Historical arena to be demolished?

Pittsburgh mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Pittsburgh city councilman Daniel Lavelle both want the Pittsburgh Civic Arena (now known as “Mellon Arena”) and all of the accompanying history to be destroyed.

Both men were quoted in an April 2010 article (“Ravenstahl: Mellon Arena must come down for redevelopment”) that can be read by clicking here.

Ravenstahl was quoted in that article as saying, “I believe that there is a better and higher reuse of that land than perhaps preserving that building. Now that may make some folks unhappy but I also think it’s the right thing to do for the future of this city.”

Lavelle was quoted in that same article as saying, “My personal opinion is that Mellon Arena must come down.”

It says on Wikipedia’s page about Mellon Arena that the “arena has hosted concerts for many famous artists, including The Beatles, Paul McCartney, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Queen, David Bowie, Aerosmith, Fuel, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, The Ramones, Keith Urban, Bon Jovi, Brooks & Dunn, Hall & Oates, Johnny Cash, U2, KISS, Guns N’ Roses, Queen + Paul Rodgers, The Grateful Dead, Rush, Uriah Heep, Manfred Mann, Michael Jackson, Madonna, The Beastie Boys, Garth Brooks, ’N Sync, Backstreet Boys, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Missy Elliott, Tamia, Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, Honor Society, Jordan Sparks, Wonder Girls, Taylor Swift, High School Musical & American Idol Live!, among others.”

It also says on that Wikipedia page about Mellon Arena, “Sporting events including roller hockey, boxing matches including Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Sonny Liston and Floyd Patterson took place at the Arena. America’s first high school basketball All-Star game, The Dapper Dan Roundball Classic was held there annually between 1965 and 1992.[5] The University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University,[6] Pittsburgh Pipers, Pittsburgh Condors, and the Harlem Globetrotters hosted basketball games at the Arena. World TeamTennis and the Pittsburgh Spirit Major Indoor Soccer League team also hosted matches at the Arena.[1][7] The 1983 United States Figure Skating Championships and first and second round games of the 1997 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament were held at the Arena.[4]World Wrestling Entertainment has frequently been to the Arena over the years. WWE Raw and WWE SmackDown have taken place there. Six pay-per-views have also taken place at the Mellon Arena: SummerSlam (1995), King of the Ring (1998), WWE Unforgiven in 2001, No Way Out (2005), Armageddon (2007), and the final pay-per-view; WWE Bragging Rights in 2009. The final WWE event was Raw on May 10, 2010. The weigh-in of the 2005 Bassmaster Classic was held here. The final event was to be a Maxwell concert on July 10, 2010. However, the show was cancelled. On June 8, 2010, the arena’s management group, SMG, announced that James Taylor and Carol King’s Troubadour Reunion Concert stop will be the final musical act at Mellon Arena on June 26, 2010.”

Please read that page on Wikipedia about Mellon Arena and it’s incredible history by clicking here, and then sign my petition to save the arena from the wrecking ball by clicking here.

Pennsylvania senator exploiting tragedy!

It disgusts me that Pennsylvania senator Kim Ward wants to criminally exploit the tragedy that befell Jennifer Daugherty by violating the First Amendment rights of Americans in order to look tough on crime. Nobody should be surprised. Most of the Democrats in office claim to care about civil liberties, and most of the Republicans in office claim to care about small government, but both claims are only charades used for public relation purposes. Just to make this crystal clear, I’m sure I would probably report it if I saw something terrible going on, but it wouldn't be because of any unlawful laws proposed or passed by elected officials.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review recently published an article (titled “‘Jennifer’s Law’ would make it crime for witnesses not to report violence”) which can be read by clicking here.

Good eating at the Texas Roadhouse!

I went out to dinner with my folks this past Friday evening to celebrate the 7 year anniversary of donating a kidney to my mother. We went to the Texas Roadhouse in Morgantown, WV. Elly seated us, and Taylor served us. Both ladies were very friendly, efficient, and did an overall fantastic job. And my compliments go out to the cooks, because the food was absolutely delicious. Erica was the supervisor, and she had everything running as smoothly as possible. If you’re ever out on the town looking for some good food, I recommend that you stop by and give the Texas Roadhouse a try. More information about the store can be read by clicking here.

Health care bills sabotaging real reform!

I reject the health care reform plan(s) being pushed on us by President Barack Obama, Senator Max Baucus, Representative Nancy Pelosi, etc. I do question their integrity. They act like the only two options are to go with their corrupt plan or to keep the current system. Bull. There is another option. A better option. An option that would take the greedy insurance companies out of the health care “business” completely.

I am referring to the single payer health care system as outlines in House Resolution 676. HR 676 didn’t get as much press as the bill that passed the House or the bill being debated in the Senate. The government would not own hospitals or anything like that. What the government would do is be the only payer for your basic health care bills. Deductibles and co-payments would both be things of the past.

Below you will find a copy of Section 102 of HR 676, which describes how it would work. Underneath you will find three related videos. The first video is of Elizabeth Kucinich (wife of Representative Dennis Kucinich) talking about House Resolution 676. The second video is of Obama, at a time before he was United States President, in which he said, “I happen to be a proponent of single payer universal health care coverage.” The third video is of Obama after he became President explaining why he does NOT support implementing a single payer health care system. I wonder why Obama had a complete reversal when it comes to his stance on single payer.

SEC. 102. BENEFITS AND PORTABILITY.

(a) In General- The health care benefits under this Act cover all medically necessary services, including at least the following:

(1) Primary care and prevention.

(2) Inpatient care.

(3) Outpatient care.

(4) Emergency care.

(5) Prescription drugs.

(6) Durable medical equipment.

(7) Long-term care.

(8) Palliative care.

(9) Mental health services.

(10) The full scope of dental services (other than cosmetic dentistry).

(11) Substance abuse treatment services.

(12) Chiropractic services.

(13) Basic vision care and vision correction (other than laser vision correction for cosmetic purposes).

(14) Hearing services, including coverage of hearing aids.

(15) Podiatric care.

(b) Portability- Such benefits are available through any licensed health care clinician anywhere in the United States that is legally qualified to provide the benefits.

(c) No Cost-Sharing- No deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, or other cost-sharing shall be imposed with respect to covered benefits.

Sometimes there is a price for winning!

Something foul has recently taken place in my local area, and the stench is a bit overwhelming. I will explain in a moment. I’m about to post about a recent local event, but I feel that it is deserving of more publicity on a national scale. That is why I am writing this blog.

I don’t know much about the supposed “church” in question, outside of what I have read about it in the newspapers. I cannot speak out for or against it’s legitimacy, because I just don’t know. And, yes, the church has been accused of some serious stuff. I won’t deny that. I just wonder what the motives were behind the sting operation that lead to this. I believe that the timing of everything speaks for itself. Here is what happened:

That church won a settlement against the county for $75,000 this past March. Then in May, undercover officers infiltrated church services. Now the District Attorney said that she hopes “to present this raid to the county to help take the steps necessary to halt this church's operation.”

If you would like to read the Uniontown Herald-Standard’s news article about the event, then click on http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20354038&brd=2280&pag=461&dept_id=480247

Single payer is officially on the table!

Some very influential people, including President Barack Obama and many high ranking members of Congress, dismissed the single payer health care plan as dead in the water, and wanted it swept under the rug. People such as myself and others wouldn't drop it. We kept the issue alive. And now, you know what? I have fantastic news for everyone. House Resolution 676, the bill that I've been telling everybody about, is going to the full floor of the US House of Representatives for a vote. I doubt if the bill will pass, but Congressmen will now have to answer for their votes. I am so happy about this, I can't even describe how I feel about it. If you would like to read about what happened, and how this all went down, there is an article about it at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/7/31/213014/952?new=true

Obama against true health care reform!

There you go. President Barack Obama has said it again. He does not want us to go to a single payer health care system. He wants to keep the insurance companies in the mix. I wonder why. Haha. I actually don't have to wonder why, because I know the reason, but I won’t go into it at this time. Back to the point at hand: Insurance companies are not out to help the sick and injured. Insurance companies are in the business of making money. That means denying claims whenever possible, or limiting care. House Resolution 676 would provide us with health care for all. No more networks. No more premiums, copayments, or deductibles. You can read the actual text of HR 676 by clicking on http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-676 and then watch the video below from July 1 of Obama talking about single payer health care. Hoping for change isn't going to fix our health care system. Information is power!

Classic articles concerning current US wars!

Here are a few “classic” articles worth checking out:

May 22, 2001
Bush's Faustian Deal With the Taliban
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20010604/20010522

February 25, 2003
Hussein Challenges Bush to Debate
http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,79465,00.html

June 30, 2009
Oil and the Iraq “withdrawal”
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jun2009/pers-j30.shtml

More politicians hear about single payer!

I find it to be very funny whenever I see certain politicians think that single payer health care advocates are going to let the issue go. Check out these two videos. By the way, the single payer option has been taken off the table by those in charge of health care reform, so what Senator Chris Dodd said in the second video in this post is a flat out lie. Either that, or he just doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

We want real health care reform!

I said before that the push for single payer health care isn’t going away, and I meant it. You just have to love Single Payer Action, an organization that ambushes officials, and videotapes their responses when asked about single payer health care. Real health care reform is what I’m talking about. Not the sham that President Obama, Senator Baucus, and their cohorts, are going to pass off on us. House Resolution 676 is a great bill, and would provide us with single payer health care if passed. Below are a couple of videos put together by Single Payer Action. The video on top is of Rahm Emanuel (the current White House Chief of Staff), and the one below is of Gus Bilirakis (a Congressman from Florida). I am very tempted to send some money off to that organization one day to show my support.

Ed McMahon will be missed!

Ed McMahon, the legendary sidekick of the late Johnny Carson, has passed away. He will definitely be missed. I will always remember his time on the Tonight Show, as well as his time on those shows about bloopers and practical jokes. He was such a nice man. Below you will find a Cash4Gold commercial that he and MC Hammer starred in.

As if evident from the commercial, McMahon recently had some financial troubles, and I find it hard to forget about the role Countrywide Home Loans had to play. You can read an interesting piece that I found online titled “Ed McMahon faces Countrywide foreclosure” by clicking on http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/04/ed-mcmahon-faces-countrywide-foreclosure/

Bank of America has since dropped the “Countrywide” name, but if there is anything you feel like telling them, their contact information is at http://my.countrywide.com/ContactUs.aspx

Privacy Digest

Anybody who is interested in the right to privacy should check out http://www.privacydigest.com/

First Amendment Center

Everybody who cares about the right to free speech should check out http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/

The Innocence Project

How many innocent people have been put on death row and have been executed? We will probably never know. There is an organization called “The Innocence Project” that works to use DNA evidence to prove the innocence of some inmates on death row. The main address for their website is http://www.innocenceproject.org/

Obama appointees like speed cameras!

I was recently reading an informative article titled “Obama Transportation Appointees Like Speed Cameras, Tolls” over at http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/28/2802.asp

Aristotle’s “On the Generation of Animals”

Aristotle, who lived from 384 BC through 322 BC, was a Greek philosopher, a student of Plato, and teacher of Alexander the Great. If any of you would like to read some of his writing titled “On the Generation of Animals” (as translated by Arthur Platt), then click on http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/a/aristotle/generation/

Do you ever get nostalgic for the 1980s?

Do you miss the 1980s? Do you ever wonder what your favorite celebrities from that decade are doing now? If you answered “yes” to either one of those questions, then you should check out “Stuck in the ‘80s” by clicking on http://blogs.tampabay.com/80s/

Get used to us! We aren’t going to drop it!

Advocates of a single payer health care system are not going anywhere. I wish the politicians and insurance companies would figure that out. Don’t worry. It’s only a matter of time, because eventually they will. Ha. Below you will find a great video clip in which a UnitedHealth conference was interrupted to ask about single payer. But first, if you would like to read a recent article from the National Nurses Movement (titled “Inside the Baucus Single-Payer Meeting--What Was Said, What's Next”), then click on http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/6/3/738531/-Inside-the-Baucus-Single-Payer-MeetingWhat-Was-Said,-Whats-Next

“Oil Watchdog” website

If you’re as fed up with the cost of gasoline as I am, then you should definitely check out http://www.oilwatchdog.org/

“Raging Grannies” demand single payer!

Here is an entertaining video of some “Raging Grannies” outside of Nancy Pelosi’s office on May 29 demanding a single payer health care system. We should not accept anything less. It’s time to give health insurance companies the boot.

Workers comp laws need to be reformed!

I have been calling for the laws regarding workers compensation to be reformed so that injured employees hurt on the job will have more rights. Up on top is a video from 2008 of Ralph Nader answering my question about that during one of his presidential campaign rallies. Below that is a news clip from a couple of months ago covering an incident in which an employee of McDonald’s was being denied worker’s compensation coverage for his medical bills after being shot at work. It is disgusting what some claimants have to go through!

A charity worth donating to!

There is a great charity called “Friends of the Family” that I want to help build awareness for. It says on the organization’s site, “The mission of Friends of the Family is to foster strong, self-sufficient families and resilient children by providing effective mental health and human development programs in the greater Los Angeles area.” If any of you would like to visit the site to look it over and possibly make a donation, then click on http://www.fofca.org/

Website: “Contact The CEO”

Here is a website that I stumbled across, and thought might come in handy. I cannot personally vouch for the accuracy of this site, but it looks to me as if it has a lot of valuable contact information on it.

It says on the site, “This website was founded because of this country's inability to connect with lower and middle America. Corporations are profitting BILLIONS and TRILLIONS of dollars while the average American is struggling to survive. Whats more disturbing is these CEO's are making MILLIONS and MILLIONS of dollars at the expense of YOU. YOU can be the consumer, the business, the victim, the employee, or a number of other people who they are using to make their money. Further, the CEO's hide behind many assistants, buildings, lawyers, and a number of other ways to prevent YOU from speaking your mind. WELL GUESS WHAT? America just got a little easier to find and contact the CEO of many Fortune 500 companies. Thats right. We did the unthinkable. We compiled every possible phone number, home address, and any other PUBLIC information and PUBLISHED it for YOU. They need to be held accountable, they make all of the money, but they do the least amount of work. Shouldn't they hear what YOU have to say? WE think so.”

If any of you would like to check out the site, then click on http://www.contact-the-ceo.com/

Truth about Obama and health care reform!

There is a bill that has been introduced into Congress that would provide universal health insurance in the form of single-payer health care. That bill is House Resolution 676: “United States National Health Care Act or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act.” Former presidential candidate Ralph Nader is one of the bill’s supporters.

Elizabeth Kucinich, wife of Congressman Dennis Kucinich, has said about HR 676, “The government covers you for everything. Absolutely everything. Preexisting and future existing, long-term, you name it. As long as you’re in this country, you would get the coverage. And this is what the single-payer means, is that the government deals with the paperwork. You don’t have to deal with the paperwork. So no premiums, no co pays, no deductibles. No additional cost.”

As some of you may have read, Senator Max Baucus has been the chairman of a recent health care reform meeting or two. Representatives from the insurance industry were present, but supporters of single-payer health care were not. Some supporters of single-payer health care were in the audience, and called out for a spot at the table, but were immediately arrested.

President Barack Obama was asked during a recent town hall meeting, “I work for one of the large corporations here. But I talk to a lot of people about health care. My question is, so many people go bankrupt using their credit cards to pay for health care. Why have they taken single-payer off the plate? And why is Senator Baucus on the Finance Committee discussing health care when he has received so much money from the pharmaceutical companies? Isn't it a conflict of interest?”

Obama replied with his usual rhetoric about wanting health care reform. At one point, when he mentioned single-payer, members of the audience applauded. He responded to the applause by saying, “Got the little single-payer advocates up here.”

A little later in his answer, Obama said, “If I were starting a system from scratch, then I think that the idea of moving towards a single-payer system could very well make sense. That's the kind of system that you have in most industrialized countries around the world. The only problem is that we're not starting from scratch. We have historically a tradition of employer-based health care. And although there are a lot of people who are not satisfied with their health care, the truth is, is that the vast majority of people currently get health care from their employers, and you've got this system that's already in place. We don't want a huge disruption as we go into health care reform where suddenly we're trying to completely reinvent one-sixth of the economy.”

I might have been a little concerned about Obama’s motive to keep the insurance companies in the game of providing health care coverage because of all the money that was donated to his presidential campaign by insurance executives, but his smooth talking and slick response have put my mind at ease.

Congressman’s wife describes health care bill!

Here is a video in which Elizabeth Kucinich, wife of Representative Dennis Kucinich, describes House Resolution 676: “United States National Health Care Act or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act” (a bill that was introduced into Congress on January 26, 2009). HR 676 is the kind of health care reform that we need.

Israel Bowl football game (April 2009)

American football is branching out all over the world. Back in April 2009, the Jerusalem Lions played against the Modi'in Pioneers in the Israel Bowl (which is the title game for the Israeli Football League). The following two videos have footage from that game:

“Health care reform” hearings are a sham!

I recently posted a blog entry here about how single payer health care should be implemented to provide insurance for everybody. Please see my blog mentioning House Resolution 676: “United States National Health Care Act or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act” (which was introduced into Congress on January 26, 2009). Do you think such a bill will ever be passed into law? Not a chance. Barack Obama and the congressional leadership may pass some kind of health care reform, but it will either have little effect or even make things worse. Check out this informative video that I found on Youtube which has footage from the recent Senate Finance Committee’s meeting about health care reform!

Video: Auto workers denounce UAW’s betrayal!

Universal health care bill is in congress!

Don’t let Barack Obama and the Democratic Party’s congressional leadership pacify you with some sort of minor health care reform. There is a bill that has been introduced in the House worth passing, but it’s not going to pass. I’m referring to House Resolution 676: “United States National Health Care Act or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act” introduced on January 26, 2009. Don’t expect it to go anywhere though. It’s for single payer health care. Former presidential candidate Ralph Nader supports this legislation, and recently wrote that single payer health care would provide “free choice of doctors and hospitals. No more premiums, deductibles, exclusions, co-pays, in-network, out-of-network rigamarole.” For more information about the bill, click on http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-676

Disabled protestors arrested today!

National Amputee Golf Association (NAGA)

It says on the National Amputee Golf Association's official website: “An original group of 12 men with amputations was the nucleus of today’s national organization. Dale Bourisseau, a veteran of World War II in which he received his below knee amputation, looked up comrades with similar injuries and encouraged them to try golf — as a means of recreation and to re-enforce pride. Dale teamed up with Possibilities Unlimited, a group of people with disabilities formed in Cleveland, Ohio. In addition to gathering players by word of mouth, Dale also traveled with golf clubs as part of his sales position. Eventually, the band of amputee golfers became regional, with friendly games developing into tournament play in various cities.”

The site continues, “By 1954, the group was incorporated as the National Amputee Golf Association (NAGA) supported the Professional Golf Association (PGA), and the United States Golf Association (USGA). NAGA currently has over 2,000 members in the United States and some 200 players from 17 other countries. In addition to its national tournaments and National Senior Championship, the NAGA sponsors local and regional tournaments throughout the country.”

If you would like to check out the NAGA's official website, then click on http://www.nagagolf.org/; and if you would like to check out any of the organization’s tournaments, their schedule for 2009 can be found by clicking on http://www.nagagolf.org/tournamentSchedule1.php?f=2009ts

Daryl Cagle’s Professional Cartoonists Index

If you love to read political cartoons as much as I do, be sure to check out Daryl Cagle’s Professional Cartoonists Index at http://www.cagle.com/

The Real Cost of Prisons Project

It says on “The Real Cost of Prisons Project” website: “The Real Cost of Prisons Project seeks to broaden and deepen the organizing capacity of prison/justice activists working to end mass incarceration. The Real Cost of Prisons Project brings together justice activists, artists, justice policy researchers and people directly experiencing the impact of mass incarceration to create popular education materials and other resources which explore the immediate and long-term costs of incarceration on the individual, her/his family, community and the nation.”

If any of you would like to check out the site, then click on http://realcostofprisons.org/

2008 video: Inmate cussing out the judge!

List of Presidential candidates from 2008!

I came across a nice list of presidential candidates from 2008. It even includes yours truly. Haha. There were a lot of candidates running that were not heard by the general public. Unfortunately, the candidate links provided on the page are no longer valid, as VoteSmart (which is a great source) has taken down the profile pages of the 2008 candidates. The list that I am referring to can be found at http://www.themansfieldherald.com/2008/08/the-list-of-over-200-candidates-in-the-2008-presidential-election/

Grandmothers Against The War

If anybody wants to check out the official “Grandmothers Against The War” website, then click on http://www.gawba.org/

Religious texts (ancient and new)!

One of my favorite hobbies is to read ancient religious texts. There are several incredible pages with such texts, but one great directory can be found at http://one-heaven.org/texts_supreme_bible.asp

Lindsay Lohan’s (joke) eHarmony profile!

On a lighter note, I have to hand it to Lindsay Lohan. She took a tough personal situation, and turned it around to her advantage. The way she was able to poke fun at her own life shows that she doesn’t take herself too seriously. I love it. Just watch the video!

Lindsay Lohan's eHarmony Profile from Lindsay Lohan

World Socialist Web Site

There are several websites that I like to read to keep up on political news, but one of my favorites is the “World Socialist Web Site” (which is run by the Socialist Equality Party). It always has a lot of informative material on there, and comes from a unique perspective. The site’s address is http://www.wsws.org/

Republicans For Obama

I realize that some of the links I post here don't look very favorable upon our current president, Barack Obama, but I wanted to be fair. I personally think that he is too conservative, but I still want to give some equal time to his supporters. Here's a link to the “Republicans For Obama” site. To check out their website, just click on http://www.republicansforobama.org/

A workers’ compensation advocacy group!

There is an advocacy group for workers injured on the job called the “National Organization of Injured Workers” (or “NOIW”). Their official website is at http://www.noiw.org/

On their official site is a page devoted to a few workers’ comp related horror stories, and a page with information on how injured workers to join the organization.

News source about internet security!

A great source to keep up on the latest news about internet security (which includes viruses and worms) can be found at http://www.securecomputing.net.au/News

Research how members of Congress voted!

Do you know how to find out how a member of Congress (House or Senate) voted on a particular bill? Review their actual voting records at http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/

Patricia Stark’s “Craving Confidence” webcasts!

The lovely Patricia Stark (who had appearances in such television hits as “Guiding Light” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”) has been working on several useful webcasts concerning confidence. The series is titled “Craving Confidence.” Below is one of the past episodes, and if anyone is interested in subscribing, he or she can do so at http://www.cravingconfidence.com

Union: “Industrial Workers of the World”

Anyone interested in the IWW (“Industrial Workers of the World”) labor union should be sure to check out their official website at http://www.iww.org/

Buying a new record player?

Are you looking to buy a new record player? Looking to purchase a machine that converts the music from your records onto your computer or onto a CD? If so, you might like to check out this website I found last night. Just click on http://coolrecordplayers.com/

Two interesting political videos!

I found these video clips on Youtube. Enjoy!

Upcoming movie: “Nine Dead”

Some of you may remember Melissa Joan Hart as the actress who starred in such as television hit series as “Clarissa Explains It All” and “Sabrina, The Teenaged Witch.” For those of you who are interested, she will be starring in a new thriller movie coming out soon called “Nine Dead.” To check out the movie’s official website, click on http://www.ninedead.com/

Videos: “Police Attack Demonstrators”

I found these videos on Youtube covering footage from an anti-war demonstration that took place in San Francisco on March 21st.

Website: “Who Runs Gov”

For those interested in reading about the politics of Washington DC, I would recommend checking out http://www.whorunsgov.com/

It says on the site, “Who Runs Gov offers a unique look at the world of Washington through its key players and personalities. Our site will feature profiles of a select group of government officials, including members of the new presidential administration, legislators, senior Congressional aides and committee staff, and experts at think tanks and interest groups who influence how policy is made. Each profile focuses on an individual's policy experience and involvement with specific areas of government decision-making, from health care to telecommunications to financial services to national security. Our goal is to become the web destination for business, opinion and political leaders – as well as students, educators and engaged citizens - looking for crucial, real-time information on the individuals who shape the policy-making process in the nation’s capital.”

Videos: “Soviet Victory Parade of 1945”

An interesting 2 part video of Soviet Union’s post World War 2 victory parade from Moscow (which I found on Youtube):

A great professional boxing directory!

All professional boxing fans should check out http://www.andworldboxing.com/index.htm

You can research Obama's presidency!

Barack Obama. United States President. Do you listen to the propaganda put forth by Obama and his supporters, or do you prefer to follow the words of his detractors? While both can occasionally make some interesting points, and sometimes point you in the right direction, wouldn’t it be nice to do your own homework from time to time? You can find all kinds of interesting information on http://www.whitehouse.gov such as a page that transcribes some speeches. There’s a page on there that shows his nominations & appointments. There’s even a “Presidential Actions” page that includes Executive Orders, Presidential Memoranda, and Proclamations. You’ll be able to read all the details about the good, the bad, and the ugly. There’s a lot more to come. I always say that knowledge is power, and believe me, I’m just getting started!

1910 article about Thomas Edison!

I was just reading a classic New York Times article from 1910 about Thomas Edison and an invention that he was working on (which he later gave up on). If you’d like to check it out, make sure you have Adobe Reader, and then click on http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9A03E5D71E39E333A25754C2A96E9C946196D6CF

Iraq Veterans Against the War

Some people say that “If you don’t support the war in Iraq, then you don’t support our troops.” Try telling that to the members of the "Iraq Veterans Against the War” organization, because they obviously don't see it that way.

According to their official website, the IVAW “was founded by Iraq war veterans in July 2004 at the annual convention of Veterans for Peace (VFP) in Boston to give a voice to the large number of active duty service people and veterans who are against this war, but are under various pressures to remain silent.”

The site has a lot of useful information on it, which includes why they are against the war. It even has a page on their site titled “Resources for Active Duty Soldiers, National Guard, and Reserves” definitely worth checking out. The home page for their site is at http://ivaw.org/

Canadians greeted Bush with protest!

Videos on Youtube about recent anti-Bush protest in Canada:

World Baseball Classic

I don’t know how many of you have been watching the World Baseball Classic, but it certainly has been living up to it’s name. Teams representing sixteen countries entered the tournament. Even as I write this, Korea is in the process of defeating Japan in a rubber match. That score is 3-0 as of this moment. Team USA won a close game against Puerto Rico to avenge a humiliating loss to PR just a few days earlier, and will now be advancing to the semifinals. So much going on. In my opinion, this is the real World Series of baseball. If you like baseball, be sure to check out the WBC’s official website at http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com

Three Noteworthy Columnists

I have read where it has been said that Ralph Nader shows up every four years to run for United States President, and then disappears until the next election. Whoever wrote that has no clue as to what he or she is talking about. Nader stays very active in trying to make a positive difference. If anybody would like to check out some of the articles that he writes, then click on http://www.nader.org/

Fidel Castro, former president of Cuba, is often written about in the news. He is often villified. But have you ever read what he actually has to say about what's going on in the world? I thought not. He writes his own articles, which can be found by clicking on http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2009/reflections-fidel-castro.html

The same can be said for Mumia Abu-Jamal, a black man who was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1981 murder of police officer Daniel Faulkner. Some say that he was framed. Whether you believe in his innocence or guilt, he is an intelligent man who expresses himself quite eloquently. From death row, he composes essays which can be listened to, and some can even be read in column form. They can be located at http://prisonradio.org/mumia.htm

Gnostic Christianity

There was a time when another form of Christianity known as Gnosticism existed. It was very different than the Christianity that we know today. It was about "hidden knowledge" and it turned the story of Adam and Eve totally upside down. That branch pretty much died out when the Catholic Church declared it to be heretical. Texts were destroyed, and believers were killed. If you would like to read a little bit more information about it, here are a couple of pieces worth checking out. One is pro, and one is con, but both are informative. Just click on http://www.gnosis.org/genesis.html and http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06592a.htm

Some Useful Links

There are so many useful sites out there to do research with, I figured that I would list a few of them here for everybody to check out. I am only posting three right now, but I will be posting others in the future. Believe me, there are plenty more where these came from.

A site to read up on the "bad cops" in the news is at http://correctionofficersgoingwrong.wordpress.com/

A site with a directory of left wing political parties and organizations is at http://www.broadleft.org/index.htm

A page that includes a directory of several news sources from all around the world is at http://watchingamerica.com/News/

“Now the fight is with our own union”

Here is an interesting video in which Ford workers comment on contract concessions: