I loved your article "Obama Picking His Fights." It actually was the best political article I have ever, ever read. Honest. I mean that.

Although I am a conservative Christian (Baptist), I am truly progressive in many ways. I wish to share (below) some of my thoughts and articles. Please share this message. Thank you.

By the way, please pass the word about my article "A Conservative Praises Obama."

Sincerely,
Babu G. Ranganathan*
(B.A. theology/biology)
http://www.religionscience.com

TRADITIONAL DOCTRINE OF HELL EVOLVED FROM GREEK ROOTS Although I am a conservative Christian (Baptist), I no longer believe that the Bible teaches or supports the traditional belief of eternal torment or suffering. The Bible does teach eternal punishment, but it's not eternal torment. In my popular Internet article, TRADITIONAL DOCTRINE OF HELL EVOLVED FROM GREEK ROOTS, I explain how and why teaching of eternal torment entered early into Christianity and how Scriptures have been misinterpreted and taken out of context to support that teaching. You may access the article here: http://bgrnathan.blogspot.com/2010/04/traditional-doctrine-of-hell-has-greek_03.html

NATURAL LIMITS TO EVOLUTION: Only evolution within "kinds" is genetically possible (i.e. varieties of dogs, cats, etc.), but not evolution across "kinds" (i.e. from worm to human). How did species survive if their vital structures, organs, reproductive system were still evolving? Read my popular Internet article published in Russia's English Pravda: WAR AMONG EVOLUTIONISTS! I discuss: Punctuated Equilibrium, "Junk DNA," genetics, mutations, natural selection, fossils, genetic and biological similarities between species. You may access the article here: http://english.pravda.ru/science/mysteries/11-07-2011/118445-war_evolutionists-0/

THE SCIENCE SUPPORTING CREATION: http://creationismnow.blogspot.com/

THE NEW TESTAMENT RESPONSE TO HOMOSEXUALS: http://bgrnathan.blogspot.com/2010/04/christian-response-to-homosexuals.html

THE FAR LEFT AND RIGHT OF THINGS: http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/11206459-the-far-left-and-right-of-things
SOCIETY RIGHTS VS. CAPITALISM'S RIGHTS: http://bgrnathan.blogspot.com/2010/04/society-rights-vs-corporations.html
PURE RACES NOT DESTROYED BY INTERRACIAL MIXING: http://www.pottsmerc.com/articles/2011/12/17/opinion/srv0000015996166.txt?viewmode=fullstory

*The author, Babu G. Ranganathan, has his bachelor's degree with concentrations in theology and biology and has been recognized for his writings on religion and science in the 24th edition of Marquis "Who's Who in The East". He has completed two years of full-time graduate study in law at Western New England College School of Law in Springfield, Massachusetts. The author's articles may be accessed at http://www.religionscience.com.

My name is Shannon Crown and I’m contacting you from CTV News Channel – Canada’s largest private broadcaster, 24 news division. We are busy building up our database of political commentators for the election year and I was wondering what your interest might be in joining us every once in awhile.

From your website it looks like you are based in North Carolina which we could set up a Skype connection from.

Please email me back to discuss.

Thanks,
Shannon Crown – Chase Producer
CTV News Channel
416.384.7400 (main)
shannon.crown@ctv.ca

Eve

P.S.
Now that I think about it -- wasn't there a time when you had to have more than 7 days of food stored or risk starvation? What about having that much non-perishable food is suspicious? And, how do we measure this? Can we forgive people for 8 days? 9? 10?

I've had it with Michale. His constant self-righteous accusations and lies have finally gotten to me.

I'm going to write a comment blocker for your site that will block his comments on my machine. I anticipated that it would take the form of a modification to the re-direct button on my button bar.

It occured to me that you might like to have "mute" button on your site. This button, when pressed would pop up a text entry for allowing the pressor to enter a commenter's name. This would then be save in a cookie, along with any other names selected, and would prevent the text of any comments by that name from showing.

I understand perfectly if you do not want such an animal, but I'm GOING to do it for myself.

RMF

Hope to hear from you soon!
Jacob Reber
On behalf of Alan MacLachlan of http://www.alljigsawpuzzles.co.uk

The response to my codesource question is to replace the code going to the preview box.

document.getElementById('commentpreview').innerHTML = s.replace( /\r\n?/g, "" );

Essentially, replace will take the cr/nl sequences and replace them with which is apparently the linefeed sequence for HTML.

If this doesn't work, try replacin the original text grab

s=document.getElementById('comment').value;
with
s=document.getElementById('comment').value.replace( /\r\n?/g, "" );

It will depend on where HTML is stripping the formatting.

Good luck
RMF

PS:
http://www.codingforums.com/showthread.php?t=245487

is the code source page. You might want to join the forum.

I noticed a couple of days ago that Osbourne Ink was actually a link to the blog. I thought that was cool. Since I think only one person has ever stumbled on my ramblings, I thought I'd try.

Thus the test

http://wp.me/p4GAy-5r

Hope you enjoy it.

Jerry Waxman

Of course, the above only reinforces your main point. OWS Oakland could have told the world that the fires were mostly or exclusively self defense against tear gas IF they had had a spokesperson/spokes committee.

Thanks for your work.

I just found your site. I used to work with someone whose name seems very similar to yours (it's been ten years) at iQ.com in Saratoga, California. Is this possibly you?

I read your blog about rapists' rights, and have to say I agree with your point of view. I'm too old to have more kids, but it's really scary out there.

Thanks. Hope to hear from you soon.

Michelle Kruschke

Taking a chance that you haven't yet read this, but I thought it might be something you could be interested in. I would be curious to know your take on it.

Here's the link.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31322_3-20126756-256/u.s-government-also-a-villain-in-piracy-act-story/

Regards,

J. Garner

Thank you for your blog on GOP's 22-week Work Year. According to Wikipedia, the annual Congress salary is $170,000, which has not been raised the past three years. With a 22-week or 109 days of work, that breaks down to $1,559.63 per day. This does not include other benefits and expenses they also receive. I think most of the 99% Americans are unaware of this. If, as they say,they want to cut expenses and government waste, then let them start with their salaries. These are by no means "public servants" but public hogs.

elm-novato

I read one of your blogs on medical marijuana; my comment is:

In Schedule I the DEA has

Morning Glory Seeds listed as "the most addictive;

Question:

have u heard of anyone addicted to morning glory seeds; I have never tried them and prob. never will

so where does the DEA "get off" on calling "Morning Glory Seeds the most addictive ?

PS MMJ DOES HAVE LOTS OF MEDICINAL VALUE; WAY LOTS!
I know: I use MmJ to treat my "anorexia disorder...
Anne white Bridgeport Conn. 1951 USA

I want to take the time to thank you for this most insightful blog. I agree with everything you said.

I need to address a polite correction, which is really the fault of our legislators and the courts who keep "changing" the rules in the middle of the game. When you mention that 16 states had 'legalized' medical marijuana, I agreed with that until Aug 18, 2011 and Oct. 4, 2011.

On Aug 18 the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled in Beinor-v-ICAO that Colorado had NOT legalized medical marijuana--but merely decriminalized possession, (not use, sale or dispensing even though it is in the constitution). For some reason this has not been in mainstream media.

I have appealed this ruling to the Colorado Supreme Court and they have about 5 weeks to decide to hear the appeal or not. If we lose in Colorado, we lose nationwide, as Colorado is the only state with a constitutional amendment to guarantee medical use and if our constitution can be stomped out, no other state in the country can fair well, as all of their laws are statutes.

Then on Oct. 4 the CA Courts ruled that federal law preempts all state statutes and regs. Basically they decided that no state had 'legalized' medical marijuana, but only decriminalized it.

http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/B228781.PDF

The same day the feds sent out threat letters to dispensaries and landlords demanding eviction and closing of all.

This is a shock to the entire cannabis community. You can find my assessment here:

https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150360964809879

Headline: The day the money fell from the sky
Origin: Bruce Dancis
Publication Date: 8/24/2007
Page: B7
Section: EDITORIALS
Edition: METRO FINAL
Dateline:
Corrections:
Memo: COMMENTARY
Body Text: Business stopped on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange 40 years ago today, when the money began to fall from the sky.

But the dollars weren't manna from heaven. They were thrown from the visitor's gallery of the Exchange by a raucous group of demonstrators led by Abbie Hoffman, one of the 1960s' most creative activists.

The peaceful invasion of the citadel of American capitalism took place on Aug. 24, 1967. According to reporter John Kifner's story in the New York Times, some of the "hippie" demonstrators "were dressed in their normal studied shabbiness, but others had disguised themselves with haircuts, jackets and ties."

I was 19 at the time and one of those demonstrators in "disguise, " although I am not now nor have I ever been a "hippie, " and my mother will swear that I hadn't had a haircut in some time.

The reason some were wearing the uncustomary uniforms of jackets, ties and dresses was because a group of us, mostly from Cornell University, was on trial in a nearby courthouse for a Vietnam War peace protest a few weeks earlier on Hiroshima Day. Abbie, a friend from the anti-war movement, had invited us to join a guerrilla theater action at the Stock Exchange.

So at the lunch recess in our trial, a bunch of us rushed downtown to meet Abbie and others on the Wall Street sidewalk outside the Stock Exchange.

After Abbie and his pal Jim Fouratt passed out about $100 in dollar bills, we politely joined the line to the visitor's entrance to the third floor gallery. We were accompanied by a squad of reporters, photographers and TV cameramen. (Abbie always was adept at using the media.)

When we reached the security desk, the guard looked at the long-haired Abbie and Jim somewhat disapprovingly. After Jim said that he and the others were members of ESSO, the East Side Service Organization (ESSO was then the acronym for Exxon), the guard started giving them a hard time. He warned that no demonstrations of any type would be allowed.

Abbie responded by shouting, with impish incongruity, "You won't let me in because I'm Jewish!" The flustered guard hardly noticed when those of us who were dressed for success casually walked right by. The rest of the demonstrators rushed in behind us.

Armed only with the $1 bills given to Abbie by a contributor especially for use in this action, we started throwing. (One demonstrator later claimed we tossed out $1,000, but what do hippies know about money?)

Never having had the experience of hurling money off a high platform, I was surprised how long it took for our bills to waft down to the floor below. But even more surprised were the Exchange workers on the receiving end of our largesse.

At first, the brokers, traders and runners watched in stunned silence. Then some began to cheer. Others were not as pleased, or at least that's what I inferred from all their yelling and cursing in our direction. Still others were too busy scrambling to pick up the loot as it floated to the ground.

It was all over in a minute. We turned around and raced out and back to the street. Mission accomplished, and no one arrested.

Some demonstrators stayed around the outside of the Exchange to dance in a circle and sing "Free, free" while Abbie started to burn a $5 bill. According to the Times report, an angry Stock Exchange staffer then grabbed the fiver out of Abbie's hand, shouted "You're disgusting!" and stomped on it.

And according to Jonah Raskin's book, "For the Hell of It: The Life and Times of Abbie Hoffman, " Fouratt told a reporter he'd gotten the cash from "General William Westmoreland's mother, who disapproved of her son's military policy in Vietnam, " referring to the top U.S. general in Vietnam.

But I missed all that, as we had to race back to the courtroom for our civil disobedience case. We ended up being acquitted on all charges: disorderly conduct, unlawful assembly, resisting arrest and, my personal favorite, masquerading in public -- a response to the death masks we wore.

The Stock Exchange demonstration did not lead to "the death of money, " as some of our group hoped. From all appearances, money and its pursuit are both alive and well 40 years later.

With hindsight, I can see why some hard-working folks might have viewed us as spoiled kids who cared little about throwing money away. But it was a nonviolent shot heard 'round the world in the battle against greed. For a fleeting moment, it showed there was more to life than the dogged accumulation of wealth and riches.

And it produced an enduring legend and a few laughs along the way.

Bruce Dancis is an entertainment writer at The Bee.
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I want to suggest a Patriots movement that was used in the late 50's and 60's when corporate power focused slowly on the upper 5% of the US wealthy.
Someone said 5% of the population controls 90% of the wealth.

a "Patriots Movement" goes to the extreme of undermining the commercial powere of bigger corporations.
A "Patriots movement" votes with your dollars.The old addage "money talks,bullshit walks" can be done with our dollars together.
If we all pull our money out of big banks and put it into local credit unions and small local banks,then the movement of dollars will say something.
If we all pull our money out of Retirement programs and Mutual Funds and put it into local small banks or credit unions,we are voting with our dollars.
Mutual funds are going to fail, and when they do,what do people have shares of,the Manager??

A retirement program/401K can be pulled out as a loan,or closed and after tax dollars put into savings.
If someone is concerned about taxes by pulling it out,this action is no different than doing a Roth IRA, where you pull your money,pay the taxes and put it into a small local bank or credit union IRA for growth.
And the same goes with Consumer choices.Stop buying from major corporations,buy local.
There are enough local small stores,even Mom and Pop stores that we can get what we need.We can stop buying from BIG Corporations and vote with our dollars.
And include a slowdown movement.Slowly walk across traffic and slowly drive to block intersections and roads and parking ramps.
A Patriots Movement can snowball to where our voting dollars do the talking.
Thank you again for your articles and insights.
Mark
And drive the speed limit in both lanes.That's another way of protest

This, coupled with much heated rhetoric tossed about so loudly and casually by Tea Party followers, representatives and candidates... "make government inconsequential"... "shrink government," etc. takes me back again and again to a quote from Patrick Henry: “United we stand, divided we fall. Let us not split into factions which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs.” Even Henry, a leader who fought vehemently for individual rights/the Bill of Rights, saw value in a union of states, the United States of America. Does the Tea Party? Does the Republican Party? Do the Republican leaders in Congress? Do their donors & backers understand the precipice they are pushing us over? Do they understand that if we stand united, that means the strong AND the weak... the rich AND the poor... the advantaged AND the disadvantaged... people of all faiths, creeds, races, etc.?

Oh, dear... now I'm falling to less lofty source material: Peter Parker's Uncle Ben in Spiderman- "With great strength comes great responsibility." :)

You are a better writer than I am... and likely a better thinker. I just wanted to share some food for thought that keeps me awake at night in hopes it might come together better for you as you blog.

Thanks for your articles. You are appreciated.
GlynnisI
Greensboro, NC

http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/08/24/in-praise-of-ron-paul/

Personally, and I realize your story was a rather gentle criticism of Paul, if that, to prove another point, I don't believe any lefty or liberal or progressive has any business critiquing the guy
at all to prove any point---unless they've been on the streets in anti-war protests, and on the web castigating the Brother Cool admiring, punch-pulling Obama fans and others who have refused to blast him re the wars--his wars...the fact he refused to have the war criminals prosecuted....his Police State Cheneyesque policies, his drone bombing innocents in Afhan and Pakistan, etc.

But you probably qualify.

I just read your article on Huffington Post, "Ron Paul Versus Government." I want to thank you for an unbiased assessment of Dr. Paul's views on FEMA. You ask very fair questions (unlike a lot of authors on HP). Walter Block summed up FEMA's response to Katrina very well in a 2007 article titled “Katrina and the Future of New Orleans." Having lived outside New Orleans at the time and being a Red Cross volunteer, I agree 100% with his assessment.

One week after the hurricane, FEMA ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to buy 211 million pounds of ice from IAP Worldwide Services of Florida. Trucking companies were notified of a grand opportunity since the government was paying the bills for delivery, and the dispatchers sent out the word. There is no space to explore the workings of IAP Worldwide, but the company, which relies heavily on tax dollars as a federal contractor, has a new CEO who most recently held the position of vice president of national security programs for the notorious Kellogg Brown and Root. His name is David Swindle.

But back to the story of the ensuing chaos. One trucker picked up ice in Greenville, Pennsylvania, and was told to drive it to Carthage, Missouri. But when he arrived in Carthage, he was told by a FEMA official to go to Montgomery, Alabama. After a day and a half sitting in Montgomery, he was told to go to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, after which he was sent to Selma, Alabama, after which he was sent to Emporia, Virginia, where he stayed for a week burning fuel, until he was sent to North Carolina, and finally to Nebraska, where he dropped the ice in a government storage unit. That’s 4,000 miles over a period of two weeks. This was hardly the only case.

The news media chronicled the stories of these truckers. A truck full of ice was sent from Dubuque, Iowa, to Meridian, Mississippi, then to Barksdale Base in Louisiana, then to Columbia, South Carolina, and finally to Cumberland, Maryland, where he waited for six days before being sent to Bettendorf, Iowa, where the ice was unloaded. Another truck was sent from Wisconsin to Missouri to Selma to Memphis, Tennessee, before finally dropping off the ice in a storage unit. There were 4000 drivers enlisted in this incredible charade. No one knows for sure how much ice ever got through or how much if any good it did.

In one of the first incidents reported of what was to be two weeks of catastrophe, a group of volunteer fire fighters from Houston came to New Orleans wanting to help. They were told to wait. They waited 48 hours and were ordered to go back. A group of doctors from Maryland tried to get in but FEMA sent them on to the Red Cross, which said it could do nothing without the approval of federal health officials.

After the New Orleans mayor made a call for firefighters to come help, 1,000 volunteers were sent to Atlanta, where they were put in a conference room at the Sheraton hotel and subjected to seminars on sexual harassment and other bureaucratic matters. They were then told that their job would be to distribute flyers with a message on it: call 1-800-621-FEMA. Many or even most of these well-trained people left town. Those who stuck it out and headed for Louisiana were aghast that their first assignment was not to fight fires, which had been raging for a week, but to escort President Bush on his TV-laden tour of the area. All the photos can be seen on WhiteHouse.gov.

In fact, FEMA refused offers of help of all sorts, mainly because of issues of control. FEMA declined help from Amtrak in evacuating people from New Orleans. The Chicago municipal government wanted to send volunteers from the fire department, police department, and hospitals all over town, but FEMA said no. The same happened to New Mexico, whose governor volunteered equipment and personnel.

FEMA prevented Wal-Mart from delivering three tank trucks full of water, and the Coast Guard from delivering diesel fuel. As for the National Guard, for days it would not allow reporters into the Superdome where tens of thousands were trapped. People were hungry and thirsty, but the National Guard would not allow the Red Cross to deliver any food. Here is the astounding statement from the spokesperson of the Red Cross: "The Homeland Security Department has requested and continues to request that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans… Right now access is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities…. We cannot get into New Orleans against their orders."

The Salvation Army attempted to rescue two of its own officers trapped in a building and on dialysis. They rented three boats for a rescue. But they were not allowed through , though to be fair the Salvation Army didn’t specifically name the government as at fault, but it did point out that all private efforts were running into similar kinds of obstacles, so the message was clear. Meanwhile, the USS Bataan, a floating hospital for 600 patients, that happened to be at sea and rode out the storm, was still sitting empty by the third day, not permitted to do its job.

An astounding case of ineptness comes to us from the case of three Duke University students who drove to New Orleans to help but were turned away by the National Guard. They had seen the news and knew that they could help, and wondered why they should be pushed around by bureaucrats. Being college sophomores, they took a risk. They forged press credentials, with fake IDs and shirts and the works. They went back and adopted a haughty tone. The National Guard waved them through immediately. Then the students drove to the Convention Center. There they found thousands of sick, hungry, thirsty, and dying people in desperate need. They found a man who had welts all over his body. He was in a tree covered with fire ants as the flood waters rose, and there he stayed being bitten repeatedly for up to 24 hours.

The boys picked him up along with three others and drove them to a Baton Rouge hospital. They made another trip there and back with more people before they began to become frightened of what the government might do to them. On one return trip, they observed 150 empty buses driving the other way – and they have a video to prove it.

One can only express astonishment at how the government treated the tens of thousands of people it had herded like cattle into large public spaces. For reasons still unclear, the government couldn’t seem to get its act together on transporting them out even as the people themselves were forbidden to leave. Once the central planners decided to move all these people from the Superdome to the Astrodome, no means of transport arrived, even as aerial photos showed miles and miles of public buses available.

Indeed, the first bus to reach Houston was not driven or approved by the government. It was commandeered by 20-year-old Jabbar Gibson, who drove it from the floods and picked up as many people as he could and drove all the way to Houston, a 13-hour drive! He beat the government’s system by a day. Meanwhile, the tens of thousands of people who had been shoved into the Superdome on Sunday, before the floods came, were still suffering in that massive calamity by Friday and Saturday.

Perhaps the most astounding case of incompetence has received the least attention. It relates to a 500-boat flotilla stretching over 5 miles that left for New Orleans from Lafayette. It involved 1,000 people who had hoped to rescue hospital patients and take them to safety. It consisted of private boaters, fishermen, hunters, and others who had spent their entire lives navigating Louisiana waterways. Once this caravan arrived, they were turned away by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, which was now being run by FEMA. All five hundred boats were turned away and ordered out.

Now keep in mind that this was three days after the hurricane hit. There were hundreds of people inside the Charity Hospital in New Orleans alone. They had no supplies and only three had been rescued. At this very time, the head of the FEMA-ized Wildlife and Fisheries Department announced to the world on television that it needed no help from anyone and that it had all matters under control.

Ron Paul's criticisms of FEMA are VERY accurate, the MSM to the contrary notwithstanding.

In Liberty,

Matt

I am Congressman Kucinich's Communication's Director. I appreciate your close coverage of the events in Libya, Washington D.C. and the actions of my boss. I would like to clarify to you, however, that Congressman Kucinich has never called for President Obama to be impeached.

Congressman Kucinich did raise the question over whether a President taking the country to war absent Congressional approval could constitute an impeachable offense, but he never called for impeachment or moved forward with articles of impeachment.

I would appreciate if you could note that clarification.

Thanks,

Nathan White
nathan.white@mail.house.gov
202-225-5871

I enjoyed your recent blog on Huffington. Sorry to disturb you. I am Majid Rafizadeh Iranian/Syrian Fulbright scholar, currently conducting research at Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. I write for Aljazeera and Harvard International Review. If you dont mind, i was wondering how can i voice my opinion on Huffingtonpost by blog. I could not find the way on the website. I would appreciate it if you know the editor's email or any person who deals with it.

Yours Sincerely,
Majid

I just registered with your website. I really enjoy reading your blog. If only more Democrats had the spine to say what you say (oh well, we can dream, can't we...).

I have some rightie friends that constantly annoy me with their claims that Pres. Obama is a "socialist". When I press them for SPECIFIC evidence of this, they get all fuzzy and claim that he has "socialistic tendencies" (whatever the hell THAT is).

I was thus wondering if you might do a column on the oft-repeated rightie mantra that Obama is a socialist. For example, how much (if any) stock does the government still own in GM, AIG, banks, etc., and how does that compare to the level at the height of the financial system meltdown? How much in TARP loans is still outstanding? How much of all this "socialisticizing" was actually done by Obama, and how much was really done by George W. Bush? Reliable statistics would help a lot in shooting this ridiculous claim down in flames.

I searched through your archives but couldn't find anything specifically on this topic.

Again, thanks for an inspiring blog and keep up The Good Fight.

Andres

I will miss your daily blogs, but my preference is A: Mon., Wed,,and Friday.

The open threads give me a bad case of emotional hives, so I'd rather just hear from you.

I appreciate your balanced and fair writing. Even when I do not agree with you, I am impressed with your honesty and integrity. Perhaps that is the same reason that the White House seems to listen to you so often. Noticed that?

eveingeorgia

Just a quick note - no need to reply!

In view of the changes you're going to make to the site, I just wanted to say that there is one feature I really like ...

When you click on any of the articles under the headline 'Recent Articles', the far left column of the home page, you are taken directly to the article AND comments section. I use that all the time for a quick one-step way to get to the comments.

Have a great day!
Liz

Enjoyed your blog on Michelle Bachmann. Just one correction - she does not have a post-doctoral degree. She has a J.D. from the "Close Cover Before Striking" School of law, a/k/a Oral Roberts (and now Regent) Law School and then got a M.A. in Taxation from William and Mary. Your description of her academic qualifications made her sound greatly more prepared than she actually is.

It was great meeting you at Netroots. I hope you enjoyed the briefing with Sheldon Whitehouse. Man is he a hell of a speaker or what? Keep me posted if it gives you blogging fodder.

I'm very impressed with you blog. You get a lot of eyeballs.

We've taken to attacking AARP now that they've openly endorsed Social Security cuts.

Respond to my e-mail dmarans@socialsecurity-works.org, so we can keep in touch. (I seem to have lost yours.)

Best,
Daniel Marans, Policy and Legislative Associate, Social Security Works

MOBILE- May 26th, 2011 Katrina survivors in south Alabama are still living with tarp blue roofs. June 1st marks the beginning of hurricane season, and tornadoes recently obliterated northern parts of the state. Will Alabama officials respond better to this disaster? According to Down Home, a report to be released May 31st, Alabama officials would have and should have done better in ensuring communities build back.
“The insurance industry, charitable organizations and private funds will not be able to pick up the tab for a region so devastated,” says Adren Wilson, National Director of the Equity and Inclusion Campaign. “Alabama officials must respond differently this time around or we’re going to see tornado survivors in temporary housing 6 years from now.” The devastating tornadoes in April are a crucial moment to learn lessons from the last disaster so that people can build back and come home.
Although the insurance industry paid out to over 85,000 homeowners in Alabama during Katrina, this did not meet many homeowners’ needs to build back. Six years and another major disaster later, Down Home outlines what Alabama state and federal officials need to do better.
For example, Senator Shelby, the senior U.S. Senator from Alabama and Ranking Member on the Senate housing authorizing committee as well as an Appropriator, should be well positioned to ensure the funding gap is met for households impacted by both Katrina and recent tornadoes.
At the state level, funds also must be distributed on a needs, rather than competitive, basis.
“While flexibility in disaster resources is important, Katrina disaster funds in Alabama weren’t distributed based on need or disaster impact, but rather the best grant proposal--- which is why you have homeowners still living in shambles today,” continued Wilson, “Now is the time to get it right.”
####

I am writing on behalf of Russia Today TV - 24/7 English language news station in Moscow broadcasting internationally.

My name is Masha. I am a producer of a panel discussion program called Crosstalk.

Our guests are well known journalists and high ranking officials from across the world.

Here is the link to one of our programs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlshkc2xzrQ

We would like to invite you to take part in our program on Friday, April 29, at 10 am. Washington DC time from a studio in Washington, New York or any other major city in the world.

Here is a brief description of the topic we are going to discuss:

Trump for President!? Donald Trump is a major media personality and according to himself and great businessman. He also has a major ego. Is he serious about running for president? What are his chances of winning the Republican nomination? As a candidate running as a Republican, how will this impact other Republican candidates and the Republican rank and file? What is his appeal beyond the Republican Party? Is Trump electable? What does a potential Trump presidential candidacy say about the state of American politics?

You would have to be in the studio 15 min before we start and the program lasts 30 min.

Would you be interested in joining us?

Thank you,
Masha Charnay

Crosstalk
Russia Today

Great article and I agree with much that you said. However, in 2006 who would have believed that a rookie US senator, with zero executive experience, no knowledge of foreign policy, questionable Chicago associates and questionable lineage and parentage would ever be elected president. Some would that it was inspite of those issues, others would say it was because of those issues.

What people wanted then and what they want now is someone who will level with them. They will overlook virtually anything about a candidate if they connect with him. It's much like marriage, and I have three under my belt, before you're married, if your future spouse really loves you, nothing else really matters.

As far as debates go, don't underestimate Trump. His aggressive speaking style, his no bs attitude and his ability to think on his feet will make him the odds on favorite.

I am hardly endorsing DT as the one. It's just that in the medias haste to write him off, they are conveniently overlooking many things that make him more viable then they care to imagine.

Could he fizzle out like Ross Perot? Certainly, but until he does, he will be a force to be reckoned with and anyone who refuses to accept this, does so at their peril.

Regards.

I have an idea about the Medicare cuts - whatever they propose. To counterbalance any savings that might be proposed, I suggest that they up the taxes on senators and reps or any others at the top of the income scales. When they propose cuts in the budget, they always hit the lower echelons - people who have very little time to complain. And who gets to vote on these cuts?? The upper echelons.

Just an idea that will never fly. (See above).

Your mother

However, since sometimes minds think alike, others may have suggested it; no matter; it's cool and appropriate.

Now I have an appropriate title for the Ryan Budget; here goes:

THE RYAN EARLY DEATH PLAN BUDGET or THE RYAN EARLY DEATH BUDGET PLAN - anything that includes "early death" will do, because when seniors can't afford decent health care because their vouchers are all out of cash to pay for medical care, they surely will die early.

You think that the Republicans got mileage out of the inaccurate "death panels?" Wait until you throw the accurate "early death" stuff at them.

By the way, please let Alan Grayson know about this. He'll like the title I'm sure, while grieving over the concept as I am doing!

Regards,

Rita Kurgan

I am writing to you with great interest in composing a guest blog for your website. I am a health, safety, and political advocate with a passion for environmental responsibility. I believe there needs to be a greater focus on the present risks of environmental toxins. In lieu of the proposed EPA budget cuts, I feel I could craft a compelling article that would be of great interest to the readers of (http://www.chrisweigant.com/).
    
Please feel free to email me back if this interests you.
    
Best Regards,
    
Nicholas Scott
NScott.QA@gmail.com

We are contacting you to participate in a short survey about your contributions as a blogger for The Huffington Post. This survey is part of a study about digital labor and user-generated content. It should take between 10 and 15 minutes to complete.

Data collected from this study and used for research purposes will be anonymous, and will not be identifiable by individual names.

We appreciate your time, and will share with you the outcomes of this research upon completion.
Please feel free to contact Joshua Green, MIP's Project Manager (joshgreeen@carseywolf.ucsb.edu / 805-897-3107) if you have any queries about this research.

Follow this link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PW2QRH6

Sincerely,
Ryan Fuller and Ethan Tussey
Media Industries Project, UCSB

About the Media Industries Project

The Media Industries Project (MIP) at UC Santa Barbara examines the rapid and dramatic changes affecting media industries worldwide. At a time of tremendous uncertainty, MIP offers a unique forum for bringing together top scholars and industry professionals to encourage innovative thinking about the future and purpose of media.

Everything OK??

I sent a couple emails to chrisweigant.com but the last one came back that the Mailbox is full..

Michale

Thanks for the deeper look at St. Patrick. Aren't the serpents also a metaphor for the casting out of the the goddess and nature-based religions, as the Christian patriarchal traditions took power, since the serpent was her underworld/earthly animal ally?

My real question is Gaelic in nature, though. I am turning sixty soon, and want to change my surname to my Irish great grandmother's surname, Gillmaster (sometimes spelled as Gilmaster). I've been leading up to this for years now, and hope to make a pilgrimage to Ireland for the ritual naming ceremony.

Hence, any ideas as to what Gillmaster means in Gaelic? Was it possibly a job, and if so, what is / was a Gill- master?

Anything related to fishing, you think?

Any leads, or help you might offer is much appreciated.

Thanks,
Terry Gillmaster Ebinger

How are you? I was working with you as QA at iq commerce,
my number 408-887-6181
call me some time

suganthi srinivasan
I changed my last to to maiden name

my kids are all grown up
daughter is 18 at UC davis
Son is working as tech support lead at box.net
he did not make it to his writing career which he was very good in
after graduation from berkeley rhetoric
he was working as copy writer and got layed off
he was out of job for 6 months
then his friend got him a job as support guy now he likes it and got promoted
but still I want him to become a writer and study MA
but he does not want to do; but what can I say he is 24 now maybe after a while he might do it or regret it

My name is Chilekwa M. Mumba, from Zambia, Africa.

This is indirectly related to your latest article on Obama's Cairo Speech. Obama's speech was monumentally symbolic in a way that was even greater than his election as first black president, such that it would not be a bad idea for a follow-up speech considering the wave of change that has hit not just North Africa as the media asserts, but Africa as a whole. Many countries even in Sub-Sahara are no longer wanting to tolerate the crippled "democracy" that has been practiced as a result.

As you are a progressive global citizen, I thought I should forward you a transposed email circulation on behalf of my organization that we send out to progressives such as yourself:

Now I am also the current Deputy Chairman of our political organization, the Citizens Democratic Party [CDP] based in Zambia, Africa (we are verifiable on http://www.thecitizensdemocraticparty.com and you may also "google" our organization for verification). We are a political organization principally founded and spear headed by young African leaders, wishing to have a say in the direction of our country and continent. It is no secret that politically, the youth in Africa and our generation specifically, have been used as mere "stone-throwers" and militia to advance the goals of the few privileged African leaders. Most conflict in Africa has the youth as foot soldiers, with the "older generation" generals in drawing rooms. We as CDP have decided to be a responsible crop of youth, by maturely participating in the political dispensation of our country and continent. Our mature and responsible play in politics has resulted in us gaining the respect of our citizens and beyond. Due to the formidable commentary and policy alternatives we promote, [most recently] a reporter from the Wall Street Journal/Dow Jonessought our opinion on the recent environmental damage caused by the copper mining conglomerate KCM in preference to the "old guard" political organizations (http://www.dowjones.de/site/2010/11/zambias-konkola-copper-mines-shuts-polluting-leach-plant.html ). Additionally, the Deputy Governor of Juba-South Sudan( Africa's newest nation), Mr. Manase Lomole has recently reached out to us via email expressing that "the new nation of South Sudan would learn from the manifesto of CDP" upon stumbling on our website and reading our unique agenda. We have continued very fruitful dialogue with this leader of the accomplished Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM).

We have made it a point to keep our eyes and ears open for influential global citizens such as yourself that have the concerns of Africans world-over at heart. Our organization is an example that even as "youth" we can and will continue to better Africa by not just being politically aware, but by taking part in the very politics that have a direct impact on our continent. We cannot afford to take a back-seat in politics as the decisions made today in this arena bear the consequences that we youths face in the future. Indeed the African greats such as Nelson Mandela, Kenneth Kaunda were young men at the time they fought for this gift of freedom that we enjoy today. These great sons and daughters of Africa did not wait to "grow up" in order to fight for that which is right! And this is precisely why we formed our political movement.

Please find out more about us through our website http://www.thecitizensdemocraticparty.com, and see how you can support our unique movement. We would greatly appreciate your forwarding our information to other well-wishers and potential supporters as well.

Sincerely,

Chilekwa M. Mumba
Deputy Chairman
E: chilekwa.mumba@thecitizensdemocraticparty.com
T: +260-975-021-014
W: http://www.thecitizensdemocraticparty.com

The actual name of the federal holiday is Washington's Birthday.

See federal law Title 5 US Code 6103(a).

Contrary to popular mispercept­ion Washington­'s Birthday was not
merged by federal law with Lincoln's Birthday (which never was a
federal holiday) and was never renamed.

For more see:

Official Government Schedule --
http://www.opm.gov/operating_status_schedules/fedhol/2011.asp

The federal law --
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/5/usc_sec_05_00006103----000-.html

An article concerning the myth of Presidents Day --
http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2004/winter/gw-birthday-1.html

Another article concerning the myth of Presidents Day --
http://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/washington/

Hope you're well. I'm the contributors editor at Business Insider and I would love to offer you the opportunity to become a contributor to Business Insider's newly launched Politics section, edited by John Ellis (formerly of FOX News and NBC News).

With 7 million unique users per month, Business Insider has quickly become a must-read for leaders in the finance, technology and media industries. We can offer you exposure to a business-savvy audience, traffic to your website, and a consistent source of SEO-friendly links. We are interested content republished from your blog, as well as exclusive posts.

Current contributors include Robert Reich, Megan McArdle and Dean Baker.

Please let me know if you’re interested in joining our growing team of contributors. I'd be happy to send over some information on our various syndication options.

Thanks in advance,

Julie

jzeveloff@businessinsider.com

Peace,

Maggie Fogarty (Peg?)

P.S. My mom is still in Bowie--I was just there in January. Do you ever get back there?

In 2007 you wrote an article in The Huffington Post on a report I had written on the impact of illegal immigrants on apportionment (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-weigant/should-the-census-count-i_b_66897.html). That report is the basis for my upcoming book Vote Thieves: Illegal Immigration, Redistricting, and Presidential Elections. More information on the book is available at http://www.votethieves.com.

Let me know if you would like to receive a review copy of Vote Thieves.

Regards,

Orlando Rodriguez
ojrod@charter.net
author@votethieves.com

I'd like to propose a link for inclusion into "Just For Fun" block on your pages. Our team launched a website with free online jigsaw puzzles http://TheJigsawPuzzles.com in June 2010 and now it has a whole lots of stuff to have fun with jigsaws: nearly 2000 jigsaw puzzles (including exclusive Kids Puzzles by our artist), fullscreen mode, the feature to make puzzles of your own pics and lots of another helping features. Please consider including the link to our site onto your page (fun fact: per our feedback nearly all our visitors switched from JigZone and other puzzle sites to our one).

Best regards,
Gary Pustynskiy,
TheJigsawPuzzles.com team.
http://TheJigsawPuzzles.com

I asked , I thought politely, your opinion and that of your readers on what Dr King would have said about the INITIAL thrust into Afghanistan.

I know he would be against the war now, and the bozo that said it from the Pentagon was probably promoted two more times then he deserved.

But in the initial invasion I think it would have been different. Over 3000 Americans were killed by Extremists supported by a Gov that would not turn those Extremists over and they were threatening to kill MORE Americans in More spectacular ways.

Did we not need to remove them to SAVE lives?

Anyway i dont know why my post was removed but if it was offensive (I cant see how it was) I apologize as it was not my intent.

Tinsldr2@yahoo.com
Robert.littman@us.army.mil

I am a teacher at a suburban elementary school in Connecticut. I wanted to send a big THANK YOU your way for the phenomenal column you recently wrote: "Obama on Education- A-Plus Values, F-Minus Policies. Everything you said in your column, is what my colleagues and I have been saying for quite a while now. We feel very defeated at this time, and to see others who can send this message globally to the public means so much. I have already forwarded your column on to my fellow teachers, who I know will appreciate your words. Again, thank you so much.

Sincerely,

Tammi Venzie

Kinda like the extended warranty being offered by Newegg on a 4 gig usb drive I had my eye on. They wanted 6.99 for it, and it had a 2 year warranty, but they were willing to sell me an additional one year extended warranty for just 6.99 ... two years, just 11.99. The bargains available to the American consumer boggle the mime.

Anyway, I tried to send you that cartoon I warned you about with the "right to bear arms" bearing, but the e-mail bounced.

Either your e-mail address has changed, or (more likely) I misremembered the address, having lost my hard drive (again).

Send me a new address and I'll send you a new cartoon, plus I'm offering a reasonably priced extended warranty on the punchline.

It's funny, you know ... I think California has had more snow dumped on it than where I sit in southern Ontario.

Everywhere around here - including London, an hours drive away, where they got about a meter of the white stuff in about a day and where the Canadian military in helicopters recently had to rescue motorists stranded for hours ... and days, even ... on the highway - seems to have more snow than we do. That story even made CNN, by the way - it put Kitchener on the map, literally ... I guess just as a marker for where London is, or something. :) Oh, I kid CNN.

I think it's because we sit comfortably in the middle of two Great Lakes, just far enough away from suffering any sort of lake effect ... this year, anyways ...

I hope this email finds you well and enjoying your vistors from the Emerald Isle ... and sends me a confirmation!

Liz

Chris,

Just wanted to let you know that there is nothing for you to apologize for and that I'm glad you're in better spirits. :)

Also, there was a problem sending your money order today ... I was in a big hurray this morning when I got it and didn't look it over. At work, I was horrified to see that the friendly post office guy got your name wrong and the amount, too! So, to make a very long story short, I'll be sending it off tomorrow and you'll get it in the New Year. Just let me know when it arrives so I know you got it.

I hope you get this!

Liz

:D

Michale

testing.......

My name is Lindsay and I am a producer for RT Television, a 24/7 international news channel. I follow your blog quite frequently, and read your articles on the Huffington Post. We are based in Washington, and I understand you're based in California, but I was wondering if you'd be interested in interviewing with us via Skype. We often conduct interviews via Skype for our guests who are not local to the DC area. Do you have Skype and a webcam?

If you are interested and available, we'd love to speak with you. Feel free to email me at lgarfield@rttvamerica.com or call me at 678-642-9096 when you have a minute to discuss your availability.

Thanks so much and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best,
Lindsay

Thanks so much for your article on the ridiculous
spin job the press has been doing on the public
option. I literally thought I was totally out of
touch until yesterday. Also,why is nobody except
for Howard Dean talking about passing this by
reconciliation?

It prompted me to write to tell you what is happening to "Heal the Wounds of War" originating out of San Diego California and spreading across the country.

It is my hope and heartfelt desire this story resonates with you and you find it worthy of recognition; prompting you to contact GreatLifeTechnologies.com or me, Linda Evans. I know you can be tremendously instrumental in breaking the NEWS...helping to getting Vets involved throughout the coutry, in this remarkable breakthrough program..."Healing the Wounds of War".

Tom Stone has dedicated his life to creating a remarkable program called Human Software Technology and he is using this process to literally “Vaporize PTSD”. This entire program is offered to Vet's at absolute no cost, is completely confidential and there is additional training for "Vet's Helping other Vet's" Sound too good to be true...it is NOT.

Our veterans and active duty service men and women have sacrificed their peace of mind by being deployed into the horrors of warfare so that we can enjoy freedom from terror ourselves. This is an enormous sacrifice that is not being reciprocated. Our service men and women are returning with high levels of trauma. The results are intense nightmares, inability to sleep, hyper-vigilance, enormous anger, resentments, regrets, guilt, anxiety depression and suicidal thoughts.

They have truly lost their peace of mind. And up until now when they go to speak with a therapist (for the ones who do - and a great many don't) the first thing they are told is that they are changed and there is no going back. They are just going to have to live with it.

But is that really true? From the perspective of the current treatment model it seems true because these methods don't really have a cure for this problem.

The treatments that are being used to resolve PTSD include medication which basically numbs them to the intense feelings, exposure therapy that attempts to desensitize to the traumatic experiences, and other coping mechanisms such as cognitive therapy.

The military acknowledges that these treatments are not working. In recent grant application descriptions from the military it states that they are looking for new more effective treatments because the current ones are less than 50% effective. Even the definition of what effective means is however in question. Clearly a new approach is needed.

A New Highly Effective Approach... Great Life Technologies has just such a new approach. Using the tools of Human Software Engineering, it is now possible to eliminate the underlying causes of PTSD by resolving the energy of the residue of the traumatic reactions. To learn more about this amazing breakthrough visit -
http://www.vaporizeyourptsd.com tom@greatlifetechnologies.com

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTq-n5VNuO0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V130TN2qb4

The results of PTSD Resolution are being documented and studied by Dr. Michael Telch, Professor, Department of Psychology.
Telch explores the nature and treatment of anxiety-related disorders. He has expertise and professional experience in behavior and cognitive therapy. Telch founded the Laboratory for the Study of Anxiety Disorders.

Thank You Very Much for your brilliant insight as a writer, your time and your interest. I look forward to hearing from you.

Kindest regards,

Linda Evans
310-382-4445
linda@thewinemakerswine.com

Please allow me to make an observation about your blog articles,which I believe are some of the best out there in bloggolandia : Almost without exception, your articles are followed by a comment section which, to any casual observer, appear to be dominated (indeed hijacked) by an entity calling himself Michale. Michale makes his points and delivers his opinions (more often than not gleefully disputing and dismissing your own observations)with an arrogance which adds little to the conversation. What I find annoying is that he then repeats his arguments to anyone else in the comment section who may have a different take on the subject at hand to the point of redundancy and boorishness. The result gives me the impression that he is actually piggy-backing your site to self-promote an extreme-right conservative ideology to the detriment of an otherwise informed and balanced comment forum.

I'm aware that you and Michale share a long history together. However,my humble opinion is that you do all the real work in creating an informed blog site, while Michale benefits by being an appendage to the site. Maybe it's time for Michale to "man up" and develop his own blog site. He diminishes yours.

Sincerely,
Steve Langer

PS ... I'll bet the farm that I'm not the only one who has made the same observations as I've just made here this cold October day.

Perhaps you could keep us informed on a regular basis?

I am interested in attempting to co-ordinate MPP and ENCOD

I, personally, am going to stick to a 'lawn order' position, many of my fellows are rather more high-minded!

I think you just might have written one of the most balanced pieces on the "tenthers" that I've seen of late. Writers on the right always praise it, but never cover the opposition. And vice versa.

It's good to see that you've looked at this issue from various directions - and thank you for citing the Tenth Amendment Center in your piece!

If you're ever interested in hearing about the left-wing of the 10th Amendment Movement, while far from as vocal, it exists....marijuana, gay marriage, antiwar, and more. Don't hesitate to get in touch with me if you want to do a follow up in that direction or need a quote for a future article.

Regards,

Michael Boldin
Tenth Amendment Center
http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com

I just caught your HuffPo response before calling it a day - thanks for the clarification on your intent.

I've been in a bit of a snarky mood of late which comes across loud and clear with my posts on your 'germ theory' blog...and, I probably deserved exactly what I got back. Obviously, I am in desperate need of a few weeks in Hawai'i.

:-)

Mahalo nui loa,
Elizabeth

Just in case you are checking your emails while on vacation - you shouldn't be doing that!...checking your emails, that is - I just noticed that your 'cross-posted to Huffington Post' link for 'Obama's Second Hundred Days' is not working...which, in and of itself is no big deal.

But, I then checked to see if it was posted at HP and it is not...at least, not yet.

I just thought I should let you know...it's still not too late to post it!

Elizabeth

I would like your take on my latest post.

Nutcase
aka PsychoMD
aka Crawford

In fact, low taxes on businesses and the wealthy hurt the middle class and below.

Cutting tax rates reduces what's called the "Tax Shield": For business, if the tax rate is 70%, 70 cents of any dollar would either go to the government or go to worker salary and reinvestment in plant and equipment. Forty years ago, high business taxes made it more attract to reinvest than to pay out in dividends. Likewise, the wealthy increased their net worth by business reinvesting than by receiving a dividend that would be taxed at a 70% rate.

Low taxes are killing the US economy. We need high tax rates coupled with robust deductions that create an incentive to reindustrialize in needed manufacturing sectors.

http://www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com

Would you read my latest post and give me your thoughts as a blogger?

It is at http://www.crawfordharris.com/

The particular post is "It Ain't No Game."

Thanks,
Crawford aka Nutcase aka Psycho MD

Thank you for very generous words of last week.

Sincerely,

Chip Burpee
Office of Senator Bob Graham
6843 Main St.
Miami Lakes, FL. 33014
(305) 817 - 4060
chip.burpee@grahamcos.com

Hello Dear and Respected,
I hope you are fine and carrying on the great work you have been doing for the Internet surfers. I am Ghazala Khan from The Pakistani Spectator (TPS), We at TPS throw a candid look on everything happening in and for Pakistan in the world. We are trying to contribute our humble share in the webosphere. Our aim is to foster peace, progress and harmony with passion.

We at TPS are carrying out a new series of interviews with the notable passionate bloggers, writers, and webmasters. In that regard, we would like to interview you, if you don't mind. Please send us your approval for your interview at my email address "ghazala.khi at gmail.com", so that I could send you the Interview questions. We would be extremely grateful.

regards.

Ghazala Khan
The Pakistani Spectator
http://www.pakspectator.com

My name is Peter Ferraro and I am the General Manager at East Village Radio and the Executive Producer of the TJ and The Tux radio show on eastvillageradio.com. The TJ and The Tux show is one of our fastest growing and well-liked shows with roughly 10,000 listeners weekly. The show has been on the air covering the First 100 Days of President Obama's administration.

We would like to have you come on the show via phone on May 1st to discuss how Obama has done over the first 100 days in office. The show does not have a political bent and guests are often encouraged to speak their minds according to their political stripes. At the end of the 100 Days, the show turns over to a more general, politically focused format.

TJ and The Tux have a unique balanced perspective on Obama's first 100 days in office and they have tapped into the youth of America's newfound sense of "needing to know." The shows audience is in fact young, savvy, and technologically well connected. The interview would allow you to address past president's first hundred days in comparison to Obama.

Following is more information on the hosts and the show in its current state:

Every Friday, TJ and the Tux take to the Internet airwaves to discuss the political topics of the week live from downtown Manhattan. Their show is a mix of national issues, geopolitics, rock and roll music and dive bar humor. Obama’s first 100 days is east village radio’s first and only political talk show aimed at the young creative community all over the globe. TJ and the Tux have an extraordinary ability to simplify complex issues so that the show forms a foundation of knowledge for listeners to become more informed about political issues in these tumultuous times where economic and political decisions are being made that will affect our country generationally. We like to say that we are the cliff notes of politics for the downtown scene. Listen to our show and you will at least be able to hold your own the next time your girlfriend’s mom wants to talk about something other than the liner notes on London Calling.

We have been on the air now for the last thirteen weeks and are looking to reach out to potential guests for our upcoming shows. We would like to ask you to join us on Friday, May 1st, 2009 to discuss Obama's first 100 days. At your request, a list of questions will be provided to you in advance. The goals of the show are to address pressing national issues and localize them for New Yorkers and our global internet audience. Meaning we cover the issues of the economy, foreign policy, and politics on a macro level then relate them back to our creative audience. Each week we will have a guest on for a 10-15 minute interview to give expert opinion on their topic of interest. We will also give our guests time to discuss the projects (books, films, events, etc) they are involved in at the moment. The interview can center on current projects if the project is relevant to the show.

The Guys

Anthony Walker aka Tony “The Tux”

Tony Tux has a background in finance and international business. He has been an avid follower of national politics for as long as he has been able to see over the bar. Extensive world travel has given The Tux a well-rounded perspective on all the national issues facing the United States both from within and from abroad. Tony has been involved in social activism through his extensive private sector work in Africa. This work includes building telecom infrastructure and developing clean water and recycling programs for third world countries in West Africa. The Tux considers himself neither a democrat nor republican but a pragmatic thinker who whether naively or not believes that Washington should operate as a more goal oriented place. This is why we need more billionaire business people to join the ranks of Congress.

Todd Rosenthal aka TJ

TJ is an educator that works with special needs kids. He has developed his own special curriculum over the years that uses sports to teach autistic kids to interact with the outside world. TJ's techniques have been well noted and some parents and teachers now see him as the last resort option for some children. His interest in politics and international relations runs the gamut from American History and Diplomacy since 1776, Presidential Campaign History, an ever-growing Collection of Campaign Buttons, one WWII photo and clothing collection, and his desire to show up at public rallies and protests. His desire to be a part of the action has gone too far at times. When the Orange Alerts went into place in 2002, he was mistakenly brought in by the Holland Tunnel police to be questioned by the Feds. The crime, taking a photo of the tunnel with a digital camera in a Ramones leather jacket and a pair of Chuck Taylors, was later to be found unrelated to terrorist activity, and Mr. Rosenthal was released back onto the streets of the East Village. Without a memory stick and with only a dollar for coffee, he pulled up to a Cafe in NoLIta, where he began rambling to a stranger about the inner workings of National Security. That stranger was The Tux. The recording of political events will never be the same.

Our producer Zach Superior will be in contact with you and can be reached by phone (732.407.2234) or by email (zachsuperior@gmail.com). We would greatly appreciate the opportunity to have you on our show and look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Peter Ferraro
East Village Radio

Peter Ferraro
peter@eastvillageradio.com
19 First Avenue
2nd Floor
NYC, NY 10003
(o) 212.420.5908
(c) 917.881.6039

Always Listen Live!

Chris you are lying about turnover.
Your typical approach is to reject reality when you don't like it!

You confiscate the earnings of tax payers and give it to non-tax payers.

You DO NOT think critically.
You think critically of others.

2010 will have elections that will shock you.

The MSM is losing money because of your content.

Your good intentions of fairness and free speech and prosperity for all is exactly what your opponents also want.

The difference is that America wants EVERYONE to actually work and create their own wealth.

You want to steal it for the creators.

You are nothing but a leech, Chris.
Your atempt to be clever in your article has no value.

What the hell is your columm going to do to change the tone in the media?

You say that your blog is a "reality-baed" enterprise. That's like saying that "Reality-based TV is REALITY!
All you do is report on the absurd. That has not value!

DO SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Read the Constitution
Read the Ten Amendments
Read the Declaration of Independence.

Change your voter registration to Independent ong July 4. 2009.

Stop the party and lobby money from corrupting the country. AND STOP being "clever" in your colums.

Clever does not save lives.
Clever does not solve problems.
Cleve does not pat the bills!

We Americans are fed up with being sucked dry by your ilk!

Be prepared for a reality-based future.
I don't know if you will have the emotional intelligence to cope.

Determined Taxpayer.
Independent Voter.
Non-funded (by rich republican) American
Peter Voisin
Hendersonville, NC

I was just trying, in vain, to clean up my messy computer desk and I came across the joint statement released by Medvedev and Obama (don't even ask) signaling a new start for US-Russia relations that Joe Cirincione described like this,

"The US and Russian presidents released in London today a remarkable statement that breaks from the stale mumbo jumbo of the past and details an ambitious work plan for a new relationship between the two countries--starting with the goal of a nuclear-free world."

Maybe you could sneak this somewhere into The Good section of Obama's First 94 Days!

Elizabeth

What can I say - you have been turning out one gem after another and giving prolific whole new meaning. I'm lovin' it!

Anyway, let me get right to the point...as I was reading through The Monumental Stupid (Media) section, I was hoping I would see this link inserted somewhere...

http://www.chrisweigant.com/index.php/2009/04/01/obama-declares-himself-president-for-life-no-fooling/

Is there any chance you might consider adding it - I'd like to link to Obama's First 94 Days and people really need to read Obama Declares Himself President For Life, No Fooling!, too!

Take care!
Elizabeth

Re: Most Disappointing Democrat of Week

Dear Mr. W:

I don't think your argument for consistency is fair or valid because you're spanning two different administrations. President Obama isn't required to be consistent with Pres. Bush's handing of the torture situation relative to who was punished and who was not. You're saying what Bush has started, Obama must continue in order to be fair and consistent.

I don't think so. Bush’s unfairness is not Obama’s.

President Obama needs only establish his own ground rules and stick to them to be fair and consistent.

I’d like to see all kept short and sweet: the buck stops at President Bush. He's the only one who should be held accountable.

AJStallings

Starting at 7pm at the Landmark E St. Cinema, the ACLU will be hosting a discussion on issues of drug enforcement and how racial bias and the economy factor into the discussion. The discussion will be preceded by a screening of the upcoming film "American Violet." The film is an account of the infamous drug raid that took place in Hearne, TX in 2000. In the raid, an innocent woman, Regina Kelly, was arrested for felony cocaine distribution. Instead of taking the plea however, she decided to fight back against the charges, and with the help of her ACLU lawyer, Graham Boyd, the charges were dropped. This was no small feat in a town where the District Attorney, a racially motivated individual holds tremendous power.

The film runs a little bit under 2 hours, and it will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Ms. Kelly and Mr. Boyd, the Director of the ACLU's Drug Law Reform Project, as well as the film's director, Tim Disney.

I'm happy to provide you with more details if you're intersted in attending, but wanted to at least provide you the basic details for this discussion, which deserves greater attention considering the economic drain of prison overcrowding and the statstics showing racial bias in drug enforcement practices nationwide.

Thanks, appreciate your time!

Best regards,
Sami Ghazi

Chris,

Please tell me that you shopped this piece of sheer magnificence around and finally went to the Huffington Post to show them and tell them that you would really, really love for this to appear at HP but that you have been offered extraordinary compensation for the exculsive rights to it from a number of very, very popular media outlets, including Stewart and Colbert!

And, I trust that you were rewarded handsomely...because that was...gold...pure GOLD, from start to finish!

We need to get this out to a wide ranging audience, including the conservative sites...not the wingnut sites, you understand... but this needs to spread far and wide...I'm open to suggestions!

Liz

Read your post. Did you see my comments on this issue here?:
http://twurl.nl/g5q7fd

Let me know if that helps.

The problem with trying to analyze "likely voters" from our Obama approval chart is that virtually all of the LV data points are Rasmussen. So some of the difference may be a house effect specific to Rasmussen, and some may be more generally about narrowing to RVs or LVs.

Best,
Mark

You have really outdone yourself with this one. I read it twice and then once out loud! It took a while but now conservasneetches rolls off my tongue and onto the typed page, effortlessly.

Would it be OK if I were to spread a link to this column far and wide, letting everyone in earshot know where they need to be for the greatest reality-based political commentary and debate anywhere on the internets!?

I've been having a bit of fun on some blogs from the other side and I would love to share this with them, too...and hope that they would come to your site and get converted. Don't worry, I'll be very selective!

That was a brilliant column...and I mean that sincerely...absolutely, positively, unequivocally!

Elizabeth

I'd love to catch up.

I just watched a very moving piece on our national news network, CBC. It was about an American photojournalist, Scott Kesterson, who was embedded with Canadian forces in Afghanistan for 15 months and who has produced a documentary on their involvement in this conflict.

Many Canadians, it seems, are under the impression that our involvement there is little more than a peace-keeping mission and are pretty much unaware of the sacrafices and burden being carried by Canadian forces in their name.

Hopefully, when they see what Kesterson has lived for 15 months and his emotional reaction to it, they will be blasted out of their ignorant bliss and be moved themselves to become more active and informed about what is happening out there.

I often get asked why I care so much about American politics and my very flippant answer often goes like this - we had better care about US politics if we care that Canadian soldiers are dying in Afghanistan (and Iraq, for that matter) as a direct result of the incompetence and ineptitude of the Bush administration and their conduct of foreign policy.

Well, of course, it goes much deeper than that and Kesterson's documentary brings it all to the surface. I hope you have a chance to check it out - we really are all in this together!

http://www.cbc.ca/national/blog/video/militaryafghanistan/kesterson_at_war.html