Healthcare Reform Bill has Passed ???? Not sure, LA Times is reporting it passed, Cspan is still showing Haggling ?

This is the Huffington Post Update that has a little more....
And then there is this article, about Repugs that support Single Payer Plan...

Awesome Blog...go right away...."What Would Jack Do"

Waxman says that a Healthcare "Deal " has been reached, click title to read more....See what is the Status of the Public Option ????

I will be back later.....but read and see what you think....I could not figure out What the Status of the Public Option is from this update.....or the Kucinich Amendment....( yes, Fran, I will email you the amend.)

Call Your Elected Reps ( linked to this title) and Demand Public Option Explain WHY.....

( originally postd 7.30.09 am)
Attached to the Title is the List of Phone numbers of the Progressive Democratic Caucus, DO CALL THE WHOLE LIST, REMIND THEM OF THEIR PLEDGE AND REMIND THEM THAT LIVES ARE AT STAKE, 14,000 A DAY ARE LOSING HEALTHCARE. AND REMIND THEM TO FIGHT FOR THE PUBLIC OPTION.DO ASK THAT THE KUNCINICH AMENDMENT BE KEPT AS PART OF THE BILL.WE DON'T NEED INSURANCE REFORM, WE NEED HEALTHCARE FOR ALL. AND ALSO REMIND THEM THAT THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CO-OPS AND HAVING A PUBLIC OPTION.

( Jay Rockefeller was on with Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC today, and he is charge of the Health Committee, and it is clear that even he was confused about the co-op vs. public option).
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Brave New Films sent out an email this am, 450,000 Doctors support the Public Option,
Stand with the 450,000 doctors and call Congress to reform health care now: (202) 224-3121.

*** If the phone person tries to block your call because you are not a "constituent", NICELY explain that you are a VOTER and that the Democratic Caucus is supposed to represent ALL Voters, and that ALL Voters Healthcare is at stake, so the Caucus must hear from ALL Dem Voters.....*****

Do also ask that the Kucinich Amendment be kept on....and do also ask them where they stand on the Wyden Plan ? and also ask why HR 3200 was pulled off last night ? Scroll down, I posted many helpful talking points yesterday....

Early Thursday Morning Huffington Post article explains where the "Compromising " stands on HR3200, Read this article, it has great insight into the talking points about WHAT is at risk.Please do call the Blue Dog offices too and let them know that THE people in the Country will not support the Compromises that effect Care. Remind them that YOU pay and Porvide their Superior Care. Remember to Remind them that they PLEDGED to get this right...and remind them that it needs a robust Public Option.
Snippet from Huffpo::::
As word of the agreement spread, liberals fired back. "We do not support this," said Rep. Lynn Woolsey, (D-Calif.), co-chair of the Progressive Caucus. "I think they have no idea how many people are against this. They can't possibly be taking us seriously if they're going to bring this forward." At a press conference, she said, "[W]e might have to come back and start over."Plans to convene the Energy and Commerce Committee for a vote slipped until Thursday as leaders sought to allay concerns of liberals.

"Waxman made a deal that is unacceptable," Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) told Politico, after meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) on Wednesday.

"We signed a pledge to reject any plan that doesn't include a robust public option, and this plan doesn't have a robust public option," he added.

"We just need to get everybody on board," said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., who chairs the panel's subcommittee on health.
In the Senate, the pace of negotiations appears to have accelerated in recent days, with lawmakers all but settling on a tax on high-cost insurance plans to help pay for the bill, as well as a new mechanism designed to curtail the growth of Medicare over the next 10 years and beyond.More problematic from the point of view of most Democrats is a tentative agreement to omit a provision in which the government would sell insurance in competition with private industry. In its place, the group is expected to recommend nonprofit cooperatives that could operate at the state, regional or even national level.Nor is any bipartisan recommendation likely to include a requirement for large businesses to offer insurance to their workers. Instead, they would have a choice between offering coverage or paying a portion of any government subsidy that noninsured employees would receive.Like the House bill, the bipartisan proposal under discussion would expand eligibility for Medicaid to 133 percent of the federal poverty level.It provides for federal subsidies for individuals and families up to 300 percent of poverty, less than the 400 percent in the House measure."

AARP has Wapo update of late 29th eve, and it ain't so pretty, and is very worrisome....

and maybe we should call the Whitehouse.....remember this from a year ago, Obama campaigning...

Medal of Freedom Awards...amazing list....

TURN ON CSPAN,...THE HOUSE IS HAGGLING OVER THE HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL

Health Care Reform would actually help the Economy...but DC Talking Heads forgot to Tell Anyone...

read the post linked to the Title, it shows that the bill would help the economy...

President Obama's Town Hall with AARP....okay watch this...carefully...and you might feel better..

Click the title...and watch this, the MSM should have run the WHOLE thing,....61 Minutes but worth the watch....

Dr.Dean Interviews Sherrod Brown on Countdown.....

Wyden's Healthy America Act is an interesting plan , take a look and see what you think....

Click the title...to read the actual act , read it here....

Public Option Is getting "Compromised"??? ....snippet below from Bob Cesca...

From Bob's Awesome blog::: 7:30PM tonight..


"WATERING DOWN THE PUBLIC OPTION
Henry Waxman reached an agreement with House Blue Dogs on healthcare reform and the public option:

The Blue Dogs wrestled some concessions out of Waxman (D-Calif.), particularly related to a public health care option and employer mandates. The committee's current version of the public option now more closely resembles that of the health committee in the Senate.
For instance, rather than linking the public option to the rates enjoyed by Medicare, the new language would require a separate agreement without Medicare's bargaining power, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius would be responsible for negotiating deals with service providers from day one of the public plan's existence, rather than year three. States can also set up co-op insurance plans in addition to the public option, but not in its stead.

In and of itself, this isn't good, but it's not terrible either. What truly blows here is that the public option will be further compromised and watered down when and if it even gets to a conference committee to be reconciled with a much more conservative Senate bill.

In other words, the public option doesn't get any stronger from here -- it can only be weakened."
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Enigma Comments:::
Son of a Bitch 52 Million Americans are about to be thrown to the damn curb....I am ready to March on DC- I have had it. I also think we need a National Strike. Unreal.... No Balls ..No Spine Dems ...HOW the hell can they do this...And President Obama you made Promises to the People...

Jane Hamsher found this gem, Boxer today on Healthcare...watch and see what you think ...

Great New Blog- go give a Warm Welcome and also read her Healthcare post- Excellent ..

WE NEED HEALTHCARE REFORM, YET TODAY OBAMA IS PUSHING INSURANCE REFORM, 8 NEW RULES FOR INSURANCE COMPANIES..THAT IS NOT HEALTHCARE FOR ALL.

So today I went to the Whitehouse Blog, and it's odd because I have gotten NO Healthcare updates from the Obama Administration since I submitted my story and FIVE dollar Donation for his Health Care Pursuit 2.5 weeks ago. NADA...Nothing, not a single murmur. So today I went to the Whitehouse blog- and wow, really strange- NOW NEW RULES are being pursued ? "Consumer Protections" ????WTF ? And WHO the hell is going to stop the Insurance Companies from doing whatever they want ? They have been denying care and Payments for years - there is NO Protection....there has been NO ONE watching or Caring WHAT they do for years as they rob us blind...

We, 52 Million Americans NEED HEALTHCARE REFORM NOT INSURANCE REFORM...( and yeah, I tweeted the damn Whitehouse...)

Eight Protections ????

HEY MSNBC AND CNN PLEASE SHOW THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA IS GIVING TODAY -WHY AREN'T YOU ?????

NC TOWN HALL MEETING IS ON RIGHT NOW...AND PRESIDENT OBAMA IS TALKING ABOUT THE PUBLIC OPTION AND CSPAN EVEN CUT AWAY...DAMN..

Another way to look at the Healthcare Crisis,18.7 Million Empty Homes in the 2nd Quarter.....HOW Many People has this effected,

I read this Bloomberg article attached to the title it raises more Questions than Answers.I see all the empty houses in my hood, and HOW many are empty because Financial bills wiped folks out ? In my hood on my street two empty homes are where people died this winter, both were in foreclosure, both were older folks with huge medical bills....more than 73% of Bankruptcies are related to medical debt and stress.It is ALL connected, people losing Jobs, Homes, and Healthcare. And it is unfair for the Repugs and the Blue Dogs to ONLY work on pieces that interest them....People that are unemployed and or UnderInsured or UnInsured have NO ONE to lobby for them...It is up to us to call DC and the MSM and keep the Focus on WHO is being harmed by this Crisis. 14,000 a day are losing Healthcare....We can not Give Bailouts to Big Corporations and then have DC turn their backs on 52 Million Americans.

When you call your Your Reps Remember some of these Talking Points..
(1) 73% of Bankruptcies, leading to Home Loss and Foreclosure are due to Medical Debt....
(2) The 6 Million that have Lost Jobs this year alone, have NO Healthcare of Access to Affordable Care, that is why the True UnInsured Number is really 52 Million.
(3) for the 18.7 Million Homes Mentioned in this Article, How Many are not only Homeless ? Jobless ? Or perhaps part time work and are now renting but still have NO Healthcare ? And remember that each of those homes represents Millions depending on how many are in each home- 37 -74 million Individuals depending on Family size....
(4) The Public Option would Save Lives...period. ( atleast 30,000 are dying per year with NO Healthcare...)

Atleast 52 Million Americans Have No Healthcare ....I am just one person Who truly Needs the Public Option.NOW.

This is Not Rocket Science....click the article and learn talking points and facts that will help you make calls to your reps..be sure to emphasize that the Public Option would Save Lives. ( read this article for more infor and learn more.
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My Healthcare Story....DC and the MSM need to Cover ALL of Our Stories...The Reality of this Crisis. Both to some degree are Enabling the Insurance Industry. We do Not need Insurance Reform, we need Healthcare Reform. The Public Option would save Lives.
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I am an RN of 20+ Years. I have worked to take care of hundreds,maybe even more. I have never ever refused anyone care for anything, I have worked it all from Community Health, to AIDS to ER to Hospice....Homecare to Hospital Care. I took an Oath to care for people, to deny No One Care and to do No Harm. As a Nurse I have always tried to teach others to be proactive and take good care of themselves.I never thought I would be UnInsured or not able to have access to care I need. I have been Uninsured since 2006, this is my story of why and how it happened....and it is personal, and I am sharing it because it matters...it is Reality.It is a Reality for me , and 52 Million other Americans.Below is merely a piece of my Healthcare-Less story...

In 2005 I went through a Divorce, and therefore needed to find Insurance on my own as a single mom. My son still did and does have coverage, and that was my top priority. I set off to find a job that would offer benefits and also to find Health Insurance.The Cheapest Single Payer plan I could find was $480/month. I contacted more than 14 companies, and only ONE would take me. I was denied coverage by 6 of them for having MVP ( Mitral Valve Prolapse- a simple heart valve deformity that millions of Americans have and it is a structural issue). That was the beginning of seeing the dimensions of the ability of Insurance Companies to deny care. I called the Insurance Company and learned that many conditions are Exclusion worthy it was a long list. Even someone being ordered for an EKG or an Echo or other test that indicates Heart Monitoring would have people be cancelled. So also Doctors can not properly monitor for Heart Disease without restrictions and being over powered by the Insurance Companies. So people with Insurance could also be cancelled at any time for a test or Xray being ordered,without warning or notice. What bothers me about this process is that Insurance companies don't have to follow or abide by any HIPPA laws , they can do demand access to your Health History and records BEFORE they agree to accept you. It is like a Club that does not have to follow ANY laws ?

( By the way- that is just part of the Heart Story....but it was the beginning of learning about being Denied care....I do have valve issues, BUT the bigger picture is that I take good care of myself, I walk everyday, use a treadmill, and don't smoke or drink....I am proactive, but no one ever asked me that.Bottemline someone with an enlarged heart and valve issues SHOULD have Monitoring and Regular Screening, ie EKG"S etc.)

So that was the beginning of the struggle. So Finally after many monthes, I found a company that would cover me, and I was willing to pay the 480/month until I could get a job with benefits. So I paid for the insurance for 3 monthes, then I went to get my first Breast exam in many years, thinking I was going for a routine mammogram. I got there and there was a lump, actually a cyst the size of a small plum. So there was ultrasounds done and the cyst was aspirated ( 9 cc's....). And I was sent to a follow up to a Breast Expert. He was very thorough. He did a History, he asked about my family. I explained that my grandmom had died of Breast Cancer and Lung Cancer. I also explained because she encouraged me, that before I had gotten pregnant with my son I had had the BRCA test when I lived in another state. He asked me to try to get those records, so I did, and could not- they were archived or lost by the Institution. So he did what any doctor would do , he ordered the important blood work be redone because it is important for monitoring and screening for breast cancer. I asked him not to, I told him when it was ordered that it would cause me Insurance Problems. he said it was worth the risk.

So within weeks, I was Cancelled for not providing a FULL Medical History, and ALL of the care for the Breast Appointments I had to cover myself, over $1500.

Now it is 3 years later. I am underemployed, with 3 part time jobs. The One job that is not even a Nurse job is at a market,I took it because I was told that within a year I could be Eligible for Health Insurance. NOW for the Truth, the Market Job will review my situation at one year and submit my name, and start paying in, but that is a Probation period, and THEN the Actual Plan review is Not Until Spring 2010 ( though I have worked there since 2008). And then at that time I can and still could potentially be denied, even after paying in during the Probation period.The Nursing work here is all part time or per diem with NO Access to ANY coverage- so that is my ONLY Option. ( The Hospitals here have a Freeze or only are hiring per diem or part time if at all, and this has been the case since 2007).

So here is where it gets very interesting.

For the past year I have been battling 98% of the Symptoms of MS, thankfully, my Brain is fine and working at same speed. BUT my muscles are failing, and I am losing strength and coordination.I have constant pain and muscle spasm and stiffness and my gait is effected. I have NO meds for this. I have received some free medical "advice" and guidance about what I "need", ( which vitamins and supplements to try). I need a Neurologist, but can not find one single one that is willing to take me Without Insurance. I have contacted all the right people and organizations. I even found one group willing to donate an $2000 MRI for me, but without a doctor or someone to offer me care, it is a meaningless gift. MS means that for work I get up 3 hours early so that I can get "Unstiff" . I do have a Doc In the Box I go to when I am desperate for care, but I can not go there for this. I have only been there this year when the Recalled Cookie Dough left me so sick and dehydrated, but I had to pay out of pocket for everything. Another time when I needed antibiotics for a respiratory infection I ordered Fish Antibiotics from a Pet Company. And this winter I had a stress fracture in my foot I used Duct tape to treat it. And about the Breast Cancer Risks and History, there was never a follow up or another test done. I did try to get care at the Free Clinic and was denied because they are not taking ANY new patients, they are full. Other low income clinics would not take me without Insurance or MediCaid. I am out of Options.

So there is a Piece of my Medical Story....Beyond Broken...and I am just one of 52 Million that has such a Story....I am one of 52 Million Americans that Needs a Public Option....Now.

HR Plan 3200 : Please Go and Look at YOUR District and see what is being planned for Healthcare Reform

Annette posted this Attached Link over on her Blog and sadly it has not gotten enough focus, because the MSM would rather focus on the Senate Finance Committee's infighting....It is a cumbersome huge heavy lifting of a bill....and needs to be seen...and read and absorbed....If one reads how it would help his or her community that is where it starts to resonate on it's impact and problem solving capabilities....It would help small businesses, Underemployed and UnderInsured. It is Detailed and well worked, and does address many parts of the Crisis....

We Need Healthcare for ALL.....read this site and learn more and learn what to do...

14,000 People a Day are Losing Healthcare, 583 An Hour, That is Called a Healthcare Crisis, AND YET DC is going on Vacation???? WHY?

(reposted from July 24th...)
WHAT THE HELL ??? Can we fire Reid and Pelosi NOW ? And Baucus and His damned Conflict of Interest that is lining his pockets? Right Now ? Damnit....Healthcare is not a Privilege, it is a Right. 14,000 people a DAY are losing their Healthcare RIGHT NOW. That translates to 583 an HOUR.That is 420,000 a month, and 5,040,000 A YEAR. This does NOT include the 52 Million ALREADY without Healthcare, that does not include the next 500,000 that will lose jobs over the next 2 Monthes. This does not include the ONE in Five Children without Healthcare, or the Millions that have already lost Insurance due to Pre-existing Conditions or Illness, or Millions that have lost Homes due to Medical Billing. Supposedly 110 Million Have Insurance, how many are UnderInsured ? How many are still paying thousands out of pocket per year ? How Many are struggling to pay Premiums that are rising faster than their rate of pay ? How many are working multiple jobs to pay for insurance? How many are sacrificing FOOD and Meds to pay Medical Bills ? And can ANY of the DEMS can answer these Questions ? Here's an Idea, Let's Cancel ALL of the Insurance for the House and Congress- make them all go out and try to get Real Insurance, Single Payer, and see how it goes...Oh, and By the Way, 2000 per month, Atleast, are Dying Without Healthcare....Dying in America.

I know of two neighbors that died on my street this year...in their homes...without care...that is my reality, and that does not count all of my neighbors that are losing their jobs and homes and health care...and health. This is My America.....As a Nurse, as an UnInsured Nurse, I am Fed up....

Every day I get Five Emails Selling me Life Insurance and Cemetary Plans.....Never Health Insurance...so is the message that people are worth more dead than alive at this point ? Over at the Sidebar at the top there are American Health Stories- this is the wall of Stories that the Obama Administration has been collecting from around the Country...they are amazing..
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WE NEED A PUBLIC OPTION NOW...NOW.PERIOD.

Call Reid Raise Hell..Enough is Enough...

Phone: 202-224-3542
Fax: 202-224-7327
Toll Free for Nevadans:
1-866-SEN-REID (736-7343)
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( Thank you Newsguy for Reid's info).....and do see Gryphen's video below:::

HOWARD DEAN IS HOSTING COUNTDOWN TONIGHT AND TOMORROW NIGHT...TURN IT ON...

( I will be back blogging tomorrow..finally off...and yeah, it will be about Healthcare....)

Go To Huffington Post, it looks like the Public Option is Being Killed, PLEASE Make Calls and Raise Hell....52 Million WIthout Healthcare...

Damnit this is about HEALTHCARE REFORM ....NOT "Insurance " reform....Call your Senators....oh hell you know who to call....

Today there are Worldwide Rallies for Iran, Click title to see the Sea of Green Scroll in Paris....

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One of the Main Projects that was planned for today was the Longest Scroll to happen in Paris at the Eiffel Tower. Click here and you can see all of the information about the Longest Scroll and how people from around the world participated....and see Live Stream video by the Tower.
And then of course Nico Pitney is doing a great job covering the rallies around the world.

Amazing blog about the Iranian rallies and what it means....

Okay..so it's Saturday Night...If you haven't seen this, you need to...Amazing Wedding Entrance...

Be sure to watch ALL the reactions too...even the grandparents are clapping and smiling along....

TGIF.....finally....end of the week from hell...Here are some videos to make you laugh...or atleast smile...

Grooms do thriller...

And Somoan Wedding Party in 2008 in New Zealand....amazing...

I am back....Computer FINALLY fixed...and so I am catching up and working on Posts for tonight- and yeah-one is on HEALTHCARE...as 583 People lose their healthcare per hour....AND yes...I am writing a post about the Gates Arrest....

AWESOME NEW BLOG...GO RIGHT NOW...

The Amazing Series on Homelessnes....must see..

Lee Stanahan posted about this on Huffpo and also over at Bob Cesca's blog, and it is a documentary that is being made, a series on Homelessness across America.....amazing.

Quick Message From Enigma...

Hey there....Just wanted to let you know, my lovely computer is being repaired...and I will be back in full blogging business in 7 days...So so sorry...( I will be only online about 1 hour day as I need to be working extra to get my little buddy repaired..so sorry...) Keep at it..Healthcare needs fixing so keep working on it...and Many Prayers still to Iran...namaste..

President Obama's First Pitch in the All Star Game.....yeah..

And as a Reward for Failure ? 8.2 Million ? Are you kidding ?

As Much as the Repugs are SOooo Unhappy with the Sotomayer Nomination.....I have Two words for you..."Harriet Miers"

A Letter to the Valley Swim Club about Life Lessons For Children...

A Letter to the Board of the Valley Swim Club in Pennsylvania,
As a mom who lives in an urban area I am writing to express my concern and outrage at your recent Blatant Bigotry. It is 2009, and America is finally changing and Embracing ALL of America, and the last Election was a Message about Race, we as a Nation we can no Longer set up Lines of Division. And if such Lines of division are set up to hurt Children that is a Crime, a Hate Crime.As a long ago Life Guard and Pool Manager I can say that Pools, whether they be Community or Private are where Children in the Summer learn Life Skills and Life Lessons. They learn not only how to swim and be safe in the water, they learn to accept their bodies as they are, all shapes,sizes and colors.They learn how to play and compete in a nurturing environment. They learn to Trust their own bodies and skills as they learn to swim. They also learn to trust that they are being nurtured in a safe welcoming environment.They literally learn to "Sink or Swim", it is an important Life Skill. They learn that their Self Esteem can be empowered and embraced as they swim.For children that live in an apartment with limited play access, a pool is magical and truly a gift. ( I say this as a mom that has lived in an apartment with a growing boy).The World is no longer defined by "Colors" or "Complexion", it is however formed by the Lessons we give our Children. Shame on you for giving a Lesson from the Past, a lesson that Discrimination is Ugly and Cruel, and also UnAmerican.

Send letters to:
Valley Swim Club
22 TOMLINSON RD
HUNTINGDON VALLEY, PA 19006
( and forward a Copy to Rachel and Keith and the MSM).
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Click title for their latest "decision" about the Children being allowed to swim.

NYT writes an Article on Sarah Palin and the troubled course of her Governorship over the past Nine Monthes.....

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This article examines different aspects of her past nine months that show her leadership as anything but rosy and cozy, and also points out that she is not stepping down at the height of her career, or the pinnacle of her promise....far from it...Down below I have two articles to read about rise in Poverty and Effects on Children, when you read about Sarah, please remember she is making "decisions" for the welfare of her state and the children of her state...her ability to lead and competency issues are no joke.

I could care less whether she has "thin hair", hell if she was in the VP office right NOW, none of us would have a hair left on our head.....
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Then Frank Rich wrote this piece in the NYT as well, raising some serious Questions about Sarah, and whether she owns the GOP. Funny I look at this more like the Pottery Barn Rule- for the GOP they broke their own Party- and they own it.period.
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And since the NYT is still struggling to adequately explain the Sarah Ethical Dilemmas properly, Shannyn Moore's post explains Sarah and how as a Governor she has consistently struggled with rules and maybe has even set up a Constitutional Crisis in her state.....and also explains her ethical problems that have effected the State of Alaska.

As an RN, as a Mom, and as one battling a Disease, I am asking you to click this link and READ OUR American Stories and WHY we need the Public Option.

Click this title, the Obama Administration has been collecting Stories from around the Country, from people Battling for Healthcare. It has stories of people that have suffered at hands of the Insurance Industry, and struggled for Care. It also has stories from health practioners of what they have seen taking care of people. I urge you to read these stories and share the information. I have a Button on my side bar for this site. As a Nurse of over 20 years and someone who is UN-Insured due to Cancer in my family and facing a huge health battle of my own, I am begging you to Fight for the Public Option.....and yes, my story is on the site...

Poverty Indicators for Children continue to rise....

Snippet from Article:::
"A growing number of American children are living in poverty and with unemployed parents, and are facing the threat of hunger, according to a federal report released yesterday.According to the report, "America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being," 18 percent of all children 17 and younger were living in poverty in 2007, up from 17 percent in 2006. The percentage of children with at least one parent working full time was 77 percent in 2007, down from 78 percent in 2006. Those living in households where parents described children as being hungry, having skipped a meal or having gone without eating for an entire day increased from 0.6 percent in 2006 to 0.9percent in 2007, the report said.

Federal officials said the statistics predate the current economic downturn, and forecast harder times for some of the country's 74 million children 17 and younger."It foreshadows greater changes we'll see when we look at these figures next year," said Duane Alexander, director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Heath, one of the government agencies that participated in the study."
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There are other issues that this is not addressing yet.....Malnutrition, Medical Care, Education, and yes even child abuse issues as the economic stress continues to rise. ( There are statistic correlations between domestic abuse and economic downfalls).I have yet to hear the DHHS raise any of these issues, or the MSM to cover any of these issues. The Economic Crisis has real impact on real people, wealth should be measured against the Human Condition...and how we treat our young and care for them and nurture them says much about us as People, as a Nation. A year ago we had a President who could not even say the "R" word, because it made him uncomfortable, and the media coddled him and wallstreet as the Economy Plummeted.

Children should never be the Consequence of Arrogance and Abuse of Power....

Why would I write such a harsh endightment ? Have you ever seen people sleeping in cars ? Families ? It changes your perspective.....
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WHAT can you do ?
Give to your local foodbank, especially in the summer when school meal programs are not providing meals. In many states the meal programs and Summer school programs have been drastically cut. These are children that normally would get meals at school and now are home for the summer. Give Child friendly foods, cookies, mac&cheese, baked beans, juices, canned fruit and pudding. And also check and see if the Food banks needs Formula and Diapers. Thank you.

Homelessness is still a problem....and not getting enough attention,

Snippet:::
"Last year, we saw a 34 percent increase in homeless families and a 24 percent increase in homeless children," he said. "Why do we go beyond capacity? Because in a just society, a child should not have to sleep outside or in a car."

New Blog to Check out and Explore: Welcome the Quaker Agitator...morning awesome..

Bush Spied on Citizens Illegally.....Click and read the LA Times article on this...

At Some point we need the Bush Crimes ALL of them to be investigated and prosecuted, as a Country we will never heal otherwise. On another note, if we don't...History can repeat itself...all it takes is another Stolen Election and Crook at the Helm.....we did not learn from Nixon.

CIA Mess has caused quite a Stir....Finally , 1800 articles this am. Click to learn more about Secrets...

David Swanson Writes WHY the Torture issue needs to be Investigated and more...Prosecuted..

This really solid article about the Torture and What the photos really reveal and WHY we can not move forward until the situation is dealt with.....I did many posts on Torture last winter and spring, I have them linked to the Buttons on the Side about War Crime Trials...

Favorite Palin Cartoon....( there are too many to post..)

(stolen from Immoral Minority...thanks gryphen...and click the title to Exgov 's Twitter page...LOL)

BBC Book Nerd Challenge.....

100 Books
The BBC believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here.
How do your reading habits stack up?

Instructions:
Copy this into your NOTES.
Look at the list and put an 'x' after those you have read.
Tag other Book Nerds and Publish.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen - X
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien X
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte - X
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling X
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee - X
6 The Bible - X
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte - X
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell - X
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman -
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens - X
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott - X
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy X
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller - X
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare - X (not complete but LOTS)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier!) X
6 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien X
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk -
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger - X
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot X
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell X
22 The Great Gatsby - X
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens X
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy - X
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams - X
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh - X
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky - X (3 times)
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck -X
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll - X
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame X
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy - X
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens - X
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis -
34 Emma - Jane Austen - X
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen -X
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis - X
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - X
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres -X
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - X
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne - X
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell - X
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown -
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez - X
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving -X
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery -X
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy -X
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood - X
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding -X
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan - X
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel - X
52 Dune - Frank Herbert - X
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen - X
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth -
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon -
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens - X
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley -X
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - Mark Haddon -X
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez - X
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck - X
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov X
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt -
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold - X
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas X
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding X
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie X
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville - X
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens - X
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker - X
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - X
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson -
75 Ulysses - James Joyce - X
76 The Inferno - Dante - X
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray -X
80 Possession - AS Byatt -
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens - X
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell -
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker - X
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro -X
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert -
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry -
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White - X
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom X
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - X
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton-
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad -
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery - X (both English & French!)
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams - X
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole - X
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas - X
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare - X
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl -X
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo - X

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Mary posted this on Facebook....very cool....I don't know my score...hmm..I think I qualify...

Videos From July 8th Iran Protests Coming Out, they used their Cars at Crossings, Families came out together, Also read report......

new just got it off twitter, only viewed 8 times, great they are still protesting and they found a way to get footage out...watch the women.....amazing..,,kinda makes sense to use Cars to protest- thwarts the Basij on their bikes...

( Protests were planned for yesterday to be held to honor the Protests of 10 years ago...and to keep the uprising alive...it was uncertain how many would come out..also communication is sorely hampered).
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More Updates of the Protests of the day, from Tehran Bureau.
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Here is More Footage please share with media and Twitter, really amazing how they organized without Phones compueters...and in spite of all the arrests and brutality...
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I will post more updates below and in comments, and the post below was last updated this AM....
Nico Pitney posted this wonderful video LINK that has many more videos that are worth seeing...
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U2 on their 360 tour.....and Again in Milan they do Bloody Sunday dedicated to Iran with the GREEN and the farsi-
But LISTEN to the audience sing along....please share and retweet...( thanks to Nico for posting this..) it really does need to be shared and seen.....

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The ROOFTOP project,really amazing.

Iran Uprising Update ....July 8th...day 27...( please do continue to follow Nico Pitney's ongoing Updates at Huffingtonpost)

It has been harder and harder to get information but Huffington Post is still doing an amazing job of covering the situation...I will most likely do less updates, maybe a few a week..but with work and the Book..its getting harder for me to cover Iran as well as it deserves...I am still peeved at the MSM who spent TWELVE days "covering " Micheal Jackson's Death. I think it is sad that a Musician died, BUT I am confused WHY MJ needed 24 hours a day coverage. To the people in Iran , I am so embarrassed and horrified of the MSM shutdown...What will happen there ....Time will tell...
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This report from The Guardian , as they continue to attempt to track Who was killed and detained, they have a story from within from a Doctor that tells what Medically really went on and that the death toll is much higher.
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Keep the 25th Open as it is being planned as a UNITE for IRAN day...read more, and I will be posting updates...
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This Video link shows a bigger video of the Students Song at the University and has the lyrics, every powerful. But also shows the determination of the young people to have a Future. This Video was made after some of the Bloodiest brutality. They are brave and resiliant. Watch the whole video and you will hear the women join in and see they too are participating even though they can not dance.
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Amazing Video for Iran...

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An amazing Al Jezeera video by a French Documentary maker that explains the Uprising and where it is at this point:

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Austin Heap has continued to be creative and resourceful helping Iranians keep connected....Please donate to them and read about their work...
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Amazing letter From a prisoner's son...to Ahmadinejead
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Top Clerics decry Election, and defy Government's results..Seattle Times.....
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Day of Solidarity for Iran July 25th, people trying to organize a Day for the world to unite to let Iran know they honor them and this time of struggle.
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Rezla Aslan's new post he has been doing an amazing job educating people about the situation in Iran.
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New post on Iran from Tehran Bureau, so sad that I can not figure this article out, it is basically needing some clarification, if anyone can do that....War Party? I am confused....But I love this journal and their integrity.....
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French woman detained on spy charges...
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Really good article about the sitaution in Iran, explains alot...
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Protesters encouraged to carry Roses and Flowers now...
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11PM update;;;;
As it dawns there right now...protests by the people are planned...and NYT is reporting that 2000 have been released, but atleast 500 detainees face trials.....
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Thursday Noon Updates:::
With renewed protests today to honor the Protesters of ten years ago, there are reports filtering in of Clashes and brutality against the protesters who were marching peacefully in Tehran....more in this LA TImes report.

It does Appear that FOX may have BIGGER problems than we knew- look what fell out of an Anchor's Mouth TODAY...

We need to DO Something Folks- What is it ? A Petition ? or WHAT ?

On the Porch...trying to get caught up....

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I have been on the porch most of the day, working on The Book, reading up on Iran and trying to get caught up after going back to work this week and working the past 5 days ( after recovering from the Cookie Dough Illness..)...So I am a little behind..sorry...Iran post will be up tonight...you can catch me on Twitter ( watergatesummer)....for music ( Blip...yeah...it's amazing...I am DJ- Enigma4ever...) or you can also find me now on Facebook...or email me. And yes, Comments are open below.

July 5th Day 23 of the Iranian Uprising.....

THE LONGEST SCROLL PROJECT...wow...A wonderful project that Nico Pitney blogged about this am....it will inspire you and make you want to be a part of Something Bigger...and so artistic and creative.... Nico Pitney is still Liveblogging the Uprising over at Huffington Post...he always has amazing updates and Finds...I did hear about this on Twitter last night, but I am so glad that he blogged it today...we need to share this ...far and wide....
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Austin Heap's Haystack project will really help the Iranians get better access to the internet....critical right now, please do share this information...
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This article from The Guardian explains about Proxies and how they work and help the Iranians. And in this article they also explore how Twitter has changed the World of Connecting.....forever.
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Now for some good news...about Clerics defying the Ayatollah and the Election, this from the NYT late last night....
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Revolutionary Road has an update....
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LA Times also has a thorough update that covers a variety of the issues at hand...including what is next for Mousavi....
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Neda's Boyfriend tells more about her and her life...about how innocent she really was....
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BBC has an analysis of where the Sea of Green Stands and what happens next...
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This column written by Roger Cohen will take your breath away....it is so touching and painful....I cried when I read it...People have asked me if I will stop blogging about Iran, and I have to say no...I am in awe of their Courage and sheer Determination. I am inspired by their struggle.....I wore a green ribbon this weekend around my wrist...an Iranian Man that came in to the market ( that is job number 3...the other 2 are nursing...I work the market because I need to try to get health insurance...) But he asked me, quietly, "For Iran ? and I said " Yes, for them...for the Sea of Green..."He nodded and filled up and said Thank you. It was a small moment...a moment of Connection. I told him we must have Hope and Faith.....I meant it.
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Comments are open tonight. Anything Hateful or inappropriate will be removed.period.

Where do I file this, "Lost Marbles" or "Sunday Insanity"? Last Last night on Independence Day Sarah Palin Jumped the Shark...Click and read.

( On friday I had promised not to blog again on her....BUT....she is up there having fits..sooooo)

Okay so I got up this morning and hit the Internets to find the News, I first read up on Iran, and then I decided that I should see WHAT is going on in Alaska where I have good friends, and with Sara Pee after all I need a Laugh....omg...She has officially lost her marbles...She has now decided that to shut up the Media and those damn Bloggers she better SUE the Internets....( Click the title and read Wonkette's take on this whole mess...warning I did spew Pepsi....her take is hilarious..and she does try to link to the 7 Page Palin Manifesto that was created with her lawyer.)

So Let me get this straight In Honor of THIS Great Country and Freedom of Speech....she wants to SUE the Internets and find a way to Block Bloggers from Having Free Speech....and the Gotcha Media...and That Vanity Fair and WHO else ?????? And the joke is on her- Did she really think only a FEW Bloggers blogged on her ? Gee , try THOUSANDS honey...I bet in her pee brain as it narcisstically swirled , it never dawned on her how many blogged her antics last fall. And Letterman may have apologized- but is she hoping that ALL Bloggers will "apologize"?

( well, she won't sue FOX, because they are over there in Mourning and crying every other hour about the demise of her political Career....and just for the record..This Country owes Bloggers a HUGE collective Thank You for Exposing Sara Pee for the Dimwitted Dangerous Twit that she is, and she could have been ONE Melanoma away from the Oval Office...yikes I shudder...) As Paul Begala said Friday eve ," She makes Sanford look sane".
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Do read Huffington Post's Take on all of this...more polite than I can be.... Muckraker updated the post tonight as Shannyn Moore gave a press conference today on how she as a Citizen will not be bullied by Sarah.
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Great Alaska Newspaper has more...
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And great AK Blogger Gryphen has more, I can proudly say that I have been friends with him for almost 5 years....he blogs ALL things Alaska...and tells the story well..... read more here.
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Monday AM: MSNBC: " Palin=palooza",
On Weekend Analysis of her Batshit decision....worth the read.
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For More Background information:::::
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Interview with Shannyn Moore of AK:

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MORE ABOUT HOUSE-GATE.....
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Comments open....

For the Forth....Music...a post for our VETS...and a new Update on Iran...have a good day..I will be back tonight...

oh...and of course...there is a post about SaraPee...just scroll down...

This Forth of July we must not forget the VETS home...or still abroad..

Paul Reickoff's post, "Coming home from war is no Independence Day picnic for Iraq soliders" is a must read In a very careful personal way he reminds us of what is real for the military that we have in Iraq and why we need to get them home and we need to take care of them once they come home.....All of them...So they don't feel alone when they get home....ever.PTSD is real and is effecting 1000's that are coming home and contributing to significant suicide rates, we need to talking about it and acknowledging the suffering and demanding DC to put more money towards CARE for those returning, Mental health care is still not getting the funds that are needed.And as the Iraqi withdrawal begins we have to be willing to care for the Returning and ALL wounds...even ones we don't think we can see.....

(( Paul Rieckhoff is the Founder and Executive Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), and the author of Chasing Ghosts....and if you haven't read "Chasing Ghosts"...you must.....))

Forth of July Music...by Cat Stevens (Yusuf)

I have thought alot about the Iranians this week....and the past 3 weeks...and how Something Real has been happening there..they are connected..and have tasted Something real...they have tasted freedom..freedom to think for themselves to talk to coonect...to connect to the world and to each other...to write and express themselves and take photos...and now all of that hangs in the balance...but the seed has been planted....for millions.....
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Peace Train
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How can I tell you....
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Maybe you're right...maybe
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The Wind....
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Morning has broken...

4th of July Post for Iran, 22 days of Unrest and Uprising after the Rigged Elections....

Today is the Forth....I am wearing Green,and painted my nails green and have a green bracelet....I am working, so I had to find a way to do Something...Please Do Support Iran..Support the Sea of Green...Maybe even tie a green ribbon to your flag....They still need our support...Have a good forth....
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The Nation has an article about the Sea of Green....
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Really beautiful video from Revolutionary Road...
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Here is the video from Revolutionary Road's post - sent to me- 12 views,and I had no idea what it was...until I read the Revolutionary Road's explanation...really beautiful...

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Late friday night, CNN posted that the Ex Iranian president supports the Detainees...please read this. I wish CNN would Air this !!!
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"Iran Body Count"... nice tribute blog to those that have died.
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Video from University? when was it taken..still moving..
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Iran Executions ? are they protesters ? Iran has been executing people, at Evin and other prisons, but it is uncertain if they are protesters.
How do we find out, how do we get the MSM to cover ?
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LA Times has an actual account from a released Detainee, that is more than worrisome...it is disturbing.
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CNN makes excuses as to WHY Iran Coverage has has drastically decreased in the past week....no mention of their excessive coverage of Micheal Jackson...
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Calls to god with a message...so poignant and beautiful...
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Ahmadinejead faces isolation internationally....
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Update from Revolutionary Road...29 to be executed today...
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Iran claims it is getting confessions from those imprisoned...

Iran Body Count., nice tribute blog
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Video from University? when was it taken..still moving..
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Iran Executions ? are they protesters ?
How do we find out, how do we get the MSM to cover ?
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CNN makes excuses as to WHY Iran Coverage has has drastically decreased in the past week....no mention of their excessive coverage of Micheal Jackson...
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Calls to god with a message...so sad
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Ahmadinejead faces isolation internationally....
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Update from Revolutionary Road...29 to be executed today...
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Iran claims it is getting confessions from those imprisoned...
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Basiji beating up Dishes..
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BBC UK seeking clarification on the charges against the two remaining Embassy Employees, read more here.....
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The Guardian has more about the Formal Charges being filed....
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U2 and Barcelona and Bloody Sunday,...dedicated this song to Iran and there were green lights and poem flashed on screen written in Farsi....really beautiful they did this...all over twitter and the Internet tonight...

Still Blogging on Iran, working on new post.....skip the Palin post (had to blog it...we can't stand her...)

BREAKING NEWS::: Sarah Palin announces Resignation...she will leave her Governor Post end of July ( Long Meandering 18 minute speech on MSNBC)

Not sure what is going on- just released on MSNBC...do read the Horrendous article in Vanity Fair called " IT came from Wasilla"...not complimentary at all.... Will post more when I have it...Mudflats blog is down? Immoral Minority up and blogging on it.. check his site...I have no comments to make...other than ...there must be a Big Iceberg she can see from her porch...

Now the CNN tape of Weird "Resignation" speech today, more diahrea of the mouth....watch and see what you think. Maybe in some deluded way she thinks she can still run for 2012 ???

Here is the video from today with Andrea Mitchell's comments from Insiders saying she is DONE Finished with Politics.....

Her most stellar moment this year .... the pardoning of the Turkey.....get the children out of the room....

And there is more And here is more from Shannyn Moore 's post on Huffpost....you betcha...

and from the Daily Dish...And Andrew Sullivan does not know what to make of it either...

and here is another report from Jonathon Turley has more on this...

And then there is THIS, the Quote of the Day, David Gergen on CNN: "I think most of us long ago gave up trying to figure out what goes on in Sarah Palin's head." Whoa.

( help yourself to some Sara Pee cocktails....LOL)

and the LATimes has their own analysis....

Alaskans say there is Another Big Shoe ready to drop....any day..stay posted...

Daily Kos has more about her blaming Bloggers for her career woes and a Possible Criminal Probe....

Her Word Salad speech...

TIME magazine has more....
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Interview with Shannyn Moore of AK:

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MORE ABOUT HOUSE-GATE.....
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About Her stupid ass McArthur Quote, Daily Kos Thank you- I could NOT find her stupid McArthur quote- BECAUSE HE DID NOT MAKE A QUOTE ABOUT RETREATING...SEE BELOW:::
Palin's MacArthur Quote?
by KetzUT
Fri Jul 03, 2009 at 03:43:53 PM PDT

"I'm looking for confirmation, but it would appear that Sarah Palin's memorable citation at the end of her speech today may come from Major General Oliver P. Smith:

Opposed by no less than eight Chinese divisions, fighting through numerous enemy roadblocks as they made their way south, and forced to endure subzero temperatures, the Marines suffered thousands of battle casualties and cases of frostbite. Yet Smith’s dogged leadership and crucial air support enabled them to maintain their tactical integrity and inflict 25,000 casualties on the Chinese. Asked by a journalist December 6, if the Marines were retreating, Smith, in a widely circulated quotation that earned him great acclaim at home, defiantly replied: “We are not retreating, we are just advancing in a different direction.”

Perhaps MacArthur used this quote in another context, even quoting Smith, but I can't find any other attribution for MacArthur."
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Please note that this is a post on Palin, the one and only...I will be back posting on Iran tomorrow. Comments are still disabled, please email me , address on profile.

Friday Day 21 of the Uprising that resulted due to Election Fraud in Iran......3 weeks later.

What happens now ? Thousands are imprisoned are missing now due to the Brutal Crackdown. Millions took to the streets peacefully, and yet the system remains ironfistedly in control with a troubled corrupt leadership ensconced as they have legitmized a fraudelent election, empowering a leader that was so weak he came in third by actual numbers.And sadly due to media censorship,there is very little news coming out. And with 34 fine journalists imprisoned, it will be hard to get Real News or photos. The People continue to attempt to get information out via phones, risking lives to do so. Sadly the Media here has been pathologically focused on the death of a musician for over a week.....and the fate of the Brave Country of Iran is now a below the fold story. There are many around the world who are still trying to keep the focus on the fate of these people.
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Mousavi...what next ? Is what most people are asking, and this Guardian article is probing that issue.
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Truthout has beautiful post about The People and why they are still going to the roofs at 10 PM...and will continue to do so.
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RSF, Reporters Without Borders, has a whole page on Iran, what happens to the detained Journalists and what else is going on in Iran. There is also an article about American Companies that are part of the Internal Censorship problem that must be read...
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Demotix mourning the dead post has story about the families there grieving and the photos are haunting.
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Read about the Freedom Glory Project and twitter it. Nico posted this am, really amazing music...and videos.
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Where is My Vote ? site has a great way for ordinary people to help. Please remember to wear green tomorrow...
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Beautiful blog that has updates, it is called Windows on Iran.
I posted this link a few days ago , but Nico Pitney has more information about the site,
" I wanted to pass on word of this excellent Iran blog "Windows on Iran" run by Fatemeh Keshavarz, Chair of the Dept. of Asian and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures at Washington University in St. Louis.
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Blog on Iran ( translate daily), Unique inside view or Tehran
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Iran evin and the hangingsSadly it is important to note that Evin has hangings, but the real question is are these Protesters or any that were swept up in the Uprising arrests ?
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As always Nico Pitney of the Huffington Post is covering this Uprising still, with great thoroughness and attention to some of the finer details. In todays Live Blog he has the Statement from the young exiled Doctor that cared for Neda at her death....must read..
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Comments remain disabled due to hate mail and harrassment. I do not wish these comments appearing. I still encourage readers to write via email. Email address is on profile page.I apologize for the incovenience. I will continue to blog this issue as it is a Human Rights Issue.
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"Stand by Me" by Bon Jovi and Andy Maladian

Wednesday July 1st Day 18 of the Election Fallout and Uprising in Iran

July 16th photo of the Azadi Monument...Azadi means Freedom, it is where millions gathered to protest their Lost Vote...
what happens now to all of these people....it is a big Question, especially now that the Election was legitimized yesterday.
( Blog updated at 6 PM below).
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The Guardian is still trying to put a Face on it , but keeping track of the Dead and the Detained. I look at this photo above and wonder how many are Missing or Killed ? And how can Killing People legitimize an Election ? Or Faking a Recount ? ( please yesterday's post). And Tehran Bureau has more about what those detained, really face and how serious this situation is for all, but especially for journalists.
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Please do read this story of Treatment of Prisoners, beatings and rape...a prisoner's story. And this just posted by Nico, a story of Someone released, that outlines the Human rights conditions WithIn.
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Really thorough analysis of the Election "results" is here in a pdf , Chatam House Papers, compares all the data and shows the logistical problems with Ahmadinejead 's "win".
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In the past two weeks the Iranian Government and Ahmdinejead had complained that America and the UK were "meddling" in their election affairs, NOW they are demanding an apology from the EU's 27 nations and accusing ALL of them of meddling as well.Read more in this Reuters article. ( Meanwhile Ahmadinejead is cancelling a trip abroad today, possibly due to tensions at home.)
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It was only a matter of time, before this happened , the Basiji Militia are issuing Charges against Mousavi, please read The Guardian to learn more.
From the article:
"Iran's opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi today became the target of the notorious Basij militia as it called for him to be prosecuted for his role in the greatest political unrest in Iran since the Islamic revolution.In a letter to the country's chief prosecutor, the Basij accuse Mousavi of involvement in nine offences against the state, including "disturbing the nation's security". That charge carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.

The letter came as the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, cancelled a planned trip to Libya without explanation. The last-minute cancellation is being seen as a sign of the continuing volatility in Iran as the authorities struggle with the fallout from last month's disputed election, in which Ahmadinejad was declared the winner.One of the other candidates, Mehdi Karroubi, a reformist cleric, vowed to continue his fight to annul the election despite the endorsement of the poll by the powerful guardian council after a partial recount of the vote.

"I don't consider this government legitimate," Karroubi said on his website."
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{ The Government of course has shut down his newspaper, so how many will hear his voice on this remains to be seen. ( LA Times)}
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Further down in the article, there are also charges planned against the Doctor that tried to care for Neda on the street as she lay dying from a bullet to the chest and sadly was caught on film. Read below:
"Iran's police chief, Brigadier General Ismail Ahmadi-Moghaddam, said 1,032 people had been arrested since the 12 June election, but he claimed that most had since been released."Those who are still in detention were referred to the public and revolutionary courts in Tehran," Fars News Agency quoted him as saying, according to Reuters.

Ahmadi-Moghaddam said 20 "rioters" had been killed during the unrest and more than 500 police had been injured.He also asked Interpol to arrest Arash Hejazi, the doctor who was filmed coming to the aid of Neda Soltan after she was shot in the widely seen video of her death.Hejazi fled to London after the incident and suggested that a Basij militiaman on a motorbike was responsible for her killing.

"Her killing was a planned scenario and had no relation with the riots in Tehran," Ahmadi-Moghaddam said.
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Once again the BBC Interview with the Doctor, and he explains what he saw happen and how Neda died and that he did expect charges to be filed against him.
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As to the Legitimacy of the Election, please do see yesterday's post about the "Recount". But Karoubi is not the only candidate to call repudiate the election results, and declare them illegitimtate, Mousavi also issued a statement on his website as well. (WSJ)
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Here is more about Mousavi and what he wrote on his website He carefully explains his thoughts on his website ( from Reuters-India)
Read more from that Statement:
""It is our historical responsibility to continue our protests and not to abandon our efforts to preserve the nation's rights," he said, two days after Iran's top legislative body confirmed Ahmadinejad's election victory.Mousavi, who has repeatedly said the June 12 vote was rigged, said he would join a planned association of leading figures which would follow up people's rights and "ignored votes" in the election.Its demands would include "halting security and military confrontation with the election, returning the country to a natural political atmosphere, reforming the election law to prevent vote rigging, securing freedom of holding rallies and freedom of press," the statement said.

Mousavi also called on the authorities to release detained "children of the revolution", in reference to scores of leading reformists arrested since the disputed poll, and said he could not compromise regarding people's rights.

He called for a lifting of a ban on some moderate newspapers and websites."
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RSF have written an article about Evin Up above it was stated by Iranian Government officials that 1206 have been arrested, and that more than 600 were wounded, it is to be remembered that many of the wounded were also taken to Prison, removed from the hospitals from treatment. This Reporters Without Borders article ( RSF) has more about the Conditions of Evin.
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Really beautiful post from the Tehran Bureau about the "Writing on the Wall", and how graffetti is still on walls throughout Tehran....and telling of the struggle within...
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On another note this amazing video shows the Twitter role in election fallout and the role of technology as it aided Iran to still communicate during a Brutal Crackdown.
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Article about the Brave Citizen journalists of Iran, PBS really shows how Media is Changing and has to....
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And still millions go to the Rooftops to Call to God, even though it is NOW illegal...beautiful haunting video of the calls, monday night.
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Iranian poet tweets the uprising one tweet at a time...NPR..
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6PM ::: I have been reluctant to blog on this, but there were reports in Twitterland today that there were 6 hangings today at Evin Prison,they were supposedly quilty of 'Murder". It is unclear if they were protesters, am still researching this story,Iranfocus has a small piece on it, but we need to learn more...
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(( Comments remain disabled at this time, please do email me thoughts or info. My apologies for the inconvenience. Thank you.))

Today at the Town Hall Meeting.....Our President has a heart to heart with a Woman who really needs Healthcare...

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As one of 50 Million Without Health Insurance, and who was cancelled...I really heart this woman...really do feel her pain...and that he listened and Heard Her...that means alot to me....