.
Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, Anti-War, News, politics | Tagged: congress, debt-ceiling, economy, Lawrence Korb, military budget, military-budget-military, peace action, pentagon | 1 Comment »
Ready to rumble for jobs, not war and more weapons? (via Peace Action Blog)
Posted on August 12, 2011 by iwilder
Verizon Strike
Posted on August 10, 2011 by iwilder
Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, Corporations, Labor, News | Tagged: business, Communication Workers of America, Verizon, Verizon Communications | 4 Comments »
NYCLU: Suffolk PD Must Train Officers to Respect Right to Videotape in Public
Posted on August 9, 2011 by iwilder
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Following the dismissal of charges today against a news cameraman who was unlawfully arrested after filming the aftermath of a car chase in Bohemia last month, the New York Civil Liberties Union is calling on the Suffolk County Police Department to ensure that its officers understand and respect people’s constitutional right to videotape police interactions with civilians in public spaces.
The NYCLU represented the cameraman, Phil Datz, who was charged with misdemeanor obstruction of governmental administration during the July 29 incident.
“We’re gratified that the district attorney’s office recognized that this was an unlawful arrest and quickly dropped the charges,” said Amol Sinha, director of the NYCLU’s Suffolk County Chapter. “This bogus arrest should serve as an urgent call to action that the Police Department take tangible and meaningful steps to ensure all residents are afforded the rights of the Constitution.” Read more »
Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, local, long island, Long Island Politics, media, new york, New York State Politics, News, suffolk, suffolk county, video | Tagged: American Civil Liberties Union, new york, New York Civil Liberties Union, police, Suffolk County New York, Suffolk County Police Department, youtube | 5 Comments »
Moving Forward on the Happiness Initiative
Posted on August 8, 2011 by iwilder
from Moving Forward on the Happiness Initiative.
The United Nations’ General Assembly adopted a resolution calling the pursuit of happiness “a fundamental human goal” and requesting member nations to “give more importance to happiness and well-being in determining how to achieve and measure social and economic development.” The resolution declared “GDP was not designed to and does not adequately reflect the happiness and well-being of people in a country.
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The [Seattle] Happiness Initiative team finds the project an exciting and effective way to assess community well-being, engage citizens and improve both personal happiness and public policy. It leads to the kinds of broad conversations and policy actions that are implied by the UN resolution. It starts with a survey anyone can take, based on nine “domains” of happiness identified by Bhutan.
Filed under: Action Alert!, health, News, sustainability, sustainable | Tagged: Bhutan, GDP, Gross domestic product, Gross national happiness, Quality of life, United Nations, United Nations resolution, united states | Leave a Comment »
Obama Speaking on Economy & Deaths Now
Posted on August 8, 2011 by iwilder
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IW: Just got a call that Obama is making a speech about the economy (and maybe the 30 Americans who died in Afghanistan.) He is singing the same song. He continually refuses to address that our economy is going down the toilet because he has expanded the bad wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to include Yemen, Pakistan, & Libya, which is costing us Trillions of wasted dollars.
His speech is about the S&P rating garbage. S&P had a tantrum because after their fraud helped cause the mortgage crisis, the government pretended to regulate them a little more. S&P wanted the government to cut Medicare and social Security. But they would not mention cutting the runaway wars. neither will obama or the congress. that’s why we need Greens in Congress. To speak out about the things that bi-partisanship is screwing us over like TARP funds and the useless wars.
Now he is talking about the 30 Americans who died in Afghanistan. he should have taken personal responsibility. They died because he not only refused to end that useless war, but expanded it.
Now can I do more important things than listen to his useless speech, like eat lunch and do laundry?
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Filed under: 3rd party, green, Green Party, international politics, live blog, News, politics, president, progressive politics, rants, third party, US Politics, war | Tagged: afghanistan, Barack Obama, Iraq, Libya, medicare, Obama speech, President's speech, S&P, united states, Yemen | Leave a Comment »
Reading at BoogFest 2011: Vid & Pic
Posted on August 8, 2011 by iwilder
The Welcome to Boog City festival continues tonight and tomorrow night. The full schedule can be found on this pdf. You can find the facebook event here.
This is a video of Ian Wilder reading his poem thinking of Jane standing on the edge of the woods. As a bonus there is his Steve Earle poem at the end. The reading took place at Unnameable Books, Brooklyn. Read more »
Filed under: ian wilder, new york, Photos, poetry, video | Tagged: 2011, Arts and Entertainment, boog city, Boogfest, brooklyn, david kirschenbaum, jane austen, Jane Eyre, may project, poetry, Reading, Steve Earle, unnameable book | Leave a Comment »
Emma Watson & Livia Firth book about Sustainable Fashion
Posted on August 8, 2011 by iwilder
Actress Emma Watson, boutique owner Livia Firth, designer Vivienne Westwood, and model-entrepreneur Summer Rayne Oakes are just some of the bold-faced names set to appear in Naked Fashion, a book about the “new sustainable fashion revolution.” Written by People Tree founder Safia Minney, with a foreword by Firth and To Die For author Lucy Siegle, the book offers stirring accounts of the lives of garment workers in the Third World, case studies on fashion that doesn’t cost the earth literally or otherwise, and profiles of designers, photographers, filmmakers, and other movers and shakers who are reshaping the industry from within
Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, Books, Ecology, economy, Environment, News | Tagged: Emma Watson, fashion, Harry Potter, Lucy Siegle, People Tree, Safia Minney, Third World, Vivienne Westwood | Leave a Comment »
Former Intel Chief: Call Off The Drone War (And Maybe the Whole War on Terror) | Danger Room | Wired.com
Posted on August 7, 2011 by iwilder
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Ground the U.S. drone war in Pakistan. Rethink the idea of spending billions of dollars to pursue al-Qaida. Forget chasing terrorists in Yemen and Somalia, unless the local governments are willing to join in the hunt.
Those aren’t the words of some human rights activist, or some far-left Congressman. They’re from retired admiral and former Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair — the man who was, until recently, nominally in charge of the entire American effort to find, track, and take out terrorists. Now, he’s calling for that campaign to be reconsidered, and possibly even junked.
Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, Anti-War, grassroots democracy, News, nonviolence, politics, US Politics | Tagged: Al-Qaeda, Dennis C. Blair, Director of National Intelligence, Osama bin Laden, Somalia, War in North-West Pakistan, Yemen | Leave a Comment »
Tell Hershey We Want S’more Fair Trade!
Posted on August 7, 2011 by iwilder
Even though the tasty treat is satisfying is there a way to get more from your s’more? Every summer, Global Exchange runs a fair trade s’more campaign to not only bring awareness to the chocolate industry but urge big players such as Hershy’s to change their ways. The “We Want More From Our S’mores“ is trying to register fair trade s’more events over the summer. The whole event began with Memorial Day and will continue until the mark of the end of summer, Labor Day.
via We Want More From Our S’mores! « Autonomie Project’s Blog.
Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, Corporations, economy, Food, international politics, Labor, News, safety | Tagged: Autonomie Project, child labor, chocolate, fair trade, Global Exchange, Graham cracker, holiday, Marshmallow | Leave a Comment »
Organic farmers can sue GMO farmers
Posted on August 7, 2011 by iwilder
Image by Jeff Kubina via Flickr
After enduring much hardship, the Johnsons finally ended up suing PFU in 2009 for negligence and trespass, only to receive denial from the district court that received the case. But after appealing, the Johnsons received favor from the Appeals Court, which ruled that particulate matter, including pesticides, herbicides, and even GM particulates, that contaminates nearby fields is, in fact, considered illegal trespass, and is subject to the same laws concerning other forms of trespass.
In a similar case, a California-based organic farm recently won a $1 million lawsuit filed against a conventional farm whose pesticides spread through fog from several miles away, and contaminated its fields. Jacobs Farm / Del Cobos entire seasons herb crop had to be discarded as a result, and the court that presided over the case acknowledged and agreed that the polluters must be held responsible http://organicfood.einnews.com/arti….
Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, Ecology, economy, Environment, Food, health, News, safe | Tagged: Genetically modified food, Genetically modified organism, gmo, Monsanto, Organic farming, pesticide | 1 Comment »
Green Party: Debt Deal is reason for voters to switch from Democratic and Republican parties in 2012
Posted on August 6, 2011 by iwilder
Green Party candidates, officeholders, and leaderssaid that the Budget Control Act of 2011 should be the final straw for many voters, and encouraged Democrats and Republicans angry at their parties to vote Green Party in the 2012 election. Read more »
Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, congress, economy, grassroots democracy, Green Party, politics, US Politics | Tagged: green, Green New Deal | 5 Comments »
Building Green: Good for Planet, The Wallet and The Bottom Line
Posted on August 6, 2011 by iwilder
Image by theentiremikey via Flickr
Building Green: Good for Planet, The Wallet and The Bottom Line.
That’s because a home with significant green features and efficiency can command as much as 30% over a traditional home – and sell in as little as one third the time. For sellers in a depressed housing market, that’s an impressive ROI for adding green features to their home. And for those who want to stay in their homes, the ROI is getting ever shorter – about a three-year payback for most green retrofit investments.
Filed under: Ecology, economy, Environment, green, News | Tagged: Build Green, Building Types, business, Construction and Maintenance, Real estate economics, Sustainable Architecture, Wallet | Leave a Comment »
Arctic scientist who exposed climate threat to polar bear is suspended
Posted on August 6, 2011 by iwilder
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IW: Another example of the Obama administration persecuting whistleblowers. Tim DeChristopher. Bradly Manning.
Some question why Monnett, employed by the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, has been suspended at this moment. The Obama administration has been accused of hounding the scientist so it can open up the fragile region to drilling by Shell and other big oil companies.
“You have to wonder: this is the guy in charge of all the science in the Arctic and he is being suspended just now as an arm of the interior department is getting ready to make its decision on offshore drilling in the Arctic seas,” said Jeff Ruch, president of the group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. “This is a cautionary tale with a deeply chilling message for any federal scientist who dares to publish groundbreaking research on conditions in the Arctic.”
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In 2010 the Obama administration began an investigation into his work. The scientist was suspended with pay on 18 July. He is said to be under a gagging order and forbidden from communicating with his colleagues. The employee group’s complaint alleges that the investigation is a thinly veiled attempt to disrupt scientific work on the Arctic.
via Arctic scientist who exposed climate threat to polar bear is suspended | Environment | The Guardian.
Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, Ecology, Environment, News, politics, US Politics | Tagged: Arctic, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Regulation and Enforcement, Obama Administration, polar bear, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, The Guardian, tim-dechristopher, united states | 6 Comments »
Nader’s Warning to Ratings Agencies
Posted on August 5, 2011 by iwilder
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Now your lobbyists are pressing members of Congress to weaken further the provisions affecting rating agencies in the Dodd-Frank law in ways that will raise the risk-consequences for the savings and investments of innocent people. See the strong critique of your looming downgrade by arch-conservative columnist Holman W. Jenkins in the January 27, 2011 Wall Street Journal titled, “Who Elected the Rating Agencies?” Mr. Jenkins wrote that not only are your caveats overblown, but he concluded that, “it is foppish in the extreme of S&P to imagine its opinion is needed or valued, and one more reason to expedite a rare useful provision of Dodd-Frank – it’s requirement that federal law be purged of language requiring investors to act on the opinions of rating agencies.”
via Warning to Ratings Agencies – The Nader Page.
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- Debating Taboos by Ralph Nader (via Dandelion Salad) (www.onthewilderside.com)
Filed under: economy, News, politics, progressive politics, Ralph Nader, rants, US Politics | Tagged: Credit rating agency, Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Moody's, Ralph Nader, Standard & Poors, united states, Wall Street Journal | 1 Comment »