Several Greenpeace activists/emergency responders were on the scene of yet another climate crime today, this time in search of billionaire oilman David Koch. As the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History unveiled its new David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins, our activists rolled up in our green emergency vehicles and passed out "Wanted" posters for David Koch and his brother Charles. The two are responsible for spending millions of dollars to lobby against climate action and fund climate denial.
“Who the heck are the Kochs?” you might be asking, and I don’t blame you. They’re a pretty secretive duo, even though they are the principal shareholders of Koch Industries (it's pronounced like "Coke," by the way), an oil supply and refining company that is one of the largest private corporations in the US.
Though they like to brag about being “the biggest company you’ve never heard of,” the Kochs do not why away from meddling in public affairs all the same. Koch Industries is among the biggest lobbying spenders in the oil industry and Koch’s political action committee (PAC) spent more on contributions to federal candidates since the 2006 election cycle than any other oil-and-gas sector PAC.
The Kochs also funnel millions of dollars through their three “charitable” foundations to a whole bunch of the worst climate deniers, like the Cato Instititute and the Heritage Foundation. From 2005 to 2008, the Koch foundations gave over $24.8 million in funding to climate denial groups, outdoing even ExxonMobil, which gave about $9.1 million to similar organizations over the same period of time.
How can you help counter the Koch’s influence on the climate debate? Help us shine a light on their funding of climate denial by using the buttons at the bottom of this post to share this story on Facebook, Tweet it, or send it to your friends and family.
(text cross-posted from Mike G's Greenpeace USA blog linked to in the comments)Several Greenpeace activists/emergency responders were on the scene of yet another... more
Just In: Lt. Dan Choi, Captain Pietrangelo & GETEqual CoChair
Robin McGehee have been arrested at the White House over the
“Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy. They chained themselves to the
White House fence. It seems when Choi asked to speak to the
Human Rights Campaign rally he was turned down. When Choi
spoke despite objections that he was at Kathy Griffin's rally the
crowd left Freedom Plaza & followed him to the White House.
There the crowd grew & witnessed the arrests. We’re scheduled
to interview Lt. Dan Choi next week for OUTTAKE VOICES™
Updates to Come....WATCH VIDEO on Link Below http://blog.outtakeonline.com/2010/03/dadt-gay-activists-arrested-in-dc.htmlJust In: Lt. Dan Choi, Captain Pietrangelo & GETEqual CoChair
Robin McGehee have... more
After gashing open that arm at Yas' party, Maggie is OK, but her feelings are irreparably damaged from catching Sarah and Jake together. Meanwhile, everyone else is more than happy to have Sarah be the scapegoat-- so that they can, uh, avoid the fact that they were more concerned with partying than getting Maggie to a hospital when she OBV needed stitches. So, *scapegoat time*-- thanks to Travis, the crew instigates a crank calling jag -- harassing Sarah as "revenge" for her evils against Maggie... and THIS is what happens...
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"Orange Juice in Bishop's Garden" (OJBG) is a fiercely local and independent web series set in Washington, D.C. about the lives of a group of teenagers in the summer of 1994.
Make sure to visit us at http://www.OJinBG.com/ to check out our episodes, blog, news updates, character bios, and more!
Check out a brand new (mostly) instrumental album from Inner Loop Records newest member, Soulful!
Fresh off his recent collaborations with D. Julien (the Live.Love.Learn mixtape) and XO (the track “She Spose To” from the album One.One.Ten), DMV producer Soulful! has returned with his new beat tape, The Mellow Life. The album features a melodic mixture of instrumentals and guest features from IhsAn Bilal, Cayan, Shaka and K-Beta. The release is brought to us courtesy of the good people over at Inner Loop Records, which is an artist driven label that is heavily involved in the hip hop scene in and around the Washington, DC area. The Mellow Life really lives up to it’s name as the young producer continues the hip hop tradition of mixing funky and laid back samples with pounding drum kicks and snares. Soulful! really keeps the project flowing along by mixing up the arrangements, which keeps the project from sounding like a endless march of loops. Nice solid introduction to a producer that I’m sure we will be seeing more of around here.
Tracklisting
1.
The Mellow Life (intro)
2.
Beginnings
3.
Better Than (feat. K-Beta)
4.
Cruise Control
5.
Damn Thing
6.
Feel Good Flute
7.
Good Vibes
8.
New Years
9.
Oh It’s Never
10.
Heart Speak
11.
Out My Mind (feat. IhsAn Bilal & Cayan)
12.
Stays on my Mind
13.
The Essence
14.
Yeah Girl
15.
To The Sky
16.
Wake Up
17.
Yo Man! (feat. Shaka)
18.
Spoken Word (outro)Check out a brand new (mostly) instrumental album from Inner Loop Records newest... more
Do You Want To Change The Future? Carpe Diem http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/03/05/89910/the-nations-capital-is-one-sorry.html
This started out as a quick link to an article and has turned into a full on plea. Because I started thinking about the things I've recently seen going on in Washington and one issue really got me going and this is the result.
It sure is and spectacle is just the word to describe what I've witnessed for the last year as I've watched the debate over health care reform. The Republicans want to destroy social programs so compromising with them only serves to lessen the chance of these programs succeeding. Last year the Republicans said they were going to destroy Obama over health care. It was going to be his Waterloo. And instead of fighting for what was really right time and time again he caved in and compromised.
The far and away best solution to the health care crisis a single payer/Medicade For All plan was not even part of the opening discussion. It's supporters were not even allowed to participate in the discussion they were hauled off by the police. That's when you got the idea that things weren't going to go well. And then the second moment occurred when president Obama laughed at the idea of putting the health insurance industry out of business.
Here is an industry that makes money by denying people care. They deliver no care themselves they only serve to make a profit. We are alone in the developed world that supports such a wasteful inefficient system. Other countries may have insurance companies by they are non profit in nature. In this county they make 10-20% profit by doing paperwork and then spend enormous sums of money to defeat any attempt at reform.
So that's one mans view of this ugly spectacle and as a side bar this is not a new spectacle but one that has been going on for a good many years. It is because the government has been so self serving and dysfunctional for so long that our problems have become so huge.
There is one way that we as Americans can turn this situation around and serve notice to our leaders. Senator Mike Bennett has a letter signed by 35 other Senators calling for a vote on a public option. We need fifteen more names to make this happen. What we need is a virus and I am asking no begging to to help. All the polls say that a large majority of Americans support a public option. Seize The Day you can add your name to the letter and contact those Senators that haven't signed on. Here is a link http://www.democracyforamerica.com/activities/284
MindsiMedia has several channels on YouTube and other video sharing outlets you can access all of them from our web portal at http://www.mindsimedia.info/ . You can also link up to our Pandora radio stations there and our Facebook and Cafe Press presences. We also have a Facebook page which serves as our blog. Here is a couple of links to videos I put together at the beginning of this health care debate.
Jay-Z Gets Lil Mama’d Again: Fan Jumps On Stage (VIDEO)
Posted by: ImGlobalNow
So Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 tour took a stop in Washington D.C. last night, and while Hov was performing, a fan decided to jump on stage. Check out The YBF’s account of what happened:
A slim dude from stage left jumped over the yellow jacket security surrounding the stage, hopped his ass on the stage, and danced up to the middle where Jay and Bleek were like he belonged in the set too. Funniest.Ish.Ever.Jay-Z Gets Lil Mama’d Again: Fan Jumps On Stage (VIDEO)
Posted by:... more
The former chief operating officer of Catholic Charities has called on the organization to reverse its recent decision to change health benefits for employees' spouses, a move designed to avoid legitimizing same-sex marriage.
Tim Sawina, who was until last year one of the group's highest-ranking executives, called the elimination of spousal health benefits "devastating" and "wrong" in a letter Wednesday to the governing boards of the social service organization.
The move to change benefits is the most recent fallout from a struggle between the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and District officials, who passed legislation last year to legalize same-sex marriage.
Rather than provide health coverage to same-sex partners, Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl decided to cut benefits for spouses of all future Catholic Charities employees, new spouses of current employees and existing spouses of current employees not already on the plan. Wuerl has said the benefits change is justifiable under Catholic teaching as long as the employees are paid a just wage.The former chief operating officer of Catholic Charities has called on the... more
Yellow Tail wines are produced by Casella Wines Pty Ltd., based in Yenda, Australia. The Casella family produced wine in their native Italy since the 1820s, but moved to Australia to pursue a better life. But Yellow Tail has failed in to pursue the better life in at least one way: they donated $100,000 to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). This was a huge mistake, Yellow Tail. If you'd done your homework, you'd know that HSUS is not the same as your local humane societies.Yellow Tail wines are produced by Casella Wines Pty Ltd., based in Yenda, Australia.... more
Let me remind you that, if you care about animals, you do NOT want to support the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS, more typically known as H$U$). This organization sucked up millions of dollars donated by people from around the world, claiming they would help save animals affected by Hurricane Katrina, but almost none of those funds went to save any animals at all. Who was the most helpful in saving animals? Members of the American military!Let me remind you that, if you care about animals, you do NOT want to support the... more
This investigative news report documents what we've always known: the Humane Society of the United States is nothing more than a fat, bloated charade of "animal lovers" who want everyone to lose our pets along any relationship with animals that we might have, whether they are companions, partners, teachers or the source of information or food. Contrary to their claims, HSUS does not support local animal shelters, does not help provide homes to homeless animals, and advocates that no human shall ever breed animals for any reason, whether it's for medical or scientific research, for conservation purposes, for educational purposes, for food or for companionship.This investigative news report documents what we've always known: the Humane... more
Feld Entertainment, the parent company of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, has filed a lawsuit against the HSUS, two HSUS lawyers, and a number of other animal rights organizations under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) ActFeld Entertainment, the parent company of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey... more
WASHINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Another big winter storm was forecast on Monday for the U.S. mid-Atlantic still struggling to dig out from a blizzard that dumped two feet (half a meter) of snow and closed the federal government.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for Washington, D.C., beginning at noon/1700 GMT on Tuesday and continuing into Wednesday, with projected snow totals of 10 to 20 inches (25 to 51 cm).
The potentially crippling new storm was expected to hit other big cities along the East Coast, like Baltimore and Philadelphia, that are still digging out and extend into New Jersey and New York.
It would only add to the 32 inches (81 cm) of snow that had fallen in suburban Washington in the biggest snowfall to hit the city in decades.
WASHINGTON — Rep. John Murtha, a decorated Vietnam combat veteran and critic of the Iraq war, died Monday of complications from gall bladder surgery. He was 77.
Two giant pandas born in American zoos were headed to China by special cargo jet Thursday to become part of a breeding program in their endangered species' native land.
Friday's panda handover comes amid tense U.S.-China relations because of a recently announced U.S. arms sale to Taiwan and a potential meeting between President Barack Obama and the Dalai Lama.
read more at: http://www.greenwala.com/news_articles/4574-Superstar-farewell-for-US-born-China-bound-pandasTwo giant pandas born in American zoos were headed to China by special cargo jet... more
Scores of Metro Transit Police officers with dogs and bomb technicians swarmed one of the system's busiest stations during the morning rush Tuesday in a show of force against a potential terrorist attack, part of a broader effort to bolster security in the rail system.
(para. 1)
About 50 officers, including Metro's anti-terrorism unit, criminal investigators, special response teams and other squads, moved into Union Station about 7:30 to demonstrate heightened vigilance, Metro officials said.
(para. 2)
Tuesday's operation is a prelude to a series of much larger emergency exercises -- the biggest ever in the Metro system -- that will involve hundreds of officers from across the region responding to simulated explosions and gunmen in scenarios mirroring mass-casualty terrorist attacks on Madrid commuter trains in 2004, the London Underground in 2005 and in Mumbai in 2008, Metro officials said.
(para. 4)
About 200 to 300 police officers and other emergency responders from across the region and the FBI will take part in tactical exercises Feb. 12, 13 and 24 that will include simulations of the bombing of a Metrobus, an explosion in the tunnel between Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom-GWU Metrorail stations, and shooters at the Friendship Heights Station.
(para. 10)
The Facts below clearly show that homicide was committed to cover up criminal acts of an organized well funded covert criminal plot to commit voter fraud.
Joseph Stalin said:
“It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.”
So then why are the people behind these capital crimes and, criminal acts not been prosecuted? These people today are free to walk the streets continuing their ongoing illegal activities and acts of treason against the citizens of United States.
As voters, the citizens who voted for you voted you into office for a reason... "to correct the wrongdoings and criminal acts of the past administration." Not, to continue with the covert coverups and on going status-quo of the past eight years. We expect and, also demand more.
Today, we find ourselves at a critical turning point... Our Nation is only as great the integrity of it's laws, the fairness of our Judicial System and, as strong as the pillars of our Constitution...
As citizens, we need to realize, that our nation has reached that point where our Judicial System has been twisted, bought and subverted by large corporations to where it no longer protects the rights of "All People" as was intended by our founding fathers. We have reached the point... where our country is no longer... "Our Country" anymore.
As a nation, we can't let these crimes; as mentioned by Clint Curtis and others in the attached documentary continue to go on unpunished. For the sake of justice and our credibility and our Nation. YOU, Mr. Obama were elected by the Citizens of this land to give you the power as Commander and Chief and as President " To mandate change". To act... To provide leadership to save our Democracy and our Nation from the acts of corporate and judicial misconduct and criminal corruption. A mandate given to you... to give the country back to it's people, " all its people". A clear mandate to balance the scales of Justice. A clear mandate to see that laws be enforced and crimes be punished and not overlooked with a wink and a nod to the highest bidder... as it is today.
Before you, is an opportunity to do Great Things... An historic opportunity... that should not be waisted.
Gérard Angé
President CEO,
G.A.P. International Inc. &
World Indigenous Network Corporation
(Both California Corporations)
Palo Alto, California 94306 http://www.win-tv.net
About the Author:
Gerard Ange' knows crime first hand, because, he was a victim of corporate crime. Crimes that began with Interstate Wire Fraud § FBI Case: ICC # I05071411389175 § Crimes that continued for six years, yet still these multiple crimes remain" un-punished and un-prosecuted."
========== HERE ARE THE FACTS: Murder Spies and Voting Lies ==========
Homicide & Murder to cover up the Criminal Acts of Voter Fraud
The Clint Curtis Story is an incredible documentary which tells the story of a computer programmer who was contacted by a private company-Yang Enterprises- who have ties to accused chinese spies, to write a program that could be used to rig elections...what follows is the breaking of a massive conspiracy in which there would be hard evidence of vote manipulation via electronic voting machines-whether using Curtis's program or the twenty year old bootloader hack which, as show by students at Princeton University, could be loaded onto any of these machines in less than a minute; the sketchy firing of two employees-one being Curtis himself- from the Florida Dept of Transportation; corrupt ties to leading members of Diebold-one of two companies responsible for vote counting in the US; and a dead Florida DOT investigator- Raymond Lemme RIP- who was privately investigating the claims made by Curtis...who conveniently commited suicide in Georgia, where autopsies are not done on suicide victims, as opposed to Florida where an autopsy would have been automatic. What really happened in 2000 to Al Gore and Ohio & Florida, and again in 2004.....now you can finally know the truth, and it ain't pretty! 7 partsDear President Obama,
The Facts below clearly show that homicide was committed to... more
I have a handful of conservative friends. Not so many that I could be considered a sympathizer. Just a few.
Being friends with them isn't always easy, but maintaining the relationships make me feel better about myself. After all - if I can look past something as ominous as conflicting political views - I must be a truly enlightened individual, right?
So we eat lunch together. We go out for drinks. One of them gave me a handjob. It's fine.
Yesterday, while sitting with a group of the right-wingers, I hear: "It's a fact. The people of Massachusetts have spoken."
Of course that person was referring to the GOP special election win by Scott Brown, the new pickup-driving Senator and former pin-up model, who had enough decency to cover up his junk but not his tangled mess of pubic hair in an '82 edition of Cosmo:
So - right then and there - I decided to drop a bombshell on their elephant-loving asses.
"Facts are for suckers," I said. "I don't believe in them."
The group let out a boisterous laugh. The handjobber blushed. Surely she hoped it was just another one of my super-engaging conversation starters.
"What is that supposed to mean?" someone asked. "It doesn't even make sense."
"Doesn't it?" I challenged back. "You show me a fact and I'll show you someone trying to prove a point. Facts are for suckers. I believe in the truth. It's universal."
Their collective jaw dropped. The Sereno legend lives on.
And it's no joke. Facts are bullshit. They're used to motivate people and support points of view. The next time you hear someone say "in fact ...," listen to what follows. It'll no doubt be a direct attack on what you know to be true.
On Dragnet, when Joe Friday asked for "just the facts, ma'am," did he get the truth? No. He received a borderline-useless eyewitness account of what happened. The whole show was spent searching through the misleading facts that plagued his investigation.
When the FDA releases facts on cigarette smoking is it to fuel its own agenda? Yep. That agenda may be loosening the stranglehold tobacco has on the United States, but it's still an agenda. And it'd be nowhere without those eye-opening and strategically-placed facts.
... So is it a fact? Have the people of Massachusetts spoken? Depends who you ask. As for me, I'll be sipping a margarita and floating in a pool of the truth. You should join me.
There isn't a gratuitous pubic hair in sight.I have a handful of conservative friends. Not so many that I could be considered a... more
On January 21, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that corporations are entitled to spend unlimited funds in our elections.
The First Amendment was never intended to protect corporations.
This cannot stand. Sign up to protest this decision and protect our democracy! Free speech is for people — not corporations.On January 21, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that corporations are entitled to... more
One more Georgetown fixture will soon be packing up its bags to leave Wisconsin Avenue. Commander Salamander, a clothing and accessories store on Wisconsin Avenue, will be closing by the end of the month without plans to move to another location, according to store management.
(vox populi, 2010, January 20)
Commander Salamander joins 52 other businesses that will have either closed or moved to a different location within the last year, according to a report compiled by Georgetown Metropolitan.
(vox populi, 2010, January 20)
If you wanted to dress in punk or new wave clothes, Commander Salamander was one of those places you shopped. Since the early 1980s, the little shop on Wisconsin Avenue is where you went when you needed cool sunglasses, a pair of safety-pinned bondage pants, glitter makeup or Doc Martens boots.
(WTOP, 2010, January 21)
While most of the 2009 business closings were smaller independent stores, established brands and businesses like American Eagle and Nathan’s shut down, too. On a brighter note, 22 stores also opened (or relocated) in 2009, among them Gore and Dean, Georgetown Cupcake, and Diesel.
(vox populi, 2010, January 20)
Judging from the three stores on Commander Salamander’s block of Wisconsin Avenue that are currently sporting “Going out of business” signs in their windows, which besides Commander Salamander include Milano and Hardware, 2010 does not look too promising for Georgetown businesses.
(vox populi, 2010, January 20)
Think you might get lucky tonight? Well, if you're in D.C., don't bring more than two condoms in your purse, or you could be arrested as a prostitute.
In D.C., police can declare "Prostitution Free Zones" where officers can pick up (I mean, arrest) anyone suspected of prostitution. And they use carrying three or more condoms as proof of intent to prostitute -- rather than intent to spend the weekend getting jiggy with a guy.
But as RH Reality Check points out, the real danger of this law falls to people who actually are sex workers. It pushes them to abandon safe sex techniques, putting their own health at risk as well as that of the general population. Add to this the fear of arrest or harassment that keeps sex workers from seeking health care, and you have a recipe for disaster. Everybody should know by now that the nation's capital has a rampant problem with HIV/AIDS; this backwards law contributes to its spread (at three times the rate that characterizes a severe epidemic). It's not like you can expect the johns to bring their own rubbers.
This law prioritizes making commercial areas look clean and pretty lady-free, not protecting the public's health. But the root of the problem isn't this one law: it's the criminalization of sex work. If you want to criminalize something, stick to pimping -- after all, many of these women have been trafficked unwillingly and subjected to violence. If they weren't so afraid of being arrested for stepping forward to condemn their pimps, we'd have a better chance of finding the true criminals in this situation.
