Tag Archives: women

Al Gore calls for climate movement, and we must answer

http://blog.algore.com/2010/08/the_movement_we_need.html In a post on his blog yesterday, Al Gore called for climate protests in America in response to the betrayal by our Congress in doing its moral duty to address the climate crisis. This is no small news, (though it will be treated as such in our media) this is a clarion call to begin a social movement to reclaim our soul as a nation and our moral conscience as a species make no mistake about that. Yet already the naysayers are attacking his words saying it is impossible, insane, and won't happen, especially in a bad recession. Funny how these same people don't seem to be complaining about unnecessary wars on two fronts causing trillions in deficits during a bad recession. But I digress. But allow me to answer their claims. Firstly, this will be an arduous task. That is a given especially here in America where on the whole people do not yet equate climate justice with jobs. We need to change that. People in America on the whole also do not yet equate something happening across the world with the potential to affect their lives. We need to explain that it indeed does and show them how it is affecting them now. People due to the already overabundance of partisan political spin also think this is solely a political issue. We definitely need to debunk that. In other words, this movement must not only be about protest, but accountability, education, enlightenment, moral conscience and solutions. Though as arduous a task as that may be it is definitely not impossible. It is no more impossible than the Civil Rights Movement or the Women's Suffrage Movement which dealt with many more obstacles regarding apparatus and getting the word out. In this technological age there should be little problem in organizing such a sustained movement. All we need is the will to do it, and we must. Secondly, I truly do question those who would call standing up for our only home insane. I personally believe it is insanity to continue to plunder and destroy the biodiversity of this planet. And that is exactly what we are doing. Our species, our oceans, plantlife, crops, all suffering from the overabundance of pollutants and toxins in our water and atmosphere and the effects of a warming world. Crops worldwide ruined by floods, droughts, and wildlfires which bring soil degradation, erosion to beaches causing sea level rise, and hunger from lack of food as well as a decline in potable water sources. Glaciers worldwide melting at a rapacious pace due to warming temperatures caused by the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, burning of carbon sinks, wasteful land management practices, black carbon(soot)and political impasse. The cost of such catastrophes if we remain on the road we are on will far exceed any such accountability placed on those causing this devastation. And the cost will not only be monetary, but it has been and will be in lives and in the quality of life. Therefore, standing up for our planet to reverse these destructive behaviors is the least insane thing we could do now as a species as we see our world hurtling towards the abyss. And lastly, it won't happen. This sounds more like wishful thinking for some than an actual fact to me, because even though there are many who fall in the above categories there are also millions in this country who do see the threat this crisis places on our ability to sustain our species in years to come. Only, they have been silent, or silenced. Silenced by big oil and coal lobbies. Silenced by a complicit media pumping out talking points and misinformation 24/7 in a desperate attempt to stay awash in profits. Silenced by a political system stained by oil and fear of change. And that is exactly why a nationwide climate justice movement is so desperately needed now. Strength in numbers, in purpose, in focus. I have lived my life from the time I was a very young girl of 12 always cognizant of my actions and how they would affect the present and the future. Always cognizant of the world I wanted my child to live in. A world of peace, prosperity, equality, and with an environment that reflected the true beauty and balance of humans. I'm not about to give up on that now. So I applaud Mr. Gore's throwing down the gauntlet and hope to see it and will participate in it. Because as arduous a task as it may be fraught with intimidation and even fears, there are some things more important than fear and this is one of them. Looking into the future taking into account the present world we live in and the world we will make if we do this as opposed to not doing it, there is no choice. And contrary to what some are saying, it wouldn't be a movement to call just for a carbon tax. This is about having a social movement that defines what we are as a species. This is about working to preserve this planet for future generations because as it stands now we are failing miserably on that score. This is about calling on politicians of all parties to do what is morally right. This is about us standing up with our collective conscience to a threat to our survival. This is about seeing the big picture. I have no illusions regarding the road ahead. However, it is a moment in history that will be shaped by what we choose to do and the future will judge us on it. I choose to stand on the side of truth and on the side of moral conscience. We cannot desert our Earth now for to do so would be a grave offense as well to those we love. This isn't just about carbon taxes or dividends; or solar panels; or green jobs; this is about who you see when you look in the mirror, and who looks up to you. Thank you Mr. Gore. I surely hope we are up to this generational challenge. added by: JanforGore

CNN Rips ‘Incoherent’ Obama: Even George W. Bush Had Clearer Message

When the media outlet disaffectionately called the “Clinton News Network” starts ridiculing you to such an extent that you are depicted as a worse communicator than George W. Bush, you know your popularity as a Democrat President is in trouble. Yet that’s what happened Tuesday when CNN published a piece prominently displayed on the front page of its website with the surprising headline: Critics Say Obama’s Message Becoming ‘Incoherent’  For the remaining fans of our 44th President, the article that followed wasn’t any better: President Obama’s comments on a plan to build a mosque in the shadow of ground zero are not only giving opponents an opportunity to attack him but also reveal a messaging problem from the White House, a communications expert said. “The danger here is an incoherent presidency,” said David Morey, vice chairman of the Core Strategy Group, who provided communications advice to Obama’s 2008 campaign. “Simpler is better, and rising above these issues and leading by controlling the dialogue is what the presidency is all about. So I think that’s the job they have to do more effectively as they have in the past [in the campaign].” “There is no question they are having messaging problems at the White House,” Morey said. “They’ve lost control of the dialogue, and they’ve gotten pulled down by the extremes on the left and right. They’ve just not had a coherent set of themes.” Shhh. Wait. It gets better: “Communicating as a law professor does not work as president. It’s not worked,” he said. “You’re drawing fine distinctions and speaking in long enough paragraphs that they can be misconstrued and taken out of context and frankly, handed to your opposition to exploit. And that’s clearly what’s going on here [with the Islamic center/mosque comments].” While many poked fun at former President George W. Bush for mispronouncing words and stumbling through sentences, observers note that he rarely had to backtrack on his answers because he employed a simple and direct messaging approach. Maybe even more surprising, author Ed Hornick provided poll numbers to demonstrate just how far Obama’s message is from the public’s view of this mosque: Nearly 70 percent of Americans oppose the mosque plan, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released last week. In terms of party affiliation, 54 percent of Democrats, 82 percent of Republicans and 70 percent of independents oppose the plan. Amazed? Well, there’s even more, for this piece wasn’t buried in the bowels of CNN.com.  Hardly, this was prominently featured on the front page: I guess it’s safe to say that regardless what the sycophants on the far-left and at MSNBC are claiming about this matter – or shills like Time’s Joe Klein ! – Obama really has jumped the shark by wading into this issue. 

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CNN Rips ‘Incoherent’ Obama: Even George W. Bush Had Clearer Message

ABC Pushes Taxpayer Funded Abortions with Misleading Incident, Mashed Terms and Only Pro-Abort "Experts”

MSM’s propaganda to keep taxpayer funded abortion in Obamacare has begun. But the article ABC posted yesterday entitled, “Immigrants lured to cheap, do-it-yourself abortion,” was 1) totally misleading; 2) misplaced blame; 3) seriously mashed terms; and 4) led with a fraudulent sob story. ABC reporter Susan Donaldson James wrote a truly shoddy piece and should be ashamed of herself, although I’m sure she’s not. About #s 1, 3, and 4, from the article: Kelly , a part-time hairdresser from Atlanta , took 5 little white pills at 7 a.m. and will take 5 more before her 6-week-old fetus is completely aborted . “I am going through this as we speak,” said Kelly, who did not want her last name used. “What I read about it was really scary. I didn’t sleep at all last night, I was so anxious.” At first, the cramping pain and bleeding was “like a bad period” – but later “it got worse” and even the painkiller hydrocodone didn’t help. But Kelly could deal with the emotional event in the privacy of her own home and at about half the cost of a surgical abortion . Kelly induced a miscarriage with misoprostol , sold under the brand name Cytotec , an FDA-approved drug for treating stomach ulcers…. Safe and effective, the drug is used globally to prevent women from post-partum hemorrhaging and is widely prescribed in combination with RU-486 in the US to induce miscarriage . But for some low-income women, misoprostol has become a do-it-yourself abortion tool . That wasn’t the case with Kelly. An ultrasound revealed her fetus had no heartbeat and she would eventually miscarry. But like many women, she elected a medical rather than a surgical procedure because it was cheaper and carried a lower out-of-pocket cost — about $20 for the prescription. Kelly is under the care of a doctor , but many women, particularly immigrants, are uninsured or don’t have access to health care, and end up in emergency rooms or without professional care when things go wrong. How confused and misleading! Kelly wasn’t undergoing an induced abortion, which is defined as such if the baby has a heartbeat when the procedure is initiated. Kelly was medically inducing a miscarriage (not mentioned until the 7th paragraph). Her baby had died naturally. Furthermore, Kelly was under a doctor’s care (not mentioned until the 8th paragraph). Donaldson James also engaged engaged in opposite-world terminology. The one time in her story to this point the term “abortion” would have been appropriate was when describing the use of Cytotec for the 2nd half of the RU-486 abortion cocktail. But then D-J called it “induc[ing] miscarriage.” And if Cytotec abortions are so “safe and effective,” why did D-J get so dramatic with descriptions of pain and fear and secrecy – of a mother given a prescription by her physician to complete a miscarriage? I’m confident that had D-J’s intended spin been to promote a legal RU-486 abortion obtained through Planned Parenthood she would have nixed any drama and conveyed only happiness and relief. Actually, I don’t understand the point of this story. In large part it was written to promote public funded abortions in healthcare: Health experts say illicit use of the drug underscores the barriers that many women face when trying to access reproductive care, particularly immigrants and women of color. They worry that the amendment in the passage of the new health care law to ban the use of federal funds in Medicaid and insurance exchanges for abortion could further marginalize women’s access to reproductive care. “What the amendment does is if you are poor, you cannot get an abortion,” said Jessica-Gonzalez-Rojas , deputy director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health . “Wealthy women can pay out of pocket and have access to clinics and services.” But that’s the way it has always been. Rich women have always had access to abortion. Legalizing abortion in 1973 was supposed to erase the access barrier between wealthy and poor.  Furthermore, most abortion mills are located in poor and minority areas. What more do they want? Oh yes, for us to pay for them. But why now the urgency? The federal government hasn’t subsidized elective abortions for 34 years, since the Hyde Amendment was enacted . But I digress. As I said, I don’t understand the point of this story, because it concludes with ominous concerns about making abortion illegal again: “There is a perception that Latinas are not pro choice, and many women we work with have different feelings about abortion, but we all agree about access,” said Jessica Gonzales-Roja. “It shouldn’t be restricted. We have all seen friends die in underground abortions. We know the reality of what happens when abortions are not legal.” What the heck? And another kicker? The mother whose baby tragically died of natural causes at the beginning of the story, Kelly, doesn’t support taxpayer funding of abortion: Kelly understands the prohibitive cost of abortion, but supports restrictions on federal funding. “A woman can choose to do what she wants, but it’s up to her to pay for it,” she said. “It’s not up to insurance or Obama care. It’s not the government’s responsibility. I stand 100% for choice, but not with my tax dollars.” D-J never mentions whether Kelly has insurance, but I’m betting she does. And about my #2 complaint about this article, “misplaced blame,” whose fault and responsibility is it when a woman gets pregnant? I thought comprehensive sex ed and wanton, free access to birth control was supposed to stop that? Finally, all those “experts” quoted in the story?  Every single one promotes or commits abortion. In order of appearance: National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health Guttmacher Institute Ibis Reproductive Health Gynuity Health Projects (including its spokesperson, Dr. Daniel Grossman ) National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health at U of IL How much different this article would have looked had it been fair and balanced. And had it crazily only included thoughts from life affirming organizations and spokespersons? I can already hear the accusations of right wing ideological spin.

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ABC Pushes Taxpayer Funded Abortions with Misleading Incident, Mashed Terms and Only Pro-Abort "Experts”

The Real Housewives of New Jersey: Family Reunions, Investigations

Has Danielle Staub really been fired from The Real Housewives of New Jersey ? As viewers consider this strong possibility, they were treated to a new episode of the hilarious/nauseating Bravo series last night. Our THG correspondent has every detail covered. Follow along now… It struck me tonight:

Eco-Fashion Supports Peruvian Handcrafts Made by Women of Domestic Violence (Photos)

Traditional Peruvian fashion is inspiration for Annie O.’s line. Image courtesy of Annie O. Boutique . Inspired by vibrant Peruvian textiles and a desire to bring work to female artisan cooperatives in South America, Annie O. Waterman founded an accessory collection, called “Annie O,” comprised of hand-embroidered handbags, belts, scarves, and more. Based in Boulder, Colorado, the boutique works with 80 women who are victims of domestic violence and/or living in impoverishment, helping them to attain financial independence. Thei… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Eco-Fashion Supports Peruvian Handcrafts Made by Women of Domestic Violence (Photos)

Churchgoers, strippers protest one another in Coshocton County

Of ire and brimstone Monday, August 9, 2010 02:54 AM By Holly Zachariah THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH WARSAW, Ohio — Strip-club owner Tommy George rolled up to the church in his grabber-orange Dodge Challenger, drinking a Mountain Dew at 9 in the morning and smoking a cigarette he had just rolled himself. Pastor Bill Dunfee stepped out of a tan Nissan Murano, clutching a Bible in one hand and his sermon in the other, a touch of spray holding his perfectly coiffed 'do in place. Inside the New Beginnings Ministries church, Dunfee's worshippers wore polyester and pearls. Outside, George's strippers wore bikinis and belly rings. Both men agree it is classic sinners vs. saints. But George says it is up to America to decide which is which and who is who. Dunfee says God already has chosen. “Tom George is a parasite, a man without judgment,” Dunfee said. “The word of Jesus Christ says you cannot share territory with the devil.” The battle that has heretofore played out in the parking lot of George's strip club – the Foxhole, a run-down, garage-like building at a Coshocton County crossroads called Newcastle – has shifted 7 miles east to Church Street. Every weekend for the last four years, Dunfee and members of his ministry have stood watch over George's joint, taking up residence in the right of way with signs, video cameras and bullhorns in hand. They videotape customers' license plates and post them online, and they try to save the souls of anyone who comes and goes. Now, the dancers have turned the tables, so to speak. Fed up with the tactics of Dunfee and his flock, they say they have finally accepted his constant invitation to come to church. It's just that they've come wearing see-through shorts and toting Super Soakers. They bring lawn chairs and – yesterday, anyway – grilled hamburgers, Monster energy drinks and corn on the cob. They sat in front of the church and waved at passing cars but largely ignored the congregation behind them. Likewise, the churchgoers largely ignored the dancers. Except for Stan Braxton. He stopped and held hands with Lola, a 42-year-old dancer who made $200 on her Saturday night shift, and prayed for her salvation. Lola, who wouldn't give her last name, said she was grateful for Braxton's prayers and his time. The women don't come here, after all, without their own version of religion. They bring signs with Scriptures written in neon colors: Matthew 7:15: Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing Revelations 22:11: He that is unjust, let him be unjust still Greg Flaig is executive director of the Ohio Owners Coalition, a group of showbar and club owners. He called the women's protest extraordinary, saying he's never heard of anything like it in the country. George said the protest has been a long time coming. He sued the church in federal court several years ago, claiming a violation of his constitutional rights, but he lost. Now, he said, turnabout is fair play. “When these morons go away, we'll go away,” George said. “The great thing about this country is that everyone has a right to believe what they want.” He said his club operates within the law. Dunfee said it does not, that it must close at midnight instead of its regular 2 or 3 a.m. Coshocton County Prosecutor Bob Batchelor said Friday only that he, the sheriff and the city prosecutor are “aware of the situation.” Gina Hughes spent the morning soaking up the sun in her striped bikini, mostly oblivious to the fire and brimstone being preached in the tidy church building. The 30-year-old married mother of six said she has danced at the Foxhole for a decade and holds the title of “house mom.” That means that even though she still dances, she also watches out for the six other women who work there. She said she makes $2,000 a week. “These church people say horrible things about us,” Hughes said. “They say we're homewreckers and whores. The fact of the matter is, we're working to keep our own homes together, to give our kids what they need.” Dunfee said it's not that simple. He said he consistently offers the women help, a chance at redemption. “I tell them, 'I will put a roof over your heads, and your bills will be paid, and your children's bellies will be full,'” he said. Yet they don't come inside. The first few weeks, Dunfee piped the sermon outside. But that “agitated” them, he said, and made them dance in the streets. He said their presence has united his church members and reinvigorated their mission to shut down the club. “They have now seen the evil firsthand,” Dunfee said. “This has just made us stronger.” George laughed at that notion. “They're just mad,” he said, “because their wives won't let them come to my club.” hzachariah@dispatch.com added by: putdownmypants

Craigslist is hub for child prostitution, allege trafficked women

Criticism is building for Craiglists' adult advertisement section on the website. The site is under investigation in South Carolina for promoting prostitution and the creator Craig Newmark was confronted by a CNN reporter about the allegations. Now in the Washington Post, an advert paid by by Fair Fund (charity which helps trafficked women) showed an open letter written by two women who were sold for sex on the website. It sounds like the letter highlighted the issues of sex trafficking of women and children on the website. Craiglist chief executive Jim Buckmaster stated they're working with police to monitor, identify for arrests of exploitation adverts on the website. “One of the women, who identified herself as MC, said she was forced into prostitution at the age of 11 by a man who trafficked “many girls my age”. “All day, me and other girls sat with our laptops, pasting pictures and answering ads on Craigslist, he made $1,500 a night selling my body, dragging me to Los Angeles, Houston, Little Rock – and on one trip to Las Vegas in the trunk of a car,” the ad said. “Craig we write this letter so you will know from our personal experiences how Craigslist makes horrific acts like this so easy to carry out … and the men who arrange them very rich.” The second woman, identified as AK, said that last year she met a man twice her age who pretended to be her boyfriend. “He put my picture on Craigslist, and I was sold for sex by the hour at truck stops and cheap motels, 10 hours with 10 different men every night. This became my life,” the ad said. “Men answered the Craigslist advertisements and paid to rape me. The $30,000 he pocketed each month was facilitated by Craigslist 300 times.” AK said she knew of more than 20 girls who were trafficked on the site: “-Guardian added by: Mcellie

Britney Spears — Comical Date Night

Filed under: Britney Spears , Jason Trawick , Paparazzi Photo A demure looking Britney Spears enjoyed a classy night on the town last night with boyfriend Jason Trawick, taking in a play in downtown Los Angeles. Brit and Jason saw the comedy ” The Lieutenant Of Inishmore ” which stars Chris Pine and centers around… Read more

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Michelle McGee, Violet Kowal — The Stripper Tour

Filed under: Michelle McGee , Violet Kowal Dave Matthews Band? Lady Gaga? Nope … the hottest tour of 2010 is going to be Michelle “Bombshell” McGee and Violet Kowal — coming to a strip club your significant other hopes is not near you! TMZ has learned the infamous other women will unite for… Read more

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Michelle McGee, Violet Kowal — The Stripper Tour

Kanye West’s ‘Power’ Video: Artists Break It Down

MTV News caught up with art students, who say director Marco Brambilla is ‘pushing the envelope.’ By Rochell Thomas Kanye West Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage Ram-horned guards, floating nymphs, knife-wielding attackers, water flowing upward — huh?!? If you can’t make heads or tails out of the groundbreaking “video montage” Kanye West and artist Marco Brambilla produced for West’s “Power,” relax. You’re not alone. After the clip’s Thursday premiere on MTV, Kanye tweeted : “It’s not a video … It’s a moving painting!” During his recent talks with MTV News, Brambilla described the 90-second piece , which is made of 24 layers of video, as a “visual ballet.” Others have called it a “living portrait.” A visual ballet painting? Yeah, that wasn’t good enough for us either. So we consulted people who have devoted their lives to studying, analyzing and producing art, and they’re confused too. “What stood out to me was his ridiculous big chain. I don’t know what that was all about,” photographer Gianna Leofalcon said about the six-figure, gold medallion that depicts one of the oldest Egyptian deities, Horus. “If that [chain] was real, he wouldn’t be standing up,” joked painter and illustrator Misha T. “It symbolizes power,” said graphic artist and rapper Wordspit. “Back in the day, [Egyptians] used to wear nothing but gold jewelry, and that was a sense of power with them. I feel like it symbolizes that.” Fellow graphic artist Suede Jury agreed: “The chain is larger than life. Everything about the video is larger than life.” “Yo, this dude, Marco. He’s bananas, son,” said painter Ibrahim Baaith. “And what’s cool is that he’s shooting all this and incorporating it into, like, a painting. He’s not just taking classical images and just smashing it together. He’s completely original, and I like where he and Kanye took it. He’s definitely pushing the envelope.” The problem comes when you ask which direction the envelope is being pushed. Some say it permanently raised the bar for hip-hop videos, but Leofalcon said when it comes to male/female relations, “Power” goes the same old route. “What are all the women doing below him?” she asked. “What message is that sending? We’re already dealing with inequality between men and women, particularly in hip-hop. I’m sick and tired of having a bunch of girls surrounding a man in videos in general. “I would challenge Kanye to have a woman by his side to give the message that there is equality between him and a beautiful woman,” she added. “He’s showing his position of power. He indulges in the women,” Wordspit countered. “I could understand that you want him to have a woman by his side. It probably would have looked cool. … But at the same time, Kanye is a loner. Kanye feels like he’s alone. And I think that was one of the purposes of this video — to just show that even though I’m in a position of power. I’m still mortal.” Misha T broke down the video like this: “The song is called ‘Power.’ When you’re on top, everybody’s trying to bring you down to claim that spot. He’s trying to show you this picture-perfect world where, yeah, you have goddesses surrounding you. But at the same time, you have guys trying to stab you in the back.” And that sword over his head? It’s the Sword of Damocles. Don’t even get us started on that … What did you take from Kanye’s “Power” video? Share your thoughts in the comments! Related Artists Kanye West

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Kanye West’s ‘Power’ Video: Artists Break It Down