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Phone Cards to Veterans for the Holidays
Linked to groups: DFA Blog Network
Over the course of the year tabling at various locations throughout San Francisco, passers-by would often donate a dollar or two for the bumper stickers and buttons that they picked up from our table. Early in the year the S.F. for Democracy Steering Committee decided we would put those contributions towards a charitable purpose, and later we decided to use the funds to buy phone cards for veterans stuck at VA hospitals so they could call home to their families over the holidays. (This idea actually came from DFA in December of 2004.)
On December 21, Outreach Director Jeff Whittington (at left) and Coordinator David Quan (at right) delivered more than $400 worth of long-distance phone cards to the Voluntary Services unit at the San Francisco Veterans Administration hospital. Staff at the hospital let us know that...
"...With the holidays upon us, these phone cards will enable our veterans to contact family members and loved ones at this difficult time. Your kindness and that of your supporters will contribute significantly to the recovery process and bring added joy to our veterans."
As progressives, we support the troops -- just not the disastrous quagmire George Bush has led them into in Iraq. Hmmm, sure seems like Howard Dean was right to oppose the invasion back in 2003, huh?
DFA Miami members joined with Veterans for Peace and passed out phone cards to patients hospitalized in the VA Hospital. Originally scheduled for only Monday December 18, there simply wasn't enough time to individually distribute, in one day, the 140 cards that we obtained . So, we went back on Thursday December 21 and finished the job.
The patients were mostly older vets, some with broken bodies and tormented minds. A few cried, some just needed to interact with someone, but all were thankful for the gesture of appreciation. It was as though we were finally giving the Vietnam era vets their due respect with a token of appreciation.
At DFA Miami, we have worked closely with Veterans for Peace in several events and projects: http://youtube.com/watch?v=vR5hYBzXzTc
It's a symbiotic relationship when it comes to the effort to promote peace and effective in framing the debate through progressive ideas. We done good!
Even more important, from a personal perspective, while some veterans got phone cards, those of us who participated went through wonderful experience and will carry the memory with us forever.
Sam Feldman, Political Director - DFA Miami
I don't rejoice in Saddam's death. I adhere to John Donne's famous elegy
No Man is an Island. Every person's death diminishes me.
Meanwhile, well over 100 American servicepeople have died while the Putz seeks out advice with which he agrees.
Talk about criminals!
~! Phone cards for Vets
That's very nice.
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Here is a clip (which does not incorporate the execution of Saddam/actually one never sees Saddam in the video):
Halabja: Saddam Hussein Hanging (clip)
http://tinyurl.com/yfeme2
# the clip is of the broken hearts of those left to live with those who died by Saddam's dictate in the Kurdish city Halabja, Iraq.
Peace. BBL
Faith-based parks: another crime against science by the Bushies:
http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=801
Grand Canyon National Park is not permitted to give an official estimate of the geologic age of its principal feature, due to pressure from Bush administration appointees. Despite promising a prompt review of its approval for a book claiming the Grand Canyon was created by Noah's flood rather than by geologic forces, more than three years later no review has ever been done and the book remains on sale at the park, according to documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).
“In order to avoid offending religious fundamentalists, our National Park Service is under orders to suspend its belief in geology,” stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch. “It is disconcerting that the official position of a national park as to the geologic age of the Grand Canyon is ‘no comment.’”
Saddam executed on a US Base
The Telegraph in England is reporting, "There was no comment from the White House, which was determined that the execution should appear to be an Iraqi event."
Yeah right....................................
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/pressingissues_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003525778
Forget "Surge"
With liberal bloggers leading the way, the call went forth last week: Henceforth ye shall purge the “surge” from your vocabularies and laptops and replace it with “escalation” – with all its echoes of Vietnam and, incidentally, accuracy regarding the current situation. Gradually, it has started to creep into the mainstream media and now candidates or possible candidates for president are heeding the call.
An editorial in Baltimore’s The Sun on Wednesday should serve as a template for others in the media. Here’s its key passage: “Now President Bush is said to be considering a ‘surge,’ the idea being that 20,000 additional troops could make a big difference and pave the way to a resolution of the war. A generation ago this would have been called an ‘escalation,’ and the problem with escalations, as President Lyndon B. Johnson learned, is that when they don't furnish the promised results the pressure to follow with further escalations is just about inescapable.”
Howard Dean is always first!
Re: 3.
John, I certainly agree with you.
CNN and others are already trying to shove videos of Saddam's execution down our throats for the next month whether we want to watch it or not. These stations are guilty of promoting so much violence in this country as it is, first Bush, then the Iraq invasion, now this. They ought to be thrown off the airwaves.
There's a first-hand report of Edwards' visit to New hampshire
way to go, once again, DFA San Francisco. Miami, too!
I miss those DeanCorp projects here. How about we send the Vets some love for Valentine's Day? Phone cards are useful year round...
thank you all doing good works such as this post
kindness is free
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our troll by jumping to Edwards acknowledged that an escalation like the one called for by McCain will doom McCain's chances after it fails
if the duhcider actually finally decides on anything
I also wanted to send a THANK YOU to Huron John for the good info he's posted this a.m. -- the comment about the Putz searching for someone who agrees with him, while more people die in Iraq violence is Right On. ESCALATION, not "surge" it is -- another good tip I'm going to pass on.
The info from PEER about the book on sale in National Park store(s) claiming that the Grand Canyon resulted from the Noah's Ark flood is priceless -- needs to be circulated far and wide as further evidence of this Administration's disconnect with reality.
Appreciate all the good info -- this is why I keep coming back to BlogForAmerica!
Morning puddle ♥
Wasn't able to get on for a few minutes but all is well now.
Nice going in San Diego as well. it's good to hear reports from DFA groups, another thing I miss is the link-up reports on link-up nights.
Always good to stop in and say hello to my blog family.
plus i have this whole new family
and i'm in love with each of them
and i'm on this list called lucky
whenever i'm in reach of them
and i'm learning how to say
that i'd be happy either way
with your love
( from Ani DeFranco's Educated Guess )
Good Morning, David :-)
Greetings of the Season to you, Diane, and family
An interesting take
We have seen two faces of the Christian South; Jimmy Carter was the first we Yanks heard of this or for that matter, it was the first time we bothered to listen at all to the South in our history. It was to our Northern surprise a universal vision of fairness and racial healing with an astonishing lack of egotism. Now we have seen the second face of the Christian South and it has descended us into a maelstrom of global tribalism in a 12th century war among Jews, Muslims and certain people who call themselves Christian - although they are led by a Connecticut Yankee who conspicuously hates his own kind and finds only a primal root in red clay and Texas desert. But it all ended yesterday with a good Texas hangin'.
We who have roots and kin and have shared blood in the South can ask ourselves this about these Two Faces of the Christian South we have seen since Watergate: Which is the Emperor? Which is the Sith? With Jimmy Carter we saw the real South and the possibility of being in this country a real Christian. An era ended yesterday with the death of Saddam. Quite possibly a new one began on the same day here in New Hampshire with John Edwards.
Imn2Paine
Sat, 12/30/06
9:27 am
_______________________________________________________________________
I would like to educate you in the fact that this country was an ally of saddam hussein and furnished him chemical and biological weapons for this massacre most likely.............and please explain why this country with all its self righteousness and propoganda and backwards foreign policy..................didnt do anything about sadam hussein...............THEN............
I mean, if you and others really gave a damn about all those terribly tortured Iraqis...............you cant really give an answer can you.....................well paine, Im glad only people like you have to look at yourself in the mirror everyday.................
UPDATE to the American Body Count:
30-Dec-2006 1 | US: 1 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET Baghdad (southwest part) Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET Al Anbar Province Hostile - hostile fire
29-Dec-2006 2 | US: 2 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET Baghdad (northwest part) Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
28-Dec-2006 5 | US: 4 | UK: 1 | Other: 0
US Corporal Christopher E. Esckelson Al Anbar Province Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire
US Lance Corporal Nicholas A. Miller Al Anbar Province Hostile - hostile fire
US Lance Corporal William D. Spencer Al Anbar Province Hostile - hostile fire
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET Baghdad (north of) Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
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All of these poor and middle class troops are dying for nothing....such a shame.
Hey Mike, I dipped in the water the other night (the hardest part for me) and swam a few laps. Twelve strokes/length (not bad eh?).
__________________________________________________________________________
paine,
12 strokes per 25m is pretty darned good..........I average about 17-20 over distance..........swim 400 yards(or 16 lengths) at your stroke count and let me know( even the best swimmers average 15 strokes)................
Now................which dictator should this country now invade and knock off? Last count there are about 50 of em.................why stop with saddam?
Good morning, all.
Can CNN and FOX milk Saddam's execution any further? My god. I can't believe that they showed the noose being put around his neck and the dead body wrapped in white. No need for American television to be distributing that.
I have no sympathy for the brutal dictator but I have no desire to participate in a public execution. That was disgusting.
/rant
According to icasualties.org, the month of December has been the bloodiest for our poor and middle class troops in over 2 years. Not since November of 2004 has thiis country suffered as many BODY BAGS in a monthly period. In that month, there was a siege of Fallujah accounting for the majority of the American deaths. However, this month, its been just an increase in overall violence in Anbar province and Baghdad.
What a foreign policy disaster.
As reported below, the Military Times has just released its annual poll of active duty troops, and its findings are striking. Among other things, it finds that only 38 percent think there should be more troops in Iraq than there already are.
So here's the question. Last week, Defense Secretary Robert Gates held a sit-down with a dozen troops who all just happened to favor bringing more troops in Iraq. The opinions of this handful of troops earned extensive coverage from CNN, The New York Times, the Associated Press, and Reuters. And yet, as best as I can determine, none of these same news orgs today mentioned the Military Times poll, even though it came out yesterday. Why not? Now that we have poll of the actual attitudes of thousands of troops towards a "surge," when will the media cover it?
By Greg Sargent , tpm cafe
*** cChalfonte***
Sat, 12/30/06
11:38 am
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I think Ill do some indoor riding...............cheers
I wanted to see Hussein on trial for the suppression of the Shiite rebellion in Basra in, I guess, March of 1991. Now, that would have been an interesting trial for Uncle Sam to sit through.
Howard Dean was also right about how to treat other countries....to remember that we might not always be the strongest. He got blasted for that, but then didn't he always?
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/868
Thanks for supporting our troops with the phone cards.
Bush calls hanging a "milestone" - really pathetic when dead bodies are the only most positive thing you can say about this Iraq mess.
I cannot believe THEY ( I will no longer say we, because I surely didn't aprove) rushed to kill Saddam like that. They had no right. It is torture and killing. There is no honor in torture and killing. That's also why I find it quite interesting for the "followers" that didn't heed to their "sign" when a tornado came barrelling down on W yesterday BEFORE Saddam was killed. When will anyone be paying attention to their "signs". Hurricanes following him, and now this.
The hell is the fact that W has so much hate inside him, and we all get to see his hate and uncompassionate soul and he will have to live with these actions and us KNOWING his actions and soul, forever.
Damn the man.
Our club sends packages to the troops every year. We started at the Dean Meetups. We've gotten the nicest letters and emails back from several of the troops that received them. We always find local folks and send them to their family that is over there.
This is Dr. David Collins and me at the Club's Holiday Party in Coarsegold. We sent our packages to David and his guys aboard ship last year. His Mom, Carol Collins, is a club member. I asked him if he had seen the Iraq For Sale DVD, and he said no. He said that it is hard for him to see things like that because he lived it. I could tell he was still thinking about all his buddies that are still over there. David is a very nice person. His thank you letter to us last year was wonderful. It was an honor for me to meet him. He'll be doing a presentation for our club about his experiences in Iraq sometime early next year. When he spoke to us he said that even though we had won big this election to please not give up the fight until we get we want from our Government. He sure is ready to help take our country back. I think doing those presentations will help him and us to heal.Wishing you all a healthy and Happy New Year!Take care,---SusanOur DFA-Link: http://www.dfalink.com/group.php?id=328
29.
FRED from OR
Sat, 12/30/06
11:53 am
Bush calls hanging a "milestone" - really pathetic when dead bodies are the only most positive thing you can say about this Iraq mess.
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A milestone would be some American victories in Baghdad and Al Anbar province instead of us looking so BAD.
Not since Vietnam has our military looked so incapable on the battlefield.
A milestone would be some American victories in Baghdad and Al Anbar province instead of us looking so BAD.
There are no battlefields in Iraq to have victories upon. There is only killing people and hoping they're the enemy.
ok, that's not very good, you can see the 2nd day of snow in Santa Fe, here.
...and it's still snowing.
http://picasaweb.google.com/nperro/BIGSn...
Linda :-)))))))))))))))) how fun!
BTW, if anyone has experience and would be interested in an Exec Director position in Greater Cincinnati, they are looking for one.
We intend to follow the same process in hiring a new Executive Director that was followed when Chandra was hired. Resumes of interests candidates should be submitted to the Party Chair by fax, mail, hand-delivery or e-mail at:
Tim Burke
Manley Burke
225 West Court Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
E-mail: tburke at manleyburke.com
Fax: (513) 763-6449
A committee will interview applicants and make a recommendation to the Executive Officers of the Party.
The job of the Executive Director of the Hamilton County Democratic Party is a demanding one and requires many skills.
The Director must be a people person who can communicate well with a wide variety of individuals and be a constant source of information and assistance. It requires being a motivator and the ability to deal with short deadlines and rapidly-changing situations.
The skills the next Executive Director must have include:
Excellent computer skills, able to operate and maintain a web site, handle mass e-mails with a continuing need to manage the e-mail list, and, when appropriate, conduct Internet research.
An organizer who has primary responsibility for organizing the details of numerous events, ranging from major Party fund-raisers to meetings of the various committees of the Party.
The ability to deal with the press, write and distribute press releases, contact the media to invite them to events and field information questions from the press and know who to direct those questions to for an appropriate response.
Campaign experience is a significant advantage because many candidates or those thinking about becoming candidates will look to the Executive Director for advice and guidance on a variety of different campaign-related questions and the Director will be called on from time to time to manage and organize major campaign operations.
The Executive Director is also responsible for the mundane tasks of maintaining Democratic Headquarters, including making sure that it is maintained (and cleaned) as a professional facility that the people want to be a part of.
The Executive Director must be able to recruit volunteers to assist in operating Headquarters and providing the assistance for a wide variety of programs throughout the course of a year from major canvas operations, telephone banks, mailing and training programs, such as the Campaign School, which will take place early in 2007.
The Executive Director is also responsible for the financial operations of the Party and assisting the Party Treasurer in ensuring that the records are maintained in an appropriate manner so that the Treasurer can prepare the necessary campaign finance filings in a timely and professional manner. This is a job that has become more and more critical as the requirements of financial reporting have become increasingly complex.
The position requires a great deal of independent thinking and action, balanced with the need to ensure that actions are taken in consultation with elected Party officials
Must be capable as a public speaker, and able to fill in as needed for the County Chair and occasionally for candidates or public office holders.
The hours the Executive Director is expected to spend on the job are, bluntly, ridiculous, but it is the nature of the beast. Particularly during campaign season, time demands can be immense. Even during non-campaign seasons, the Executive Director is frequently asked and encourages to attend evening meetings for ward, city, village and township Democratic clubs and other interest groups.
The salary available to pay the Executive Director is not commensurate with the task, but it is what the Party can afford. The annual salary range is $25,000 to $33,000. If the Executive Director is able to assist in or motivate others to assist in increasing the financial resources of the Party, the salary can be increased. Health insurance is provided.
Sitka
Sat, 12/30/06
12:15 pm
There are no battlefields in Iraq to have victories upon. There is only killing people and hoping they're the enemy.
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It sure does seem that way. Its just so extremely frustrating to see such a powerful nation stuck in a rut.
Its just so extremely frustrating to see such a powerful nation stuck in a rut.
It's stuck in a rut because it's leader have their heads up their butts.
(No image necessary.)
2998
another take on a W like personality by Wendell Berry p207 That Distant Land 2004 Shoemaker and Hoard
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"What troubled her were the dark and mostly silent angers that often settled on him and estranged himself from everything. At those times he doubted himself, and he suffered and raged in his doubt. ... But Elton's pride (W.?) was merely creaturely,albeit that of an extraordinary creature, it was a creature's naked claim on the right to respect itself, a claim no creature's life, of itself, could invariably support. At times he seemed to her a man in the light in daily struggle with a man in the dark, and sometimes the man in the dark had the upper hand."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
a passage that in no way would ever remind me of Presidents Ford or Carter but could sure fit Nixon and is the streak of Presidential ambition that must be avoided at all costs
roger rankin
Sat, 12/30/06
12:44 pm
If Bush gets his escalation, we can expect the number to reach 4,000 firly quickly.
.....................well paine, Im glad only people like you have to look at yourself in the mirror everyday.................
Michael Ellis
Is it me or you that comes across as a d...
for no apparent reason (like you have a chip on your shoulder)?
~ "I would like to educate you in the fact that this country was an ally of (Saddam Hussein) and furnished him chemical and biological weapons for this massacre most likely..."
Mike, tell me something I didn't know. That was done under a Repug admin correct?
As for what the US could have done to stop Saddam earlier. HA ha, it took a while Mike. He's dead. Dead. Wasn't a nation in all of Arabia or Europe that did much but help the SOB (Saddam).
Yup, eleven strokes/length this AM. Not trying to do a sub 4 400...Nope, just long and slow. Plus, I ain't been in the pool for four or five years and oh thirty since it was for competition. I like long and slow, high elbow relaxed effort on the non-pull phase, clean hand entry, and a lot of rotation. IT'S HARD WORK!
All the best.
BBL
I remember reading about those in Congress who really do support the troops. It was put out by the veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraqi wars. Most Dems received A's & B's. Most Republicans received D's & F's. This was based on votes associated with helping our troops.
Good job, DFA, with the phone cards.
Linda*in*SFNM
BTW, if anyone has experience and would be interested in an Exec Director position in Greater Cincinnati, they are looking for one.~~~~Wow! a busy job for sure. And to think Howard handles all that on a national level, including traveling to foreign countries to give his expertise. Terry McAuliffe seemed only to sit around chatting in bars, etc. raising money, and even at that much less that Howard.
Al, of course, was/is right! If Greenland goes, so goes the world! Hope this pic shows.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arctic Ice Shelf Broke Off Canadian Island
53. sitka, LOL, very fitting
jc lol, thanks :)
Joan , absolutely. As usual, the DLC crowd looks for the easy , corporate way out as Terry did.
Night and day between the Gov and him for sure.
if WE are hanging saddam for killings, seems there are a lot who should get the same treatment - rumsfeld, bremer, franks, conde, and the list goes on.
the coverage is like the time they killed saddams sons and paraded their dead pictures all over. won't make a difference at all.
the killing goes on.
and bush is in texas hiding from the tornadoes.
putz.
50. jc LOL perfect as well.
I hoped he would choke on his popcorn while watching the live hanging.
linda b,
The death penalty, in this case hanging, is only an allusion of justice. It never solves the As you wrote, the killing will go on as usual.
If the death penalty occured on an American base there, how can anyone declare this was an Iraqi thing. Nope, we had our hands all over this thing. The Iraqis are NOT in power, it's just a pretend thing. I see no end to it.
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By Charles Chamberlain on Dec 23, 2006 9:08 PM ESTGreat work SFD! This kind of giving means a lot to those that receive it!