Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, 67, was elected Africa’s first head of state in a historic election in Liberia.
This is being seen as a turning point in war-torn Liberia, turning the page on decades of lawlessness and corruption after back-to-back civil wars since 1989.
People were dancing in the streets at the news. “We want stability, free education and also reconciliation, and I believe that Mrs Sirleaf has the best interests of the Liberian people in mind.”
My respiratory system has been feeling the effects of a temperature inversion in the Salt Lake Valley – a phenomenon that occurs frequently in the winter months here. Many of my studnets have been complaining of an exascerbation of their asthma symptoms.
In inversion occurs when a high pressure system develops and just sits over the area, trapping the smog and creating more polluted and still air until a storm comes along and blows it away.
Some days it gets so bad that people are asked not to drive or burn wood stoves.
They Department of Environmental Quality‘s website today reports that the air is “green” or “heatlhy”.
Walmart is eyeing a community south of Salt Lake – Saratoga Springs. The artile headline in today’s Deseret News reads:
Wal-Mart eyes Saratoga:Officials see a need in north Utah County city
See a need? The mayor sees this possiblity as “a great thing”.
Meanwhile, the giant corporation has hired more lobbyists this week to ramp up its opposition to a groundbreaking bill that would force the retail giant to offer better benefits, a step that could be replicated in state houses across the nation next year.
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Tagged corporate globalization, corporations, walmart, walmart the movie
This is the fourth article in my series on Famous Progressive Women.
Dorothy Day was the founder of the Catholic Worker Movement.
Next week I am taking my yearbook class to see Exodus by the world-renowned Brazilian photojournalist Sebastião Salgado. It is an exhibit of over 300 photographs taken over a six year time period of migrants and refugees all over the world.
Exodus contains five sections and presents the story of the global movement of populations at the end of the millennia. In each section, images dramatically depict the unprecedented circumstances in which millions now find themselves, helping us grasp both the tragic plight of refugees and their resilience and dignity in the face of hardship.
….and I can hardly keep up! This is great! City Hippy has an article on “Gifts that Give”.
Check it out and add it to the lists that have already been published and circulating.
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Earlier I wrote on Holidays, Consumerism and Stress.
As we head into the frenzy of the season, consider the following:
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Activism, buy nothing day, environmnet, gift giving, green, holidays, peace
Scott McLarty, GPUS Media Committee Coordinator, has written the article It’s Time To Dump The Dems, Support The Green Insurgency on Znet.
McLarty appaluds a recent November 9 editorial in The Nation in which the it is stated that no canidatate will be supported who does not call for a speedy end to the Iraq war. McLarty also calls upon The Nation and other publications that have opposed the war redirect their support towards candidates and parties that have consistently opposed the war from the beginning and called for withdrawal–like the Green Party and examines the reasons why.
I have been participating in the weekly sidewalk peace vigil in downtown Salt Lake each Thursday from 5-7pm for over 4 years. I rarely miss a Thurday. If a holiday falls on a Thursday we still hold vigil. Unfortunately war, torture and injustices do not know “holidays”.
I was pleased that 11 folks came out in the smog-ridden cold to vigil on Thanksgiving Day today. One of our “regulars” brought her three sisters! While not there was not the usual downtown afternoon work traffic, there was a fair amount of traffic and lots of positive response.
Many of my students in school yesterday appeared a little on edge, displaying a higher level than normal of frustration and impatience with tasks in class. One student said to me “It’s because of the holiday tomorrow – everyone is stressed out.” I couldn’t help but think that if we got rid of holidays, this wouldn’t happen. But then I quickly diverted the message of that thought to If it weren’t for the corporate media message of “you’ve got to buy these gifts now and do all these things to prepare for the holidays” we could truly celebrate our cultural heritages without all the commercialism” (which might indeed actually get rid of some of these commerically created holidays!).
Years ago I made a conscious decision to live a more simple life. I still have a long way to go, but my lifestyle has changed dramatically from my early adulthood. I buy used clothing (or get it for free), hardly ever eat out, make my meals from scratch as much as possible, never watch TV, use mass transportation as much as I can, and hand create gifts or get them from locally owned businesses.
Most importantly, I attempt to provide that example in an open way so others may follow suit.
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Tagged Activism, buy nothing day, environmnet, gift giving, green, holidays, peace
