.
Story about Brian Setzer passing out in New Mexico and recovering is: here.
Thinking of Brian Setzer made me have to post a version of Stray Cat Strut!
Filed under: music, News, video | Tagged: Brian Setzer, Stray Cat Strut | Leave a Comment »
Shinnecock Tribe Moves Close to U.S. Recognition
Posted on December 15, 2009 by iwilder
from The New York Times
“This decision is a major breakthrough in the Nation’s 31-year fight for federal recognition, and keeps the Nation on track to be included on the federal list of Indian tribes as early as this spring but no later than next fall,” the tribe said in a statement.
Filed under: local, long island, News | Leave a Comment »
National Lawyers Guild Releases Policy Paper on How Corporate Interests Influence State Terrorism Legislation
Posted on December 15, 2009 by kwilder
The National Lawyers Guild has issued a policy paper showing the influence of model legislation drafted by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative group of state legislators, on state legislation around the country.
Read the policy paper (PDF)
Federal legislation passed in 2006, the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), was largely drafted by ALEC and has drawn a great deal of attention and criticism from animal rights and environmental activists. The Act which purports to protect animal enterprises from so-called “eco-terrorists, ” is a vague and unnecessarily broad law that has already been used to restrict First Amendment rights. The Guild’s policy paper, Beyond AETA: How Corporate-Crafted Legislation Brands Activists as Terrorists, explains that AETA is not unique in this respect. Similar bills have been introduced in several state legislatures over the last few years, and most of them stem from the model bill produced by ALEC.
ALEC’s model legislation:
- Suggests adding the phrase “politically motivated” to the definition of an “animal or ecological terrorist organization, ” which clearly shows that the bill is designed to suppress speech based on its content. Read more »
Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, politics, Press Release, social & economic justice | Leave a Comment »
WBAI Election Results (99.5 FM peace and justice radio)
Posted on December 15, 2009 by kwilder
WBAI is part of the national network of Pacifica Radio stations. Broadcasting from New York City, it reaches a wide ranging area, including parts of New Jersey and Long Island. WBAI 99.5FM is community radio dedicated to peace and justice. The station recently held an election. Winners below. Details at read more.
The newly elected/re-elected listener members of the WBAI station board are: Mitchel Cohen; Lynne Stewart; Alex Steinberg; Nia Bediako; Andrea Fishman; Russell Dale; Elizabeth Brown; Betty J. Dopson; Manijeh Saba.
Link to staff results at the web-site: here.
Link to listener results at the web-site: here. Read more »
Filed under: local, Long Island Politics, News, Peace, politics, progressive politics, radio, social & economic justice | Tagged: 99.5, Alex Steinberg, Andrea Fishman, Andrea Katz, Austin Kelley, Betty J. Dopson, Camille Yarbrough, Community Radio, Daniel Vila, Elizabeth Brown, Janet Coleman, Kathy Davis, Lynne Stewart, Manijeh Saba, Mitchel Cohen, Nia Bediako, Pacifica Radio, Russell Dale, WBAI | Leave a Comment »
Radiation from CT scans linked to cancers, deaths
Posted on December 14, 2009 by kwilder
(excerpt from) USA Today
Radiation from CT scans linked to cancers, deaths
By Liz Szabo
CT scans [sometimes called Cat Scans] deliver far more radiation than has been believed and may contribute to 29,000 new cancers each year, along with 14,500 deaths, suggest two studies in today’s Archives of Internal Medicine. One study, led by the National Cancer Institute’s Amy Berrington de Gonzalez, used existing exposure data to estimate how many cancers might be caused by CT scans…
Doctors sometimes order CT scans for convenience because they don’t have access to results at another facility, says Rosaleen Parsons, chair of diagnostic imaging at Philadelphia’s Fox-Chase Cancer Center, who wasn’t involved in the new studies.
She suggests that patients keep their medical records and ask doctors about alternatives that don’t involve radiation exposure…
Filed under: health, health care, Healthcare, News | Tagged: cancer, cancer screening, Cat Scan, CT Scan, health, health care, Healthcare, medicine, radiation | Leave a Comment »
Nader: ‘Just War’ Is Just Words
Posted on December 14, 2009 by iwilder
President Obama, the Afghan war escalator, received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, and proceeded to deliver his acceptance speech outlining the three criteria for a “just war” which he himself is violating.
The criteria are in this words: “If it is waged as a last resort or in self-defense; if the force used is proportional; and if, whenever possible, civilians are spared from violence.”
After 9/11, warmonger George W. Bush could have used the international law doctrine of hot pursuit with a multilateral force of commandoes, linguists and bribers to pursue the backers of the attackers. Instead, he blew the country of Afghanistan apart and started occupying it, joined forces with a rump regime and launched a divide-and-rule tribal strategy that set the stage for a low-tiered civil war.
Eight years later, Obama is expanding the war within a graft-ridden government in Kabul, fraudulent elections, an Afghan army of northern tribesmen loathed by the southern and south-eastern tribes of 40 million Pashtuns, an impoverished economy whose largest crop by far is a narcotic, and a devastated population embittered by foreign occupiers and non-existent government services.
Filed under: 3rd party, activism, afghanistan, Anti-War, Ralph Nader | Leave a Comment »
Sunday night into Monday: Geminid Meteor Shower
Posted on December 13, 2009 by kwilder
The Geminid Meteor Shower has been going on a few days, and is supposed to peek early Monday morning. There is a link to an article: here. And, more below…
(excerpt from) The LA Times Blog
Geminid meteor shower 2009: Where to watch, what to bring
Sky-watchers, get ready for another late-night adventure. The Geminid meteor shower is to be at its peak tonight and into the wee hours of Monday morning…these meteors generally put on a great show when they appear in our skies annually in December.
When you spot the Geminids, which emanate from the constellation Gemini (hence, their name), you will be observing debris from an extinct comet by the name of 3200 Phaethon…
Expect the “maximum activity” around 9:10 p.m. (PST) tonight. “The peak is broad, however, and the night sky will be rich with Geminids for many hours and perhaps even days around the maximum,” writes Phillips.
Though the celestial events will take place no matter what, the forecasted cloudiness in our region may hamper our viewing of them…
To increase your chances of a good meteor-viewing experience, first, get out of the city…
Filed under: Ecology, Environment, nature, News | Tagged: astronomy, Gemini, Geminid, meteor shower, stargazing | Leave a Comment »
Three Green Party of Suffolk members elected chairs of National Committees
Posted on December 13, 2009 by iwilder
Amityville Record & Babylon Beacon
Roger Snyder
The Green Party of Suffolk is proud to announce that its chair Roger Snyder and secretary Ian Wilder have been elected to be cochairs of the Green Party of the United States (GPUS) Accreditation Committee (AC) and Presidential Campaign Support Committee (PCSC) respectively. Also Green Party of Suffolk executive board member Matthew Lavery was elected co-chair of the National Green Party House Campaign Committee (NGPHCC) early this year.
Snyder, who is also an at-large national committeeperson for the Green Party of the United States (GPUS), returns for a second term as Accreditation Committee (AC) co-chair. The GPUS Accreditation Committee (AC) reviews requests by forming state parties and caucuses for accreditation. Fortysix states and the District of Columbia have accredited Green Parties.
The Green Party of New York State has been accredited to GPUS since the national party’s inception in 2000.
Ian Wilder
Wilder, a Copiague attorney and resident of North Babylon, is also a former Green Party of the New York State co-chair, and was a member of the Presidential Campaign Support Committee (PCSC) through the 2008 election cycle. The PCSC represents the national party in the coordination of communication between Green Party Presidential campaigns, accredited state parties and caucuses, and national committees.
“It is imperative to have a Green Party Presidential candidate as an alternative to the Democratic and Republican Party candidates,” said Wilder. “
The Green Party is an alternative party to the Democrats and Republicans. The four pillars of the Green Party are: Nonviolence/Peace; Grassroots Democracy; Social and Economic Justice; and Ecological Wisdom.
For more information about Green Party activities, please go to www.gpsuffolk.org or call Green Party of Suffolk Chair Roger Snyder at 631-351-5763.
Filed under: 3rd party, activism, Green Party, Green Presidential Campaign 2008, politics, US Politics | 1 Comment »
Video of Green Party Prez cand McKinney @ 12/12/09 peace rally
Posted on December 13, 2009 by iwilder
On Sat., Dec. 12, 2009, ex-Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) was one of the speakers at the emergency “End-the-U.S.-Wars” rally. See for background: http://www.enduswars.org/ The event was held in Lafayette Park, directly opposite the White House. Rep. McKinney ran for President of the United States in the 2008 election on the Green Party ticket.
Filed under: activism, Anti-War, cynthia mckinney, election, Election 2008, elections, grassroots democracy, Green Party, Peace, US Politics, video | Leave a Comment »
Green Party Prez cand McKinney anti-war speech 12/12/09
Posted on December 13, 2009 by iwilder
Cynthia McKinney
Emergency Anti-Afghanistan Escalation Rally
December 12, 2009
My fellow Americans,
Millions of us are drinking dirty and contaminated water;
4 million of us will get foreclosure notices by the end of this year;
25 million of us are un- or underemployed;
47 million of us have no health insurance and millions more are under-insured. My aunt was killed by the health care system in this country, not because she didn’t have insurance—she did. What she didn’t get was quality care. And amid all the talk about health care, no one is talking about quality care.
My cousin, who is no more than 24 years old, is now $100,000 in debt because she wanted to get an undergraduate college education.
But the trials of my family are not our story alone:
Millions of us are in the same boat. And no matter how hard we wish for a better world, and a kinder country, our policy makers are not delivering on our hopes and dreams.
In fact, the dreams of our country stand deferred and drowned in debt.
Sadly, in the face of growing income inequality, our President chose to transfer over 23 trillion of our hard-earned dollars to the bankers and financial elite—who didn’t have to work hard for it at all, just tank our economy.
So huddled in fear, we pray together that the flu, a hurricane, the Great Depression, or the next terrorist attack doesn’t hit us.
Now, given all these problems what do our leaders do?
Bomb, maim, and kill people on the other side of the planet whose resources certain powerful people in this country want to steal and whose territory occupies the land needed for global conquest.
Instead of investigating war criminals in the Bush Administration, President Obama has chosen to become one.
Our President is now complicit in torture, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against the peace.
So what are we to do?
We will not give up and we will not go away.
We are not so demoralized that we can’t see the truth; we know that lies are not truth; ignorance is not strength, and war is not peace.
We see the power of the ballot in Latin America where voters in unrigged elections are choosing freedom. Our freedom is under siege—as much right here as it is in Haiti or Honduras.
If U.S. politics was truly democratic, we would not have war. That’s why I support Senator Gravel’s national initiative project.
Who has $100 million of their own money to spend to get elected, like New York’s Mayor did?
We are ready to act on our dreams—to create the kind of change that graduates students from college–free of charge.
That treats medical ailments–free of charge.
That reflects our interests, not the special interests.
That gets peace candidates for Congress elected all over this country. And that elects a peace President!
While our fellow Americans are afraid to get sick; struggle to keep a job, educate their children, stave off foreclosure, and make ends meet, we will not rest.
As long as bombs drop and civilians die, we will not rest.
While the oligarchs and the war machine get our money, we will not rest.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lamented that both political parties failed to take a stand for what was right; he said that our scientific power had outstripped our spiritual power; that we possessed guided missiles and misguided men.
Well, President Obama: Don’t be misguided!!
Stop shielding war criminals from justice in our courts;
Stop supporting the Patriot Act and spying against us environmentalists and peace activists;
Stop granting power to the Federal Reserve;
Close Guantanamo!
Stop torture and rendition, secret prisons, and building military bases all over the planet.
President Obama: Stop the saber-rattling at Iran!
Stop the drones and depleted uranium; Stop bombing Somalia. Stop using war as an energy policy!
Stop bankrupting our nation!
We will not rest; we will not stop; and our peace candidates will win!
—
http://www.livestream.com/dignity
http://dignity.ning.com/
http://www.twitter.com/dignityaction
http://www.myspace.com/dignityaction
http://www.myspace.com/runcynthiarun
http://www.twitter.com/cynthiamckinney
http://www.facebook.com/CynthiaMcKinney
Filed under: activism, Anti-War, cynthia mckinney, election, Election 2008, elections, grassroots democracy, Green Party | Leave a Comment »
Copenhagen climate talks: tens of thousands of demonstrators
Posted on December 13, 2009 by kwilder
(excerpt–out of order–from the BBC)
Copenhagen police detain 968 in climate change rally
“…Activists are arguing for an ambitious, legally binding agreement on emissions cuts to be signed by world leaders at the summit’s conclusion at the end of next week…”
“Police in Copenhagen in Denmark say nearly 1,000 protesters were detained after a huge climate change rally.
The move came after youths threw bricks and smashed windows as more than 30,000 demonstrators marched to demand action at the UN climate change summit. [Organizers counted 100,000 demonstrators.] Read more »
Filed under: activism, Ecology, Environment, Global Warming, international politics, nature, News, politics, progressive politics, sustainability, sustainable | Tagged: climate change, Copenhagen, Criminal Justice, emissions, Global Warming, Police Abuse | 1 Comment »
bluesy folk-jazz of Stephanie Carlin re-scheduled 1/6/10
Posted on December 12, 2009 by iwilder
On Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 7pm, the Babylon Green Party Gathering will feature the bluesy folk-jazz of Stephanie Carlin . The event will be held at Pisces Café, 14A Railroad Avenue, Babylon, NY (631-321-1231) http://www.piscescafe.net Come hungry! For directions to the Babylon Green Party Gathering, call 631-422-4702 or email ian.wilder@yahoo.com Children are welcome. All gatherings are free of charge, and open to the public. http://www.BabylonGreens.org
Social Media Release:http://pitch.pe/36744
Carlin’s voice integrates Diana Krall’s husky croon with Amy Winehouse’s distinctive energy and Ani DiFranco’s artistic freedom, creating a sound so unique that fans always recognize her songs by her exquisite presence. From violently chastising American democracy to glorifying spontaneous love, Carlin’s original lyrics are as wildly inventive as her impulsive scat-singing. Her influences range from Elliott Smith to Ella Fitzgerald. Carlin currently lives in both Brooklyn and Hampton Bays while she studies jazz at Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus. http://www.stephaniecarlin.com/
Carlin self-released her first EP at 16, which led to the formation of the band, Oliver Lankard. Carlin was the manager, vocalist, and guitarist of the jazz-rock band. The ten piece band, complete with a three-piece horn section and doo-wop vocalists, fused Stephanie’s intimate lyricism with a driving funk beat. Oliver Lankard performed at dozens of metropolitan venues, including: The Knitting Factory, where they worked alongside David Peel (of John Lennon’s Yoko Ono Band); and Maxwell’s (opening act for Franz Nicolay of The Hold Steady). Oliver Lankard also performed at the Original Sessions National Band Search and The Crazy Donkey’s Unsigned Band Festival. All ten members were under eighteen at the time, and the band’s growing successes were short-lived when its members drifted out of high school and on to college.
In August 2008, nineteen-year-old Carlin released her second acoustic-rock CD, the Agony and Ecstasy of, captivating the gut-wrenching loves and losses of the human heart.. Before the record was even released, Carlin was offered a recording contract which she promptly turned down because the label was more interested in having her “look cute” instead of making uniquely profound music. Lately, she has performed at: Columbia University, Broadway Comedy Club, Time Out New York Lounge, and The Stone, amongst other metropolitan venues. Carlin also sings regularly with Long Island’s very own The Debra Liso Band featuring Prentiss McNeil.
Babylon Green Party Gatherings are held on the first Wednesday of every month:
- The February 3, 2010 Gathering will feature “Civil Liberties for Activists” with Andrea Callan of the NYCLU.
- The April 7, 2010 Gathering will feature the poetry of Charles Bukowski read by Jeff Arthur.
The Green Party is an alternative party to the Democrats and Republicans. The four pillars of the Green Party are:
- Nonviolence/Peace;
- Grassroots Democracy;
- Social and Economic Justice; and
- Ecological Wisdom.
You can enroll in the Green Party by checking the box marked “Other” on the voter registration form and writing in the word “Green” on the line next to it. Click here to find a voter registration form. You can send donations to the Green Party of Suffolk,14 Robin Drive, Huntington, NY 11743.
Filed under: 3rd party, Babylon Politics, Calendar, events, local, long island, Long Island Music, music, original music | Leave a Comment »
Green Party Prez candidates Nader & McKinney headline Anti-War Rally 12/12/09
Posted on December 11, 2009 by iwilder
This is an updated new advisory — Ralph Nader has just confirmed that he will speak at Saturday’s rally in front of the White House. At least six and as possibly as many as nine of the speakers are Greens. Those who show up for the rally: please bring your Green Party (including DC Statehood Green Party & other state & local GP) buttons, signs, etc.
Rally in DC on December 12 will tell President Obama “No You Can’t!” send more US troops to Afghanistan
• Obama’s escalation plans will turn many of his supporters against him, say rally organizers and speakers
Emergency Anti-War Rally at the White House against President Obama’s planned military escalation in Afghanistan
• When: Saturday, December 12, 11 am to 4 pm
• Lafayette Park in Washington, DC, across from the White House, near the Farragut West Metro Station
• Organized by End US Wars http://www.enduswars.org
Thousands of Americans will gather in Lafayette Park across from the White House on Saturday, December 12, to tell President Obama “No you can’t!” send over 30,000 more US troops to Afghanistan.
Speakers for the rally will include Rep. Dennis Kucinich, former Rep. and 2008 GP Prez cand Cynthia McKinney, 2000 GP Prez cand Ralph Nader, former Sen. Mike Gravel, Kathy Kelly, Chris Hedges, David Swanson, Coy McKinney, Mathis Chiroux, Green candidate for Governor of Maine Lynne Williams , Marian Douglas-Ungaro and many others. Many of the speakers are available for interview: see the online speakers list (http://www.enduswars.org/guide). Statements from Colonel Ann Wright, Kevin Zeese , Jared Ball, John Judge and many more. Read more »
Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, afghanistan, Anti-War, cynthia mckinney, News, Peace, president, presidential, Press Release, progressive politics, Ralph Nader | 2 Comments »