This was just mailed in from ButterflySky… interesting…

Not a new one, but puts things in perspective - especially while waiting for the numbers on the gas pump to reach $165 the next time you fillup.
How many zeros in a billion?
This is too true to be funny.
The next time you hear a politician use the word ‘billion’ in a casual manner, think about whether you want the ‘politicians’ spending YOUR tax money.
A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of it’s releases.
A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.
B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.
C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.
D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.
E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.

While this thought is still fresh in our brain… let’s take a look at New Orleans …..
It’s amazing what you can learn with some simple division.

Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D) is presently asking Congress for 250 BILLION DOLLARS to rebuild New Orleans.

Interesting number… what does it mean?

A. Well… if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, and child) you each get $516,528.
B. Or… if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans, your home gets $1,329,787.
C. Or… if you are a family of four… your family gets $2,066,012.

Washington, D.C. HELLO!
Are all your calculators broken??

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License T ax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Tax
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, Stat e and Local Surcharge Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago…
and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt…
We had the largest middle class in the world…
and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.
What happened?
Can you spell ‘politicians!’
I hope this goes around the USA at least 100 times
What the heck happened?????

Dear TuneInTurnOnHelpOut.org member,

As part of its updated second quarter mission statement today, Fox News declared that it is still intent on injecting racism, prejudice, and fear into America’s political dialogue say several Fox representatives. Luckily there is something the American people can still do about it… if you’re a racist of course, just watch more FOX! YUM! But if not, read on. And as always keep on fighting the good fight whoever and wherever you are.

We usually don’t pick sides when it comes to politics believing rightly so that politics is politics and either side you’re on if you’re dumb enough to choose one of those ridiculously lousy choices then you get what you deserve.  Sort of a Clinton versus Bush set up if you can imagine something so  horrifying without puking  up this morning’s breakfast… either way you’re screwed.

But we are going to break with our time honored tradition here just once and throw some support to the Dems through promoting this work by MoveOn.org simply because we feel that they are making some valid points. So read on children and let’s get these sly Foxs our of Dodge and our of our lives once and for all.

Dear MoveOn member,

Right now, FOX is trying to paint Barack Obama as foreign, un-American, suspicious, and scary. They’re trying to send Americans the message that our country’s first viable black candidate for President is not “one of us.”

We’ve seen this before from FOX. They won’t stop until it becomes too painful to continue—until the public calls them out and advertisers start getting worried.

Now is the time to draw a line in the sand by putting FOX on notice that their behavior won’t be tolerated. Nearly 100,000 Americans have already expressed their outrage. Can you express yours by adding your name to this message?

“FOX must stop injecting racism, prejudice, and fear into our political dialogue. We intend to hold FOX, its advertisers, and its personalities accountable for FOX’s attempts to smear the Obamas.”

Clicking here will sign the petition:

http://pol.moveon.org/stopthesmears/o.pl?id=13004-2362222-Cgoeq4x&t=5

FOX’s longtime pattern of smearing Obama and the black community is well documented.¹ But the outrageous moments have increased in the last month.

First, a paid FOX commentator accidentally confused “Obama” with “Osama” and then joked on the air about killing Obama.² Next, a FOX anchor said a playful fist bump by Barack and Michelle Obama could be a “terrorist fist jab.”³ And then, FOX called Michelle Obama “Obama’s baby mama”—slang for an unmarried mother of a man’s child, and a clear attempt to associate the Obamas with negative stereotypes about black people.⁴

If you know others who’d find FOX’s recent actions despicable, please ask them to sign the petition too. The more people who sign, the bigger our impact will be.

Our friends at ColorOfChange.org—an online advocacy group focused on the issues of importance to the black community—are leading this charge. They have already collected nearly 100,000 names to deliver as a group to FOX’s headquarters (in front of other media cameras, so FOX feels more heat). Here’s how they describe the situation:

Add your name to this important cause by clicking here—then tell your friends:

http://pol.moveon.org/stopthesmears/o.pl?id=13004-2362222-Cgoeq4x&t=6

Thanks for all you do.

–Adam G., Peter, Anna, Justin, and the rest of the team

TuneInTurnOnHelpOut.org Founder Ed Hale write open letter to Fox News

Dear FOX NEWS,

God knows the world loves you all dearly just because since your inception you have continued to baffle so many - by more than adequately representing the concept of “impartial and slanted journalism” that it makes the jobs of millions of college professors easy by being able to use “FOX NEWS” as a real-world example. But sometimes, even though we know that what you do is similar to Jon Stewart - it’s a comedy sketch and you guys are just stand-ups “doing your job” and your job is to make people laugh by looking all straight faced by saying the most ridiculously ludicrous things… still… sometimes we all just go a bit too far.

Certainly, you have done your job admirably: You make us all laugh till we’re red in the face with those straight faces you manage to hold while attempting to read those teleprompters as if they were “real news…” And you know what? We LOVE you for that! It IS funny. And of course we also love you for what a good example you present to our Nation’s children of what a good news network is NOT supposed to be like. We are forever indebted to you for that. Fox News will forever be synonymous in the world with “really bad slanted journalism with no respect for integrity or dignity or the ethics of good journalistic practices” and that makes teaching American children what good journalism is really easy for millions of parents all over the world. For that, we thank you.

But just a humble request during the next few months in this presidential election…. tens of millions of us are asking you - just this once, we promise - to simply do your job for real - even if for just a few months: report the news. The real news. Whoever wins the US presidential race deserves to win. (For instance Gore in 2000). And no one needs a news network to help them win. If they do, then they don’t deserve to be president anyway. Can you see that? Even a little? Hope so.

So as big fans, we ask that you just take even a second or two and think for a moment about that time way back when you first decided to become journalists… Did you really take this job knowingly thinking that you would be a slave to giant corporations you’ll never get to meet face to face and and big tyrannical government and not be reporting real news? I ask that you ponder this question even if for a few seconds…

People actually depend on you to report news. (who they are I do not know. I have never met one… But I hear they exist) But they are certainly NOT thinking that you exist simply to attempt to persuade them, indoctrinate them, or brainwash them by deceptively pretending to be, and be doing, something you are not. Though those of us in the know “get this” and we get a kick out of it and all, I must say that I am a bit concerned for those folks who just don’t get what you’re all about that. They don’t get the joke yet.

If this hits home for any of you, good for you. Pack up your stuff and walk respectably out of that terrordome with your head held high and go back to pure journalism and news reporting. We need you. The American People need you. Best of luck in your decision.

Sincerely,
The Ambassador

See below to sign petition from Moveon.org who by the way also suffer from a similar malady…. they’re stuck in the “left-wing box” just as much as those poor Ritalin junkies at Fox News are stuck in the “right-wing box” - both groups totally lost and helpless in the Matrix… but at least Moveon.org drives on the right side of the road and isn’t flying out of control like some college aged GW Bush slamming into and killing pedestrians and asking “daddy” to help him with a free get out of jail card. For that we have to respect the folks at Moveon.org.

Petition below:

Subject: See this? FOX smears Obama

Hi,

FOX’s smears against Obama are out of control–have you heard about them? I just signed a petition telling FOX that their use of racism and prejudice is not okay. Would be great if you signed too.

First, a paid FOX commentator accidentally confused “Obama” with “Osama” and then joked on the air about killing Obama. Next, a FOX anchor said a playful fist pound by Barack and Michelle Obama could be a “terrorist fist jab.” (Seriously!) And then, FOX called Michelle Obama “Obama’s baby mama”–slang used to describe the unmarried mother of a man’s child.

Nearly 100,000 folks have signed a petition that will be delivered to FOX. Can you sign too? The more names, the bigger the impact. Here’s the link.

http://pol.moveon.org/stopthesmears/?r_by=13004-2362222-Cgoeq4x&rc=comment_paste

Thanks!

By: Nahal Mishel-Ghashghai

My name is Nahal. Nahal in Farsi (the language of Iran) means a seedling, a little tree. In many ways I still feel like a little tree, young, alive, ready to poke around and grow into my full potential.

I was born and raised in Iran. I came to the US when I was 19 to finish my college education and for various reasons decided to live here. I’ve now lived longer in the US than I have in Iran and consider the US “my home” and Iran my “birth country”. I love both countries.

In all my years of living in the US and throughout all the political ups and downs between the US and Iran, I’ve never once experienced hostility or prejudice towards myself or my family. Perhaps it is because I really like all people and do my best not to have prejudice towards any one in particular. I believe that deep down inside, we are all very similar and want similar things, health, happiness, peace of mind, safety and comfort for ourselves and our loved ones.

I believe people of different cultures, backgrounds and upbringing can live side by side in harmony when we respect and appreciate both our similarities and differences.

I believe increasing compassion in the world, even one person at a time, is the key to creating peace.

An act of kindness, a smile, a wave, a helping hand, no matter how small, cracks open the door to compassion and the reward is the wonderful “feeling good inside”.

I invite you to try this. Do a good deed for someone today without any expectations, and know that you are adding to the collective compassion and moving one step closer to a peaceful world. Imagine if every person on the planet did this!

Nahal is a former Microsoft Engineer and currently an Avatar Master who lives in Seattle, WA :: You can find her on Facebook or MySpace or just google her for contact.

Dear friends,

On Wednesday, we’ll hand our climate petition to the prime minister of Japan — the chair of the powerful G8 summit. Join the call for climate action now!

Last year, the world seemed to wake up to climate change.

This year, it’s falling back asleep.

Two weeks of global climate negotiations have just wrapped up — with no real progress. The rich nations are the culprits, refusing to take the lead and commit to emissions cuts that will bring the rest of the world onboard.[1]

Our best hope: within weeks, those rich country leaders will gather at the G8 summit chaired by Japan. If Japan’s Prime Minister offers bold leadership, the G8 summit could be a breakthrough. But, so far, he is pushing in the wrong direction.[2]

So it’s up to us. Next Wednesday, June 18, we will hand-deliver our new climate petition to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. If we can muster 250,000 voices in a few short days, we can sound a global alarm on climate that Fukuda and the other G8 leaders cannot ignore. Sign the petition and forward this message to friends:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/g8_climate_wakeup/14.php?cl=97893269

We’ve already shown that a global public outcry on climate change can move Fukuda’s policy. Asahi Shimbun, Japan’s second-largest newspaper, told the story in a lengthy article this January. At a critical, high-level meeting on global warming after the UN negotiations in Bali, the Environment Minister reportedly held up Avaaz’s “Titanic” newspaper ad — showing Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda, with Bush, steering towards climate disaster… along with a call for tough 2020 emissions targets, signed by 90,000 Avaaz members.

“The world sees Japan as a force resisting change! Are we okay with this?” the minister reportedly asked. The Chief Cabinet Minister suggested setting a target. Days later, after having steadfastly resisted the idea at Bali, Prime Minister Fukuda announced his decision: Japan would, indeed set a 2020 emissions target.[3]

Now, five months on, Fukuda has indeed laid out a target — but it falls far short of what scientists say is necessary to avert a climate catastrophe.

This year’s G8 summit will begin on the same day as the Tanabata festival, when citizens write their wishes on pieces of paper and hang them from bamboo trees. [4] This Wednesday, let’s send the biggest-ever Tanabata wish: for a climate change treaty strong enough to save the planet.

Sign the petition here, and spread the word:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/g8_climate_wakeup/14.php?cl=97893269

People created the climate crisis. If we join together, people power can end it.

With hope,

Ben, Ricken, Iain, Graziela, Galit, Paul, Pascal, Veronique, Mark, and Milena — the Avaaz.org team

O.k. kids this one is almost too good to be true! Every now and then we find something really special around here (and in fact it happens more often than not - one of the perks of the job!) and this is one of those lucky occasions. If you’ve been itching to get involved and volunteer but money is an issue, which it is to so many - why is that anyway? That the people with the most money “find so little time to volunteer” but the people who are willing to take that vacation time from work and volunteer it to a worthy cause are often the ones with the least amount of money? And yes it is true, as unfortunate as it is, oftentimes volunteering DOES take some money…

But here’s a great opportunity for many of you. The organization is called WWOOF - World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. So here’s your chance. For some of you, here’s your summer! And nah we’re not even gonna charge you for finding this baby cause we love you TuneInTurnOnHelpOut people and all that you do for the world.

We just find out that our drummer Bill Sommer (from the band Transcendence) is actually leaving next week to spend an entire month on The Big Island in Hawaii working on an organic farm – and the best part is that they pay all of his room and board and food. He just has to pay his flight over there and commit to working on a farm each day. Which was his reason for the trip in the first place - he wanted to help and volunteer somewhere in the world where he was needed. As much as we will miss Bill, I would say that more than anything we are just happy for him, if not a wee bit envious!

So wow. What a concept. You get free room and board in return for working all day somewhere in the world…. usually on an organic farm. You have to purchase a guide to an area of the world that you are interested in spending some time in, then make some calls and write some letters and find a farm that you are interested in and before you know it, voila! You’re on your way to somewhere on the globe not only helping others, but also getting to see another part of the world.

We simply cannot say enough good things about this very cool and creative organization.

So here is some more information for you:

What is WWOOF?
WWOOF, a world wide network - it started in the UK in 1971, and has since become an international movement that is helping people share more sustainable ways of living.

WWOOF is an exchange - in return for volunteer help WWOOF hosts offer food, accommodation and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles.

WWOOF organizations link individuals wanting to volunteer on organic farms or smallholdings with people who are looking for volunteer help.

How does it work?
WWOOF organizations publish a list of organic farms, smallholdings and gardeners that welcome volunteer help at certain times. The diversity of hosts available offers a large variety of tasks and experiences.

Volunteer helpers (”WWOOFers”) choose the hosts that most interest them and make direct contact to arrange a stay. Volunteers usually live as part of the family.

For more information, simply visit their website and take the first step to your next big adventure! http://www.wwoof.org/

So get to it, good luck, and make it happen. And to each of you that are making a difference out there in the world for all of us, thank you!

Sincerely,
U Know Who

Dear TuneInTurnOnHelpOut peeps,

This just in from those expanding minds over at Rock the Vote — Great idea Heather.

Thanks for sending it!

Do you ever read any of the fine print in credit card pamphlets?

I don’t.

And that’s the point. Credit card companies are allowed to change your interest rate at any time, for any reason. They do this to increase profits at your expense, and your only recourse is to find a new company — with the exact same policies. We can take action now to stop the credit card companies’ abusive practices.

http://qvisory.org/takeaction/creditcard_rtv

Here’s the deal: the Federal Reserve has asked for public feedback on a new set of regulations that would stop the most abusive credit card lending practices. The credit card industry is pissed, and fighting back. Our friends at Qvisory have set up a way for you to email the Fed. We can’t let the credit card companies win — send a message to the Fed today.

http://qvisory.org/takeaction/creditcard_rtv

As young Americans go deeper in debt, the credit card industry rakes in billions in penalty fees, cash advances, and interest charges. Credit card companies take advantage of every opportunity to make a profit off consumers, especially young people, and keep us in debt.

• Thirty-nine percent of students with loans graduate with “unmanageable debt,”meaning loan payments that are more than 8 percent of monthly income.
• Forty-five percent of young adults use credit cards to pay for basic living expenses.
• The average young adult with credit card debt spends almost a quarter of every dollar they earn on debt payments.

Young voters have shown their power this year, turning out in record numbers to choose our candidates for president. We also have the power to stop credit card companies from getting away with truly egregious activities. Please join us in making reform happen by signing our petition to the Federal Reserve.

http://qvisory.org/takeaction/creditcard_rtv

Best,

Heather Smith
Rock the Vote

Just when it appeared that no matter what we did, we were never going to make any headway and the bad guys were always going to win…. This just in from the Times….

Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Thursday, June 12, 2008 — 10:32 AM ET
—–

Justices Rule Terror Suspects Can Appeal in Civilian Courts

The Supreme Court ruled that foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantánamo Bay have the right to challenge their detention in U.S. civilian courts.

Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com/?emc=na

Uh, yeah, well that makes sense since that’s the FUCKING LAW to begin with! (Boy those TImes reporters sure have potty-mouths!)

Dear Friends,

Doing a little Spring cleaning in the old inbox and I came across this partial portion of a message thread that had originally been started by one Arlan Feiles, singer/songwriter extraordinaire, a week or two prior during the holy week of Yom Kippur. Arlan, who as most people know is also a very passionate humanist and activist for peace and human rights. At one point last fall he sent out a scourging letter to his entire fanbase to get more actively involved in fighting the American Government’s illegal occupation of Iraq. One could tell from reading Arlan’s email that he just hit “that wall” that many of us have hit over and over again in the last five years and was really grieving by the thought of another year, another month, another day of people over there killing each other in an invasion that at current academic statistics took an estimated 950 separate and direct lies told by the American White House Administration to the six billion of the world in order to justify.

Mad? Sure Arlan was mad. Any living, breathing, thinking person on planet earth right now is mad. Beyond mad probably. One cannot put into words the loathing that the world feels for the current United States White House Administration. These are people so ugly with evil and deceit that it is truly hard to look at their pictures let alone say their names. So let’s not. We all know who they are. History will forever haunt humanity with the names of these wretched decrepit monsters and maniacs who somehow got away with disguising themselves as human and were responsible for the cruel useless and indecent death of so many hundreds of thousands of innocent lives.

(more…)

ECPAT-USA was fortunate enough to send a representative to the US Government’s meeting with the UN Committee on the Rights of a Child that took place in Geneva this May. Although the committee commended the US government on its progress, they noted that addition progress was needed to ensure the protection of children’s rights, noted in their recommendations.

On June 18 we are holding a public information session about the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography featuring our representative Jonathan Todres, of Georgia State University, Carol Smolenski, Executive Director of ECPAT-USA and Padma Seemangal from ECPAT-USA’s youth committee.  This discussion will be from 1:30 to 3:00pm at the Bahá’í Offices, 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 120 (1st Avenue and 48th Street).

We hope that you will be able to make it.
ECPAT-USA
157 Montague St.
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Ph: 718-935-9192
Join the ECPAT-USA Facebook Cause: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/85297

Dear Friend of United for Peace and Justice

We know we’ve been asking you to make a lot of phone calls to Congress lately. Tomorrow, as part of a “Time to Talk with Iran” event, UFPJ will be asking members of Congress to come out of their offices to make a phone call to Iran to talk directly with ordinary Iranian citizens.

But we need you to call too — while we’re on Capitol Hill talking to members of Congress in person, we ask that you flood their offices with phone calls demanding diplomacy.

The same people who called for attacking Iraq now are raising the drumbeat for military action against Iran. The Bush administration is labeling Iran as one of the greatest threats to U.S. security, despite the November 2007 U.S. National Intelligence Estimate which concluded that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program.

Tell your congressional leaders that you want dialogue not war! 1-800-788-9372

The call-in day is sponsored by the
Campaign for a New American Policy on Iran.

Yours, for peace and justice,

Judith Le Blanc
UFPJ National Organizing Coordinator