Friday, March 30, 2007

Bono Wants Us to Make Poverty History



Forget Knighthood! I say Sainthood is in order!

U2's Bono Awarded Knighthood

U2's Bono was awarded knighthood for all his humanitarian works. Bono's son, thinking his Dad was about to become a Jedi knight, was a bit disappointed, but Bono hopes his new title will only open more doors which will help his humanitarian efforts. Bono, we will honor your Irish roots and not call you "Sir!"



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Thursday, March 29, 2007

George Clooney's Video Diary from Sudan- Part 1

Ask your Senators to Support the Sudan Divestment Authorization Act!

The Sudan Divestment Authorization Act, introduced on March 8, provides federal protection for states that divest from foreign companies funding the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. Ask your senators to co-sponsor the Sudan Divestment Authorization Act -- call 1-800-GENOCIDE today!



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New UN aid chief issues warning on Sudan

According to the new UN humanitarian official, the deteriorating situation in Sudan could force aid workers to pull out. "The suffering there is unbearable," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday.



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Blair calls for tough UN action on Sudan

Britain and Germany demand tougher action against Sudan, since the situation there is deteriorating and the economic sanctions have been ineffective. Sudan has denied UN peacekeepers and one of the junior ministers is being tried in the International Criminal Court in The Hague for being connected with the atrocities in Darfur.



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Friday, March 23, 2007

Katie Couric on The Colbert Report

You gotta love Stephen Colbert for trying to help Katie Couric out with her ratings! He had her on his show as a guest Thursday night and she got a chance to show some personality. All right, Katie, you're the first woman to solo anchor a news show. I'll tune in and give you some support, but make it worth my while. Make the news meaty. Bring up serious, important issues. Ask probing questions. Be that great reporter you always wanted to be. Don't cook with Martha Stewart or focus on make up and diets like Fox does. I watch Stephen to be entertained! I'll watch you to be informed, but tune in to see if I stick with you...."Here....Kitty, kitty, kitty."

Since you can't get the Colbert Report on Youtube anymore, here's Katie on David Letterman a few months ago.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Forty Years Ago This Month...


Anti-war protests in NYC in March, 1967.

United for Peace and Justice Peace March - NYC, March 18, 2007


A view of the crowd at the Peace Rally in New York City on March 18, 2007. "What do we want? PEACE!"


More of the crowd. More chants. "What's Congress for?"


St. Patrick's for Peace! This is better than the St. Patrick's Day Parade!


"The Power of the People don't stop!"

Peace March = Family Affair

My brother and his girlfriend were visiting NYC this weekend for St. Patrick's Day. When trying to coordinate plans, I mentioned, "I was thinking of going into the city for the peace march."

"When's that?" my brother replied, "Maybe we'll join you. I believe in that."

And so, my tentative outing became a family affair. My mom, not wanting to miss out on the visit and the fun, also decided to join us. In truth, most of the march, we talked about things other than politics. We talked about what we did on Saint Patrick's Day; what it was like driving to New York in the snow on Friday. We joked about how hungover we were or weren't. We talked about our new niece's first birthday and how she can now crawl.

Occassionally, we'd join in the crowd's chants: "What do we want? Peace! When do we want it? Now!" Sometimes my brother would joke, "What do we want? Aspirin! When do we want it? Now!"

It's not that we didn't take the issue seriously. We cared. That's why we were there. But at that moment, it was being together, enjoying family, sharing a laugh, that was more important. Moments like that can be too easily taken for granted. All it takes is a shout for peace, a picture of a U.S. soldier, or the news of another dead Iraqi civilian, to remind us how, vulnerable these moments can be. So in honor of those lost, we cherish these moments, and work in our own small way to make them possible for all.

Saturday, March 17, 2007



Former CIA officer Valerie Plame testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Friday, March 16, 2007.

This segment features Dennis Kucinich asking Valerie Plame about links to the White House and other issues

Plame believes she was outed as retaliation against her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who criticized the Bush administration's prewar intelligence on Iraq. (Source: Youtube.com).

Code Pink Protester Slips into Valerie Plame Hearings



A protester named MIDGE POTTS from Code Pink got inside the Valerie Plame Wilson hearings, appearing directly over Plame's right shoulder, wearing an IMPEACH BUSH NOW T-shirt. The protester was there for the nearly the entire hearing while Waxman presided.

Make Poverty a Priority in 2008 Presidential Campaign

Click here to sign the One Campaign's petition to make fighting poverty a priority in the 2008 Presidential Campaign.

Speak Out on Global Warming!

Click here to tell the Democrats what you want done about global warming.

Sunday, March 11, 2007


Grammy nominee for best male pop vocal performance, John Mayer, explains in his song "Waiting for the World to Change," why his generation doesn't take more action on the injustices that they see.

Senator Schumer Asks for Gonzales's Resignation

Kudos to Senator Schumer for calling a spade a spade and saying that Gonzales is more loyal to President Bush than to the U.S. Constitution. Schumer said that its time for Gonzales to resign.

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Bush in Bogota: It's been emotional

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that over 2,000 protesters went to the streets in Bogota to send President Bush a message, "Go Home."



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Tacoma Peace Activists Stage Blockade of Stryker Vehicles Headed for Iraq

Democracy Now reports that peace activists in Tacoma, Washington have launched a campaign to prevent the military from shipping 300 Stryker armored vehicles to Iraq. Continued protests and civil disobedience are expected throughout the weekend.



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Bush: Additional troops will serve support roles

President Bush said Sunday that at least 4,400 additional troops he is sending to Iraq - more than he had originally stated in January would be deployed - will serve in support roles only.



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Halliburton to Move its HQ to Dubai

Halliburton will moves its headquarters from Houston to Dubai. It will still leave an office in Houston.



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Scene from Iraq for Sale: Former Halliburton employee explains how Halliburton's negligence resulted in troops bathing in contaminated water.

Question: If Haliburton moves its Headquarters to Dubai will it still be subject to U.S. law?

Upcoming Anti-War Protests

NYC Protests 3/18 - Click here for details.

Protests in Maine

Protesting at the Pentagon in DC

Other Protest Locations

Women's Health and Rights - A Business Investment

Recently, around the world, the framework of corporate responsibility has expanded to include not only a company's employees, but also surrounding communities.Investing in women's health and rights is a key mechanism for promotion of corporate accountability, as well as one of the best investments that businesses can make.



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Making Women's Health an International Priority

This story details the many ways that Women's Health is at risk around the world and what we can do about it.



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Walter Reed: What you can do about it

Paul Reichoff of the Iraq Afghanistan Veterans' Association writes about what you can do to help veterans get the support they need.



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Friday, March 09, 2007

War and Business: Patriotism of the Profit-Makers

Click here for an interesting analysis of the economic motivations for entering World War I by John Kenneth Turner, a muckraking journalist, in his 1922 book Shall it Be Again? Really makes you question the motives of war. Worth a read if you have the time. Will really make you think.

Monday, March 05, 2007

Former Halliburton executive tied to poor treatment of injured vets

A private military contractor headed by a former senior Halliburton executive is providing poor and decrepit hospital conditions for injured war veterans at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, a congressional committee has found.



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Outsourcing at Walter Reed -- the Halliburton Connection

Could it possibly be that the biggest problem in the War in Iraq is also the biggest problem with the Walter Reed scandal? OK, there are lots of problems with the War in Iraq, but one big one has been about outsourcing. Halliurton, Kellog Brown and Root, and many other companies have been accused of shoddy work in Iraq -- now at Walter Reed.



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The Hole - video powered by Metacafe



Judy Woodruff reports on veterans not getting proper care for brain injuries.

(Video) US soldier revealed mistreatment & utter disrespect @ Walter Reed

A number of soldiers that were victims of the mistreatment and disrespect at Walter Reed testified before the House Committee on Government Reform. Staff Srg John Shannon, who was wounded in battle, describes how he was talked down to by the staff & Walter Reed.



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Pentagon Tries To Silence Walter Reed Patients

In response to the Walter Reed scandal, the Army has given strict guidlines to patients about their communications. The most significant is that they are not allowed to talk to reporters.In addition, patients at Walter Reed are now subject to daily inspections, which Army Times describes as unusual after basic training.



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Officials say outsourcing partly to blame for Walter Reed failures

Several lawmakers questioned whether it had been a mistake to outsource base operations support through a competition conducted under the Office of Management and Budget's Circular A-76 rules. The Walter Reed competition began in January 2000 and went through numerous protests and appeals. The contractor selected to perform the work, Cape Canaveral



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Interview with Max Cleland on the state of Veteran's Health Care

Max Cleland, former Viet Nam War Vet who received care in the Walter Reed Veterans' Hospital after he lost his legs in Viet Nam speaks out about the state of Veterans' Care in this interview with Newsweek.



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Panel: Army Hospital Woes Go Beyond Walter Reed

The problems at the Walter Reed Army Hospital may just be an example of what's typical in the system. Our soldiers deserve better!



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Father and Son Turn Back on VA Hospital

After his son's terrible experience at a VA hospital, a father fights to get his son out and vows never to use a VA hospital again.



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Is Bureaucracy to Blame for Walter Reed Shame?

Congressional hearings begin today about the treatment of soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Philip Carter, former Army officer and military affairs writer, blames the scandal on the bureaucratic culture of the United States Armed Forces. NPR broadcasts story.



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VA Head Acknowledges Mistakes at Hospital

NPR radio broadcasts summary of mistakes at veterans hospital.



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