I'm sorry this is so late today. I've been incredibly busy these last few days and I just didn't have time to get it finished and up until now. I've also been feeling discouraged about the Stem Cell veto. I get so frustrated and tired of losing. Obviously I'm not one to give up, but sometimes I need a few days to evaluate and analyze where we went wrong, what we could have done that we didn't do that would have gotten us the result we wanted to see, what we can do now to punish Repugs that voted the wrong way, etc. Well, in my soul-searching I bought 3 albums on iTunes...
I'm kidding. Well, not really, I did actually buy 3 albums on iTunes and I'm feeling better because I got some lovely music, but I also found this quiz about power at
CARE, which is a wonderful organization. Anyway, I took the quiz, and mine is the power of "Resolve" and this is what CARE says about my power: "So many people today let the bustle of modern life get in the way of getting involved... But when YOU see a problem, you refuse to stand idly by. Your unique power is that you have the energy, the stamina and the resolve to get out there and DO something about the injustices you see in the world."
Take the Power quiz and discover just how fabulously powerful you are and how you can help others find their power!
This quiz and the result reminded me that I've got to stay tough...keep my resolve to beat these bastards and to right their countless wrongs. So, let's beat them together...let's take some action!!
Environmental & Energy Issues:
-- By the way...if you haven't seen An Inconvenient Truth, get thee to a theater and see it!! And check out the website that goes with the movie!
-- From Rainforest Action Network:
"Join us in telling automakers that a market for Gasoline-Optional plug-in hybrids (GO Hybrids) exists today. With an expanding list of support from state and local governments, public utilities, businesses and ordinary citizens across America, the demand for GO Hybrids is growing.
Make your "soft-order" for GO Hybrids by signing this petition and become a Plug-In Partner!"
-- Support the Fuel Economy Reform Act!
-- Donate what you can to Defenders of Wildlife... they have launched a MAJOR defense for our coasts. The House has already approved overturning the ban on drilling off-shore and the Senate may vote as early as this coming week!! We could very well lose this one. Let's get to work!! Email your Senators as well!!
-- Help Reduce Mercury from Cement Kilns!
-- Environmental Action is about to start a major campaign to pressure Senators to sign the Declaration of Energy Independence! And they want you to get involved. So, Click here and let them know of all the ways they can count on your help! Get to work people!! These folks aren't going to take action on Energy issues without your pressure...especially not when Big Oil has DEEP pockets!
-- Senator Joe Biden is taking steps to improve America's Energy Security by reducing our consumption of oil (through the Biofuels Security Act of 2006, the Biofuels Security Tax Act of 2006, and the Fuel Economy Reform Act).
Click here to sign his petition and show your support!
-- Demand Leadership on Global Warming NOW!!
-- From Earthworks:
"Some multi-national mining companies are pushing Congress to find new ways to gut our Nation's hallmark environmental laws like the Clean Water Act, and the "Superfund" law - the law which requires that those with a financial interest in a polluted property help pay to clean it up.
These laws help protect the public from mining pollution, both old and new, and they help ensure that the companies that polluted the environment pay to clean it up.
Under the guise of a "Good Samaritan" initiative to clean up the hundreds of thousands of abandoned hardrock mines around the country, mining industry interests want to be able to dig up these old mines in search of new gold and other metals -- without complying with federal, state or local environmental laws.
It would set a horrible precedent, not just for the mining industry, but for all industries wanting exemption from environmental laws.
The definition of a "Good Samaritan" is someone who does a good deed (in this case, abandoned mine cleanup) without expectation of reward. For this industry-backed initiative... "Greedy Samaritan" is a better name for it. Please contact your Senator, and ask them to oppose "Greedy Samaritan" legislation when it is considered next week by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (the middle of the week of 7/24)."
Labor Issues:
-- Things are getting BAD for Unionized workers and for those who want to join/form a Union. From the Communications Workers of America:
"The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), currently dominated by pro-corporate Bush-appointees, soon will decide three cases that could further attack workers' basic rights in America. If the NLRB rules against workers and broadens the definition of "supervisor," hundreds of thousands of workers could be stripped of their contract protections and even more workers could be denied their freedom to form unions."
Contact your representatives in Congress today and urge them to stop the assault on your freedom to join a union. Tell them to urge NLRB Chairman Robert J. Battista to hold oral arguments on these important cases!
-- From United Farm Workers:
"This week, Krug-Mondavi workers ask you to join them in their fight to get their jobs back. Workers are visiting stores in California's exclusive Wine County and handing out leaflets asking retail outlets to respect their boycott by not carrying Charles Krug and C.K. Mondavi wine labels. One of the outlets workers are targeting is Longs Drug Stores, a major distributor of the boycotted wine.
Please e-mail company executives today. Ask them whether Longs Drug Stores want to be linked with Krug-Mondavi's unscrupulous behavior that violates the retailer's tradition of "treating others as we, ourselves, would like to be treated." Tell Longs it should take the responsible stand and urge Krug-Mondavi to immediately rescind its decision to fire union workers and instead engage in good faith bargaining with the UFW."
Voting Issues:
-- If you haven't already, check out the Just 6 Dollars campaign! They recently had an ad in the NYT...
-- Support Clean Elections NOW! Sign this petition!
Media Issues:
-- From the Consumers Union:
"Big media companies are lobbying the FCC to rewrite our media ownership rules, which currently limit how many local media outlets a given company can control in every town.
Vying for more market control, these conglomerates want to overturn current protections, particularly the rule on "newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership." This rule prevents companies from owning the major daily newspaper and one or two broadcast TV stations in the same town.
If ownership limits are eliminated, ONE media company could potentially own the major daily newspaper, at least EIGHT radio stations and THREE or more television stations in the same town. When big media companies own most of the radio, TV, newspapers in town, the media outlets drift away from serving local needs and air fewer local voices and opinions.
Join Consumer's Union in telling the FCC to stop media consolidation! Be part of the official record, and urge the FCC and Congress to ensure that we have reasonable media rules that ensure diversity, localism and competition."
-- Please take a moment to sign this letter below asking the CEO's of Verizon (Ivan Seidenberg) and AT&T (Edward Whitacre) to keep the Internet fair and free.
Health Issues:
-- Pissed off about the Stem Cell decision? Click here to tell the "Leaders" of the Religious "Right" that the majority of Americans support stem cell research and tell them what you think of their opposition to this important research!
-- Still pissed off about the Stem Cell decision? Visit StemPAC and DEFCON America to get some talking points together and write a Letter to the Editor about how the Repugs voted to throw embryos in the garbage rather than use them to save lives...fucking bastards. Write a letter...let's make this one of the issues that causes them to lose in November!!
-- From Planned Parenthood:
"So-called "crisis pregnancy centers" are proliferating across the nation -- a deceitful new tactic of the anti-choice movement to keep women from getting the accurate education and health services they seek.
These fake "clinics" often masquerade as health centers offering the full range of reproductive health services, when their only real purpose is to keep women from exercising their right to choice and family planning.
The worst part? Your tax dollars are funding "crisis pregnancy centers" to the tune of $30 million.
A new bill in Congress, the "Stop Deceptive Advertising for Women's Services Act" (H.R.5052), would stop "crisis pregnancy centers" from deceiving women. Urge your representative to support this important bill."
-- From Naral:
"Rape: it's a horrible thing that no woman chooses. Yet as it stands now, when a survivor of rape enters the emergency room, she is not always given the chance to prevent pregnancy.
To address this troubling problem, members of Congress have proposed the Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act ("CARE": S.1264/H.R.2928).
Please sign the petition to ensure that rape survivors get the health-care services they need to prevent unintended pregnancy."
-- Click here to tell anti-choice leaders you're doing everything in power to beat them in November!! This is another NARAL one...seems obvious to me...but I sent it anyway...
-- Another from NARAL:
"In a blatant attempt to pacify his right-wing base, Majority Leader Bill Frist tried to attach a so-called "Child Custody Protection Act" to a vote on the minimum wage.
This Act, misleadingly named, would make it a federal crime for any person other than a parent - including a grandparent, aunt, or religious counselor - to accompany a young woman for abortion care in another state unless she has complied with parental involvement mandates in her home state.
But this bill doesn't take into account those young women who seek the help of a responsible adult other than a parent because of violence or abuse at home, or situations of rape or incest. In fact, this bill would actually force a young woman in such circumstances to go to the doctor alone, rather than be accompanied by a trusted adult.
Tell Senator Frist to stop playing politics with the lives of young women. Urge the Senate to protect underage survivors of rape, incest, and assault by rejecting the "Child Custody Protection Act.""
This is Crossposted at Street Prophets and at Action Alerts!