Sunday, October 31, 2010

RaiseYourVote sms tool for voting reminders - Commit to Vote Challenge| #VOTE 2010 #GOTV #sms *http://OFA.BO/Y5EC3Z

OFA released today a neat tool for getting a reminder to #VOTE, an sms text message on your phone.  Click through to http://OFA.BO/Y5EC3Z to try it out.  One of the great things about this system is that you don't need web access to use it.  Just use your phone to text RaiseYourVote and the name of your state to 62262 and you will get voting reminders and other information. 

One of the disadvantages of the Commit to Vote Challenge is that it requires a Facebook account and friends in order to use it.  If you have freinds who are not on Facebook, then you cannot easily reach them with the Commit to Vote tool.  I know many people who are not on Facebook.  This sms system provides a great way to quickly reach many people who are not on Facebook.  I sent the following sms text message to scores of friends and associates via sms text. 

Text RaiseYourVote and the name of your state to 62262 to get a voting reminders, etc: http://bit.ly/bIfHNv

Some frequent readers of my blogs and messages may notice one of my typical typos immediately.  It is important to note that no one has complained as of yet about these messages, and I learned that someone who did not use Commit to Vote Challenge, but they have already voted.  It may be worthwhile to send it to some friends who DID use the Commit to Vote tool, because they may also forward it to some of their friends via sms.

If for some reason you are not comfortable with OFA tools, there are other sms vote reminder services.  You might be able to find them with the following Google search.

text to get a voting reminder - Google Search http://ping.fm/8SB4X

Time is growing shorter.  Thank goodness that OFA has come out with these excellent tools for voter activism.  Let's work hard to get the vote out!  As always, all discussion is welcome, and please feel free to forward this message along as you like.

Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

Text RaiseYourVote and the name of your state to 62262 to get a voting reminders, etc

The service is operated by OFA. Cheers! All discussion welcome.

Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

text to get a voting reminder - Google Search

Numerous services are available, so that you don't need the web to get a cell phone voting reminder. Try this link to maybe get a list.

Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

From: http://ping.fm/F1WGP

Commit to #Vote Challenge – *http://j.mp/9cXdso - #GOTV - get a voting reminder - #sms #text #phone

OFA released today a neat tool for getting a reminder to #VOTE, an sms
text message on your phone. #GOTV -> *http://OFA.BO/Y5EC3Z

Please feel free to copy or tweet this blog or the above text. No
attribution is required. If you would like to discuss this further, I
am eager to do so. For my part, I am grateful to OFA for creating
these excellent voter activism tools, so that we can get the vote out.
Let's chat about it.

Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

Saturday, October 30, 2010

This tool makes a great climax to this elections season. Thanks for all that led up to this. #onenation
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
That is fabulous news. Congratulations to the OFA: Commit to Vote team for an excellent voter activism tool.



Regards,

proclus

http://www­.gnu-darwi­n.org/
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Let's make voting viral! - Commit to Vote Challenge - http://j.mp/9cXdso

@TheDemocrats sez Commit to Vote Challenge has gone viral
'officially'. Hoorah! This is the best of news, because it means
that people in the social media space are reminding their friends to
vote in the US. It is a good indication that people in general are
doing the same thing. Be sure and remind your friends to vote, online
and in person as well. If you voted in the last election, you are
good to go, so be there Tuesday.

Voter activism is one of the best ways to ensure that the government
listens to the people instead of the monied interests, who have been
covertly pouring their influence into this election. They act
covertly because they have something to hide, but we do not. We act
in the open, and in truth, that is why we will win!

Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Interest growing in 'Commit to Vote Challenge' - #p2

photo

Here are some more great Commit to Vote Challenge links.

  1. Michael L. Love's blog: Facebook | Commit to Vote Challengehttp://htxt.it/Au4F http://bit.ly/d6HVZR
  2. Facebook | Commit to Vote Challenge http://ping.fm/BSsUv
  3. Daily Kos: State of the Nation - Daily Kos OFA/Facebook Commit to Vote Challenge: Full of Win http://ping.fm/lRu7T
  4. Commit to Vote Challenge - Barack Obama's Myspace Blog | http://ping.fm/cuDw8
  5. : I am very impressed with this voter activism tool.Read the Article at HuffingtonPost http://bit.ly/acl6V2
  6. I am very impressed with this voter activism tool. http://huff.to/9Damqj via @huffingtonpost
  7. RT @TheDemocrats: Get started with the Commit to Vote Challenge—one of the most effective tools you can use to boost voter turnout.

Best wishes for a successful campaign!

Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

I am very impressed with this voter activism tool.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

OFA: Commit to #Vote Challenge - #voter #activism #america #coica #acta #facebook #boycottbp #oilspill #blacktide

Hi!

I just signed up for the Commit to Vote Challenge, and I wanted to
invite you to join me.

It's a great new tool from Organizing for America that lets you show
your commitment to vote in the upcoming 2010 elections, share your
reason for participating and inspire your friends to commit as well.

You can track your progress, see who you've inspired to commit, and
even compete against your friends (like me) to see who can inspire the
most voters.

With the elections so close in dozens of states and districts around
the country, our friends could end up making all the difference.

So get the wave started -- join me an try out the Commit to Vote
Challenge today!

http://my.barackobama.com/commit


Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

For Bats, the Future Is Spooky

When Congress returns for the "lame duck" session following the November elections we may have our best (and perhaps last for a long time) opportunity to pass important legislation protecting our public lands. One bill that should be a priority for passage is the California Desert Protection Act of 2010 (S.2921). Introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein, the bill would create a new national monument in the California desert that would connect Joshua Tree National Park with the Mojave National Preserve, protecting some of the most pristine, ecologically important and beautiful desert lands in the world.

Unfortunately, the Department of the Interior is considering allowing industrial-scale energy development in some of these places. While a rapid transition to renewable energy is essential if we are to address global warming, we need not destroy pristine public lands and endangered species habitat to do so, as hundreds of thousands of acres of already degraded lands outside the proposed monument, which are better suited for energy development, have been identified.

Please take a moment and let your senator know that you strongly support Senator Feinstein's proposed monument and that the Senate should take up and pass S.2921 when it returns from the election recess.

Visit http://action.biologicaldiversity.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5072 to take action now.

Amnesty: Arizona Ignores Trial Judge, Kills Prisoner


The death penalty in this case is not appropriate and never has been.”

That’s what former judge Cheryl Hendrix told Arizona’s Board of Executive Clemency in support of Jeffrey Landrigan’s effort to have his death sentence commuted.  What’s important about judge Hendrix is that she is the one who sentenced him to death.  New information that Landrigan’s lawyer failed to present at the trial convinced her that the death sentence she issued had been wrong.  

Unfortunately, the US Supreme Court, by a 5-4 vote, had already ruled that this new information would NOT have made a difference.  That turned out to be flat wrong, but an erroneous Supreme Court ruling that still trumps everything else. The Arizona Board split 2-2 vote, but that, and Governor Jan Brewer, was enough to keep the execution process rolling. 

Landrigan’s attorneys also attempted to shine a light on the secretive practices of Arizona’s execution team (which now apparently includes an un-named British pharmaceutical company).  Had they been successful, this would have been a great public service.  Why should a public agency with the power to kill people be allowed to operate in the dark?

But that effort was not successful, thanks to another 5-4 US Supreme Court vote.  The non-FDA approved drugs acquired from Great Britain appeared to work as the executioners wanted, and, late last night, Arizona carried out a death sentence that “is not appropriate and never has been.

Repower at Home: Let's talk vampires

Click here to download:
unknownname.out (0 KB)

 

Dear Michael L.,

Halloween is here and we've got special decorations you can download and print right now. These decorations not only help put your home in the Halloween spirit, but are also a great way to help drive a stake through the heart of vampire power in your community.

Get your decorations

Hang these around your house and when trick or treaters (and parents) come over, you'll have a great conversation starter. We've even included a "vampire power fact sheet" you can give out with your candy. It's a great resource to help identify energy vampires and suggest solutions.

Most of your neighbors probably don't know that energy vampires -- electronics that use power even when turned off -- cost Americans more than ten billion dollars a year and contribute to climate change. The worst offenders have remote control sensors and indicator lights, including most computers and televisions.

When your neighbors see these decorations and fact sheets, they'll take action, saving money, conserving energy and putting a dent in the climate crisis.

View the decorations now.

Thanks for taking action,

Keith "Ghoul-man" Goodman
Director
Repower at Home

P.S. After you put up your decorations, send us a picture at field@repowerathome.com. We'd love to see how it looks!

DONATE

 

This email was sent to proclus@gnu-darwin.org.
Paid for by the Alliance for Climate Protection

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Invasion of the Democracy Crushers: Oil Industry Monsters Work to Destroy th...

via AlterNet.org by Rebecca Solnit, Tomdispatch.com on 10/24/10

Oil industry monsters from Texas are preying on California, pumping money into a campaign that would kill the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.

Petition: Tell Karl Rove: Stop the Lies

Dear Friends,

I have just read and signed the petition: "Tell Karl Rove: Stop the Lies"

Please take a moment to read about this important issue, and join me in
signing the petition. It takes just 30 seconds, but can truly make a
difference. We are trying to reach 5000 signatures - please sign here:
http://www.democrats.com/tell-karl-rove-stop-the-lies?source=proclus%40gnu-da...

Once you have signed, you can help even more by asking your friends and
family to sign as well.

Thank you!

Michael L. Love,

: #Plant #biodiversity and animal species decline - #bats #bees #fungus #infection #plants #gmo #pesticides

Here are some notes that emerged from weekend discussion of bee hive
collape. It appears that the collapse results directly from a paired
virus and fungus, and further research is clearly indicated in order
to prevent collapse of valuable bee colonies, which are also crucial
to the ecosystem and human food production. Personally, I intend to
look further into the viral mechanism, but there is already something
that I can say about this, and about the fungus as well. Plant
biodiversity loss can result directly in an upsurge in viral and
fungal infections in animal populations.

I was disturbed to learn this morning from
http://action.biologicaldiversity.org/ that eastern bats are also
suffering a decline which may prove catastrophic, and that this
decline is the result of an emergent fungal infection. We need to
remember that a wide range of plants provide flavonoids and other
molecules which have been demostrated to impede fungal and viral
infections. When plant biodiversity declines, one can expect an
upsurge in such infections. This is observable in human populations
as well. When adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables decline,
an increase in disease and infection is observed.

In researching declines in animal population, it is of concern that
the agent which prevented infections may be endangered itself, so that
the connection is difficult to observe, but it is crucial that we
observe it and prevent species and biodiversity collapse. In fact, we
may indeed be preventing the collapse of our very own species.
Clearly, addressing the problem of climate change and global warming,
will help us to preserve ourselves by protecting the ecosystem and
biodiversity that we depend upon for our very survival. Bee colony
collapse provides an elegant example of this fact, since we require
bee pollenation for so much of our food production. It should be
noted that bat pollenation is required for many species of plants.

The conclusion is obvious. The observation of viral and fungal
pathogens in species collapse is an argument for biodiversity, not
against it. Moreover, plant biodiversity has not received the
attention that it deserves, but if we do not address it, loss of plant
biodiversity may become a species-level threat for humans as well. We
need to look far more carefully at the use of pesticides and
genetically modified organisms in light of these facts. Biodiversity
loss has already been observed in some areas where such measures have
been deployed.

In an age of climate change and global warming we must give more
attention to plant biodiversity, for it is the plants that are best
suited to repair the damage from accumulation of greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere. Moreover, it is now becoming quite evident that life
itself depends on plant diversity for protection from various
infections and other maladies.

Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

BTW, if you want to take action on the situation with the bats, here
is the link. It is a wonderful halloween activity!

For Bats, the Future Is Spooky
http://action.biologicaldiversity.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5067

For Bats, the Future Is Spooky

This Halloween, what's spookier than ghosts, zombies or hordes of eager trick-or-treaters headed for your front door?

Try this real-life horror: white-nose syndrome, the disease that is wiping out America's bats. While bats are quintessential symbols of Halloween, these night-flying mammals are actually vital to keeping bug populations in check and protecting farm crops and forests from insect pests.

White-nose syndrome has been decimating bats for the past four winters, from the Northeast to the Mississippi River, and scientists fear it is headed for the West this coming winter. The fungus associated with the disease was already found on bats in western Oklahoma this spring!

Please join us in calling for Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to declare the extreme decline of bats an emergency necessitating urgent action. With nine bat species already affected and the disease racing across the country into new caves and new populations, it's time for a real plan and real action. This isn't a late-night horror flick: This wildlife die-off is the real thing -- and without bats, we'll really have something to be scared of.

Visit http://action.biologicaldiversity.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5067 to take action now.

Robert Fisk: The shaming of America


As usual, the Arabs knew. They knew all about the mass torture, the promiscuous shooting of civilians, the outrageous use of air power against family homes, the vicious American and British mercenaries, the cemeteries of the innocent dead. All of Iraq knew. Because they were the victims.

Failed accountability, #WikiLeaks show true cost of war

via Human Rights Now - Amnesty International USA Blog by Corporate Action Network on 10/26/10

The release by WikiLeaks late last week of 391,832 secret documents on the Iraq War has been said to be “…the most comprehensive and detailed account of any war ever to have entered the public record.” The revelations emerging from these documents showcase the culture of impunity that has plagued this war effort, including the U.S. government’s failure to adequately address rights violations linked to the corporations and contractors used to fight our wars.

As an August 22, 2006 report released by WikiLeaks stated

AFTER THE IED STRIKE A WITNESS REPORTS THE BLACKWATER EMPLOYEES FIRED INDISCRIMINATELY AT THE SCENE.

More than one year later, on September 16, 2007, Blackwater (now renamed Xe) guards, still benefiting from huge government contracts, shot and killed 17 Iraqi civilians in Nisour Square, Baghdad. This is just one example of many that can be found in the leaked documents.

It is clear that the record of unjustified killings and violence by PSCs is far beyond what had previously been released to the public. As it stands, none of these incidents has resulted in prosecution, and even those cases that have moved forward have resulted in dismissal or failure to indict.  Recently, a case against Andrew J. Moonen, a former Blackwater guard who was accused of killing a guard assigned to an Iraqi VP while wandering drunk in the Green Zone, was dropped by the Justice Department, citing difficulties in obtaining evidence in war zones, and the granting of immunities to the defendant by American officials at the scene.

Even the most public of cases, including that against Blackwater guards for the shooting of 17 Iraqi civilians in Nisour Square, have resulted in dismissals in US courts.  This culture of impunity extends across PSC activities.  On September 11th, 2009, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in a 2 to 1 ruling dismissed a lawsuit brought against CACI International that alleged CACI personnel participated in torture and abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison.

By creating complex legal hurdles, issuing on the scene immunities, and failing to ensure an environment of transparency, oversight and accountability, we are shielding the true costs of our wars, not only financially but in human terms as well.  The release of these documents showcases just how terrible that cost is.

Let’s continue to call for accountability in conflict zones. Tell President Obama and Congress to respect human rights and counter terror with justice.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Amnesty: US Must Investigate Detainee Abuse Claims in #Wikileaks Files


The US government must investigate how much US officials knew about the torture and other ill-treatment of detainees held by Iraqi security forces after new evidence emerged in files released today by Wikileaks.

We have not yet had an opportunity to study the leaked files in detail but they add to our concern that the US authorities committed a serious breach of international law when they summarily handed over thousands of detainees to Iraqi security forces who, they knew, were continuing to torture and abuse detainees on a truly shocking scale.

The new disclosures appear to closely match the findings of New Order, Same Abuses: Unlawful Detentions and Torture in Iraq, a report we published last month detailing the widespread torture and other ill-treatment of detainees by Iraqi forces, committed with impunity. Thousands of Iraqis who had been detained by US forces were transferred from US to Iraqi custody between early 2009 and July 2010 under an agreement between the USA and Iraq that contains no provisions for ensuring protection of the detainees’ human rights.

These documents apparently provide further evidence that the US authorities have been aware of this systematic abuse for years, yet they went ahead and handed over thousands of Iraqis they had detained to the Iraqi security forces.

The United States is a party to the UN Convention against Torture, the main international treaty prohibiting torture, which requires all states to prohibit torture and to refrain from transferring detainees to the authorities of another state at whose hands they face torture.

Amnesty International continues to campaign for full accountability for those detainees tortured and ill-treated by USA military personnel in Iraq, such as those in Abu Ghraib prison.

The US authorities, like all governments, have an obligation under international law not only to ensure that their own forces do not use torture, but also that people who were detained and are being held by US forces are not handed over to other authorities who are likely to torture them.

The USA failed to respect this obligation in Iraq, despite the great volume of evidence, available from many different quarters, showing that the Iraqi security forces use torture widely and are allowed to do so with impunity.

The information said to be in these documents also underscores the urgent need for the Iraqi government to take concrete measures to end torture, ensure the safety of all detainees, and root out and bring to justice those responsible for torture and other serious human rights abuses, however senior their position.

Join us in calling on President Obama and Congress to respect human rights and counter terror with justice.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

BarackObama.com | VOTE 2010 - Help get the vote out!

Hi,

I just signed up to talk with voters during the final stretch before Election Day and make sure they get to the polls this year.

Want to join in?

Sign up for a shift from October 30th-November 2nd.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/GOTVolunteer2/

Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

---------
A user has sent this message from BarackObama.com. The sender's name, email address, subject and message have not been verified.

You're invited to participate in 15/25 - COP 10 Biodiversity meeting


 
Join me at this pivotal
moment in history to
protect life on Earth

 

 

 

Sign the petition button


I've added my name to an international group of individuals supporting a very simple goal at the 2010 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) negotiations in Nagoya, Japan this October:

We must protect and effectively manage at least 25 percent of Earth's land and inland waters and 15 percent of marine ecosystems by 2020.

We can't protect life without also protecting the places where it lives. Currently, only 12.9% of the world's terrestrial areas are under formal protection. Less than 1% of the oceans are protected.

We can do better. We must urge global leaders to take a powerful stand. This October, world leaders will gather in Nagoya, Japan, for negotiations on the global Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The attendees of this meeting have the power to take binding action to preserve life around the world.

What can you do? Support Conservation International’s goal to protect and effectively manage at least 25% of Earth’s land and inland waters and 15% of marine ecosystems by 2020.

I hope you'll join me at this important moment in time to set a better course for Earth's future.

 

OUR MISSION
Building upon a strong foundation of science, partnership and field demonstration, CI empowers societies to responsibly and sustainably care for nature, our global biodiversity, for the well-being of humanity.

 

OUR VISION
We imagine a healthy prosperous world in which societies are forever committed to caring for and valuing nature, our global biodiversity, for the long-term benefit of people and all life on Earth.

conservation.orgdonate now
 
get the newslettersend an eCard
Photos: left, © Norbert Wu/Minden Pictures; right, © Robin Moore/iLCP

Click here to view a printable version of this eCard.

Click here to send your own eCard.

If you no longer wish to receive email messages sent from your friends on behalf of this organization, please click here or paste this URL into your browser: http://getinvolved.conservation.org/site/TellFriendOpt?action=optout&toe=...

Stop the Internet Blacklist! - #drm #law #acta #dmca #coica #music #freedom #downloads #internet #software #technology

Hey -- have you heard about this new Internet blacklist bill? It would allow the Attorney General to censor entire websites in the United States -- even if the site hasn't been convicted of any crime!

President Obama has been denouncing countries like China and Iran for censoring the Internet -- but now the U.S. Senate is about to do the same thing here at home. And they're trying to rush the bill through right after the election without having any debate.

Can you take a second to sign a petition opposing this bill? Click here.
http://act.demandprogress.org/go/4?akid=6.45919.J_5eKt&t=2

Already over 200,000 people have signed and they're trying to hit 250,000 before they start delivering petitions at the end of this week. Adding your name could make a real difference.

Please forward this email far and wide -- people need to hear about this bill.

Thanks!

Regards,
proclus
http://ww.gnu-darwin.org/

DEMAND PROGRESS Sign our urgent petition: Fill out the required fields below: (leave blank if outside the US) Sign The Petition Over 170,000 have signed! Help us hit 200,000! We do not share your email address without your permission. We will send yo

Hey -- have you heard about this new Internet blacklist bill? It would allow the Attorney General to censor entire websites in the United States -- even if the site hasn't been convicted of any crime!

President Obama has been denouncing countries like China and Iran for censoring the Internet -- but now the U.S. Senate is about to do the same thing here at home. And they're trying to rush the bill through right after the election without having any debate.

Can you take a second to sign a petition opposing this bill? Click here.
http://act.demandprogress.org/go/4?akid=6.45919.J_5eKt&t=2

Already over 200,000 people have signed and they're trying to hit 250,000 before they start delivering petitions at the end of this week. Adding your name could make a real difference.

Please forward this email far and wide -- people need to hear about this bill.

Thanks!

Regards,
proclus
http://ww.gnu-darwin.org/

Monday, October 18, 2010

Tides: Dear Fox Advertiser

via tides.org News on 10/15/10

Dear Fox Advertiser,

I am writing to ask your company to take a simple step that may well save lives in the future. And it is not unimportant that taking this action will remove your company and its products from any connection to what could very likely be an unpleasant tragedy, should things remain as they are today. On behalf of my organization, and many others like it, I ask that you cease advertising on the Fox News Channel.

Read more at

tides.org News

 

Brilliant piece of work.  I loved it.

 

Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Support Muslim Objector Nasser Abdo; Operation Recovery Launched; Alliance for Global Justice; Bradley Manning

Hello GNU-Darwin Action Group,

Michael L. Love has forwarded this e-mail newsletter to you:

nasserSupport US Army Muslim objector
Fort Bragg infantry soldier Nasser Abdo has applied for discharge as a conscientious objector based on his Muslim faith; however, his unit may attempt to deploy him anyway.

Operation Recovery launched
"Military commanders are pushing service members far past human limits for the sake of 'combat readiness.' There is a problem, a basic right is being denied, and we will organize to get it back," declares Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Alliance for Global Justice
We're now a program of the Alliance for Global Justice, a nonprofit 501(c)(3).This allows us to focus on our mission--and less on non-profit administrative paperwork.

Free Bradley Manning
Alleged Wikileaks whistle-blower Army PFC Bradley Manning remains at the center of our daily work. We'll be launching a public declaration and petition "We Stand with Brad!" soon. Check out "20+ Cities rally support for Bradley Manning" if you missed it.

 


Support US Army Muslim objector Nasser Abdo

nasserBy Courage to Resist
October 12, 2010

Please consider a donation to Nasser's defense via Courage to Resist. We hope to raise at least $1,000 towards his civilian legal representation. Nasser faces deployment, and likely jail if he refuses.

"To a soldier the association of terror and Islam serves the purpose of falsely justifying ones actions in combat by stripping Muslims of their humanity. The association of terror and Islam is what we now refer to as Islamaphobia, and furthermore that it is as if the US public is just recently following a trend that has been rampant in the military for years. Only when the military and America can disassociate Muslims with terror can we move onto a brighter future of the religious collaboration and dialogue that defines America and makes me proud to be an American.”
--PFC Nasser Abdo

As Chuck Fager, Director of Quaker House, Fayetteville, NC, explains in support of Nasser, “A Muslim soldier whose interpretation of his faith leads him to the conviction that he can’t participate in war deserves the same respect from the Army as does a Quaker, a Mennonite, or any other person following their conscience.”

A handful of past Courage to Resist donors have expressed objections to our support of PFC Nasser Abdo. There are always a couple of folks that have problems with any particular objector and their reasons for refusing to fight or speak out. However, in Nasser's case, it's been far more than usual. For Courage to Resist, we help objectors tell their stories and support them when they come into conflict with the military as a result of reasons of conscience.

For audio and video interviews with Nasser, visit
www.freenasserabdo.org


Operation Recovery launched to resist repeated deployments

ivawBy Iraq Veterans Against the War
October 7, 2010

Thousands of troops are being sent to war despite suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Military Sexual Trauma (MST). Many of us within IVAW have faced or are currently facing deployment as we try to recover from the severe trauma we have already experienced.

While we recognize that we must stop the deployment of all soldiers in order to end the occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan, we see the deployment of soldiers with PTSD, TBI, and MST as particularly cruel, inhumane, and dangerous. Military commanders across all branches are pushing service members far past human limits for the sake of 'combat readiness.' We cannot allow those commanders to continue to ignore the welfare of their troops who are, after all, human beings.


Now a program of Alliance for Global Justice

afgjBy Courage to Resist. October 12, 2010

Courage to Resist is now a program of the Alliance for Global Justice (AfGJ)! We would like to thank the International Humanities Center (IHC) for their fiscal sponsorship during the first five years of our collective. Like IHC, AfGJ is a nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code. This relationship allows Courage to Resist to focus more on our mission of supporting the troops who refuse to fight--and less on the administrative paperwork required to keep a non-profit running. Like most fiscal sponsors, AfGJ hosts a number of projects. However, Courage to Resist is autonomous from and independent of any political organization, party, group, or other AfGJ-sponsored project.

Read more...


Please click here to forward this to a friend who might also be interested in supporting GI resisters.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Speak Up for Wolves in the Great Lakes Region

Republican and Democratic members of Congress in the House and Senate have introduced four bills to remove gray wolves from the endangered species list before they have fully recovered.

The bills would remove Endangered Species Act protections from wolves in Montana and Idaho, portions of surrounding states, or possibly the entire country.

The bills would legislatively overturn the August 2010 ruling in the Center's latest successful lawsuit that restored Endangered Species Act protections to wolves throughout Montana and Idaho, and parts of Washington, Oregon and Utah. Each bill would permit a renewed extermination program against wolves, unfettered by federal law.

Please tell your members of Congress: Protect our wolves, and hands off the Endangered Species Act.

Visit http://action.biologicaldiversity.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4995 to take action now.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Divest From #BP - The Petition Site - BP #Oil Spill #boycottbp #petroleum #oilspill #blacktide

Dear Friends,

I have just read and signed the petition:
"Divest From BP".

Please take a moment to read about this important
issue, and join me in signing the petition. It takes
just 30 seconds, but can truly make a difference. We
are trying to reach
10000 signatures
- please sign here:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/885/006/964/

Once you have signed, you can help even more by asking
your friends and family to sign as well.

Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Oxfam: Tell President Obama to Support Oil Transparency in Ghana - Care2

Dear Friends,

I have just read and signed the petition:
"Tell President Obama to Support Oil Transparency in Ghana".

Please take a moment to read about this important
issue, and join me in signing the petition. It takes
just 30 seconds, but can truly make a difference. We
are trying to reach
25000 signatures
- please sign here:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/362/472/969/

Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

Friday, October 8, 2010

proclus: #ACTA notes - #drm #dmca #coica #music #downloads #technology

 

proclus: #ACTA notes - #drm #dmca #coica #music #downloads #technology


Activists may wish to go straight to Section 5, which deals with digital enforcement and explicitly stipulates that the provisions preserve fundamental principles, such as free speech rights.  A caveat would be that these stipulations are not present in the first part of the document, which deals primarily with non-digital property.  Section 5 is about the restriction of access to knowledge.
The treaty uses a peculiar term which I have not encountered before, fair process.  This principle appears to be similar to fair use, but it is best thought of in another way.  For example, If I put your logo on the top of a document, I am free to list the reasons why I don't like your organization under the logo as long as I don't say the communication is from you.  That is my understanding of fair process, which is essentially the clear right to use your logo as a designator to make comments, comparisons to competitors and so forth.  If this is not a correct conception of fair process, then someone please clue me.
As I noted previously with respect to the onerous COICA legistlation, it is far too tempting for corporations to use trademark enforcement to quell unfavorable expression, and they should NOT be encouraged to do so.  This is a MAJOR problem with ACTA as well, and the trademark provisions are among the most controversial perhaps for this reason.
It is no surprise to see such stipulations of basic rights spelled out explicitly in the digital enforcement section, because such provisions are often so problematic.  For example, ACTA says effectively in this section that governments shall promote the adoption of DRM by corporations. It is simply a contradiction in terms to promote DRM at the same time as free speech, fair use, and privacy rights, which are basic principles and protected liberties.   The fact that people don't seem to see this contradiction is a huge problem which transcends the ACTA treaty.
The fallacy that DRM is compatible with fundamental rights is what makes ACTA so onerous, and this fallacy blooms full in the anti-circumvention provisions.  They are legal sophistry and an offence to basic liberties, while at the same time claiming to support such liberties.  It is the same problem with the DMCA.  Saying that you support free speech, fair use, and privacy is different than actually supporting them, and neglect of this fact has led to many problems.  There will be more and more problems until the DRM fallacy is recognized.  DRM and liberty are incompatible, and the anti-circumvention provisions of ACTA make this OBVIOUS.  Attempts to enforce such provisions constitute an illegitimate authority.
In the case of ACTA, sections subsequent to section 5 are tainted with this fallacy and illegitimate notion of authority which violates the very basic principles that it claims to uphold.  It is really quite a power grab.  As such, the document is very troubling indeed, and will no doubt continue to receive vociferous opposition.  Although the problems with trademark infringement are troubling, in actuality, the document is deeply flawed. If the ACTA treaty is ratified, I am predicting that many parties will withdraw from it. 
Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

U.S. Intel Agencies Catching al-Qaeda in its own Web

Wikileaks rulz! Are you really a journalist?
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Thursday, October 7, 2010

U.S. Intel Agencies Catching al-Qaeda in its own Web

Wikileaks rulz! Are you really a journalist?
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Don't Let Congress Kill Wolves

Republican and Democratic members of Congress in the House and Senate have introduced four bills to remove gray wolves from the endangered species list before they have fully recovered.

The bills would remove Endangered Species Act protections from wolves in Montana and Idaho, portions of surrounding states, or possibly the entire country.

The bills would legislatively overturn the August 2010 ruling in the Center's latest successful lawsuit that restored Endangered Species Act protections to wolves throughout Montana and Idaho, and parts of Washington, Oregon and Utah. Each bill would permit a renewed extermination program against wolves, unfettered by federal law.

Please tell your members of Congress: Protect our wolves, and hands off the Endangered Species Act.

Visit http://action.biologicaldiversity.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4965 to take action now.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

You're invited to participate in 15/25 - #conservation #biodiversity #global #warming #climate


 
Join me at this pivotal
moment in history to
protect life on Earth

 

 

 

Sign the petition button


I discovered this organization thanks to @seachele420. She is a great follow, BTW. Biodiversity and conservation targets deserve more attention, because as I have written before in the extinction article in this blog, green spaces are possibly the best way to combat global warming and climate change. Other measures are necessary as well, but if we continue to allow our green spaces to shrink instead of grow, we are simply doomed. This planet cannot sustain life without them. I have not yet carefully evaluated the 15/25 target, but I am delighted to learn that someone is thinking about these things and doing something. The Conservation.org proposal definitely deserves more attention. Here below is their intended message.


I've just added my name to an international group of individuals supporting a very simple goal at the 2010 Convention on Biological Diversity negotiations in Nagoya, Japan this October.

Every corner of the world is home to critical ecosystems like tropical forests and oceans that are home to so many of the world's species. These ecosystems are at risk as the result of human development, and the pressure is mounting like never before.

We can't protect life without also protecting the places where it lives. Currently, only 13.9% of the world's terrestrial areas are under formal protection. Less than 1% of the oceans are protected and inland waters ecosystems have been almost entirely neglected by conservation efforts to date.

We can do better. We must urge global leaders to take a powerful stand. This October, world leaders will gather in Nagoya, Japan, for negotiations on the global Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The attendees of this meeting have the power to take binding action to preserve life around the world.

Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

What can you do? Support Conservation International’s goal to protect and effectively manage at least 25% of Earth’s land and inland waters and 15% of marine ecosystems by 2020.

I hope you'll join me at this important moment in time to set a better course for Earth's future.

 

OUR MISSION
Building upon a strong foundation of science, partnership and field demonstration, CI empowers societies to responsibly and sustainably care for nature, our global biodiversity, for the well-being of humanity.

 

OUR VISION
We imagine a healthy prosperous world in which societies are forever committed to caring for and valuing nature, our global biodiversity, for the long-term benefit of people and all life on Earth.

conservation.orgdonate now
 
get the newslettersend an eCard
Photos: left, © Norbert Wu/Minden Pictures; right, © Robin Moore/iLCP

Click here to view a printable version of this eCard.

Click here to send your own eCard.

If you no longer wish to receive email messages sent from your friends on behalf of this organization, please click here or paste this URL into your browser: http://getinvolved.conservation.org/site/TellFriendOpt?action=optout&toe=...

Join me and tell President Obama no to untested ethanol

Hello,

I just took action and asked President Obama to instruct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to wait until testing of all engines is complete before increasing the allowance of ethanol levels in our gasoline.

Will you join me and tell the Obama administration to complete testing before pumping more ethanol?

Powerful lobbyists from the corn ethanol industry are working behind the scenes at the Environmental Protection Agency to influence the EPA’s decision to increase the ethanol content of gasoline from 10 percent ethanol (E10) to 15 percent ethanol (E15) – even though critical safety tests and environmental impact studies required by Congress have not been completed.

The EPA should not approve this decision without adequate studies on the environmental impacts of ethanol, including the emissions accounting process of increased fuel blends as mandated by the Clean Air Act, or substantial proof this would not negatively affect human health.

Take action now, and encourage the Obama administration to keep the EPA from hastily approving this decision.

Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/