Category Archives: Uncategorized

Iraq Vets Take to the Streets of NYC

In this simulation of what soldiers do in Iraq, these vets of Iraq Veterans Against the War, portray a typical day on the streets of U.S. soldiers. Great counter recruitment tool. Thanks to Pat Elder for sending this.

It *was* an earthquake

Last night Tom, my son and I were sitting in our house when all of a sudden  we heard – and felt – a large boom.  We wondered if it was an earthquake.

It was.

In today’s news:

“Boom” is Attributed to Earthquake
Mild quake hits south Salt Lake Valley
Viewers Report Earthquake In Salt Lake County

Magnitude 2.3 – WASATCH FRONT URBAN CORRIDOR, UTAH

Cindy Sheehan’s Letter

Michael over on Common Circle has a commentary on Cindy Sheehan’s “Goodbye Letter”.  Like many other people, she is fed up  – especially with the Democrats – and is calling it quits.  She points out that when she first started her crusade to hold George Bush accountable for a war based on lies, she targeted the Republicans and Bush.  Then when she started holding the Democrats to the same standards, she began enduring slander from them as well as from the right wingers.   She explains her other conclusions, among them the most devastating for her:

The most devastating conclusion that I reached this morning, however, was that Casey did indeed die for nothing. His precious lifeblood drained out in a country far away from his family who loves him, killed by his own country which is beholden to and run by a war machine that even controls what we think. I have tried every since he died to make his sacrifice meaningful. Casey died for a country which cares more about who will be the next American Idol than how many people will be killed in the next few months while Democrats and Republicans play politics with human lives. It is so painful to me to know that I bought into this system for so many years and Casey paid the price for that allegiance. I failed my boy and that hurts the most.

Cindy says she is selling Camp Casey which has served its purpose and is “going home” to take care of her family and nurture the relationships she has had the fortune to maintain throughout her journey.

I feel fortunate to have been able to visit Camp Casey and meet Cindy Sheehan.   I developed some releationships of my own whiloe there that continue today.  I came away from Camp Casey with a little more motivation and enthusiasm, a little more conviction, and a little more hope.  While Cindy is stepping back from her crusade, I am hopeful that she will contribute in other ways as she deems appropriate.  

Our trip and great news

We spent the past several days in Maryland visiting my family and enjoying our grandson.  Greg (my son and father of Little  Greg) proposed to Carmen in front of the whole family!  Everyone is happy.  Here are some pics:

Abortion, Life, the planet, and human existence

Yesterday I received and email from someone (whom I had never heard of or met, to the best of my knowledge) asking me my position on abortion.  Here is how I responded:

I support a woman’s right to choose safe, legal abortion and believe that reproductive  and health issues must remain a medical matter between individuals and their health care  providers.

The questioner responded back to me with something to this effect:
I’m sorry.  I pray that someday you will live up to  “I pledge allegiance to all life and its interpendent diversity.” (referring to my “Pledge to Life” in my left sidebar)

My response, via this blog only (I have invited the person who emailed me to continue the discussion on this blog so that others may also join in – the person responded to that email, after requesting no further email communication, with I understand. The truth is not always easy.):

This person obviously has an egocentric and narrow-minded view of life – “all life”.  While entire species and habitats, upon which humans rely for its very existence, are being destroyed and becoming extinct, this person is concerned with only one aspect of life – human life.  People like this expend energy on addressing only human life as if it were the end all and be all of life.  If humans died off, the world would not be in jeopardy. Life would continue to thrive ( dare say it would also not only thrive, but would be better off without the destructive impact of the human species….).   If the blue green algae dies off, as one example, humans are doomed.

“Life” began before humans.  “Life” is being destroyed by humans.  I suspect that the possibility exists that “Life” will likely re-generate itself after the human species dies off because of the destructiveness to “life” it in which it engages.

I encourage people to take some time and view the video clips on life at Global Mindshift.

More Rocky Roast photos

Here are few more photos from the Rocky Roast the other night.
There are also some other posts and photos at Pom Poms Not Bomb Bombs Live Journal Page.
Links to news:
Rocky takes a couple of punches from his friends (Salt Lake Tribune)

Off the Agenda

The Salt Lake Tribune

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Posted: 7:34 AM- Rocky takes a couple of punches from his friends
    With a jazz band belting out the “Rocky” theme, Salt Lake City’s mayor was led into the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center by a troupe of “cheerleaders” waving orange pedestrian flags and wearing “Free-Speech Zone” T-shirts.
    On stage Friday night, Rocky Anderson pumped his fist as the booze-fueled crowd bellowed. Moments later, the mayor would turn red – and sometimes white – during a raucous fundraiser for the Salt Lake Acting Company billed simply as the “Rocky Roast.”
    Between roasts – the panel ranged from former Utah ACLU Executive Director Dani Eyer to Utah radio icon Tom Barberi – Anderson was serenaded by homegrown satirists, the Saliva Sisters.
    Here are some of the best zingers from early in the evening.
    From Eyer:
    Suggesting many Salt Lake City women must have a crush on the “passionate, articulate” Democratic mayor, she said she posed the following survey question to 2,000 women: “Would you have sex with Mayor Rocky Anderson?” The result: “67 percent of Salt Lake City women, when asked, responded ‘Never again.’
    “In 1999, we heard the funniest thing we’d ever heard of – Deedee Corradini was going to sell a block of Main Street to the Mormon Church. Ha, ha, ha. We laughed all the way to the 10th Circuit.  Rocky laughed along with us – for part of the way.”
    From showstopper Jim Braden, spokesman for Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon:
    — “If it wasn’t for Rocky, Merrill Cook wouldn’t have won anything at all.”
    — “Rocky’s legacy: ‘You’re fired, you’re fired, you’re fired, nice tush, and you’re fired.’ ”
    — “Congratulations: being the best-known Democrat in Utah is like being the thinnest guy at fat camp.”
    — “If you can satisfy [House Speaker Greg] Curtis and [Sandy Mayor Tom] Dolan at the same time, you’re probably picking up the tab at the all-you-can-eat buffet.”
    — “I barely recognize him without all his Republican friends nattily draped in those cheesy soccer scarves.”
    — “If you spent more time debating [Real Salt Lake owner] Dave Checketts than Sean Hannity . . . No, no, no – they were robbing Peter [Corroon] to pay Tom [Dolan].”
    — “We know it can’t be easy auditioning to replace Rosie on ‘The View.’ ”
    From emcee Chris Vanocur of KTVX News:
    — “I need to sneak a peek over at the mayor and make sure he’s laughing or he might . . . fire me.”
    — “When Corroon came into office, he was a shy, stiff, bland politician. [But because of Braden. Corroon has magically been transformed into a shy, stiff, bland politician who hates soccer.”

Rocky ends up ‘well done’ in roast (Deseret News) – PPnBB mentioned!

By Natalie Hale
Deseret Morning News

      If Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson had been a Thanksgiving turkey at Friday night’s “Rockyroast” fund-raiser, he would have come out well done.

Rocky Anderson

Rocky Anderson

      The event, which parodied Dean Martin’s celebrity roasts of the past, was held to raise money for the Salt Lake Acting Company.
      Between laughs, while mingling with guests prior to the roast, Anderson said he felt “apprehensive” about the event.
      And who could blame him?
      Anderson agreed to have himself berated in front of more than 400 community members, not exactly something any person would sign up to do.
      He was escorted into the Rose Wagner Center by Salt Lake’s own nontraditional cheerleading group, Pom Poms not Bomb Bombs, whose members were wildly waving crossing flags. The crowd rose and roared loudly as Rocky entered to the song “Gonna Fly Now,” the theme from the movie “Rocky.”
      “I understand the mayor enters City Hall this way every morning,” emcee and ABC4 News reporter Chris Vanocur said.
      The two-hour roast featured Pat Bagley, a political cartoonist from The Salt Lake Tribune; Jim Braden, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon’s public information officer; Dani Eyer, a lawyer and former director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah; Tom Barberi, Utah’s radio broadcaster; Babs DeLay, a planning and zoning judge; and a surprise appearance by Anderson’s son, Luke.
      No portion of Anderson’s life during his past seven years of service was safe.
      Jokes targeted Anderson’s policies on local transportation, pedestrian-crossing flags, the banning of water bottles, his constant firings of employees, his stance on international politics, his campaign to impeach President Bush, ugly neckties and his personal relationships.
      But all in all, the cynical attempts to roast Anderson came out warm and fuzzy. Each “roaster” thanked him for his dedication, time and service to the community.As Anderson was escorted to the stand by “Gayle Godzika,” a rapping drag queen, for his final words, the crowd again rose, clapping and cheering. Shouts of “Rocky! Rocky!” bounced off the walls.
      As Anderson stood there, contemplative before the crowd, he impatiently waved off the music. Then, turning to the roasters, he said, “I wish I could hire each one of you and fire your —!”
      Anderson then graciously thanked everyone for their participation and support of SLAC and for their support during his time in office.
      Anderson’s second term as Salt Lake City’s mayor ends in early 2008.


E-mail: nhale@desnews.com


Roastin’ Rocky

Last night our radical cheerleading squad, Pom Poms Not Bomb Bombs performed at the Rocky Roast put on by the Salt Lake Acting Company.  It was great fun and everyone loved us!  I will be posting for photos later today or tomorrow, but here is a photo of us with Rocky (I am to Rocky’s left!):

Costa Rica withdraws from School of the Americas

I was so glad to have the news item below come to my email box yesterday, about Costa Rica withdrawing from the  School of the Americas,  the terrorist training camp at Ft. Benning, Georgia.  Costa Rica joins the ranks of three other countries which have withdrawn their participation in this institution which trains military personnel from Latin America who then are used by oppressive regimes in various countries to inflict human rights abuses, including torture and murder, on its own citizens.  The School of the Americas Watch has been fighting for years to get the SOA closed down. 

Costa Rica to Cease Training at the SOA/WHINSEC!

Costa Rican President Oscar Arias announced Wednesday that Costa Rica will cease to send police to train at the U.S. Army Ft. Benning facility after citing its history of involvement in military coups and human rights abuses throughout Latin America.

(Photo: President Oscar Arias)

Arias, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, made the decision after talks with a delegation of the School of the Americas Watch, including the Rev. Roy Bourgeois and Lisa Sullivan Rodriguez. The human rights advocacy group has campaigned since 1990 for the closure of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), formerly known as the School for the Americas (SOA), located at Fort Benning, Georgia.


Costa Rica has no army but has sent approximately 2,600 police officers over the years to be trained at the school. Minor Masis, leader of Costa Rica’s former “Comando Cobra” anti-drug squad attended the School in 1991 and returned to Costa Rica, only to serve a 42-year jail term for rape and murder committed during a 1992 drug raid. Costa Rica currently has three policemen at the center.

“When the courses end for the three policemen we are not going to send any more,” Arias said.

Costa Rica is the fourth country to announce a withdrawal from the SOA/WHINSEC. In 2006, the governments of Argentina and Uruguay announced that they would cease all training at the school, becoming the second and third countries to announce a cessation of training. In January of 2004, Hugo Chavez announced that Venezuela would no longer send troops to train at the school.

Costa Rica’s withdrawal from WHINSEC is a great victory for human rights in Latin America. With this major breakthrough, Costa Rica adds its name to the list of countries who are rejecting the destructive approach of institutions such as the SOA/WHINSEC. Combat training and military spending as a means to “solve” social problems do not bring peace and democracy.

Read More about this Breaking News!

Read More about the Latin America Project

The Burn Belt: Fire Predictions ‘Out West’

Treehugger has this post on this year’s west’s belt fire predictions.  Kinda scary.

The Burn Belt: Fire Predictions ‘Out West’

by Tim McGee, Los Angeles on 05.17.07

forest_fire.jpg

To match what we have been seeing ourselves, The U.S.D.A. Forest Service and Oregon State University researchers are predicting the Western U.S. is in for a ‘fairly severe’ fire season this year. The widespread drought throughout the region, along with 50 years of moderate weather have left large quantities of dried biomass, often called ‘fuel’. Efforts to reduce biomass through thinning have been talked about for years, but no large-scale efforts have evolved to counteract the matter. There may be some nasty fires this year, and the research points specifically to the American Southwest, including California, Arizona, New Mexico, and the Great Basin. But, don’t feel bad– there is a lot you can do. If you live ‘out West’, a good idea is to clear brush from around your house, and contact your local fire department for other prevention techniques that fit with your area. If you live East of the Rockies, you don’t have to worry as much (about the fire at least), as it is expected to be a wetter than normal year ‘back East’. Scary Beautiful Photo Credit to John McColgan BLM Alaska Fire Service.:: OSU News

Don’t Chew Gum

I subscribe to Health & Beyond Weekly:  An Eclectic Natural Health Newsletter by Chet and Josh  Day.  I enjoy all the tips and recipes and other items I receive in this newsletter.  One item of interest this week is a post on chewing gum.  As a recovering gum chewer (several years now), I appreciated reading this.  I stopped chewing gum when I realized that even the non-sugar free gum (“regular” gum) still had aspartame in it.  But beyond that, there are other issues:

Don’t Chew Gum

By Dr. Ben Kim
Excerpted from “Experience Your Best Health”

Here are some points to consider before you pop another stick of chewing gum in your mouth:

Chewing gum causes unnecessary wear and tear of the cartilage that acts as a shock absorber in your jaw joints.
Once damaged, this area can create pain and discomfort for a lifetime.

You use eight different facial muscles to chew. Unnecessary chewing can create chronic tightness in two of these
muscles, located close to your temples. This can put pressure on the nerves that supply this area of your head, contributing to chronic, intermittent headaches.

You have six salivary glands located throughout your mouth that are stimulated to produce and release saliva whenever
you chew. Producing a steady stream of saliva for chewing gum is a waste of energy and resources that could otherwise
be used for essential metabolic activities.

Most chewing gum is sweetened with aspartame. Short and long term use of aspartame has been closely linked with cancer,
diabetes, neurological disorders, and birth defects.

If your gum isn’t sweetened with aspartame, it is probably sweetened with sugar. Sugar is most likely the single
greatest dietary cause of chronic health problems like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and emotional disorders.

Note from Chet: If you’re not a subscriber to Dr. Kim’s free newsletter, you need to fix that problem right now at
http://chetday.com/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?drkimsub