Ladywriter

60 years ago this very day - after the horrors of World War II - the world came together at the United Nations to unanimously pass the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This powerful declaration says that every human being deserves dignity, freedom and respect. It's the first blueprint for global rights, establishing fundamental freedoms for every human being. The UDHR set in motion a global movement that literally opened prison doors, shut down torture and execution chambers, and caused the downfall of the worst tyrannies. 60 years later, despite much progress, millions are still denied basic human rights. Many governments still show more interest in abusing power than respecting those they lead. For far too many, injustice, inequality and impunity are still the hallmarks of our world today. But hope exists. Grassroots actions like those that catapulted Barack Obama to office, are the same that put abusive nations on notice. Help us fulfill the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Watch "The Price of Silence" our exciting new music video featuring some of the world’s greatest musicians, including some who've fled oppressive regimes. The track, donated by Aterciopelados and Nacional Records, combines the voices of Natalie Merchant, Hugh Masekela, Stephen Marley, Angelique Kidjo, Emmanual Jal and others. Buy the music exclusively on iTunes all proceeds will go to support our important life saving work. Tell the world you support the UDHR: add your name to the ProtectTheHuman.org petition. Tell at least one friend to watch the music video and help spread the message. Since 1961, millions of Amnesty International supporters just like you have taken countless small actions. And now many millions more enjoy greater freedom and a safer, more just world. Help us fulfill the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Send this email to at least one friend or family member and ask them to watch "The Price of Silence". And let's together build the global movement that will bring dignity and freedom to every human being on earth. Sincerely, Larry Cox Executive Director

Dear friends, I'm writing again from the UN Climate talks in Poland, where one thing has become heartbreakingly apparent: for some people, these negotiations aren't just about numbers and compromise and diplomacy. For some people, these negotiations are about survival. People toss around a lot of lofty words at the UN, so let me be clear. I'm not talking about "survival" as an abstract concept, or some distant problem for future generations. I'm talking about countries and peoples getting quite literally wiped off the map within decades. I'm talking about human lives and livelihoods being destroyed by the impacts of climate change here and now. Here's the worst part: the countries facing the biggest impacts of climate change are also the countries most poorly represented here in the United Nations. With the static of the UN and the distractions of a 24-hour news cycle, the countries fighting on the front lines of climate change are struggling to get the attention they deserve. Case in point: last week 49 of the world's most vulnerable countries endorsed the 350 target that the latest science calls for. Instead of recognizing the importance of this call, some EU leaders have been backpedaling on their already weak climate commitments. The time has come to change the conversation in Poland, to send one clear message that cuts through the static. That's where you come in. If we come together, we can amplify the voices of the people who are most threatened by climate change. Can you take a stand for survival by signing the pledge here? http://www.350.org/survival Youth from around the world are spending the next 24 hours pressuring their country's UN negotiators to sign on to the very same same survival pledge--and their efforts will be made much easier if they have people like you supporting them from every corner of the earth. We'll put your messages directly in front of world leaders by staging a high-profile delivery on the last day of the negotiations. This plan will only work if we get enough people signing on before the end of the week to make it count. With your help, we can make the "survival principle" a key message of the UN negotiations. And upon that principle, the world can build an equitable global climate agreement around science-based targets--targets like 350, the safe upper limit of CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. When I landed in Poland for the UN Climate talks a week ago, I thought I knew what to expect: a few meetings, some bureaucratic backpedaling, and some frustratingly slow progress on a global climate treaty. I wasn't prepared for feeling moved, deeply, by the stories from those on the front lines of climate change. These are stories from countries like Kiribati and Tuvalu, island nations who are losing their crops and drinking water due to the ever encroaching sea. If climate change remains unchecked, by the time I retire there may be nothing left of these nations but waves. We can prevent a climate catastrophe. The time has come for the world to stand together. Please join us. Thanks for all that you do, Jon (and Bill, Jamie, Jeremy, Kelly, May, Phil, and Will and the entire 350 team) P.S. On a lighter note: last week I asked many of you to take part in an experiment to help us take over YouTube with a climate video--our 90-second animation. I just wanted to let you know that it worked--we were front and center in front of tens of thousands of new eyes. Many many thanks.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is considering a new standard for fluorescent tube lights and other kinds of light bulbs that over the next three decades will save enough energy to power every household in America for an entire year, and save us over $66 billion! Tell the DOE and President-Elect Obama that you support strong energy efficiency standards >> http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AdKwv/X.Fw/ANR12 The final decision comes out in June 2009, but we need to send a message now to the DOE and to Obama that energy efficiency must be at the top of our nation's energy priorities. Take action >> http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AdKwv/X.Fw/ANR12 During the presidential debates, President-elect Obama said energy policy will be a top priority of his administration. One of the most effective ways to cut energy costs, reduce our electricity consumption, and save us all money every month on our utility bills is to adopt the strongest energy efficiency standards for household appliances and commercial products. Tell President-elect Obama and our government officials that energy efficiency must be part of the solution to our energy crisis >> http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AdKwv/X.Fw/ANR12 Thank you, Robyn E. Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team

I hope it wont be all kidded up >.<

sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

yeah.........

President-elect Barack Obama met with former Vice President Al Gore for about 45 minutes this afternoon to discuss global warming and energy policy. Neither man shared much about their talks, but Mr. Obama said he was fully in agreement with Mr. Gore on both the science of climate change and the need to take aggressive action to combat it. Mr. Obama, seated between Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Mr. Gore, repeated his declaration that the United States can no longer afford delay or denial in confronting the climate challenge. “We all believe what the scientists have been telling us for years now, that this is a matter of urgency and national security, and it has to be dealt with in a serious way,” Mr. Obama said. “That is what I intend my administration to do.” Mr. Obama also adopted a term popularized by Mr. Gore, saying that it was necessary to “repower” the country, by shifting quickly to renewable sources of energy and creating a modern electrical grip to move power efficiently from one part of the country to another. Last summer, Mr. Gore issued a challenge to the United States to produce 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, a project he calls the Repower America Initiative. Mr. Obama has not explicitly endorsed that goal, but he has said that he intends to devote billions of dollars to so-called green energy projects that will create jobs and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Last month, Bank of America accepted $25 billion in taxpayer funds as part of the Wall Street Bailout. Now they're refusing to release lines of credit and causing hundreds to lose their jobs. In Chicago, workers making energy efficient windows and doors at the Republic Windows and Doors plant came to work only to be told their factory was shutting down and they would not be receiving the pay owed to them.(1) Hundreds of these laid-off workers have occupied their factory and are refusing to leave without receiving the benefits they rightly deserve -- they're staying in the office day and night in their quest for justice. Tell Bank of America and Congressional leaders to ensure that the Bailout Program be used to provide workers and companies with lines of credit to save jobs. Send a Message to Support the Workers Right Now http://act.truemajorityaction.org/p/7002/campaign?campaign_KEY=1556 This is just the latest instance of banks taking advantage of the taxpayer funded bailout. Instead of using our funds to provide loans and credit lines to companies and workers on Main Street, Bank of America is focused on taking over other banks and padding their executives' bottom line. These workers have become a symbol for everything that's wrong in our economy and they need our support right now. But, once this immediate crisis passes, we'll need to gear up to pass a Next New Deal for Main Street that will protect millions of other Americans struggling like these workers in Chicago. Thanks for continuing to be vigilant, -Ilya Ilya Sheyman TrueMajority Online Organizer

*revives thread just to vomit on Chris Carters shoes* This sucked ass.

I finished the series, ain't holding my breath for a season 2 so I've moved on to the manga. Anybody else watchin/reading this? episode 9.... best episode ever!

(CNSNews.com) – Many of the programs created under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after 9/11 can be dispensed with, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. And the incoming Obama administration will make major renovations in the DHS that will strengthen privacy rights for individuals, civil rights activists said at a conference on Wednesday. “There is a real opportunity for the new administration and all the new folks coming in to take a serious look at all of the programs that were set up in the immediate aftermath of 9/11,” Tim Sparapani, a senior legislative counsel at the ACLU, told CNSNews.com. “We have to believe that some of the programs are not actually effective. When you look at them with a cold eye I think you will find that a lot of them can be dispensed with,” he said. Sparapani spoke at an all-day conference hosted by the Democratic staff of the House Department of Homeland Security Committee entitled, “A Path Forward: Constitutional Protections in Homeland Security." In addition to Sparapani and the ACLU, there were speakers from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, among others. President-elect Obama revealed his national security team on Monday, naming Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as the next secretary of DHS. Douglas DeLeaver, the immediate past president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives told CNSNews.com: “For the first time since the founding of DHS it will experience a major renovation” under Obama and Napolitano. The culture of the Obama administration will actually change the nature of the DHS, said DeLeaver. “I really think the change is that the new administration is going to be an open administration with transparency,” he said. “We have some stagnant people sitting in there right now, because when they came on board they all took their buddies with them. But now a change is going to come about. “The Obama administration is going to want direct answers instead of fog. People are going to be held responsible – and I don’t think that is happening right now,” DeLeaver added. The incoming changes at DHS are not politically motivated, Sparapani told CNSNews.com. But instead they result from an infusion of fresh faces and fresh perspectives. “We now get a fresher set of eyes that are not invested in the establishment of the programs who can take a clear-headed look,” said Sparapani, “I think it’s just the natural changing of things in Washington that creates an opportunity to undo some things that never should have been done in the first place.” Sparapani said he does not know whether it was “vigilance or luck” that has prevented the United States from being attacked again since 9/11, but he said he hopes the Obama administration will choose carefully which programs to keep and which to let go. “Let’s hope that the Obama folks are giving close scrutiny in deciding which programs should be kept and what should be scrapped, said Sparapani. “If so, hopefully we will extend this period of time when we haven’t been attacked.”

play

fuck

ikCt6Di8ulE Posted by ZP Heller, Brave New Films at 2:00 PM on December 5, 2008. Despite Bill O'Reilly's delusional rantings, there is no debate that the U.S. military tortured detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Not when you have former Gitmo prosecutors like Lt Col Darrel Vandeveld coming forward to testify about the atrocities that occurred there. Col Vandeveld told the BBC this week about the Gitmo detainees who had been mistreated in order to secure confessions. In one particularly brutal case, Col Vandeveld discovered "indisputable evidence" regarding the mistreatment of an Afghan named Mohammed Jawad, who had been accused of throwing a grenade at a U.S. military vehicle. According to the BBC, "After Jawad had tried to commit suicide by banging his head against a wall at Guantanamo, Col Vandeveld says that psychologists who assisted interrogators advised taking advantage of Mr Jawad's vulnerability by subjecting him to specialist interrogation techniques known as 'fear up'." Interrogators then subjected Jawad to the sleep deprivation technique known as the "frequent flyer" program, in which prisoners were moved from cell to cell every few hours until they confessed. The Pentagon, as you might expect, disputed Col Vandeveld's assertions and continues to push the mendacious claim that Bush's military commissions provide "full and fair trials to accused unlawful enemy combatants who are charged with a variety of war crimes." And there lies the biggest obstacle once President-elect Obama takes office and closes Gitmo: What to do with the prisoners who still need to be brought to trial, assuming there remains probable cause to believe they've committed a crime? Last week, Marjorie Cohn wrote in Jurist Legal News and Research that the National Lawyers Guild is urging President Obama to try these prisoners "in strict accordance with international human rights and humanitarian law, and the principles of fundamental justice pertaining to criminal proceedings." Questions remain whether the "new court system" that Obama is expected to propose will be any better than the current unconstitional military commissions. That's why Cohn suggests Obama ought to try those prisoners in U.S. civilian and military courts. Before any of that can happen, however, Obama must close Gitmo and end Bush's military commissions.

COCA-COLA'S LATEST ENVIRONMENTAL SCAM By Amit Srivastava, India Resource Center Under fire for its mismanagement of water resources in India, Coke has gone all out to create an image of itself as a leader in water conservation. http://www.alternet.org/water/110365/ The Coca-Cola Co. is up to its old tricks again. The company, which is under fire for its mismanagement of water resources in India, has gone all out to manufacture an image of itself as a global leader in water conservation. Sections of Coca-Cola's Web site, for example, read like a proposal that a nongovernmental organization working on water issues might write. Now, in an attempt to position itself as "aggressively" tackling the world's water problems, the company has come up with a new corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative -- water neutrality. The company has already announced that it will become water neutral in India by the end of 2009 and that it has plans to do so in its global operations as well. Sure, it all sounds good, and who could object to water-conservation measures in an increasingly water-scarce world? But just what does becoming water neutral mean? In a concept paper on water neutrality developed in November 2007 by the Coca-Cola Co., the World Business Council on Sustainable Development, World Wildlife Fund and others, it reads: "In a strict sense, the term 'water neutral' is troublesome and even may be misleading. It is often possible to reduce a water footprint, but it is generally impossible to bring it down to zero." I see. Troublesome and misleading. The concept paper also notes: "After having done everything that was technically possible and economically feasible, individuals, communities and businesses will always have a residual water footprint. In that sense, they can never become water neutral." In other words, becoming water neutral is impossible. And finally, the concept paper on water neutrality offers this: "Alternative names to 'water neutral' that have been suggested include water offset, water stewardship and water-use reduction and reuse. However none of these other terms seem to have the same gravity or resonance (inspiration) with the media, officials or NGOs as the term neutrality. For pragmatic reasons it may therefore be attractive to use the term 'water neutral,' but there is a definite need to be clear about precisely what it entails if reduction of water use to zero is not possible." Just to be clear, we want to summarize what the concept paper on water neutrality has to say on the use of the term water neutrality. It is pragmatic to use a troublesome and misleading (but attractive) term like water neutrality -- which is impossible to achieve -- because it resonates well with the media, officials and NGOs. Welcome to Coca-Cola's world. It doesn't really matter what the facts and reality may be. As long as it sounds good, no matter how misleading or troublesome the concept, they will market it to forge public opinion with the use of their mighty public relations apparatus. Coca-Cola announced its "water neutrality" goals in London and in San Francisco last week. Little Drops of Misery The International Campaign to Hold Coca-Cola Accountable for its abuses in India has been frustrated with Coca-Cola's increased public relations, under the guise of corporate social responsibility, to respond to the crisis that Coca-Cola has created in India. Communities living around some of Coca-Cola's bottling plants in India are experiencing severe water shortages -- due to Coca-Cola's extraction of water from the groundwater resource, as well as pollution by the company's plants. 1 2 3 Next page »

Everyday, we meet with organizations that present ideas for the Transition and the incoming Obama-Biden Administration. In past transitions, meetings like this have been held behind closed doors. Not anymore. Today, every Obama-Biden Transition staff member received a memo outlining the "Seat at the Table" Transparency Policy. I've included a copy of it below. The policy is pretty simple: the people and groups we're meeting with, the subjects of the meetings, and any documents shared in the meetings will now be made available on Change.gov. Most importantly, the American public can weigh in with comments or their own materials. Read the memo and watch our "Seat at the Table" video: http://change.gov/yourseat This is our latest step toward a more transparent and accessible Transition. We look forward to benefitting from the many more voices that will now be a part of the decision-making process. Thank you, John John D. Podesta Co-chair The Obama-Biden Transition Project -------- MEMORANDUM From: John Podesta To: All Obama-Biden Transition Project Staff Date: December 4, 2008 Re: "Seat at the Table" Transparency Policy -- EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY Overview: As an extension of the unprecedented ethics guidelines already in place for the Obama-Biden Transition Project, we take another significant step towards transparency of our efforts for the American people. Every day, we meet with organizations who present ideas for the Transition and the Administration, both orally and in writing. We want to ensure that we give the American people a "seat at the table" and that we receive the benefit of their feedback. Accordingly, any documents from official meetings with outside organizations will be posted on our website for people to review and comment on. In addition to presenting ideas as individuals at www.change.gov, the American people deserve a "seat at the table" as we receive input from organizations and make decisions. In the interest of protecting the personal privacy of individuals, this policy does not apply to personnel matters and hiring recommendations. Scope: The following information will be posted on our website: 1. Documents: All policy documents(1) and written policy recommendations from official meetings(2) with outside organizations. 2. Meetings: The date and organizations represented at official meetings in the Transition headquarters or agency offices, with any documents presented as noted above. This scope is a floor, not a ceiling, and all staff are strongly encouraged to include additional materials. Such materials could include documents (recommendations, press releases, etc.) presented in smaller meetings or materials or made public by the outside organization without a connection to an official meeting. If you have any questions as to whether documents should be included, please email [REDACTED]. Process: Prior to an official meeting with an outside organization or organizations, Obama-Biden Transition Project staff members will inform attendees that any documents provided will be posted on our "Seat at the Table" website found at www.change.gov. Suggested language for email invitations is: "By presenting or submitting any document at a meeting with the Obama-Biden Transition Project, you agree to allow the document to be made public and posted on www.change.gov." At the completion of each meeting or upon receipt of such documents, Transition staff will provide the documents to [REDACTED] with the date of the meeting, a list of the organizations in attendance, and the topic of the meeting. Notes: 1) This policy does not apply to non-public or classified information acquired from the Agency Review Process and internal memorandum. 2) An "official meeting" is defined as a meeting with outside organizations or representatives of those organizations to which three or more outside participants attend.

gah... I dun like the word conspiracy. We aren't the ones hiding and plotting, we just want to expose the truth. Sharing news etc that the mainstream doesn't cover is what 1408 is all about. Do what ya will with it.

fuck Impel Down is scary

Sign to Endorse Michael Moore's Plan to Save the Big 3 (All Signatures Will Be Sent to Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi) Transporting Americans is and should be one of the most important functions our government must address. And because we are facing a massive economic, energy and environmental crisis, the new president and Congress must do what Franklin Roosevelt did when he was faced with a crisis (and ordered the auto industry to stop building cars and instead build tanks and planes) The Big 3 are, from this point forward, to build only cars that are not primarily dependent on oil and, more importantly to build trains, buses, subways and light rail (a corresponding public works project across the country will build the rail lines and tracks). This will not only save jobs, but create millions of new ones. You could buy ALL the common shares of stock in General Motors for less than $3 billion. Why should we give GM $18 billion or $25 billion or anything? Take the money and buy the company! (You're going to demand collateral anyway if you give them the "loan," and because we know they will default on that loan, you're going to own the company in the end as it is. So why wait? Just buy them out now.) None of us want government officials running a car company, but there are some very smart transportation geniuses who could be hired to do this. We need a Marshall Plan to switch us off oil-dependent vehicles and get us into the 21st century. To read more about Mike's plan to Save the Big 3, click here.

I'm all set with fossil fuels used for energy. Even if we go from oil to coal we're still dependent on a finite resource for our energy needs. It makes no sense to give up one pollutant for another. Coal mining is dangerous dirty work. ziuFW-7h1LM

December 2, 2008 Dear friend of Liberty, This past presidential season I saw a renewed enthusiasm from our country's youth. An excitement for liberty gripped the college campuses unlike I have ever seen before. Young people were energized for real change. Still to my amazement, our college rallies attracted thousands of young people. Students were hungry for the message of freedom, peace, and prosperity. For this reason, a youth-based movement for liberty is essential to our cause. It is these young men and women who will become tomorrow's champions of liberty. That's why I am giving my enthusiastic endorsement to Young Americans for Liberty (YAL); an organization that is built directly on the success of Students for Ron Paul. My National Youth Coordinator, Jeff Frazee, is launching this organization with an ambitious goal of starting over 100 campus chapters in 2009. They have already started 47 chapters this semester. Jeff worked with me exclusively to start the Campaign for Liberty (C4L) and host the Rally for the Republic in Minneapolis. Now, he is leaving to follow his real passion and lead Young Americans for Liberty. The Campaign for Liberty has supplied $25,000 in seed money to help start YAL. I hope you will join in support as well. Young Americans for Liberty is the continuation of Students for Ron Paul. Students for Ron Paul established over 500 college chapters in all 50 states. Over 26,000 students joined our campaign. With this network and my support, Young Americans for Liberty is essential to building a genuine liberty movement in America. You and I must remain serious about our ideas and goals. I am. I believe you are too. Back in the 1960s, an influential youth movement formed around another anti-establishment presidential candidate. His name was Barry Goldwater. The organization was called Young Americans for Freedom; and without it, we may have never seen Ronald Reagan in the White House. I have high hopes for Young Americans for Liberty, and wish them a similar fortune. Please visit the Young Americans for Liberty website, sign up for their weekly E-Newsletter, and read about their plans for next semester. Their website is at http://www.YALiberty.org The importance of YAL to the future of liberty cannot be overstated. Young people have the passion, energy, and dedication that many of you can relate to from this past year and a half. But, young people do not have very much money. It is up to you and me to give them our support. So please go to Young Americans for Liberty's website http://www.YALiberty.org , sign up for their free E-Newsletter, and read about the future of our youth. In liberty, Ron Paul P.S. -- Join me today to continue the Revolution on campus. Please visit the Young Americans for Liberty website http://www.YALiberty.org to read about their mission and join their effort.

Al Gore and the Alliance for Climate protection have the solution - Repower America with 100 percent renewable energy by 2010. Sign the petition to join the more than 2 million others who have signed on to Repower America! http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/ACkZq/XJ7S/ANR12 How do we do it? By focusing on energy efficiency, renewable generation, a unified smart energy grid and automobiles, we can rebuild America's energy systems from every angle. Visit this page to learn the details of the Repower America plan and sign on to show your support of this bold plan! http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/ACkZq/XJ7S/ANR12 Thank you for everything you do. Sincerely, Emily Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team

Three days of terror in Mumbai Follow the attacks from their beginning to their deadly conclusion. Full story

Safety rule among 20 contentious measures administration plans to issue WASHINGTON - The Labor Department is racing to complete a new rule, strenuously opposed by President-elect Barack Obama, that would make it much harder for the government to regulate toxic substances and hazardous chemicals to which workers are exposed on the job. The rule, which has strong support from business groups, says that in assessing the risk from a particular substance, federal agencies should gather and analyze “industry-by-industry evidence” of employees’ exposure to it during their working lives. The proposal would, in many cases, add a step to the lengthy process of developing standards to protect workers’ health. Public health officials and labor unions said the rule would delay needed protections for workers, resulting in additional deaths and illnesses. there is no end to W's crap