LA Takes a Stand Against Corporations...Who will be the Next City to Move to Amend ? Maybe Yours ?

Beautiful Occupy Tribute....( Sharing from @Sethp23)

Awopradio Show for Sunday January 29th 6:30-9PM EST Guests Include Denis Campbell and Kyle McCarthy

Welcome to the Awopradio Show Blog, The Show is now 6:30PM EST and runs to 9PM EST on Sunday Evenings. It is now on USTREAM and also if you can't join us, you can now listen to the Show on iTunes ( see the Sidebar for the Link). Please also do check out the Sidebar as there are links to the A World of Progress Video Channel ( great place to see some of the fine Music and Interviews, including John Clark, The HoneyCutters, and Lyric). Also there is the Links to the 99 Report and the blogs of Kim G ( The AWOP Publisher @awop or @awopradio ) and @Mommapolitico ( Perry) , as well as my Blog "Watergate Summer". Kim G. is our fearless leader, she is the person who see on the USTREAM screen and is the one who has been working so hard to improve the audio of our show. At 6:30PM she does the Intro to the Show, and then I follow with the #99Report, and then at 7PM we have @Mommapolitico ( Perry) our resident political wonk brings us the goodness of Kitchen Table Politics. And then our First Guest is at 7:30PM EST and then our second guest is approximately at 8 PM EST. The 99 Report now has it's own blog with information and updates about the 99 Percent and OCCUPY sites and issues, and coming in February it will have a one hour show on Friday Afternoons ( on BlogTalkRadio) So stay Tuned for that.
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Our First Guest joins us again from across the Pond, a fine Journalist, Author Denis Campbell, @UKProgressive is another soul who keeps Twitter lively with his political insights and observations. He is known on Twitter as @UKProgressive, but he is also a renowned journalist working with ITN and Al Jezeera and BBC Wales, The Guardian and many other fine UK publications. During the Egypt Uprising he became one of the many to really track the Movement on Twitter. Yet he also was astutely tweeting American Politics. This year he was one of the first to recognize the strength of Twitter during the Egypt Uprising, and it is woven into his book "Egypt Unshackled" that has just come out. And taking it to the next step he has been tweeting and appreciating the Occupy Movement in a global sense. ( Denis was last on our show on 10.23.11 , we are happy to have him during the One Year Celebration of the Egypt Uprising.)
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For those that followed the Egypt Uprising Online and especially on Twitter, this book is riveting, and really stunning, and you will immediately appreciate watching the story unfold tweet by tweet. @alikat747 another known twitter soul was also an editor on this project.
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Our 2nd Guest is Kyle McCarthy he is known as @Swarmster on Twitter, he calls himself a "People Mobilizer", he also tweets at the @Default Movie and he started the hashtag #OccupyStudentDebt and is also found at @OccupyStudentDebt.Org . His website , http://OccupyStudentDebt.com/, has a wealth of information, and is also where folks share their Student Loan Debt Stories. Many are starting to appreciate that the Student Loan Crisis is just beginning to come into focus, and may indeed be much more serious and expansive than the Mortgage Crisis.

Kyle McCarthy of Krotala Films ( known on Twitter as @swarmster )currently serves as the Director of Community Outreach for Default: The Student Loan Documentary. DEFAULT has appeared in over 200 various media and is now airing on over 150 PBS affiliates and is part of this year's San Francisco Independent Film Festival. Kyle was recently named one of "10 Leaders Who Are Fighting for Student Loan Reform" for establishing Occupy Student Debt. This has been covered by the AP, Forgive Student Loan Debt, The Backbone Campaign.
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Video from DEFAULT The Documentary about Student Loan Debt....Learn more at the Default Movie Website about Student Debt and your Rights, as well as the true story about the Debt that so many college grads, college students, grad students, and their families are carrying for debt. The Link for the Default Documentary is here, do try to see it on PBS and also at screenings around the country. ( We also interviewed the Default Film Makers earlier on our show in the fall and their interview is archived as well. )



This Article in Forbes has a great deal of information about the Student Debt Crisis in our Country.

( From Forbes) The statistics around loan debt and the cost of post-secondary education in America are sobering:

(1) Average debt per borrower has risen 18%, from $19 300 to $22 700 since 2000. (The College Board, Trends in Student Aid, 2008)
(2) In 2007–2008, private lenders provided about $17 billion in educational loans. This represents a 592% increase over the last decade. (The College Board, Trends in Student Aid, 2008)
(3) Borrowers who drop out of college are twice as likely to be unemployed as borrowers who receive a degree and ten times as likely to default on their student loans.
(4) As of June 2010, student loan debt currently exceeds consumer credit card debt.
(5) Federal student loan debt outstanding reached approximately $665 billion and private student loan debt reached approximately $168 billion in June 2010. Total student loan debt is increasing at a rate of about $2,853.88 per second.
(6) (Nov2011) This month, Rep. Eric Cantor proposed that students begin paying interest on their student loans while they’re still enrolled in school.
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Be sure to Visit Lester and Charlie and take part in their weekly POLL...it will give you a smile and a laugh.....

99 Report EXTRA REPORT ::: OCCUPY OAKLAND AND MASSIVE ARREST ACTION BY POLICE ON SATURDAY JANUARY 28TH

Cops fully masked up and in riot gear and gas /smoke visible in background....
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Hundreds Kettled, then arrested and lined up against wall of YMCA waiting to be processed.
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First An Update on What The Hell Happened in #OccupyOakland Last Night
This Photo is a Still Photo taken from @Oakfosho's Live Stream last night. These are actual arresttees lined against the wall waiting to be processed. Oakfosho again managed to get to a site where he could film the action, but going across the street and hanging out a window. People were lined up ( estimates are 200-300). The rule is that each arresstee must have an arresting officer with them to process. ( So it would seem that The Mayor had gotten 300 extra cops on a Saturday Night as an planned arrest action ? Occupy Oakland had a Planned Action yesterday that included a Planned March and an occupation of an Abandoned Building. According to Oakfosho and other Streamers they never reached the Building, and by the time they reached the YMCA , the Police began Kettling and other Tactics including Flash Guns ( not sure that is the right term) and also deployed Tear Gas. I have the photos of the Tear Gas I will add to this post later.

They did Kettle approximately 200 people by the YMCA alone ( arrests estimate 200 to 300 ? total). The Kettling made no sense and according to the Streamers there was NO initial Dispersal Order given. And then announcement was made to disperse while Kettling was occurring and they were back against a wall, so there was Nowhere to go. And why the Chemical Agents were used on people peacefully assembled and marching remains Questionable. On another Front the police were pretty much arresting who ever they kettled, including Journalists.

(The Photo above is the Arrestees lined up by YMCA at about 10PM last night. Thousands were watching the Streams last night. Oakfosho's stream had about 5000 and Elle had over 1000 and Pirate had about 900 and Global Revolution had about 3000. So On a Saturday Night 6- 3am East Coast, they had thousands bearing Witness Watching through most of the Night.)
The Watchers included people from the UK, South America and Japan and Ireland and Down Under. There was also OccupyTV and TRWBL. Some of the Livestreamers that were arrested wisely hand their cameras and equipment off to other people. The Police did not set up zones for the reporters or citizen journalists. ( There are questions about what happens to people arrested when cameras and phones are with the Arrested). Also the Main Medics were arrested last night as well, and it is unclear whow as left to take care of other people during this situation. ( Medics with the Red Cross Armbands and NLG Legal Observers the Green caps are not to be arrested.)

While the Police Action was ongoing by the YMCA another showdown was ongoing at 14th and Broadway, this is the same infamous corner where Scott Olsen was injured earlier this fall. Hundreds of cops descended and gave Dispersal Warning ( saying that Chemical Agents would be used) and yet all of us watching the Streams were puzzled as there was literally less than 50 people there, it made no sense.

There was a handful of protesters that broke free and went to city hall and broke in and supposedly took and burned a flag. There are a couple of versions of the story, some Occupy People say that those were anarchy people , NOT occupy, and not part of the planned Occupy Action ( This was a dispute that was discussed On Twitter and the Streams). Also that the flag they burned was not City Halls' that they brought it with them. But again this was a handful of about 8-10 people.

There were officers and units and equipment and Buses seen from the State, the County and other towns and cities, including Union City, Newark, Santa Clara etc. ( Whose funds are paying for all of this, hundreds of cops used against a peaceful protest, leaving other areas of California without protections and services ? And the equipment - Chemical Agents are not cheap, and the armored vehicles ? It just seems that this is wasting Tax payer funds and resources ?)

Tweets re. Journalists Kettled /Arrested included ::
(1) Gavin Aronsen @garonsen
I got kettled by OPD along with 300 or so #oo'ers by the YMCA. I was in a back corner with reporters @vivianho and @KristinHanes.
(2) ReallyRick @TheReallyRick
Reporter @KristinHanes of @KGO Radio in San Fran placed in zipties because she does not have Oakland press pass. #J28 #OccupyOakland

Twitter Coverage ::
(1) Occupy TV. Thanks to @OaktownPirate and @BellaEiko
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If you are inclined to write or call Oakland Authorities ::: MT @Occupy_Police PD Chief Howard Jordand (510) 238-3365 Oakland PD (510) 238-2384 (510) 777-3333 OAKLAND Mayor phone: (510) 238-3141 #OcPo

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More Resources and Information:::
(1) Greg Mitchell of The Nation has a complete Weekend Report that is much more detailed than mine....

(2) TIME even did report and carry OakFoSho's feed ( did not credit him, but might have been trying to protect him at the time ? as Police were photographing photographers and streamers). According to their report it was 300 arrested.

(3) Another Website called Right Now compiled the Tweets and photos of the night. Pretty stunning collection.

(4) Mother Jones Josh Sterns Arrest Reports go back to September but also includes last night in Oakland

This Post is more about the Militarized Police Vehicle being used at Oakland last night. ( Pretty Pricey for use against Peaceful Marchers.)
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PHOTOS::::

Officers Kettling against Buildings wearing Gas Masks....So Plan did include Chemical Agents.
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Tear Gas ? Or Smoke Bomb? used in Afternoon ( against small number of marchers ?)
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While Hundreds waited hours to be processed the Cops handed out water to each other and also ate off the back of the cars, Carryout, chinese and burritos mostly. ( and yes we watched all of this on USTREAM).
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Police with Rifle and full riot gear and gas mask look for the "flag burners " by City Hall. ( Over reaction ?)
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#opd is attaching smoke grenades (bottom) to CS grenades (top) #oo #j28 pic.twitter.com/tTIWjjfm { Photo by a Medic}
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Woman taken away on stretcher after being knocked down , batoned. ( Was taken away via ambulance)
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Mom and Daughter in Afternoon came to the March, clearly confused after gas and trying to figure out where to go
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Closer look at the Cannisters used for Chemical Agents
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Full Riot Gear with Chemical Protecters and Firing What ? Unclear what kind of rifle this was, this is an afternoon photo off twitter.
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Armored Vehicle used by the Y, unclear why it was needed against unarmed Peaceful Protesters ? Show of Force ?
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Lines and Lines of Cops over by 14th and Broadway ( less than 40-50 people there per Ustream) unclear why the show of forces there

Saturday Goodness....

Encountering Greatness.....( From the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society)

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
A story that never gets old. Incase you may have missed it...

A front page story in the San Francisco Chronicle told the story of a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. The whale also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth.

A fisherman spotted the whale just east of the Farallon Islands (beyond the Golden Gate bridge) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived. They determined that the whale was so bad off that the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her. The team worked for hours, carefully slashing through the labyrinth of lines with curved knives. Eventually, they freed her.

The divers say that once the female humpback was free to move, she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. The whale then came back to each diver, one at a time, and gave each a nudge, pushing her rescuers gently around as she was thanking them. Some divers said it was the most beautiful experience of their lives.

The diver who cut the rope out of the whale’s mouth said her eyes were following him the whole time. And he will never be the same.
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This has been all over Twitter and Facebook this week.....so amazing and inspiring it had to be shared.
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Appreciating What Is Under the Sea....

One Year Anniversary of Egypt's Uprising.....

Tahrir Square One Year Later....1/25/12 at 4PM......Incredible....

A Message From Gabby....

How to Explain OWS to Confused Relatives...#WhyWeOccupy The #STATS

( Originally Posted For Thanksgiving Nov24th)
So this Thanksgiving I am going down to visit Occupy, take them some hot Turkey Sandwiches, and some winter goodies.( Many thanks to Bonni in Mass. who made incredible warm scarves for them...) and some mittens and gloves, cold medicine and I will be checking the medical bag. But it occurs to me that Thanksgiving is about families gathering and many won't get it, don't understand how many are damaged by this Economy and how it got this way.There is true economic pain that can be measured in Numbers. So here are some to share as you pass the gravy. ( If you follow me on Twitter you know I do this #WhyWeOccupy hashtag every couple of days to educate folks.) So here are some of the Facts.

The STATS ::: #WhyWeOccupy....in America :::
(1) 50 Million are still without Healthcare ( due to loss of jobs,States HighRisk Pools pricing folks out)
(2) 46 Million Living in Poverty ( this Number includes Working Poor)
(3) 49 Million On Food Stamps
(4) 22 Million Children living in Poverty
(5) One in four Children going to bed hungry every night
(6) 29 Million UnEmployed and UnderEmployed
(7) 14 Million of our Elderly Living in Poverty
(8) 47,000 Dying Without Healthcare per year
(9) 235,000 Vets returning from Warzones to NO Job
(10) Vet Unemployment rate consistantly at 29%
(11) 600,000 Vets Sleeping on the Streets each night
(12) 26,000 Vets Lost Homes 2010 ( some while serving overseas)
(13) 18 Vets commit suicide per day
(14) 8 Million Homes Lost In Foreclosure in past 3 years
(15) 62% of All Home Loss in Foreclosure due to Medical Debt

Awopradio Show for Sunday January 22nd, 2012: Guests Include Cliff Schecter and Jim Dean of Democracy For America

This Sunday is our 3rd USTREAM show, please bear with us while we are "Under Construction". We are still trying to determine our New Format. In particular, we are still trying to determine our TimeLine. For Tonight we are doing a 3 Hour Show tnight, but we are looking at a 2.5 Hour Show starting next week on 1/29/12 at 6:30PM. But tonight our Show is starting at 6PM EST. At 6PM Kim gives an introduction to the show and our guests. At 6:30PM I give the #99Report which covers Issues effecting the #99Percent and Why there is an Occupy Movement. At 7PM is Perry @mommapolitico with her #KitchenTablePolitics covering all the latest on the Political Spectrum ( and there's plenty this week). And at 7:30 PM is our First Guest Ashley Arrington bringing us an update from the South Carolina Primary Scene and also the We Do Campaign. And at 8PM is Cliff Schecter with update from the Start up of his New Progressive DC based Radio Station. And then at 8:30PM there is Jim Dean of Democracy for America.
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Ashley Arrington 7:30PM EST is coming on the show to share with us her work with Southern Equality .Org and the "We Do Campaign" and also give us an update on the South Carolina's Primary. ( Ashley has been on the show before and always keeps us up to date on important issues, we are grateful that she is returning to the show.)

Southern Equality.Org and the We Do Campaign.

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Cliff Schecter at 8PM. Cliff is a longtime Blogger and Writer and Pundit and Progressive Voice. ( This is his latest Post on "Remembering Tuscon" is an excellent read. He has has written for Huffington Post and The Guardian. We invited Cliff on to share and discuss his new Project, the Progressive Radio Station in DC. ( And for those of us that are long time bloggers who still miss Air America we are excited for this new Station.) Cliff is a long time Political Voice and pundit, who has studied Politics and worked hard to educate those via Independent News and Blogs and Internet News. He is also known for his first book . ( Via Wikipedia " In April 2008, Schecter published his first book, The Real McCain: Why Conservatives Don't Trust Him And Independents Shouldn't. The book controverted the image of Republican Presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain, as a maverick politician who worked assiduously in the public's interest." Do read more from his BIO, we are very lucky to have someone so educated on the Political Landscape and issues.

We Act Radio Website
A wide assortment of progressive shows, Elon James to Bill Press to Elon James to Ed Schultz to Stephanie Miller,Shannyn Moore and Nicole Sandler, and David Shuster doing News,and Cliff's own show with Lizz Winstead called Loose Ends and so much more. WPWC 1480 AM DC Progressive Talk Radio has arrived to the airwaves and to DC.
More Details about the Scheduled Programming, with chart explaining shows and schedules. You can follow on Twitter at @WeActRadio, it is broadcasting out of Anacostia SouthEast. On their twitter page " Get Out There and DO SOMETHING!" #WeActDC #1480AM #DoSomething . The Lineup is impressive from News to Music to Humor to Political Wisdom, it has it all. We invited Cliff on to talk about this New Station and Welcome him and the Station to the Airwaves.
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Jim Dean of DFA 8:30PM EST , he is Chairman of DFA, the largest Progressive Political Action Committee based in Burlington Vermont. DFA was founded in 2004 after Howard Dean ran for President, and has been raising awareness on many issues and actions since then. Jim Dean has been involved with giving speeches, organizing and strategy and strengthening the Progressive Network across the Country. Dean currently travels across the country promoting grassroots and progressive activism in all levels of government through DFA’s training academies. Dean also takes part in national fund-raising efforts for the organization.

"I love the hard work Democracy for America members do. You are the boots on the ground working for progressive change year after year. They understand that when we get local and speak up, there is no stopping our movement."~~Micheal Moore

In an interview with Truthout.com, Dean is quoted as saying, “Democracy is not a spectator sport, and politics is way too important to be left up to the politicians.”


(1) Learn More about Democracy for America and their work across the Country.
(2) DFA has worked on so many important issues from Health Care to Marriage Equality to Getting Out the Vote to Here is the sight that highlights so many progressive actions.

(3) DO Follow on Twitter: @DFAaction

Micheal Moore::"I love the hard work Democracy for America members do. You are the boots on the ground working for progressive change year after year. They understand that when we get local and speak up, there is no stopping our movement."

About Silent Fallout...

I wrote earlier this Month that my book "Silent Fallout" is now out. For those that don't know the story of the book, I have been working on this book for quite a few years. It is the story of living in the North West and witnessing Dumping and working hard to solve the Mysteries of the Dumping. I ended up doing a County Wide Health Study and being a FOIA goddess, and creating a Non Profit to study the health of the County and confront the Powers that be about the level of illness and the level of contamination. Below is a sample chapter, that hints at the story that unfolds. It is now available on Amazon. And it is also available from Authorhouse, and you can check the site here. And then there is Barnes and Nobles' Website also has it listed. I am hoping to have a book signing at some of the local smaller Bookstores that I love and support locally.

Sample Chapter Below.....
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Chapter Six: Midnight Dumping....
"Sometimes we see Something that changes Everything we know to be true, and Nothing is the Same ever Again."~ David La Chapelle
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"To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; credible we must be truthful."~ Edward R. Murrow

Chapter Six : Midnight Dumping

On a dark and stormy night in September 1999 in our little cabin house I would see Something that I had never seen before. We went to bed after reading Harry Potter and watching the Xfiles. I let my son and the dogs snuggle on my bed with cookies and milk as the winds and rains railed against the House. At around 2am the dogs had to go so I hustled them out to the deck off the back of the house. With the heavy rains I knew that we would not see the Mama Cougar and her baby.

I took them out on the deck to wee, as undignified as that sounds.I felt that they were safer on the Deck, even though we had seen the Mama Cougar below a few times. While they did their duty I would usually stand watch over the Bassatt and the Scotty and I would look over the Creek that wound down the hill towards the Lake. As I stood on the deck watching the Swaying tall Pines and Cedars I could also hear another Sound above the Winds and the Creaking. I realized I heard Trucks Engines running.I also could breathe in a terrible aroma, like Ammonia mixed with skunk. It was so strong it took my breathe away, made my eyes water and made me gag. I pulled my turtleneck above my mouth and wiped my eyes.

As I looked down the Hill, I could make out Two Red Tanker Trucks down by the Creek. ( They were double Tankers). I was puzzled so I went inside and got my Birding Binoculars. ( I had gotten the Binoculars hoping to watch all kinds of new birds at our new home, sadly there had not been as many I hoped). As I looked down the hill I could see the Tankers. They were pulled by the Creek, and One tanker had a hose hanging out the back snaked behind the Truck going to the Creek. And the Other Truck had simply opened a valve in the back and just gushing fluids into the Creek, hoses laying in a messy pile by the truck. The two workers were running back and forth and yelling at each other. I could make out no writing on the Trucks, they were older Tankers and very dirty.

I took the dogs inside and sat on the sofa stunned. Had I just witnessed Midnight Dumping ??? Was there still such a thing ? I sat and listened to the Trucks come and go , over and over until Dawn. By morning the Smell would be overwhelming and nauseating.By the next morning the questions would be rattling in my head. Did the Creek Feed into Our Drinking Water Lake ( I was pretty sure that it did). Was the Creek near a Drinking water Intake ? What the Hell was the Smell ? Were those Dangerous Chemicals they dumped ? WHO were they and where did they come from ? Who do you call when you think you have seen Midnight Dumping ? ( It's not like there is Hotline listed in The Yellow Pages). And How Many people drink water from that Lake ?Should we even be bathing in this Water ? Who else knew ? I sat there stunned and worried and realized that I did not really Know what to do. I also prayed that I would never see the trucks again.

So that day I went and bought bottled water for the animals and the people. And the Rains continued and by late afternoon, the smells had dissipated greatly. I remained worried. I promised myself that if I ever saw The Red Trucks Again, I would call Someone or Do Something. I was not sure What "Something" was, I just knew I needed Answers, for me,for my son, for my dogs. I knew that the smell made me ill, and that it was a Creek that meandered down to the Lake, a Lake that we drank from, so that made it seem more urgent....maybe even Dangerous.

But the Second Night arrived and at 2 am , I awoke when I heard the Trucks, and I knew they were back. Now during the day I had told my son about the Trucks. I had to , as I would not allow him outside due to the smell. ( Not that he wanted to anyways, after smelling the deck). l got the binoculars and looked down the hill, and they were in position again, backed up to the Creek. I sat up and listened to them yelling and running back and forth. It was still raining hard, but I could hear them unloading. I decided that I could follow them and see where they went , and that would give me a clue as to What they Dumped in the Creek. The Men were still rushing about and I could hear them yelling, coughing and gagging. I stood on the back porch bundled in an old coat and with a scarf over my mouth and nose, trying to see them better with the binoculars.

As I stood in the rains for a second night, straining to see with the binoculars, and biting my lip and wiping my eyes, I realized that I was going to have to make a decision about What to do. I had only lived there for 5 weeks, but I needed to Know More. I knew in my heart, my gut I was going to have to do something Drastic. I was going to have to see WHERE the Trucks came from, and there was only one way to do that. On that wet deck and in the Dark I made a Decision that would Change Everything, there was No Turning back from that moment.

So I got dressed, and also got my son dressed with a jacket over his jammies, and then I put supplies in the car. In my knapsack, A Camera, maps, a flashlight, and cookies and juice, and dog treats. I loaded all my sleepy crew in the car as quietly and quickly as I could. There were some groans. I could not leave my son alone and my Husband was working, so there was no other plan.I treated it like an Adventure , another Great Learning Experience.I am just a nurse, a mom, I have limited MacGuyver skills or Magnum PI skills, but I figured that I could atleast get answers to some of these questions, it should not be that hard.

So we drove down the bottem of the hill, and parked off to the side around a Turn, where the Trucks could not see us and waited for them to pass. I had a hunch they came to town, so I made sure to be on the road that headed back to town. Sure enough within minutes the two Double Tankers came zooming by and I decided to follow them. I figured I could atleast trace the trucks, or see where they came from. I did not count on Empty Trucks moving very fast, even in the rain and on the wet roads. So there we were, my son, my dogs and the little hatchback following the Tankers.

My son was sleepily propped in the seat , sharing cookies with the dogs, pointed out that the tankers were going pretty fast. I agreed. He said it was fun being sneaky dressing in black and sneaking out of the house, that it was a real adventure, that were were like Scully and Mulder ( off Xfiles). He also pointed out that the Tankers were pretty sneaky with their dirty license plates and hard to read initials on the back of the truck. It as amazing how Dirt could camouflage the information we needed. I asked my son that we kind of keep this Adventure our little secret, that others might not appreciate our Mission.( I wondered if this would end up on the Homeschooling Scoresheet as a "Good Idea". ) He giggled at one point and looked at me with his big eyes and the crumbs on his face and said " Maybe this is Our X File". Time would tell how accurate that statement was.

We did our best to follow the Trucks , but they were too fast for us. I was never sure if they saw us, or just drove like that all the time. I did for sure note they were indeed headed into town, but after the fourth turn I lost them, and I refused to drive that fast on wet slick back roads by the Lake. My carsick dogs also contributed to this decision, my son had already fallen back to sleep. So we headed home and everyone was asleep in the car by the time we got there. I put everyone to bed and noted the horrible odor again.

And so Began my quest to track down the Midnight Dumpers.....little did I know that would be just the first time following trucks and making a Bold Decision at 2am, there would be many more. Midnight Dumping was merely just a small piece of a much bigger Puzzle that had been in place for many years. But for some reason I was the First and Only Mom that ever decided to Follow the Trucks.

And that Quest would lead in many directions that I did not expect or could never have predicted.....Boxes and boxes of data, 40 years of data in 10 different offices, and thousands of letters to all kinds of Officials and Offices....and Heights of Corruption that still make my head hurt. And there would be Names that later would be prominent in headlines of an Administration plagued with Lies...and by then the Red Trucks would make Sense. And the trucks were just a small piece in a very ragged Jagged Dangerous Jig Zaw Puzzle and the question was would the Puzzle be solved in time to help a little town ?

Awopradio Show for Sunday January 15th, 2012

This is our 2nd show of our new season on USTREAM, and we start at 6PM EST. First there is the Intro from Kim and then the 99 Report at 6:30PM and then we get our Wonk on with Perry @mommapolitico does Kitchen Table Politics. Perry has been doing a great job keeping up with the GOP antics and Debates. ( 99Report is continuing focus on #OccupyStudentDebt and #OccupyForeclosures and #OccupyingTheDream that starts Jan16th and updates will be posted on the 99 Report Blog).

We have such Great Guests tonight....
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Guest During the 99 Report :::
Please read Matt Bieber's Post about His Removal and Arrest at a Romney Event on January 9th....in New Hampshire.
I am having a special guest during the 99 Report at 6:45PM , a Divinity Student from Harvard went to NH to watch and be a part of the Primary Process there and had an Experience that needs to be heard. Matt Bieber is a eloquent young man that was removed from a Romney Event and then arrested. There are many questions about how this situation was handled and why he was arrested. Is Romney "Hiring" Police Departments to Work Security at his events at Private Settings ? Is that legal ? Is Romney allowed to have Citizens arrested ? Is Romney allowed to suspend the Constitution at his Events ? Shouldn't we be encouraging our young people to be a part of the process ?
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And tonight during Perry's Kitchen Table Politics 7-7:30PM EST she has a special Video Interview with Chuck D of Public Enemy and Air America which she taped this weekend, so this is a special treat. ( Video will be posted here after the show. ) And you can also find @MrChuckD on twitter too. Perry did a great interview with him and she talked Music and Politics with him, and great that we have this chance to hear from him on the Politics of these Times....And his concerns about Homelessness and his efforts and work to Give Back. Do go to his website and see how he is working to use his music and political Voice to give back. And share the information about Operation Skid Row. His Concert Series Starts January 15th In Southern California to raise awareness and funds and support for Homelessness Operation Skid Row Give Back Festival is inspiring and getting it done.

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And our First Guest is at 7:30 PM with JasonLeopold Editor of Truthout and founder of The Public Record. ( You can find him on Twitter @jasonleopold) and he is a return guest, invited back as he has been writing extensively on the 10 Year Anniversary of Gitmo.
(1) This Post about Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfield on GITMO is a must read.....and was updated 1/9/12

(2) And this post from Nov.2011 is also shares perspectives from an Former GITMO Prosecutor.

(3) This November Post about the Pentagon Propaganda Video is also a Must read.

(4) This link is to the Interview with Leopold about his Interviews of David Hicks of Gitmo.

(5) This RT/Truthout Link is about Jason's Interview regarding NDAA and Ongoing Detention issues.

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Sarah Price of TIME Magazine is our 2nd guest at 8:00PM EST. Sarah is an accomplished MidEast Writer covering the Middle East for many years, and most recently focusing on Iraq and all that has been going on there, from the Winding Down of Military Operations to the escalating strife and violence of this year. You can read more of her writings on her blog, MidEast View .Blogspot.com. One of her pieces on Bin Laden is fascinating and a Must Read and raises some interesting questions about Al Queda and the Mideast going forward.
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Don Scime of "The David Dance" Film at 8:30PM EST

Don is an accomplished actor and writer, he has acted in everything from the Chappelle Show to Shakespeare. He has had stellar reviews, and in his latest work, quite a few of the reviews pointed out he has a certain Sam Waterson quality that is endearing to audiences. He has a long and accomplished Resume that is worth seeing....

More about Don on his website, WWW.DonScime.com has about his current projects, and the latest updates on The David Dance, which he wrote and stars in and produced. The other site that is a must see is the actual website for the Film, WWW.TheDavidDance.com has background info, clips, trailers and reviews. The film has exquisite Lighting and beautiful music and story tenderly told with sensitivity and humor and insight. The Film is about Self Discovery, Love, and Relationships....This film will be entering the film festival circuit this spring, so do keep your eyes open for it.

From The David Dance Website This Synopsis:

"Set in a cold winter in Buffalo, New York “The David Dance” tells the story of siblings, David and Kate Patrone. David is the host of a local radio show called “Gay Talk”, which usually focuses on such breezy topics as “Body-Piercing: Fashion or Faux pas?” Kate is a thrice divorced banker with a yen for Schumann and cats. Though they are both successful in their own right, they share a secret inadequacy about themselves. Kate decides to adopt an orphan in Brazil and asks David to be the father figure. David grapples with his self doubts about this while courting an amiable technical assistant who also moonlights as drummer for an all-lesbian rock band. Told from present to past and back again, we experience the bittersweet life of a man as he struggles to pull its colorful pieces together. "

Beautiful Trailer and music.....


More about Don on his website, www.donscime.com - about his current projects and the latest updates on "The David Dance" which he wrote, stars in and produced. ( In case you the links above are confusing) The other site that is a must see is the actual website for the film, www.thedaviddance.com , has background info, a teaser trailer and reviews of the play it's based on. ( again the site is also listed about and the Trailer here is from that site) .This wonderful film is currently in the final stages of of post-production and will be entering the film festival circuit soon ( hopefully this Spring).

MLK...."How Long ? Not Long!"

(2 Minutes...from March 25,1965)

Reflections on Haiti 2 years since Quake...

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."~~
Mother Teresa

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This school is the only completed school, it is a Middle School, for 750, it is completely rebuilt since the Quake, it is the Academy of Peace and Justice, rebuilt and funds raised by artists and the film community..... APJ worked with the St.Luke Organization to create this school.
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About the work of Artists for Peace and Justice...

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About the School that APJ built...

2011 New Wing Opening Ceremony from bryn mooser on Vimeo.

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"I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor. Do you know your next door neighbor?"~~
Mother Teresa
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It's been 2 years since the devastating Quake in Haiti, so much destruction and so much death, and yet the word gave and came together after that quake, and it yet it is still on many levels broken, shattered, undone....250,000 lives lost and still over 500,000 homeless and living in rubble. It bothers me that all of us gave and sent money...yet I see children still in the camps, schools still not rebuilt, and children with no shoes walking by debris piles...It is the one place my heart still goes easily and I dream of it at night and can hear creole...The streets there are so familiar and I can't explain it , but I do think my future is tied to this place....It's odd how Creole and Thai, my heart and brain understand...The only two places that have tugged at my heart...my dreams...my soul...And the world in many ways has moved on, I watched the news this morn, and Haiti was not mentioned....and that is why there are still piles of rubble there....We are so good at "Moving On" that we are not good at "Showing Up and Seeing it Through"....
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"If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one."~~
Mother Teresa
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This Eddie Vedder song ...about Ruins is what comes to mind about Haiti...not sure why...

"When Mitt Romney Came to Town"

( This needs to be shared far and wide, I know Newt's people made it, but....)

Monday Meditation Music....and a little bit of Wisdom

Music to take you to another place...hear crickets, wind and the trees.....and watch Sunset in Madageskar.



These are hard times, and there is much chatter, much of it devoid of compassion or really much wisdom.....Listen only to what nurtures your heart, your soul....if it is not spiritually nourishing or grounded....and saddens you, walk away....find some sun, some solace, even if it is the Light of the Moon.

"Genuine politics -- even politics worthy of the name -- the only politics I am willing to devote myself to -- is simply a matter of serving those around us: serving the community and serving those who will come after us. Its deepest roots are moral because it is a responsibility expressed through action, to and for the whole."~~Vaclav Havel
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Talk to people around you, try not to isolate yourself....No one has to get through these times alone. There is always someone out there that is suffering more than you....if you carry the burden together...it is lighter...
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"All change, even very large and powerful change, begins when a few people start talking with one another about something they care about."~~Margaret J. Wheatley

Awopradio Show for Sunday January 8th, 2012

This Sunday Awopradio will be LIVE via Ustream, you can listen and watch via Ustream, or you can also go to the Awopradio Facebook page. The Show will be at 6 PM EST with my 99 Percent report at 6:30 PM and then Perry @mommapolitico at 7:00PM with her Kitchen Table Politics. ( Please know that are show is still archived over at Blogtalkradio and we are moving and saving all of our previous shows.) During the show, we won't be able to have Calls In, but we will be monitoring the Ustream Chat Room and the Facebook Page to be able to talk to our Listeners. Kim, Perry and I do want to talk and hear from Listeners just like when we were at BlogtTalkRadio. Click the Title to get to the Ustream Link or go to the SideBar and click the Red Radio....

Our First Guest will be Lyric, an amazing singer from North Carolina who is like nothing you have heard in 10 years. If you love Funk, Jazz, Blues sung soulfully you will love Lyric. And because we have a new Format you will be able to see Lyric perform in the Liberal Loft of Kim our host down in North Carolina. This Article has an amazing write up in "Women Making Music" about Lyric and her sound, and her talent.

This Snippet from the article in "Women Making Music" by Peggy Ratusz,
"The first time I heard Lyric was the first time ninety percent of the full house audience that evening first heard Lyric. She fluttered in like a brassy butterfly; initially unassuming. She was methodical, taking her time to blow us away with her melodic poetry and her bountiful soulful voice. Whew, lordy people, if you haven’t heard of or heard Lyric, you simply must give yourself the gift. “Guitar Feet” is her latest release."

Audio of "Open Roads' is down below, and you can also watch the video of the same song here, there are 11 videos of her performing, all are excellent.



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At 8:30PM our second guest is Jill E .Bond, who is known to many on Twitter and Facebook, she is a political pundit from Florida.She is ranked Florida's #1 Political Tweeter, and is also a frequent guest and commentator on Progressive Radio, including Left Neck Chick and Kenny Pick's evening show. We will be talking Politics with her, and also the future of progressive radio, especially during this pivotal election year. Jill has also just begun a new venture as a columnist for the Examiner.com and we talk to her about that work as well. You can follow Jill at @JillEBond on Twitter and her site at JillEBond.com. And do check out her Political Posts on the Examiner.com where she shares the latest on the political scene as the GOP sets their sights on Florida this month. She is covering it all handily, from Santorum's underwhelming surges to Gingrichs antics....A Great Read. ( And the GOP is there after SC on January 31st, so there will be plenty to follow as things heat up.)
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(1) Article from Women Making Music about Lyric has a great interview with Lyric.
(2) Lyric Singing "Open Roads" on Reverbnation Must See Video....
(3) Lyric's Reverbnation Channel , will have you hooked....and come on and come join her fans there....
(4) Perry @mommapolitico covered the new financial agency in her Kitchen Table Politics ( KTP) and the website has plenty, from info for older adults facing financial hurdles to Foreclosure questions/concerns to Student Debt issues, So remember to share ConsumerFinance.gov with your friends or people needed financial questions answered. The site also has a nice write up about their new appointed head Richard Cordray.
(5) Please do give even just some cards and thoughts and prayers to the Fuller Family, as they are having to make more medical trips for AJ even just a little money to help them with gas would truly help them.....

It's done...finally.....Silent Fallout

It's finally done....it's available on Amazon and the Price is already reduced. ( I am not sure if that is good or bad). It will be available electronically in February, and you can email me if you want more details on that. And yes, this is my Whistleblower story....and yes, it is a bit bumpy in sections , but is is all true. Non Fiction, True Story of a NorthWest Town that fights back....( kind of chilling that is coming out in these times...) It is also available on the Publisher'swebsite.