I have established a new blog called Facing Zionwards (Abraham Lincoln's phrase) which will be a forum where interested readers can comment on the ideas contained in my book, THE SOFT PATH: Notes for a New Way of Life in America.
For those who don't know, THE SOFT PATE describes an alternative to suburbia: a brand new lifestyle designed for America's working families who can no longer see an affordable future for themselves in our big cities.
A Gallup poll found over half the American people interested in living this way. Check it out! The American people need a new idea to rally around, something that can carry us through the difficult economic times ahead.
Hi all Obama supporters!
Now that the old middle-class dream of a house in the suburbs and a full-time Mom who stays at home with the kids is no longer within reach of most Americans, it may be time for the next generation to begin to imagine alternatives that are more in keeping with the economic realities of the 21st century.
One possibility we might consider is a federal program to build New Towns in the Country based around the concept of part-time employment. After all, one 40-hour-a-week job used to be enough to support a family of four. Why not two 20-hour-a-week jobs today? And why do we have to live in big cities -- where the cost-of-living is sky high -- when, thanks to modern technology, economic decentralization is a real possibility?
Of course this is not the kind of change Americans can bring about on their own. It would require organized effort and government support on a very large scale.
In this blog I want to explore the pros and cons of such a government program in a time of depression. And, of course, I also want to explore the pros and cons of such a new way of life.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 11, 2008
Presidential Inaugural Parade to Include Peace Corps and AmeriCorps AlumniCommitment to Community Service Highlighted by Parade Participants, National Day of Service
WASHINGTON - Today, in keeping with its commitment to hold inaugural events that celebrate our common values and reflect our nation's history of community service, President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden's Inaugural Committee officially extended an offer to the Peace Corps Community and AmeriCorps Alums to march in the 56th Inaugural Parade. Members of these service organizations will join representatives from across the country and our Armed Forces in the historic parade down Pennsylvania Avenue following President-elect Obama's swearing-in ceremony on the steps of the Capitol.
"These organizations embody the best of our nation's history, diversity and commitment to service," said President-elect Obama. "Vice President-elect Biden and I are proud to have them join us in the parade."
On Monday, January 19th, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the President-elect and Vice President-elect and their families will join Americans across the nation as they participate in activities dedicated to serving others in their communities. In 1994, Congress passed legislation designating the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday as a national day of community service, and the Presidential Inaugural Committee will be working to encourage participation in service projects nationwide to honor the legacy of Dr. King..
Organizations wishing to participate in the parade submitted an application to the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee (AFIC), which then assisted the Presidential Inaugural Committee in reviewing all of the groups' applications. All told, 1,382 organizations applied to participate, setting a new standard for interest in marching in the parade.
The Peace Corps Community will include members who served with the corps in the 1960s to the present. Marchers will carry the flags of the countries that Peace Corps have served over the years. AmeriCorps Alums will include some of the millions of alumni of national service in this country since John F. Kennedy's call to service and the conception of VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) in 1961.
In addition to these groups, a number of other parade participants also participate in active community service programs. For instance, the Boy Scouts of America Troop 358 from Philadelphia has been serving members of their community for over 55 years, the Jesse White Tumbling Team from Illinois was founded in 1959 to create "hope" for troubled youth, and the Warren County Sheriff's Office Prevention Partnership from Kentucky raises and distributes money to community groups and programs that help kids stay away from drugs and violence.
The Presidential Inaugural Committee was assisted in its selection process by a group of experienced military musicians, who utilized their expertise to help assess the presentation skills of marching bands, musical acts and drill teams.
All participants in the Inaugural Parade are responsible for paying for their own lodging and transportation to and from Washington, D.C. The Committee has been working closely with area governments and civic organizations to facilitate access to affordable accommodations and would like to encourage citizens from across the country to reach out and help the Peace Corps Community and AmeriCorps Alums raise the necessary resources to participate in this historic event.
If you are interested in finding out more about supporting the AmeriCorps Alums and their participation in the 56th Inaugural Parade, please go to americorpsalums.org.
If you are interested in finding out more about supporting the Peace Corps Community and their participation in the 56th Inaugural Parade, please contact Anne Baker at 202.293.7728 or npca@rpcv.org.
Regularly updated information will be provided to the public and the media on our website, www.pic2009.org.
PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURAL PARADEContact: PIC Communications Office 202.203.1700
We want to keep everyone together for the next few years so we can work in 2012 to reelect Obama. Please choose a user name and one of the great obama avatars we've added.
http://northgeorgiaforobama.com/forum
I've spend a lot of time and money to build this site for North Georgia, I hope you take advantage of it, because that would make it worthwhile. :)
John A
The whirlwind continues and a group met this evening to talk about the next steps for Cumberland Plateau for Obama. It was agreed that we should stay connected. Each person spoke to the way the campaingn work altered them personally and how they might move forward in their work locally. Communication is key in the coming monthes.
Be sure to check in to http://www.change.gov/ for projects needing our attention during the transition towards an Obama/Biden administration.
Thanks for all you did!
Barack-n-Roll Music Festival for change was a great success. The Culprits, Milele Roots, Chicks 4 Change, and the Bluestones played at Mountain Outfitters' Pavillion on Nov. 1 and 2. Thank you to the musicians, the volunteers, the Burnettes, and all of the fine folks who came out to support our community voting for change.
We have a handful of music festival shirts left - size large. Also a few different sizes of the Cumberland Plateau for Obama, Obama/Biden shirt. Send a message if you'd like one.
East Tennessee Drive for Change Bus Trip was Successful!by Gail Boyd
We pulled it off! Thirty-two East Tennesseans joined the bus trip to Winston-Salem, NC to GET OUT THE VOTE in North Carolina. The group was diverse, incredibly interesting, and each person inspiring in their own way.
May we be successful in NC for the benefit of TN.
POWERFUL ATLANTA MUSIC INDUSTRY SUPPORTS
BARACK OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT
Join us for a "once in a lifetime" party to support Barack Obama and encourage others to vote. Lets make history together.
Please forward to family and friends. Savoy Lounge has open it's doors to celebrate 2 important events:
Barack Obama Party on Saturday night November 1st @ 9:00 pm
and a live election result Viewing Party on
Tuesday November 4th @ 8:00 pm.
Lets laugh, cry, and make history!!
Lets Complete Dr. Martin Luther King's Dream"Where people are judged by the content of there character and not the color of their skin.
"PLEASE FORWARD, VERY IMPORTANT TO SHOW UNITY ON THESE LAST DAYS BEFORE VOTING
Directions From Downtown Atlanta:
Travel 75/85 south, take exit 243, Merge 166 West, travel 5 miles. Exit Campbelton Rd, merge right. Savoy is 2997 Campbelton Rd on the right.
This morning we began our second weekend in our Open Air Headquarters. Open air it was with a brisk chilly breeze. Great turnout this morning including TN State Representative Candidate Bill Harmon from Dunlap. His bus came into town and ate lunch at the Smokehouse and came across the street to visit and took Obama visibility materials with them.
Our big sign in at the main Monteagle intersection is up and taller than the rest! Thank you Carlton and Archie.
Cumberland Plateau for Obama had a great opening weekend for the "Open Air Obama Headquarters in Monteagle. Lots of visitors from near and from many neighboring states visited our Obama Pavillion this weekend. We were blessed with super weather on Saturday and a steady stream of interested and interesting folks.
Sunday brought the added attraction of live music from, "Chicks for Change!" Homespun bluegrass, old-time, and gospel were a perfect addition to the easygoing afternoon visiting. We were challenged by a lovely, but persistent breeze. A fine collection of rocks were used to weight down everything from position papers, stickers, mike stands, and rally signs. Resembling a geology exhibit, these "bracks" played a significant role!
We have posted more dates for the Open-Air Headquarters and are looking for volunteers, musicians, and perhaps a snack vendor. Keep watch for updates about upcoming weekends and other special events.
This Wednesday, October 15th, marks the beginning of early voting in Tennessee. This is your chance to make your voice heard and vote for change!
Local get out the vote efforts are already underway in Nashville, Memphis, and across the state. Today, Nashvillians gathered at the Victory '08 Headquarters to organize and plan for next week's early voting events.
You can find your early voting location by contacting your County Election Commission. You can find out how to reach them at the Tennessee Secretary of State website.
1%, or 1 vote out of 100There have been 12 Presidential elections that were decided by less than a 1% margin; meaning if less than 1% of the voters in certain states had changed their mind to the other candidate the outcome of the entire election would have been different. More than half were decided by less than a 2% margin.
In 2004, 57,787 votes would have given us President Kerry.In 2000, 269 votes would have given us President GoreIn 1996, 575,515 votes would have given us President Dole.
From ABC News:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/scienceandsociety/2008/09/squeakers.html
=========="Squeakers"Ned PotterABC NewsSeptember 29, 2008How close have Presidential elections been? Closer, perhaps, than we ever guessed. Mike Sheppard, a grad student in statistics at Michigan State, has done a mathematical exercise that shows it.He ran a computer program to answer this question: "What is the smallest number of total votes that need to be switched from one candidate to another, and from which states, to affect the outcome of the election?"The answer: in some years, very, very few. Take a look at his analysis HERE. It shows the powerful interaction between the popular vote and the electoral college.[...]==========
Full article here:http://blogs.abcnews.com/scienceandsociety/2008/09/squeakers.html
Detailed analysis here, including colored maps:https://www.msu.edu/~sheppa28/elections.html-Mike Sheppard
EVERY VOTE DOES COUNT!
OK, so in the past I wasnt very active in politics and/or voting but, I deffinately believe whole heartedly that NOW IS the time for change...here is the scoop, on me...what I strongly believe as a person, I am not a member of ANY political party BUT, I do believe I HAVE the right to write this email JUST AS MUCH as YOU HAVE the RIGHt to disregard it...this election is HIGHLY crucial...PLEASE, VOTE FOR OBAMA! While, many,..political parties seem to be the answer...here are a few things I perosnally have considered in my own tactic of voting...I believe WE ARE the vote that counts...so, please, KNOW the facts and dont vote for MCCAIN simply because he is 'PRO-LIFE' (First off thats just what he is 'trained' to say as a Republican it doesnt necissarily reflect his own personal and private view of pro life vs pro choice)...that is just a Republican tactic to get your vote... Abortion?) It seems Republicans could care less if the girl dies in an illegal abortion in an alley...or if hundreds of thousands of unwanted children are brought into this world and deprived of an opportunity at 'LIFE' simply because they were born to unwed mothers who had no REAL means of supporting their children and therefore are FORCED to rely on state aid such as welfare...this IS NOT something ALL of them WANT to do...it is simply ALL they knew to do in their paticular situations....some may do it for the simpleness of 'using the system' but, the sad sad truth of it is that MOST of them do it because of dead beat parents, poor education in the family planning and sex ed department...and because they were raised to belive that abortion was undoubtedly and undeniably WRONG...I myself would NOT give up being who I am with the children I have, yet I see the mistakes in society for what they truly are....FAMILY PLANNING and SEX ED SHOULD be an enforced education curriculum...as well as many other things that may or may not prevent early or unwanted pregnancies such as...SELF ESTEEM workshops that are REQUIRED...(Of course no one WANTS to admit they need help in this area...but a large portion...if not ALL of the young teens and women who have EARLY Intercourse that leads to Early and Unwanted Pregnancies HAVE LOW SELF ESTEEM due to various reasons ...the most common being various abuse/s as a child and lack of education for the less fortunate and battered children of todays society that not always but, commonly leads to the addiction of NEEDING to feel loved and/or believing that we HAVE to be in a relationship to be 'WHOLE' another commonly pronounced view society has placed on us...)
Also, while I am on the fence about abortion laws...I personally do not belive that persons who have been raped...especially by family members should have to mentally deal with the fact that they had a child of incest inside them...much less that they should have to deal with the fact that they brought a child of incest into this already clearly disfunctional world...Think about it in terms of yoursefl or your sibling...think...what if...I had been raped by a father or brother and was pregnant with my brother and my son or my nephew and my son...would I REALLY WANT to have that child? That answer is up to you personally as it is a CHOICE...and should be if not always...atleast in certain surcumstances...thats my own peronal opinion....
GAY RIGHTS) Whether you are straight or gay...whether you agree with homosexuality or not - on a personal level...maybe it is time to think...on a RIGHTS level... I personally, do not expect everyone or many, of the peoplewho read this ...to agree with me in part or whole...what I do hope for and expect is for them to respect MY RIGHT as an American to be open about my own beliefs and opinions...I do however...and let me make this clear TOTALLY RESPECT THAT YOU TOO HAVE A RIGHT TO YOUR OWN PERSONAL OPINION...and I can whole heartedly and non judgementally agree to disagree...with that said...I will continue on my personal belief...lol I believe that the gay community should have LEGAL RIGHTS...I can budge with the religious community and give on the word 'marriage...go ahead and have that...even if the majority of the gay community disagrees with that...what I CANNOT agree with is that they should not have the RIGHT to a LEGAL UNION...even f that is what it is decided it should be technically called to satisfy the religious community...I can give that much...really I can...but, the fact remains, whether or not you agree with homosexuality in any form...the Gay community will as always and increasingly so...continue to live their lives as they have the RIGHT to do...'BANNING' Gay Marriage or a 'LEGAL UNION' WILL NOT STOP the gay community from being gay...NOTHING EVER WILL...so, as human beings and Americans...why can we not embrace the idea that the Gay community ALSO has RIGHTS...just like the hetrosexual community...For example say you have been in a relationship a yr or two and decide to get married...hetrosexuals...In most areas of the US...LEGALLY by law are entitled to split half of everything aquired during their marriage (technically A LEGAL UNION) and or in the event there is a death of a spouse the living spouse is entitled to everything...My, point is this...If hetrosexuals have this right then the Gay community should also have this RIGHT...to a LEGAL UNION... and in closing i would just like to say that if we are 'A FREE COUNTRY' why is it that so many of our freedoms have been and are currently being taken from us?.....Once again, ...this may not be something you agree with or WANT to hear...but its deffinately something to think about and maybe it will get you to thinking.... I also support pretty much all of the issues Obama supports ... except one or two maybe but, for the most part, I support democratic style politics...even though i am still an individual who claims NO political party. PEACE and HAPPINESS to us ALL, Davina 'There has never been anything false about hope' Barack Obama '08
