A must see: Les Misérables. My brother David said the Broadway musical pushed all the right buttons and certainly this film clip does too, with the haunting "I Dreamed a Dream" [sung by Anne Hathaway] and those great cinema angles.

Open Letter to Hallmark Cards

Dear Hallmark --

What has happened to your Made in America / Made in the U.S.A. box cards? I find very few available for purchase at my neighborhood Hallmark Gold Crown store and that is one of the major reasons I choose to buy more expensive Hallmark cards. I want my purchases to benefit American workers not merely investors. I am ready to start sending holiday letters and/or handmade cards in lieu of Made in China cards. Why don't you make at least some American-made box cards for people who believe in America and American workers and want their Hallmark Cards to say Made in the USA?

Thank you.

Respectfully, Kate Anne <--blogging this and also posting this on Facebook Message left at http://hallmark.custhelp.com/app/ask
Write yourself, and/or call 1-800-HALLMARK (1-800-425-5627)

Did Anonymous stop Karl Rove from Stealing Ohio again?

Thom Hartmann speaks about the Voter Integrity people's concern with Ohio where they anticipated voter theft would happen (again) in 2012. Did Anonymous prevent it? Thom references both an article in Wonkette and a report in Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman's FreePress.org site entitled Why Rove failed to deliver Ohio on Election Day: What happened in Ohio – this time around. Curiouser and curiouser.

Shirley Horn: But Beautiful

Via Paganmaestro (check out his other music videos on YouTube), a beautiful rendition of But Beautiful sung with beautiful phrasing by Shirley Horn:

Veterans Day Quotation on War

War is a racket, possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. ~ Major General Smedley Butler 1935

John Fugelsang posted the above today, the expanded "War is a racket" quotation -- for Veterans Day and true EVERY DAY. Remember it: War is a racket.

Organizing for America 11-04-12

Organizing for America 11-04-12
Originally uploaded by Kate Anne

I was happy to join with other volunteers to make calls to Ohio in support of President Obama and Senator Sherrod Brown. Tony Smolenski (seen here with me) was one of the energetic organizers. I was so impressed with Tony and his great team. I truly enjoyed calling and spoke with some great folks. The photo here is from my Sunday stint at the Long Island City, NY, office but I worked about 8.5 hours (following voting in Sunnyside, which took over 70 minutes -- a record!) on Election Day. See Election Day Flickr photos.

Stay Away From Social Security

President Barack Obama needs to echo strongly this winning message given so aptly by Vermont (and America's) Senator Bernie Sanders on Eliot Spitzer's show. Tax breaks to the wealthy don't help the American economy nor the American people. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid: these help We the People who need help. Let's be a WE Society, not a ME Society.

 

US Homeless To Go Hungry As Food Stamps Are Cut | UK Progressive

US Homeless To Go Hungry As Food Stamps Are Cut | UK Progressive talks of hunger arising from the current and future Republican policy to cut food stamps. Who will fill the gap to meet their need?

“Churches and charities can take up the slack,” harrumphed Robert Royal on an episode of Moyers & Company not long ago. Royal runs The Faith and Reason Institute, a right-wing group loosely affiliated with conservative elements in the Catholic Church. 

But Royal, an avowed supporter of the Gekko-Galt Romney-Ryan ticket, was shocked into dumbfounded silence when Sister Simone Campbell, organizer of the “Nuns on the Bus” anti-poverty tour, pointed out that Bread for the World did a study and found that every last cathedral, church, synagogue, mosque, temple and meeting hall in America would have to raise an additional $50,000 every year for 10 years to compensate for the GOP plan to eliminate food stamps. 

All he could muster was a half-hearted, sort-of but not really embarrassed, “Of course we need to take care of the needy” but never explained how “we” will do that if food stamps go away.

I know my little neighborhood church has trouble meeting its current expenses. We cannot take on more than some occasional food collection drives -- which fill today's food stamp gaps, not those scheduled for October and into the future. Not fair to the poor. What will be the consequences?

Free Don Siegelman!

Governor Don Siegelman is back in prison. We can write to him words of hope and encouragement, even as we continue to work for his freedom:

Don Siegelman
#24775-001
FDC OAKDALE
PO Box 5010
Oakdale, LA 71463

He shouldn't be in prison and President Obama should get him out. I posted this petition link on Faceback Aug. 21 but in case you haven't seen/signed it, please sign. They are up to 28,695 signatures. For more info, including 60 Minutes segment on how he was railroaded go to: http://donsiegelman.org/ THANKS!

And thanks to radio host Peter B. Collins for supplying the address.

Chris Hedges: The Absurdity of American Empire

Chris Hedges, co-author with Joe Sacco of Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt was interviewed by Laura Flanders of GritTV. Wake up, America! We are living in days of inverted corporate totalitarianism: Resist. Right now the sacrifice is high in West Virginia but the corporations' fracking and drilling is poisoning our water, killing our fish, destroying all of US.

Nuns on the Bus: Faith, Family and Fairness

Just caught up on this: An ENTHUSIASTIC Nun on the Bus Sr. Simone Campbell who spoke at the Democratic National Convention was interviewed by Rev Welton Gaddy for State of Belief Radio in July: GREAT interview in spirited audio and transcript forms. LISTEN if you have time: GOOD STUFF!

For those who must have video, Sr. Simone Campbell was interviewed by Rev. Welton Gaddy in a shorter interview AT the Democratic Convention:



And then there was Sr. Simone speaking to the convention:



NOW go back to State of Belief audio interview: even better than the convention speech.

Progressives' Democratic National Convention

Free Speech TV is livestreaming at the Democratic National Convention.

Democracy for America is one host: http://democracyforamerica.com/dnc2012

 Or via the FSTV1 channel at livestream.com --

Watch live streaming video from fstv1 at livestream.com

The Romney-Ryan-Akin Platform for Women

Women who lambasted Susan G. Komen should NOT give Romney a pass: He would de-fund Planned Parenthood and not provide any low-cost alternative. Go where you want, he says, "this is a free society". Not without healthcare and he'd rid us of the Affordable Care Act a/k/a/ Obamacare which gives full insurance coverage for mammograms!

Mitt Romney: You Didn't Build That — You Destroyed It

Don't let Mitt Romney become the bane of our existence!

"The theme of the Republican National Convention paints a rosy picture, but the theme of Mitt Romney's time as a corporate raider  [at Bain Capital] is less flattering. Mitt Romney didn't build that -- he destroyed it."

PROOF: Romney Doesn't Know How to Create US Jobs!!

This is an unpaid political ad re Romney Economics:

He wrecked Massachusetts and now he wants to wreck the USA!! WTF!

Mitt Romney ran for governor of Massachusetts promising more jobs, less debt, and smaller government. Here’s what Massachusetts got instead:

• Jobs: 47th out of 50 states in job creation
• Taxes and fees: Increased by $750 million per year
• Long-term debt: Increased more than $2.6 billion
• Outsourcing: State jobs outsourced overseas
• Manufacturing: Jobs declined at twice the national rate

Romney Economics didn't work then, and won't work now.

More animals, less stress

From Twitter: Ladies Home Journal Editors -- @lhjHealthLadies tweeted:

Office dogs really can reduce stress! http://bit.ly/LJubGN Official LHJHealthGent Smuckers knows how to chill out. twitpic.com/aaz48c

No More Bush Tax Cuts Extensions!

Let the Bush Tax Cuts expire (they were supposedly only there in the first place because the USA had a surplus, long gone -- and I am okay with them ALL expiring. Otherwise, Congress will be after the small pieces of the budget pie that benefit the 99% and we lose more than any benefit we'd get from any extension of the tax cut.

The big guys who really benefit from our country and its bounty ought to pay. They offshore their offices to avoid corporate taxes, and outsource the jobs to save money rather than paying US employees, and then use our tax system which the rest of us who still have jobs pay for. WE pay for the massive corporate use of our court systems while these corporations and their executives avoid paying taxes!!

Yes. Let Bush Tax Cuts expire -- and dial the White House comment line 202-456-1111 and tell PBO that We the People, at least We the 99%, benefit more by the tax cuts expiring.

Comment re FOX

Considering the manufactured brouhaha over "Fast and Furious", I think instead of FOX so-called News, as Thom Hartmann refers to them, it is high time we start saying FOX Propaganda Network. [also posted to my Facebook page]

Congressmember Peter DeFazio interviewed

Listen Up: Post Wisconsin, U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio gave his reflections in an interview by Carl Wolfson of Portland's KPOJ. Given the 8 to 1 monetary advantage, one political consultant told the congressman that he could get people to hate Mother Teresa. Both agreed that Citizens United is wrecking our democracy. DeFazio predicts that if the Republicans win a majority in the Senate in 2012 they will laugh and quickly abolish the filibuster which has hobbled the Obama presidency. It is a great back and forth between two progressives -- so go to KPOJ and listen to the full interview. And listen to KPOJ or its podcasts (available online or via iTunes) for more great stuff. Carl in the Morning is one of my favs.

Fugelsang Viewpoint on Romney & FlipFlopping GOP

John Fugelsang's humorous take, his Viewpoint on Mitt Romney and GOP flip-flopping in their love for candidates during the race for their presidential nominee.

Rodney King: Can we all get along?

I thought Rodney King asked Why, and some re-quoting shows it, but it isn't "Why can't we all just get along", per the news tape [start at 42 for intro or 53 for King directly] Rodney King's quotation is a pleading and a request for peace in a time of violence:

I just want to say, you know, Can we, can we all get along, can we can we get along? Umm can we stop making it making it ___ before for the for the older people and the and the and the kids...?.... We've got to quit... It is just not right. ... Please, We can we can get along here, We we all can get along. ... I mean we're all stuck here for a while. Let's try to work it out ....Let's try and work it out.

Engle advice to Rep. Carolyn Maloney

Early feminist Lavinia Engle had this advice for women speaking in public:

"Stand up, speak up, and shut up."

Would that Congressmember Carolyn Maloney had heeded that advice on today's Up with Chris Hayes -- a great show (on MSNBC Saturday and Sunday from 8 AM to 10 AM). Still, perhaps she will accept the advice of show guest Alexis Goldstein on crafting better bills.

FDR: On Monopoly threatening Liberty

Unhappy events abroad have retaught us two simple truths about the liberty of a democratic people.

The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is Fascism—ownership of Government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power.

The second truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if its business system does not provide employment and produce and distribute goods in such a way as to sustain an acceptable standard of living.

Both lessons hit home.

Among us today a concentration of private power without equal in history is growing.

This concentration is seriously impairing the economic effectiveness of private enterprise as a way of providing employment for labor and capital and as a way of assuring a more equitable distribution of income and earnings among the people of the nation as a whole.

~ Franklin Delano Roosevelt [FDR], Message to Congress on Curbing Monopolies, April 29, 1938

With thanks to a photo-lead from @The_Anti_Fox on Twitter. Read more at the American Presidency Project: Franklin D. Roosevelt: Message to Congress on Curbing Monopolies. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=15637#ixzz1pTJnso3L

"How do we change the world?"

"Change your heart, your life, your community, the system -- in that order."
~ Philip Berrigan's answer to Frank Kromkowski's question -- "How do we change the world?", 1976, Helena, Montana [wisdom hidden in a morning glory]

Compassion / Socialism quotation

“Compassion is not weakness, and concern for the unfortunate is not socialism.”
~ Hubert Humphrey

Via the awesome compassionate comedian commentator John Fugelsang on Facebook and Twitter and live Fridays on Stephanie Miller's radio show and Nicole Sandler's Thursday show (and his parents' awesome love story on NPR.)

GOP WA Representative Maureen Walsh Remarks on ESSB 6239

Republican Washington State Representative Maureen Walsh heartfully speaks about marriage equality. Rachel Maddow featured this touching speech on her Feb. 9th show: simple and powerful, an example of the personal as political.

Open Letter to Speaker Boehner

Re: Catholic Women use birth control per OUR consciences

There is NOTHING about birth control in the Bible. Male bishops should not be causing women to pay more for our birth control. Some of us need it for medical reasons and will be deprived too. Please don't side with men who have covered up pedophilia.

Thank you so much.

[Join me in writing Speaker John Boehner or call him at 202-225-0600]

Agribusiness Fights to Allow Children to Work in Manure Pits

Lee Fang was a guest on Thom Hartmann today. Republic Report is his new gig and we should be sure to check in on a regular basis. This article is but one fascinating example from the site: Agribusiness Fights to Allow Children to Work in Manure Pits. They are for getting the corrupting influence of money OUT of politics. More info also at United Republic and by following them on Twitter as @unitedrep.

Listen to 620 KPOJ

KPOJ is one of America's best progressive radio stations: Carl Wolfson in the Morning, Thom Hartmann, Norman Goldman, Mad as Hell in America, PLUS!

Listen to 620 KPOJ

"Vote Republican" by Roy Zimmerman

I wish all those even THINKING of voting Republican would listen to Roy Zimmerman's humorous modern political folk song. It was posted to YouTube in October of 2010 but is so appropriate to what is going on now politically. Do yourself a favor and watch and share this. Maybe we'll wake up enough people to stave off the Republicans in November.

FYI, you can follow Roy Zimmerman on both Facebook and Twitter. My thanks to radio host Norman Goldman for sharing this on his show and on Facebook.

Accentuating a healing positive

Facebook scrolls on, but today's status update / thought on a more positive year deserves more play:

Looking forward to the unfolding of the year. Breathing in life-giving air and exhaling the negative. Emphasizing the positive, what I wish to see expand. Recommitting my self to doing what I can to create a better self and a better world: it is all connected. Blessings one and all. And healing hugs...