Words That Don’t Work | Common Dreams

In Words That Don’t Work George Lakoff talks about the importance of the Progressives [a/k/a Liberals!] using our OWN frames and NOT those put out by Frank Luntz for the GOP / Koch Brothers / Rightists. When we use the other guys' frames, we lose. [For example, they use Luntz's "death tax" instead of inheritance tax -- don't YOU ever use it!]

Progressives have a basic morality, which is largely unspoken. It has to be spoken, over and over, in every corner of our country. Progressives need to be both thinking and talking about their view of a moral Democracy, about how a robust Public is necessary for private success, about all that the Public gives us, about the benefits of health, about a Market for All not a Greed Market, about regulation as protection, about revenue and investment...

The Occupy Wall Street folk are emphasizing how we need an economy that works not just for the 1%, but also for the 99%, in essence then the 100% that Deepak Chopra talks about. We need a better world for ALL of us. Words can help heal. Read this article and use them wisely.

To Read: Righteous Porkchop

I've just been listening to a great Ring of Fire podcast segment featuring an interview by Bobby Kennedy Jr. of vegetarian attorney activist Nicolette Hahn Niman, author of Righteous Porkchop, Finding a Life -- and Good Food -- Beyond Factory Farms. Did you know a chicken is not an animal, and therefore not entitled to laws about animal cruelty? Egg laying hens are cramped 6-9 hens per cage, live a gruesome life and when they are spent at 1 year of age they are vacuumed into a chopper while they are totally alive -- there is no attempt to make this painless or fearless.

Niman is now married to a humane cattle rancher where animals are treated relatively well. (Okay, I'm a vegetarian so I use the term relative) The disappearance of the family farmer by these large soulless corporate system should be a concern of all of us since our food supply is suffering as a result. There are hopeful signs of it shifting -- including CSAs and green markets -- but there is much to be done. Read the book or at least check out the podcast.

Sam Seder, David Sirota

Sam Seder, David Sirota
Originally uploaded by Kate Anne

Sam Seder and David Sirota- at an event at Red Sky in Manhattan sponsored by Democratic Leadership for the 21st Century. David autographed copies of his book, The Uprising: An Unauthorized Tour of the Populist Revolt Scaring Wall Street and Washington.






Sam and David, pre-interview

One more birthday celebration

Gail and Kate Anne
Originally uploaded by Kate Anne

Gail and Kate Anne: find time for some personal peace and fun. Accentuating the positive creates a positive vibration which helps heal the world. [Read Dr. Wayne Dyer's Being in Balance and join us in being the answer.] Gail took me to Teodora Restaurant at 141 E. 57th in New York City -- try their salmon!

Wealth in America: the Hard Facts

"Wealth has become even more concentrated during the Bush years. Today, the richest one percent of Americans has 22 percent of all income and about 40 percent of all wealth. This is the biggest concentration of income and wealth since 1928. In 2005, average CEO pay was 369 times that of the average worker, compared with 131 times in 1993 and 36 times in 1976. At the pinnacle of America’s economic pyramid, the nation’s 400 billionaires own 1.25 trillion dollars in total net worth - the same amount as the 56 million American families at the bottom half of wealth distribution." MORE

Great and eye-opening statistics quoted by Peter Dreier in his essay Bush's Class Warfare posted at CommonDreams.org and at Huffington Post. Dreier refers to this To-Read book by Robert Kuttner: The Squandering of America.

Act Now: Impeach Cheney

Bob Fertik of Democrats.com has a good action post about following up on Rep. Dennis Kucinich's H.Res.333 . Please read it and act. Impeach Cheney First -- and remember that 333 is half of 666, the sign of the Beast!! OMG.

Check It Out: ProjectCensored.org

AAR's Richard Greene had a guest from Project Censored on his Clout show last night to discuss the new top 25 stories overlooked by the corporate media. (Richard would have you not call it the mainstream media, because we are really the mainstream -- support media diversity and internet neutrality to preserve our Clout!) Check it out -- and I will, too!