Rara Avis Menagerie

america, we have come so far

2008-11-05T13:59:00.001-08:00

no matter which way you vote, you cannot deny that we witnessed history last night

we have come so far as a nation. this is something to celebrate.

even 60 years ago, an african american could barely even dream of one day becoming president. we are getting closer and closer to living out the phrase that all "are created equal."

and this is something to celebrate.

i am also very proud of the grace that the mccain camp showed last night. the talk of working together and respect and . . . simply just graciousness. i was impressed.

this is something to celebrate.

i was touched by the tears and the pride that so many americans displayed last night. i was awed at the sheer number of voters that turned out. humbled by how much passion people who aren't even members of our country showed (a friend of mine cried last night and he isn't even from america. he's from britain).

this is beautiful. and this is something to celebrate.

america spoke loudly last night. they want change. the results of the votes cast reflect this. our new president elect made a lot of promises to bring that change on his campaign trail. let's support him and remind him and stand by him and help him as he works to fulfill those promises of a better america, a better future and a better world.

he and his family have quite a task ahead of them. our economy, healthcare, global reputation and national pride are slowly going down the toilet. he will be handed all of these problems on a silver platter come january. bitterness and anger from those who did not "get their way" during this election are in no way appropriate responses at this time. instead, a sense of community and hard work and hope and the deisre for progress which are spoken about so greatly as part of the american spirit should be put to use here. i believe in humanity and i know it is possible for people to put differences aside in order to work together to fix what is broken in our culture, in our society, and in our politics.

and this is something to celebrate.

did she just WINK at the camera?

2008-10-02T20:46:00.001-07:00

i don't even really need words for this.

first watch this

then watch this

and then watch this

this could be the future, folks.

'm just sayin'

dear friend,

2008-10-02T08:04:00.001-07:00

I just signed the Green Jobs Now "I'm Ready" Petition, to urge our leaders to invest in millions of Green Jobs, and a Clean Energy Corps. Join me, and a growing movement of people who are ready for an inclusive green economy. sign here.

thanks!

how do you get to 100 yrs in iraq?

2008-04-10T11:30:00.001-07:00

gross

2008-02-07T15:36:00.000-08:00

Are you already eating cloned meat?

You may have been discouraged to hear that the FDA gave the green light for companies to sell meat from cloned animals.[1] The real news? It has probably already been on our shelves for years.

For years, the FDA has asked major cattle cloning companies to keep their products off the market. For years, they've ignored. One Kansas farmer has already come forward and admitted to openly selling semen from prize-winning clones to U.S. meat producers, while another cattleman says that, "This is a fairy tale that this technology is not being used and is not already in the food chain."[2] This is unacceptable. That's why TrueMajorityAction is demanding that Congress pass a law requiring that all products from cloned animals be clearly labeled.

Tell Congress: Cloned animal products should be clearly labeled.

It should be up to us to decide whether or not we want to consume these products, not a group of people who repeatedly put political and corporate interests above the health of the nation. Nothing is more important than the food we put into our bodies. We deserve to know what we are eating. Tell your member of Congress to take action on this important issue.

Thank you for working to build a better world.

Sincerely,

Ben Kroetz
TrueMajorityAction.org Online Organizer

1. "FDA Says Cloned Animals Safe Is Food," Associated Press, January 15, 2008.
2. "USDA Recommends That Food From Clones Stay Off the Market," Washington Post, January 16, 2008.

from truemajorityaction.org
and credoaction.com

orangs book show

2008-01-10T07:33:00.000-08:00

a fundraiser for the dorcas children's home.

food for thought

2007-10-02T13:07:00.000-07:00

From: Reuters, Sept. 27, 2007
[Printer-friendly version]
Reuters, September 27, 2007

U.N. CLIMATE PANEL REPORT'S KEY FINDINGS

[Rachel's introduction: Here is a concise summary of the findings of the Feb., 2007, report from the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), representing the work of 2,500 researchers from more than 130 nations.]

Here are the key findings on climate change from a February 2, 2007 report by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which represents the work of 2,500 researchers from more than 130 nations.

Evidence Of Human Causes

** "Most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic (human) greenhouse gas concentrations," it says. The IPCC says "very likely" means at least a 90-percent probability.

** "The level of confidence that humans are causing global warming has increased a lot," report author Peter Stott said.

Temperature Increases

** It is very likely that extremes such as heat waves and heavy rains will become more frequent.

** "For the first time we have a best estimate of what we can achieve if we keep emissions levels lower," said report chair Susan Solomon.

** The report does not include possible warming from methane, a potent greenhouse gas, escaping from melting permafrost.

** Warming is expected to be greatest over land and at high northern latitudes, and least over the Southern Ocean and North Atlantic.

Sea Level Rises

** The report cites six models with core projections of sea level rises ranging from 7.2 to 23.6 inches this century. That is a narrower and lower band than the 3.5 to 34.6 inch gain forecast in 2001.

** If the Greenland ice sheet melts proportionally to the temperature increases, then sea levels would rise by up to 31.6 inches this century.

** Some models show an ice-free Arctic in summer by 2100, meaning that sea ice floating in the water disappears, but not ice resting on Greenland.

** If the Greenland ice sheet melted completely, that would lead to a 23.1-foot (7-metre) sea level increase.

Changing Ocean Currents

** The report predicts a gradual slowdown this century in ocean currents such as the one that carries warm water to northwest Europe.

** "It's very unlikely there will be an abrupt breakdown in ocean currents in the 21st century," said Jurgen Willebrand, the report's author with special expertise in ocean effects.

Hurricanes

** The report says it is "more likely than not" that a trend of increasing intense tropical cyclones and hurricanes has a human cause.

** It predicts such tropical cyclones will become more intense in the future.

** "There may not be an increase in number, there may be a redistribution to more intense events -- which is what has been observed in the Atlantic since 1970," Stott said.

Copyright Reuters 2007

really?

2006-10-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

did the president really just outlaw online gambling? doesn't he have better things to do with his time? like seek world peace? or stop global warming? or provide access to quality health care?

tobias

2006-09-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

my friend tobias was in the armed forces in iraq.

he is home now, with his family. his kids.

he is one of the few in my life who really is able to have true perspective on this war - since he has been an active part in it. i value his opinion and perspective.

please read what he has to say about this sept 11.

update on net-neutrality

2006-07-06T18:01:00.000-07:00

you can read about what's happening here

call or fax your senator today!!

The Net Needs Your Help This Week -For The Senate Battle!

2006-06-20T09:10:00.000-07:00

Its a great debate! Net Neutrality is in The Senate!
Are we going to continue to have a free exchange of ideas or are we going to have to pay double to some corporate gatekeeper in order to have any sort of discussion? Who gets to decide what is or is not appropriate discourse the free market or corporate gatekeepers?
These are the questions you ought to be asking yourself and your elected representatives.
You can contact the members of the Senate Commerce Committee via the main switchboard toll free at: 1-888-355-3588. Or you can contact them individually at the following phone and fax numbers:
Chairman Ted Stevens (AK): (202) 224-3004; (202) 224-2354 FAX
John McCain (AZ): (202) 224-2235; Fax: (202) 228-2862
Conrad Burns (MT): 202-224-2644; Fax: 202-224-8594
Trent Lott (MS): (202) 224-6253; Fax: (202) 224-2262
Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX): 202-224-5922; 202-224-0776 (FAX)
Olympia J. Snowe (ME): (202) 224-5344; FAX (202) 224-1946
Gordon H. Smith (OR): 202.224.3753; Fax: 202.228.3997
John Ensign (NV): (202) 224-6244; Fax: (202) 228-2193
George Allen (VA): (202) 224-4024; Fax: (202) 224-5432
John E. Sununu (NH): (202) 224-2841; FAX (202) 228-4131
Jim DeMint (SC): 202-224-6121; Fax: 202-228-5143
David Vitter (LA): (202) 224-4623; Fax: (202) 228-5061
Co-Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (HI): 202-224-3934; Fax: 202-224-6747
John D. Rockefeller (WV): (202) 224-6472; (202) 224-7665 Fax
John F. Kerry (MA): (202) 224-2742 - Phone; (202) 224-8525 - Fax
Byron L. Dorgan (ND): 202-224-2551; Fax: 202-224-1193
Barbara Boxer (CA): 202-224-3553
Bill Nelson (FL): 202-224-5274; Fax: 202-228-2183
Maria Cantwell (WA): 202-224-3441; 202-228-0514 - FAX
Frank R. Lautenberg (NJ): (202) 224-3224; Fax: (202) 228-4054
E. Benjamin Nelson (NE): Tel: (202) 224-6551; Fax: (202) 228-0012
Mark Pryor (AR): (202) 224-2353; Fax: (202) 228-0908

When you have Sen. Ted Stevens giving a speech to the TelCo industry, you pretty much know where he stands. But a lot of these Senators are on the bubble, and your phone call or FAX could make all the difference.

UPDATE: Also, please contact Sen. Arlen Specter, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and ask that he consider oversight on the legality of this issue. 202-224-4254

Please be calm, patient and professional - but use your voice to demand... Net Neutrality!!!

luv,
{the net}

paralells of george III and george w (made by nader, rebup'ed by me)

2006-06-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

(made with quotes from the declaration of independance)

"He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good." Hello!

"He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent of Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers." Hello!

"He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy... and totally unworthy of the Head of a civilized nation." (Bush's "coalition of the willing" shipped to the fabricated, costly, illegal invasion of a devastated Iraq).

"For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury." (Bush is seeking to federally handcuff both juries and judges in state tort-injury cases).

$$$

2006-06-09T12:04:00.000-07:00

where is our country headed?

financially speaking . . . it doesn't look good.

2006-05-25T13:23:00.000-07:00

From http://donkephant.blogspot.com/2006/05/you-might-be-terrorist-if.html:

Well I have had the unique opportunity of looking at some of this NSA intelligence and I have made a list of things you may or may not know. Trust me, this is being done for our protection.

You might be a terrorist if God tells Bush you are.
You might be a terrorist if after 14 months of torture you admit you are.
You might be a terrorist if you live in the US.
You might be a terrorist if you're Muslim and live in Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, etc, etc.
You might be a terrorist if you're dating someone in a foreign country.
You might be a terrorist if you are calling anyone outside the US.
You might be a terrorist if you own a bank account that has overseas transactions.
You might be a terrorist if you are a Quaker opposing the war.
You might be a terrorist if you are any race and object to the war.
You are a terrorist if you protest the war.
You might be a terrorist if you are Muslim and live anywhere (except Iraq, then you are an insurgent)
You might be a terrorist if you question any part of this administrations intentions.
You are a terrorist if you question the above vocally.
You might be a terrorist if you have ever visited a website from the Middle East.
You might be a terrorist if you have ever talked to a Muslim person.
You might be a terrorist if you object to the violations of your civil liberties.
You might be a terrorist if you have ever .......well let's admit it we probably all are terrorists, it's just that the Pentagon hasn't gotten around to starting a file on us yet.

As you can see there really is no way to know without cutting a few constitutional corners.

I will leave you with this thought. It has only come to light just recently that spying on Americans has been taking place now for the last few years. We are being told this from our Secretary of State and former National Security Advisor as justification for these programs.
"We have to remember that the President looks at many many many pieces of intelligence about coming attacks. Frankly almost none of them specific enough to act upon."

As you can see this program is yielding some very impressive results, that the President can't act upon.
And when he did have valid research warning of terrorist attacks (or a coming hurricaine) he didn't act upon it . . . huh.

Am I a terrorist for posting this?
No, I am not.

to quote Ani Difranco:
"I love my country
By which I mean
I am indebted joyfully
To all the people throughout its history
Who have fought the government to make right
Where so many cunning sons and daughters
Our foremothers and forefathers
Came singing through slaughter
Came through hell and high water
So that we could stand here
And behold breathlessly the sight
How a raging river of tears
Cut a grand canyon of light"

cut and paste from seventh generation . . .

2006-05-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

THE NON-TOXIC TIMES, The Seventh Generation Newsletter
Vol. 7, No. 7 May 2006
If have trouble reading this email please go directly to our website:http://www.seventhgeneration.com/making_difference/newsletter.php

Lee & Me: My Meeting With Wal-Mart’s CEO, the World’s Most Powerful BusinessmanA Few Thoughts from Jeffrey Hollender, President
If you spend your days immersed in the corporate world, there’s really only one way to describe a business trip I took last December: I was invited to an audience with the King. I was called to the commercial realm that is ostensibly the world’s 20th largest economy and the home of more indentured servants than any other. And so it was that I went to the very palace of the corporate kingdom some people love and others love to hate—to Bentonville, Arkansas, and the headquarters of Wal-Mart, for my meeting with CEO Lee Scott.
[How does a CEO of an itsy bitsy responsible business end up talking to the CEO of the world’s biggest, and what does he say when gets there? Click here to read all about my trip to the top of what many say is the bottom…]

Is That Benzene on Little Bobby’s Breath? Chemicals in Kids’ Drinks Can Combine in the Can to Create a Carcinogen
Okay. We know that children’s beverages generally aren’t the most natural things on the planet. There aren’t hidden springs in alpine forests that bubble out Sunny D. There’s no fruit you can pick for a fresh-squeezed glass of Hawaiian Punch. But still, these drinks are for kids, so whatever artificial ingredients are inside them have got to be among the safest around. Right? Kinda. Sorta. The ingredients themselves might be okay, but the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has revealed that certain among them can react with each other inside the can or bottle to form the carcinogen benzene.
[Not to open up a can of worms, but some soft drinks may be dangerous to your health. Pop on over here and we’ll quench your need to know…]

Resolutionary War: Activists Battle the System by Exploiting the System
For years, countless companies responding to public demands for change have essentially said, “Sorry, we can’t do anything that would negatively affect our shareholders’ financial interests. In fact, since you’re not shareholders, we’re obligated to disregard you in the name of quarterly profits!” What are all those poor activists to do in the face of such legal imperatives? Simple: buy a few shares themselves, and use their newfound ownership stake to force companies to behave via shareholder resolutions that corporate management teams aren’t allowed to ignore.
[It’s business as unusual at increasing numbers of annual meetings. Click here for our full prospectus on the plan…]

Flower Power: When a Bouquet is in Order, Go Organic and Help the Whole World Smell Like a Rose
Roses are red. Violets are Blue. And most flower bouquets are full of P.U. It’s a fact: the majority of fresh-cut flowers sold in the U.S. are grown in Latin America where our country’s own pesticide laws don’t apply and up to 20% of the chemicals that growers use are so hazardous they’ve been banned here at home. That’s why all too many conventional bouquets expose those who receive them to a lot more than love.
This Mother’s Day, we’ve got a better arrangement. Send Mom a very special bouquet of one dozen Veriflora™-certified sustainable Sweet Moment Roses from Organic Bouquet instead and give her a healthier home and a safer world with every blossom. Sustainably grown, these wonderfully fragrant pinkish-purple roses are a gift she’ll remember. And you’ll be giving her more than a stunning display of all-natural beauty because 10% of your purchase will be donated to the Children’s Health Environment Coalition (CHEC), the same organization we’re partnering with to put the proceeds from our new book, Naturally Clean, to work. Every contribution made to CHEC helps protect kids and mothers everywhere from the toxic hazards hidden in flowers and other places.
This Mother’s Day, give the gift that grows a better world. Just visit www.organicbouquet.com/chec and start shopping. As long as you use this start page, Organic Bouquet will donate 10% of the purchase of any arrangement you choose to CHEC. For more information about the Children’s Health Environment Coalition, visit http://www.checnet.org .
A Cereious Honor: Seventh Generation’s CR Report Declared Tops at Ceres Conference
Okay, we knew it was good, but we didn’t think it was that good! But who are we to second-guess the judges at the Ceres-ACCA North American Awards for Sustainability Reporting? They seem like bright people. And we don’t see any reason to argue with their decision to declare our 2004 Corporate Responsibility (CR) report the Best Small or Medium Enterprise Report of the Year.
[Sure, we won big. But the really big winner is the planet. Click here to share the joy…]

Use the Information Superhighway to Reduce Your Impacts on the Road
Summer travel season is upon us. And regardless of the financial finagling it may take to tank up, Americans show no signs of lessening their love affair with the open road. In fact, we’re expected to hit the highways and skyways in record numbers this year. And while we each may find our own private paradises, all that getting there may leave those destinations worse for the wear. That’s because to travel is to pollute, and more than you might think. The good news is that we’ve found three web sites that can help you enjoy your getaway without the guilt.
[Is your car’s pollution driving you crazy? Park it right here, and we’ll steer you to some websites that can ameliorate your travel impacts…]

2006-04-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

Du hast nicht eine Seele. Du bist eine Seele. Du hast einen Körper.

~C.S. Lewis

what's your theological world view?

2006-04-11T18:24:00.000-07:00

You scored as Emergent/Postmodern.
You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this.
Emergent/Postmodern 93%
Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 82%
Neo orthodox 54%
Roman Catholic 54%
Classical Liberal 54%
Charismatic/Pentecostal 43%
Reformed Evangelical 43%
Modern Liberal 39%
Fundamentalist 29%

i think the reason i scored so high as a fundamentalist is because that is sort of my background and it is hard to break away . . .

why haven't i heard about this before?

2006-04-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

missing wings in the pentagon crash

some say a boeing 747 did not strike the pentagon

here is some footage claiming the same thing . . .

my questions are:
then what did happen to american arilines flight 77 and the people on it? did it even exist in the first place? and if flight 77 did exist, but did not crash, where are the passengers and what are their stories?
and why haven't i heard about this before?

any opinions, ideas, remarks, further info, etc?

2006-03-21T10:25:00.000-08:00

This guy, Jamie Raskin, is running for a seat in the Maryland State Senate, and he said this to some religious right senator when she stated that same sex marriage should be unconstitutional because it goes against biblical principles:

"People place their hand on the Bible and swear to uphold the Constitution," Raskin said. "They don't put their hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible."

------------------

just putting that out there . . . peaceful and respectful responses welcomed.

2006-03-01T11:33:00.000-08:00

Cost of Basic education for everyone in the world per year: $6 Billion
Cosmetics in the United States per year: $8 Billion
Cost of Water and sanitation for everyone in the world per year: $9
Billion
Ice cream in Europe per year: $11 Billion
Number of people worldwide who will die as a result of malnutrition
this
year: 20 Million
Number of people who could be adequately fed using land freed if
Americans
reduced their intake of meat by just 10% per year: 100 Million

Something's not right here.

2006-02-15T15:56:00.000-08:00

Gripping that hallow space below your ribcage
Barefoot and wide-eyed the world rushes past you

You have become one of them

Gone are the days of endless play and carefree side-walk chalk covered pavement
Gone are the ice cream stains and the peanut butter on the corners of your mouth
Pig tales replaced by a sensible ponytail at the nape of your neck
The blue tongue from a raspberry lollipop replaced by a healthy green salad. Dressing on the side please

Yet you are hungry for freedom
Craving ignorance and bliss
It all disappeared in a moment

Welcome to world of adulthood

2006-01-05T14:54:00.000-08:00

this woman is amazing!

three

2005-12-29T16:30:00.000-08:00

though the folding of my hands
enacts the emptiest of emotions,
even when my knees strike the floor
like contact pads of a defribrillator,
and in spite
of these routines
like machines
or hollow tin cans
dragging behind caravans of monks,

this seemingly hollow praying-posture
breaks through energy,
epoch, emotion, and epidermis--
immediately, syringe-like,
into eternity.

read more here.
who is this guy?

Two Days to Stop the Patriot Act

2005-12-13T16:22:00.000-08:00

Now is the time to take a stand on the Patriot Act. Senators from both parties have vowed to fight reauthorization—by filibuster if necessary—until it includes needed reforms. Can you help us reach our goal of 250,000 signatures to show support for filibustering the Patriot Act?

Stop the Patriot Act

A bipartisan group of senators have agreed to fight the Patriot Act—by filibuster if necessary. The law currently goes too far in curtailing our civil liberties and they're fighting back. The Senate will vote as soon as Thursday. This is the time to act.

This is a huge moment. Senators from both parties are standing together to protect privacy and liberty in a time of war—and they're ready to go all the way. It's important to support them and to show those who are still on the fence how important this issue is to you. Will you help us reach 250,000 signatures on our petition by Thursday so we can deliver them in time for the vote?

sign this petition

If this filibuster holds, Congress could vote to temporarily extend the Patriot Act as it stands—allowing time for a new, better version that addresses the big problems in the law. This would be a huge victory for those of us who believe that liberty is non-negotiable.

The tide is turning in Congress. Leaders in Washington are beginning to demand accountability from the Bush administration on everything from Iraq to the use of torture. Now it looks like President Bush's plan to pass a new and more dangerous version of the Patriot Act is also in trouble.

1. In 2001, only one senator voted against the Patriot Act. Since then, people from all across the political spectrum have come to realize that the Patriot Act strikes a blow to the fundamental rights, liberties, and privacy of all Americans. Protecting freedom is something that all of us—progressives and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans—can agree on.

That's why a bipartisan group of senators, including Republicans Larry Craig, John Sununu, Lisa Murkowski and Democrats Russ Feingold, Dick Durbin and Ken Salazar, have been working to fix the Patriot Act. They have vowed to fight the most egregious provisions and filibuster reauthorization if necessary. We need to show them that we have their backs.

The Patriot Act that the president wants them to pass now goes too far and doesn't protect the privacy of innocent Americans. It doesn't address some of the biggest problems in the law.

For example:

2. The government can obtain your private records, like medical, library, school, and other records—without showing any connection between your activities and and a suspected foreign terrorist.

Some 30,000 National Security Letters ("NSLs") are issued each year to obtain private records,3 and the recipients of those NSLs are under a gag order that is almost impossible to overturn. But the Patriot Act does nothing to address these abusive powers.

The government is allowed to get "sneak and peek" search warrants to search a home or business and doesn't have to tell the owner of the premises for a month. This power can be used in cases that don't have anything to do with terrorism.

Right now, the Patriot Act is just bad law about to get worse—and leaders in the Washington are actually willing to try to block it. We can't let our only chance to fix it slip away without a fight.
Hundreds of thousands of signatures on a petition like this will show the Senate how serious Americans are about protecting their constitutional freedoms. Will you sign the petition and show your support for filibustering a Patriot Act that doesn't include privacy protections?

click here

Together, we can make sure we're safe—and our freedom is safe, too.
Thanks for all you do,

–Eli, Nita, Ben, Jennifer and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Tuesday, December 13th, 2005

Sources: 1. ACLU: Reform the Patriot Act
2. ACLU: Summary of Patriot Reauthorization Act Conference Report
3. "The FBI's Secret Scrutiny," Washington Post, November 6, 2005

Support our member-driven organization: MoveOn.org Political Action is entirely funded by our 3.3 million members. We have no corporate contributors, no foundation grants, no money from unions. Our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. If you'd like to support our work, you can give now here.

2005-12-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

Burning Man has decided on next year's theme. Let the planning begin!