I’ve blogged here before about various claims made & tactics used by climate science deniers (I refuse to call them “skeptics” because they are not guided by evidence, merely ideology), but what I have to share in this post is truly damning stuff.  One of the things which is really interesting is what happens when a group of pseudoscientific ideologues (like global warming deniers) gets caught red-handed playing fast & loose with the facts…

Exhibit A: Statisticians Confirm Reality of Global Warming in Blinded Tests

Recently, one of the claims making the rounds has been that, contrary to the consensus within the climate science community, the Earth is actually entering a period of global cooling – this claim is patently fallacious, and anyone who has a basic understanding of statistics knows it.  But what happened recently, as reported in a widely-circulated AP story, really slams the door shut on this bogus claim: the temperature data for the planet was analyzed by a series of independent statisticians, all of whom found a warming (not a cooling) trend in the data.  And here’s the kicker: these statisticians didn’t know what the data were – in other words, the examination of the Earth’s temperature data was a blinded test!

Have you heard that the world is now cooling instead of warming? You may have seen some news reports on the Internet or heard about it from a provocative new book. Only one problem: It’s not true, according to an analysis of the numbers done by several independent statisticians for The Associated Press.

The case that the Earth might be cooling partly stems from recent weather. Last year was cooler than previous years. It’s been a while since the super-hot years of 1998 and 2005. So is this a longer climate trend or just weather’s normal ups and downs?

In a blind test, the AP gave temperature data to four independent statisticians and asked them to look for trends, without telling them what the numbers represented. The experts found no true temperature declines over time.

“If you look at the data and sort of cherry-pick a micro-trend within a bigger trend, that technique is particularly suspect,” said John Grego, a professor of statistics at the University of South Carolina.

This result puts paid to the oft-repeated claim by GW-deniers that there is a cooling trend in the data.  Of course, the only reason why these pseudoscientists were able to get away with their false claims for so long was because they, as professor Grego said, have been cherry-picking the data and presenting it incomplete & out-of-context in order to give the impression that the Earth is cooling.  But, as we’ve seen, once the experimenter & statistician bias is removed from the analysis, which is the whole purpose of doing blinded tests, a very real and consistent warming trend is revealed.

But it gets even worse for the GW-deniers…

Exhibit B: An anti-GW petition & campaign “on behalf of” the American Physical Society has been exposed as fraudulent.

In the summer of 2008, a widely circulated story in GW-denier circles claimed that a large portion of the membership of the American Physical Society (a professional organization for physicists of which I am a member) had signed onto a petition rebutting the scientific consensus on global warming, and – further – that the APS leadership itself had reversed its stance on the issue…

The American Physical Society, an organization representing nearly 50,000 physicists, has reversed its stance on climate change and is now proclaiming that many of its members disbelieve in human-induced global warming.  The APS is also sponsoring public debate on the validity of global warming science.  The leadership of the society had previously called the evidence for global warming “incontrovertible.”

In a posting to the APS forum, editor Jeffrey Marque explains,”There is a considerable presence within the scientific community of people who do not agree with the IPCC conclusion that anthropogenic CO2 emissions are very probably likely to be primarily responsible for global warming that has occurred since the Industrial Revolution.”

At the time, my b.s. detector went practically off the scale, because the day after publication the APS had released a statement (on that same page!) that was directly contrary to the claims in this article…

Update 7/17/2008: After publication of this story, the APS responded with a statement that its Physics and Society Forum is merely one unit within the APS, and its views do not reflect those of the Society at large.

When this annoying fact was pointed out to the deniers, many made claims about how there were “thousands” of physicists signing onto the petition claiming that GW-science was false – the implication being that the rank-and-file membership of the APS was revolting against the “establishment” (a variation on anti-scientific conspiracy mongering).  At the time, my b.s. detector went off again, because such a claim smacked so strongly of similar claims made by creationists that numerous scientists had “dissented from Darwinism”. Of course, such a claim is nothing more than an argument from popularity, but it’s even worse than that – it’s just a bald-faced lie, and it always has been!

That’s because evidence directly contradicting the GW-denier claims that the APS rank-and-file has revolted against the APS “establishment” on climate science has come to light:

Only 0.45% of Physicists sign Denier Petition

Despite seven months of intense effort to recruit physicists to sign a politically motivated petition disputing anthropogenic climate change, a mere, 0.45% of the American Physical Society’s 47,000 members signed on.

It’s a humiliating defeat for the climate change Deniers who make such false claims as ”many scientists dispute’ and ‘there is no consensus. The Petition drive was announced in the prestigous journal Nature, APS publications, numerous popular and electronic media, as well as heavily promoted by the petition organizers. Despite all of that effort and publicity, a mere 0.45% was all that they could manage.

Consider that the success rate for Nigerian email scams is estimated to be 0.1% to 0.2%, ie roughly speaking about the same. (Tip of the Hat to Grumbine for the genesis of seeking a comparison)

• • Physicists firm on climate change
  • APS rejects plea to alter stance on climate change
  • APS Council Overwhelmingly Rejects Proposal to Replace Society’s Current Climate Change Statement

Of course the reason for that APS Council’s rejection is unrelated to the number of the signatories, but rather was based the quality of the alleged “science” justifying the call. The “scientific” claims are a sad cobbling together of the argumentum ad ignorantiam and appeal to authority logical fallacies, along with the unbelievably idiotic “it’s happened in the past” argument. As “science” it should embarrass a freshman.

**BTW, this graphic nicely illustrates the utter fail behind this stupid anti-scientific petition campaign…

Whoops – looks like the anti-GW science denialists got caught on this one with their pants down.  But that’s what happens in scientific circles if you make things up – whether it be the cold-fusion hoax, the global cooling myth, or lying about the number of legitimate physicists who agree with your pseudoscience – sooner or later the truth will catch up to you, and you’ll be revealed for what you really are… cynical, lying bastards with an ideological & political agenda.

Here’s a message to all you GW-deniers who’ve been pushing this crap over the last couple of years:

The following email was sent to City Council from Jim English, President of the Wards Corner Civic League:

Dear Mayor Fraim and Members of Norfolk City Council:

Included in tomorrows city council meeting agenda is a public hearing regarding changes to the City Charter. Two areas of this charter change are particularly bothersome to the membership of  the Wards Corner Civic League. The first is the change in the referendum regarding signatures increasing the number of petitioners from 4 to 8 thousand. We believe this unfairly raises the bar on citizen input and therefore we are opposed to the change. The second is the change removing the recall process from the City Charter to which we are also opposed. At its regular monthly city league meeting held November 16th at 645PM at the Norfolk Wellness Center the Wards Corner Civic League membership unanimously voted to oppose these two city charter changes and respectfully request that you as members of Norfolk City Council vote against these proposed changes.

We thank you in advance for taking our opposition into consideration prior to voting on these changes

Sincerely,
Jim English
President
Wards Corner Civic League

The agenda for Tuesday’s City Council meeting includes proposed changes to the city charter which include the removal of the ability to recall City Council members and an increase to the signatures needed for a petition from 4,000 to 8,000.

Vivian Paige has the scoop:

Of particular concern to me is the change in sections 32 and 35, which increases the minimum number of signatures required for petition from 4,000 to 8,000. This unfairly raises the bar on citizen input. One of the largest petition drives ever undertaken by the citizens was that relating to Bay Oaks Park.  That petition garnered 5,376 signatures. More recently, the residents of Highland Park undertook a similar petition, gathering over 5,000 signatures.

The Virginian-Pilot has an article as well:

The ordinance, if approved [by City Council and then] by the General Assembly, would also abolish a provision in the city code that allows voters to recall council members. Instead, the city would follow state recall procedures as most Virginia cities do. Currently, Portsmouth, Hampton and Lynchburg are the only other Virginia localities with recall provisions that allow council members who do not break the law to be recalled.

Both Norfolk’s and the state’s provisions allow residents to challenge a sitting council member by gathering signatures on a petition. However, under the city code, the petition leads to a recall election. If proposed changes are approved, Norfolk citizens could use the petition drive only to ask a Circuit Court judge to remove a council member solely for malfeasance. There would be no recall election.

EPetitionen: Arbeitslosengeld II – Geringfügige Beschäftigung vom 10.11.2009

Text der Petition

Der Deutsche Bundestag möge beschließen , dass Geringfügig Beschäftigte (400 €) die im Elternhaus wohnen, keine Anrechnung ihres Lohnes auf das Arbeitslosengeld II erfolgt.

Begründung

In diesem Fall werden die Geringfügig Beschäftigten, insbesondere Jugendliche sehr benachteiligt, da Ihr Gehalt auf das Arbeitslosengeld der Eltern mit angerechnet wird. Dadurch ist ihre Arbeit ohne Wirkung und die Beschäftigten können sich nicht von ihrer eigenen geleisteten Arbeit etwas kaufen oder sparen. Man wird sozusagen bestraft in dem man arbeiten geht. Die Beschäftigten sind meist Junge Menschen die sich mit der Geringfügigen Beschäftigung in die Arbeitswelt einsteigen. Durch das Gesetz der Anrechnung ist das ein großer Rückschlag für die Beschäftigten. Viele gehen deshalb nicht mehr arbeiten. Das Gesetz muss geändert werden. Es ist ein großer Vorteil auch für den Steuerzahler, den wenn die Anrechnung wegfällt gehen die Menschen arbeiten und eine Steuerentlastung für den Steuerzahler der die Arbeitslosenversicherung zahlt wäre der Fall.

There has been more than enough chatter in our comments sections to know that we fans are not happy with the way most of our favorite Marvel characters are portrayed on screen. Marvel Studios has given us two of the best comic book movies we’ve seen, Iron Man & The Incredible Hulk.; movies that have given fans hope for their future projects. Here’s where the problem arises: the Marvel movie universe will NEVER be complete without the ability to intertwine Spider-Man, the X-Men, Daredevil and the Fantastic Four into the same continuity as the Avengers. It’s time they put their money to good use and buy back their character’s rights that are currently held by other studios.

Click Here to Sign the Petition!

VIA COMICBOOKMOVIE //

Le média libre C4N, qui comprend des journalistes professionnels, vient de mettre en ligne une pétition de défense du commandant Jean-Hugues Matelly et des droits qu’il représente.

Ainsi, Jean-Hugues Matelly rejoint 4 autres causes défendues par ce média  de grande notoriété :  une censure en Tunisie, la demande libération du prix Nobel Birman, le retrait de la peine de mort prononcée sur un pasteur en Iran, et l’ouverture d’une contre-enquête sur l’attentat du 11 septembre.

L’affaire Matelly ne sera pas étouffée. Et cette fois-ci, ce sont les médias qui relancent, par la direction de C4N elle-même. Et ce n’est que le début. Les journalistes vont se charger de relayer ce qui se passe. C4N comporte des reporters citoyens ET des journalistes professionnels.

C4N, c’est plusieurs millions de pages vues, une entreprise offensive sur le segment de « journalisme citoyen » en webzine collaboratif, une base doc pour l’AFP, qui a d’ailleurs bien compris l’interêt de ce segment en lançant  Citizenside.

Lancé en 2007, le site atteignait une audience d’un million de pages vues dès 2008 et revendique une équipe rédactionnelle performante.

« Nous misons également sur les partenariats, pour couvrir nos frais techniques, et nous travaillons sur le packaging d’offres de marketing direct communautaire pour les entreprises qui “osent” dialoguer avec leurs clients… » explique Fabien Bardoux, Président de Come4News.

“Assumant un modèle commercial et un positionnement éditorial « plus proche du Parisien que du Monde », Come4news pourrait ainsi incarner une nouvelle forme de presse en ligne dans laquelle les journalistes seraient payés « à la performance ». http://www.come4news.com/

http://www.come4news.com/joomlapetition-784917/68949

Voici la pétition telle qu’elle a été publiée par la direction de C4N d’après les éléments qu’elle a recueillie :

my act.ly petition just posted

Act.ly, a new petition+twitter marriage of a site that allows people to start an online petition through twitter, has just become home of my first petition to stop this awful mistake that Arne Duncan and Obama are making as far as education is concerned.  We need experts like Diane Ravitch and Deborah Meier to be more influential in this administration’s education department.  Please sign the petition and let everyone know.

Seit ein paar Tagen läuft die Bundestagspetition mit dem Thema “Kostenloser Erwerb wissenschaftlicher Publikationen”, dahinter vesteckt sich der Gedanke von Open Access, dem freien Zugang zu wissenschaftlichen Artikeln oder Material im Internet.

Die Petition hat zum Ziel, dass wissenschaftliche Arbeiten und Materialien, die aus Steuermitteln finanziert wurden, auch allen Steuerzahlern kostenfrei zur Verfügung stehen und nicht hauptsächlich kostenpflichtig, wie es derzeit der Fall ist.
Man muss somit also zweimal zahlen, einmal indirekt über Steuern und das zweite Mal entweder selbst oder über die Universität, die nationale Lizenzen zu wissenschaftlichen Arbeiten einkauft.

Ich würde mich freuen, wenn viele meiner Leser die Petition unterstützen würden, da es sich um ein wichtiges Thema handelt und das Leben vieler Studenten und Forscher beeinflusst. Herzlichen Dank für jede einzelne Unterschrift!

Zur Petition:
https://epetitionen.bundestag.de

Att samla underskrifter har i många år varit ett framgångsrikt sätt att tillsammans med andra göra sina röster hörda. Nu finns det en tjänst som gör det här samlandet lite lättare och effektivare. På PetitionOnline startar du enkelt dina egna namnunderskrifter och sprider “ordet” vidare till andra. Gratis. Smart.

Testa PetitionOnline

Hier wieder mein persönlich kommentierter Wochenrückblick über das, was uns Piraten angeht oder angehen könnte. Wie immer ohne Anspruch auf Vollständigkeit oder Relevanz

Dieser Wochenrückblick wird wie immer auf der hessischen Webseite (http://www.piratenpartei-hessen.de/) und meinem Blog (http://sikk.wordpress.com) veröffentlicht.

Viel Spaß,

Sikk

Die Wirtschaftskrise hat verheerende Auswirkungen auf die Ernährungssicherheit der Ärmsten. G8-Staatschefs treffen sich nächste Woche auf dem Welternährungsgipfel in Rom, doch die versprochenen Zusagen von 13.4 Milliarden Euro gegen den Hunger drohen sich in Luft aufzulösen – Unterzeichnen Sie die Petition und fordern Sie die Einhaltung des Versprechens:

Jeder sechste Mensch auf dieser Welt hungert. Die Wirtschaftskrise hat verheerende Auswirkungen auf die Ärmsten und unsere Regierungen sehen tatenlos zu.

In wenigen Tagen treffen sich die einflussreichsten Nationen auf dem Welternährungsgipfel in Rom, um konkrete Antworten auf die Krise zu liefern. Den besten Lösungsansatz bieten weitangelegte Investitionen in eine nachhaltige Landwirtschaft, die armen Ländern, und vor allem auf Kleinbauern, zu gute kommen würden. Doch Frankreich, Deutschland, Großbritannien, Italien und Japan ziehen ihre bereits versprochenen Zusagen von 13.4 Milliarden Euro zurück.

Millionen Menschenleben stehen auf dem Spiel und nächste Woche ist unsere vielleicht beste Gelegenheit, die Staatschefs an ihr Versprechen zu erinnern! Unterschreiben Sie jetzt unter dem folgendem Link! – Avaaz wird die Petition direkt an Staatschefs übergeben und durch eine spektakuläre Aktion im berühmten Kolosseum in Rom das Interesse der Medien am Vorabend des Gipfels wecken.

http://www.avaaz.org/de/world_hunger_pledges

Fakt ist: Es gibt genug Nahrung für alle. Trotzdem übersteigt die Zahl der Hungernden in der Welt das inakzeptable Rekordhoch von einer Milliarde Menschen! Das muss in Rom geändert werden.

Die reichsten Staaten investieren Milliarden zur Rettung von Banken, drohen jedoch mit einer Senkung der versprochenen 13,4 Milliarden Euro auf magere 2 Milliarden. Dies ist angesichts der steigenden Zahl von Hungernden ein Skandal!

Der Welternährungsgipfel in Rom ist unsere beste Gelegenheit den Druck auf Regierungen zu erhöhen, um Investitionen in eine nachhaltige Kleinbauernwirtschaft zu fördern. Es wird immer deutlicher, dass das Modell der intensiven Landwirtschaft den Hunger nicht wirksam bekämpfen kann und neben Monokulturen auch zur Erosion der Böden und der Verschmutzung der Umwelt führt.

Gemeinsam mit der Anti-Armuts-Organisation ActionAid und internationalen Bauernnetzwerken zeigen wir unseren Regierungen, dass wir uns weigern in einer Welt zu leben, in der jede Minute Menschen an Hunger sterben. Unterzeichnen Sie die Petition an den Welternährungsgipfel in Rom — jede Unterschrift wird bei der spektakulären Aktion im Kolosseum in Rom repräsentiert:

http://www.avaaz.org/de/world_hunger_pledges

Die Ärmsten haben am stärksten unter den Folgen der Wirtschaftskrise und des Klimawandels zu leiden und Millionen sind kurz vor dem Verhungern. Es ist an der Zeit das wir zusammenhalten und zeigen, dass wir uns für diejenigen einsetzten, denen das Grundrecht auf Nahrung verweigert wird. Unterschreiben Sie die Petition hier:

http://www.avaaz.org/de/world_hunger_pledges

Hoffnungsvoll,

Luis, Alice, Benjamin, Graziela, Ricken, Pascal, Julius, Iain, Paula, Paul, Veronique und das gesamte Avaaz Team

Quellen

UN schlägt Alarm: Eine Milliarde Menschen hungern
http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/189/450905/text/

1200 Milliarden für Rüstung, keine 30 Milliarden gegen Hunger:
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,557545,00.html

Welternährungskrise: “Hunger ist eine Sicherheitsfrage”
http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/0,1518,596516,00.html

Die Bedrohung von Luft, Wasser und Erde
http://www.sueddeutsche.de/wissen/819/317693/text/

G8: Oxfam fordert 25 Mrd. US-Dollar jährlich zur Hungerbekämpfung
http://pressemitteilungen.epo.de/?p=2750#more-2750

Nur 15% des G8-Versprechens ist “neues Geld”, Reuters (auf Englisch):
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL3424540

Hier finden Sie die Action Aid Webseite (auf Englisch):
http://www.actionaid.org/

————–

ÜBER AVAAZ

Avaaz.org ist eine unabhängige, nicht-profitorientierte Organisation, die internationale Kampagnen organisiert und sicherstellt, dass die Meinungen und Wertvorstellungen der Weltöffentlichkeit globale Entscheidungen mitbestimmen (Avaaz bedeutet “Stimme” in vielen Sprachen). Avaaz akzeptiert kein Geld von Regierungen oder Konzernen und wird von einem internationalen Kampagnenteam betreut. Avaaz betreibt Büros in New York, Washington, London, Paris, Genf und Rio de Janeiro. Telefon +1 888 922 8229 oder +55 21 2509 0368. Klicken Sie hier ,um mehr über unsere Kampagnen zu erfahren. Beachten Sie auch unsere Seiten auf Facebook und Myspace und Bebo!

*zitat ende*

(This is the last of four videos of a prayer service for Mitrice Richardson held on October 10, at the New Testament Church in Los Angeles.)

In case you missed it, Jasmyne Cannick unloaded on Electronic Urban Report this week about all the issues: police  footdragging, stonewalling, the constant rewriting and changing of the story and even the police report, etc.,  involved in the as yet unsolved case of the missing 24-year-old Mitrice Richardson.

So just who is Jasmyne Cannick?

Based in Los Angeles, CA, Jasmyne A. Cannick is a well known and respected public policy and communications professional with a successful track record in the areas of public policy, issue and campaign strategies. Jasmyne has used her experience working for office holders on all three levels of government to assist underserved and vulnerable population groups. From working in Washington D.C. in the House of Representative to her work California’s State Legislature, where she worked closely with the Legislative Black Caucus, Jasmyne continues to blend her political and media savvy together in working to assist African-American candidates into elected office. She currently serves as the Director of Public Affairs for a firm in Los Angeles and works on local and state candidate and issue campaigns.

When not working, Jasmyne is known nationally as a critic and commentator based in Los Angeles who writes about the intersection of pop culture, race, class, and politics as played out in the African-American community. An award-winning freelance journalist who works in politics, Jasmyne was selected as one of ESSENCE Magazine’s 25 Women Shaping the World and is a frequent voice on National Public Radio. Her work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Sun Times, Los Angeles Daily News, Ebony Magazine, and she writes a syndicated column that appears in Black newspapers from coast to coast.

Jasmyne co-founded the National Black Justice Coalition, the nation’s Black gay civil rights group. In addition, she is the former co-chair of the National Stonewall Democrats Black Caucus and a current member of the National Association of Black Journalists. In 2008, Jasmyne and Eric “Lil Eazy E” Wright Jr. formed My Hood Votes, a voter registration and education initiative involving a grassroots education and mobilization campaign designed to engage non-traditional voters in underserved Black neighborhoods.

To wit, Cannick says it’s time to “nut up or shut up” about Mitrice Richardson, and asks each and every black person who is concerned to get cracking to get answers. It’s time to really put on the pressure. And they ain’t seen nothing yet.

On any other occasion, had the Los Angeles Police Department arrested and booked a young Black female and then let her go in the middle of the night without her purse, car, or cell phone, in the middle of nowhere never to be seen again-Black people would be screaming “off with their heads.”

We’d probably be ready to burn down police headquarters if the same law enforcement agency then took its sweet ass time in providing a police report-a police report that was clearly altered and amended-that would normally take 24 hours to secure and refused to provide video of the young Black female either entering or leaving the police station-only to tell the media 8 weeks later, that a tape doesn’t exist.

So then can someone please tell me why the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department continues to get a pass for the mishandling and mistreatment of 24-year-old missing Mitrice Richardson?

The facts in the case are simple. On the evening of September 16 Mitrice Richardson was in Malibu at a restaurant. A call was made to the Malibu-Lost Hills Sheriff’s station that she was acting “crazy” and couldn’t pay her bill. The sheriff’s searched her car and found some marijuana for personal use and arrested her. She was allegedly released from the sheriff’s station a little after midnight on September 17 without her car, purse, or cell phone never to be heard from again.

In the past 55 days since Mitrice was last seen, the family has repeatedly made attempts to secure any video proving that Mitrice actually left the sheriff’s station. Because quite frankly, it’s just the sheriff’s word that Mitrice left the station and I’ve watched enough “Law & Order” to know that the first suspect is always the last person known to be with the victim. In this case, that would be the Malibu-Lost Hill’s Sheriff’s Department.

Now if I were Sheriff Lee Baca, agenda item number one would be clearing my deputies of any wrong doing. So if that meant furnishing the videotape of Mitrice entering and/or exiting the Malibu-Lost Hill’s Sheriff’s station, well then so be it. If the video in question didn’t exist, what I wouldn’t do is string along the family for weeks allowing them to think there was a video. And I certainly wouldn’t let the news of there being no video appear in a small Malibu newspaper before telling the family. But that’s exactly what the sheriff’s did.

So here we are nearly two months later and there are more questions than answers as it relates to the disappearance of the Cal State Fullerton graduate who lived in Watts with her great-grandmother. And yet nothing from a community that normally looks for police brutality and mistreatment in the same way our Mayor looks for news cameras- on a daily basis 24/7.

There’s been no outcry from the NAACP, SCLC, Urban League, or other community advocate organizations that we typically see and here from in the media when an injustice has been committed against African-Americans. And I find myself asking why?

I mean if there was ever a clear case of police misconduct all wrapped up with a bow on it just waiting to be exposed, the disappearance of Mitrice Richardson is it. This is a case that went from Mitrice being released because the Malibu-Lost Hills Sheriff’s station was overcrowded to her being released because there was no reason to hold her after it was proven that the jail was nowhere near being overcrowded.

I would hate to think that our collective silence has to do with the fact that Mitrice is a young Black female or that because she is a lesbian, her disappearance is somehow not important or related to Black people. This is a young lady who was doing everything right. A college graduate on her way to becoming a substitute teacher.  A clean record.  She is just 24-years-old.  24.

As the holiday season approaches the Richardsons carry the burden of keeping the torch lit in the search for Mitrice. A torch that is often dimmed when compared to other local and national news stories. Plainly put-the family needs the support of the collective community to call attention to this injustice.

Mitrice Richardson is our Jaycee Dugard. Similar to the way in which California’s parole officers failed Jaycee Dugard, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs failed Mitrice Richardson and are continuing to hamper efforts to find her and answer questions about her disappearance.

Mitrice could have been your daughter, sister, aunt, mother, or friend. If the sheriff’s did this to Mitrice, imagine who else they’ve done this to and will do it to unless policies are changed and attention is called to Mitrice Richardson’s disappearance….

How to Nut Up (according to Ms. Cannick)

And if you have any other ideas, bring them forward and spread them around.

1. Visit www.bringmitricehome.org and download flyers to put up at your job, nail shop, carwash, and anywhere else you think people will see it.
2. Sign up to receive Twitter updates from the Richardson family directly on the situation.
3. Join the Find Mitrice Facebook fan page.
4. Add “For the latest information on Mitrice Richardson log onto www.bringmitricehome.org” to your email signature.
5. Sign the petition calling for a Federal Investigation into the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department’s handling of Mitrice Richardson.
6. Email the website to your address book and ask others to do so.

There’s a story out there right now that LeBron James wants to start the movement of players that wear #23 jersey should change it to pay homage to Michael Jordan.

First of all, I don’t think that’s necessary. Yes, the guy is probably the best player of all time and I love MJ just as much as the next guy, but does he really deserve that?

The guy embarrassed himself during his Hall of Fame inception speech. He upset a lot of people during it with his arrogance. It just made you realize that he was all about himself. But, then again, he is MICHAEL JORDAN and is the one guy who can get away with it. He was just the ultimate competitor, and that’s what made him so great.

Then I have to think, LeBron James is the one guy who can also wear #23 and people should pay homage to him.

James has until March 5th to send a formal request to the league office. He’s apparently going to try to get a petition going around first.

James says he’d probably switch to his Olympic #6 jersey, because it was “Dr. J” Julius Erving’s number when he played.

James McLaren has created an online raw milk petition at  http://www.petitiononline.com/rawmilk2/petition.html He says:

Harvest tableau at Glencolton Farms Fall Fest. Andrea Lemieux photo

Please distribute this widely but please note that it is only for Ontario residents to sign, since we are working with a lawyer to ensure that if the petition is ignored by the Ontario authorities, legal proceedings can be started to compel them to perform their statutory duty. Thank you, James.

Glencolton Farms cowshare members prepare a potluck meal at the farm. Andrea Lemieux photo

Eskom’s 45% increases will close any business with GP below 20% within 3 years.

Vote against this now by signing our petition please and spread the word.

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-eskom-extortion-now/signatures.html

Bambi & Hamilton

Senator Jeff Sessions is calling on his colleagues to filibuster Judge David Hamilton. Go here and call your Senator. Tell your Senator to oppose cloture on David Hamilton and filibuster his nomination to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Judge Hamilton, a district court judge, is Barack Obama’s nominee to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.  That very court has cited Judge Hamilton for abusing his power as a judge.

In 1994, the 7th Circuit rebuked Judge Hamilton for denying a Rabbi the right to display a Menorah as part of an Indianapolis holiday display.

In 2005, Judge Hamilton prohibited the Indiana House of Representatives from praying if Jesus’s name was mentioned, but said praying in Allah’s name was perfectly fine.

He also is one of the most lenient judges in America when it comes to crime and criminals.

In United States v. Rinehart, 2007 U.S. LEXIS 19498 (S.D. Ind. Feb 2, 2007), Judge Hamilton used his opinion to request clemency for a police officer who pled guilty to two counts of child pornography. The 32 year old officer had engaged in “consensual” sex with two teenagers and videotaped his activities.

In United States v. Woolsey, 535 F.3d 540 (7th Cir. 2008), the Seventh Circuit faulted Judge Hamilton for disregarding an earlier conviction in order to avoid imposing a life sentence on a repeat offender.

Call your Senator. Tell your Senator to oppose cloture on Judge Hamilton and support a filibuster.