. Canada has said they pay a large share of Michigan’s cost so there would be no Michigan taxpayer liability. So the owner of the private bridge w2ants to a six lanes near his bridge and control the monopoly. He does not want a public bridge to steal his money,so with the help of a pair of bros named…..wait for it….. Koch,they managed to scare residents in a mostly B;ack neighborhood to vote against the public bridge by posting fake eviction-like notices telling resodents the State of Michigan was going to raze their neighborhoods to make room for a new bridge. Why would this bother mike from iowa? Because DIBC is airing ads on Iowa television with the backdrop being Iowa’s state flag and motto urging Iowa residents to vote against Michigan’s public bridge. Iowa must be more important than I give her credit for. I am heading back to see numero uno Nephew tomorrow and won’t be back until probably Friday. All my best wishes to all ‘Pups and have a wonderful,stress free week on me.
Happy trails, mikey, and safe home.
THIS is the company we keep?
This is a darned good reason to get rid of the death penalty. Why do we want to pal around with these terrorists?
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-Issues/2011/0918/Death-penalty-Top-5-countries-to-execute-the-most-people/
I have a great song for the Campaign——it’s an olde, but The Democrats need to sing it loud and clear.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z45EB4TiYz4
Good morning, Open Thread.
This one is in honor of my daddy, because he made sure there was always music in our home and in our lives. I remember singing along while he played ukelele… Goodnight, Irene…and anything off of Hootenanny…
Daddy will be 80 years old next month,
the ukelele is in good hands,
littlebird sings and plays many instruments
(and is a Beatles fan like her daddy)
For daddy and littlebird:
Jake Shimabukuro LIVE Ukulele Concert: While My Guitar Gently Weeps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mEqEe-PIC8
Here’s Happy’s favorite;
whole orchestras can’t get the sound of this one ukelele and talented player,
says Happy. Such hands. Such fingers. Such skills.
Jake Shimabukuro – “Bohemian Rhapsody” live at Anthology in San Diego
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snPQ1z5FoqQ&feature=related
(more and more at teh youtubes for your listening enjoyment)
So now you know why I bring music to the mudflats, eh?
I can’t help myself.
Music connects me to the ones I love.
Music makes my world more better.
L’Shalom,
thatcrowwoman
And, CrowWoman, you’d better stop in for a taste of wine while visiting the Birthday Boy!!
Speaking of political activism, and slightly OT, several hundred to several thousand people (depending upon the media source) have taken over Wall Street. More info and live stream here: – http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/occupy-wall-street#.TnWSY0hzVLE.bitly And here: https://occupywallst.org/ Hmmmm, is this why Mayor Bloomberg was just expressing his concern about youth protests European & Middle Eastern style might soon reach our shores?
Wish I’d known sooner that there was a reduced rate for the “Basic Training” today. Would have been a great boost. n Congratulation to attendees and presenters.
I hope I am not replicating someone’s efforts, but I just spotted this article about how CNN, MSNBC and Faux news blocked coverage (well, decided not to cover) 50,000 nonviolent protesters in Manhattan. The protestors were trying to bring a spotlight on special interest and corporate power in our politics. Anyone who believes that corporate media is interested telling the truth about flaws in our system needs to rethink their stand in my opinion. The media has too much invested in having a skewed system.
http://www.politicususa.com/en/media-blackout-us-day-of-rage?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+politicususa%2FfJAl+%28Politicus+USA+%29
The media blackout may have been national, but it was not total, at least not here in NYC. WPIX (channel 11), which for a local station has some of the best news and commentary anywhere (along with a refreshing sense of camaraderie among staff) sent a reporter to cover it this afternoon, and I saw it on the 6 o’clock news. They probably had more on their 10 o’clock broadcast, but I wasn’t home for it.
HLN ran a story this morning showing peaceful protesters and quite a number of them at that.
Some outfit called Relaxnews is reporting that Chinese made condoms are too small for South Africans. A rival Japanese firm that originally lost the contract sued,claiming Japanese condoms are 20% larger than Chines safes. More news later. I hope this doesn/t trigger another Sino-Japanese war. BTW yahoo moderators bleep apostrophtes in posts sent in to their news articles. I am not aware of any obscene remarks or gestures they may have made.
Okay, Mike, I guess someone has to say it, so I might as well show my seamier side: ahem, I guess Sarah will be booking speeches in South Africa soon.
Yeah, I know. I couldn’t stop myself. Shame, shame, shame on me.
I can hear her trying to ‘splain the trip to all her faithful sheeples.She will say she went to look at diamond mines to see if they would work as well in Alaska. Then comes the tricky part where she claims that Africa is proof positive that mining doesn’t affect salmon since no one can find dead salmon anywhere that diamonds are mined. Any belly whumping would be coincidental in a country or countries full of Black men.
With the RWNJ’s making so much noise about the upcoming 2012 election, I think President Obama
should borrow Pat Paulson’s campaign theme. It’s simple and to the point: OBAMA 2012: Not Insane.
I also loved this Borowitz Report:
http://www.borowitzreport.com/2011/09/14/a-letter-from-rick-perry/
DD
Greetings from my front yard! I’m on a surprise vacation. Turns out that I had personal days I was about to lose and our store manager thought it would be in my best interest to use them. Honestly it would have been in my best interest to know I had them. In any case, here I am. I have much work to do at home so my plan is to split the days between house cleaning and gardening. A little inside, a little outside. I need to take a trip to the thrift store to see if I can find a good cheap read. Really wish I could have planned this.
It is odd that they didn’t let you know earlier, but hey, that silence works in their best interests, right? Anyway, glad to see you are making the best of the time off with such an upbeat and industrious attitude – that’s our merrycricket. You may not realize it, babe, but you inspire a lot of us to roll with the punches. Have fun!
Apparently, I’ve been quite on edge at work lately. I know I was headed straight for a melt down with as much as I’ve been working. I am eating ibuprophen like skittles because my joints hurt from walking on concrete all day. Added to that, I feel like I have barely left work when it’s time to go back. I don’t even want to go back there, that’s how much I hate it. So, yes, I can roll with a week off. I can’t tell you how much I love coming here to get a dose of sanity in between work shifts. You all help me roll with the punches.
There is much caring here….
I think that the full moon on Monday may have influenced us all more than we realize. My week at work was hellacious, and my sister, BIL and niece also had weeks filled with frustration and aggravation.
My personal drug of choice when I’m down is chocolate, and I was thrilled this afternoon to discover that my wonderful grocery store, Wegmans (wild applause and cheering!), now carries Entenmann’s baked goods (more wild applause!). Entenmann’s was an integral part of my childhood growing up on Long Island and I have dearly missed some of my old comfort foods.
Sadly, they no longer make my two favorites – the blackout cake and the spice cake – but a chocolate loaf cake was sitting on the Wegmans shelf today, clearly calling my name (in what I could swear was a LI accent!). Naturally, I HAD to take it home and enjoy a nice slice of my childhood, along with a big glass of milk! Mmmmmm…starting to feel better… 🙂
I raise a glass of milk and a slice of loaf cake to you, Merrycricket, and wish you many unexpected hours of enjoyment in your precious garden!
merrycricket, have you tried herbal anti-inflammatories? When I was recovering from that dire accident, I took 2-3 MSM tablets, 1-1/2 t. acerola cherry powder (for Vitamin C), turmeric, ginger, boswellia, and hyaluronic acid, along with a Chinese OTC herbal compound for traumatic injury, twice a day. Really taught me compliance, and gave me some insight into what my clients go through. I also used a TENS pack and hydrocollator twice a day (initially), tapering off as I improved, and did my PT exercises twice daily.
Recently, I bought shoes with a spring under the heel that make standing and walking very comfortable. PM me if you want more info.
Health and peace.
Quick,run out in whichever yard faces the West and wave,I want to see if I can see you from Iowa.
I’m jumping up and down, flapping my arms, can you see me now? I’ve just convinced my neighbors that I’m ready for the peculiar parlor. LOL
I’m sorry,MC,I forgot to look.
Smart A**!
I saw you clear up here in Southeast Alaska, merrycricket!
Come on over for warm zucchini bread and hot tea in a bit if you can.
Mike too -if he can behave.
Well . Hmmm.
Mike, you can come over anyway . 😉
Warm zucchini bread and tea sounds delightful!
Well, that sounds so good, I am going to make myself some zucchini bread. That’ll make a delicious Sundy breakfast. Thanks for mentioning that.
Alaska Pi…. give mike a one way ticket for the tram…….. 🙂
Great idea ben!
That would take care of things alright 🙂
Glad you and DW are home safe and sound.Waiting to hear about all your adventures.
fishingmama and merrycricket-
I chopped up the last of this year’s rhubarb and a bit of candied ginger and put it in the zucchini bread.
Ended up being very tasty but am wondering if it is more appropriately called Rhucinni bread now or perhaps Zuchbarb…?
Gonna have another cup of tea and think about it…
Ben-you’re still alive! You have been maintaining radio silence for so long I thought maybe you got bear-et or one of Snooki’s weak minded sheeple kidnapped you. Trust you are having one heckuva good time.
got home yesterday afternoon….need a few days to go thru mail, etc. had a GREAT time in Juneau with InJuneau, Firecracker, Alaska Pi and Bear Woman ! ……..there WAS a bear, but she was more interested in salmon meal than munching on tourists !
What the rest of the world already suspected–Palin is an opportunist and a phoney:
http://politico-junkie.blogspot.com/2011/09/uk-palin-opportunist-and-phoney.html
My that was refreshing.
Most of the article was fine, but I do take issue problem with the last paragraph:
“Sarah Palin is the Republican Barack Obama. The only difference is that the President confessed to his drug use, and restricts his basketball dalliances to the court.”
There are minimal similarities between Palin and the President – two arms, two legs, circulatory system, etc. Anything beyond the merely biological, however is an insult to the man in the White House.
I have to agree with you.
I especially like the ‘boots on the ground’ idea in the training. I think it’s what’s needed most. Perhaps a Democrat would have won Anthony Weiner’s seat if there had been more people going door to door to explain why each House election is so important and huge numbers of volunteers to show up at every registered Democrat’s door on election day to encourage each of them to vote and to see if they need a ride to the polls.
Dahlia, in NYC (of which Brooklyn is a part), most of us can walk to our polling places. Mine is less than three minutes from the front door of my apartment house. I think the problem was Weprin, a machine Dem with zero charisma. Anthony Wiener has charisma in spades.
AP is reporting that a judge in Montana has awarded plaintiffs 43 million dollars in damages for those who died or were sickened by asbestos from WRGrace mine. The state of Montana is on the hook for most of the damages. WR Grace skipped out on its liability by filing bankruptcy.In the state of Iowa-if you are buried in child support you cannot escape liability by filing bankriptcy. In a bunch of states you cannot escape crushing credit card interest and debt by filing bankruptcy. Kenny Boy Lay was allowed to file for bankruptcy to protect much of his assets and when he died,his estate was cleared of any liability. The system works,just not for the poor.
A young man who works for me grew up in Libby, Montana. He was asked to return last year for a baseline health evaluation as there is ongoing concern that people who lived/live there are still being exposed even though Superfund cleanup has removed the worst problems.
Montana did not admit liabilty and “claimed in its defense that it had no legal obligation to provide warning of the mine’s dangers.”
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20110917/NEWS01/109170301/Libby-asbestos-victims-win-43-million-settlement-against-Montana
Yes, so far WR Grace has managed to avoid full responsibilty but , thank heavens, for the people of Libby and the rest of us the EPA has continued to try to do it’s job.
http://www.epa.gov/region8/superfund/libby/milestones.html
If we cannot do anything else, ragging on our Reps to get off the backs of the EPA and demanding it’s work and mission is not diluted by starving it for funding or hemming it in with stoopid legislation will go a long way to making sure similar situations do not occur. The death and damage in Libby cannot be erased. We can try very hard to keep such things from happening again.
Hurrah for the EPA! It may have its faults and limitations, but the good it has done has been phenomenal, and we need to stand behind it and also step up to defend it. We cannot allow businesses free reign to do as they wish because more innocent people will die just for the corporate bottom line.
amen
Thank you… Bless you..
Isn’t WR Grace the same company from the movie Civil Action? Grrrr, can’t believe they’re still in business.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._R._Grace_and_Company
Yes, it is the same company.
They have a very poor history when it comes to environmental contamination .
Worse than very poor.
Majorly sucky is more like it.
I didn’t know this. Wow….
I used to work for a W.R. Grace company in the very early 70s. Haven’t thought much about them since I left that job…
Looking forward to LOTS of sharing of what you all learn!
See a lot of familiar names in list of registered attendees 🙂 and the agenda looks like you will have a very full 2 days.
Have fun!
Cause this is Republicanism in America.
“Vote Republican 2.0” by Roy Zimmerman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5KgSstEmQ4
More cowbell!
Oy, vey!
and also, too
do you really want to scream like a chicken and
“Vote Republican 3.0”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNESFVKULME&feature=relmfu
….going off the rails on a crazy train…
Democracy for America.
Bring it on!
Boots on the ground sharing later, please.
L’Chaim!
thatcrowwoman
If you can get to Anchorage, please attend! If you think you can’t campaign – if you think it’s too intimidating – if you think it’s too hard – Go anyway! Just attend and listen. You learn a lot, you’ll love the company, and you’ll be inspired. And who knows? You just might find yourself supporting a campaign in the future, knowing what to do, and loving doing it.