Obama's First Weekly Address on YouTube

President-elect Obama's first YouTube Weekly Address

You have been given a voice, use it. Go out and SCREAM! about something you care about.

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Screaming with Pictures; DR Congo

Just a few captions today, Congo is out of control. 250,000 people are fleeing but with nowhere to go. Camps are full and becoming more dangerous than ever. Rape is commonplace, murder even more so. Rotting bodies lie everywhere.

Around 1,000 cases of cholera have been reported since October, the World Health Organization warns.

A woman, speaking from hospital, said she was among a group of villagers who had been raped by Mai Mai rebels in front of their husbands, who had been tied up with ropes.

A IDP camp attempts to withstand the rains. There is no substantive shelter when you are constantly running for fear of your life.

"We were on our way back from school when we met the rebels. They made us carry some luggage for them and then told us to go with them," says a 16-year-old caught up in the recent unrest..." Forced recruitment of child soldiers is nothing new, I just wonder do we or have we, over time, become immune to these stories?

You have been given a voice, use it. Go out and SCREAM! about something you care about.

Palin Still The Star and She Just Might be Banking on it

SatTV: Excuse me, Governor Palin...

GP: Yes?

SatTV: How would you describe your recent vacation to the lower 48?

GP: "Let's see, I had a baby, I did some traveling. I very briefly expanded my wardrobe, I made a few speeches, met a few VIPs, including those who really impact society like Tina Fey. Aside from that, it was pretty much same old, same old."

SatTV: May I ask what your plans are for the next four years?

GP: "We want to reach out to the new administration and offer our assistance, our support, offer solutions and I think that we'll be sought by the new administration, by Congress, and we're here to help,"

SatTV: Governor after such a stellar performance during the run for the VP do you really think that you're the one that either Senator McCain or President-elect Obama are going to seek out? Enjoy your 15 minutes of fame, thankfully it is nearly over.

I don't care if you are a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Anarchist, Atheist, whatever, simply put this country has far better political minds than "That One". Unless she undergoes the speed MBA/PHD course in American and International Politics in the next four years.... This one is done, it's a wrap, the news cycle is over, it's in the can... put her back on the shelf.... yawn.

This SatTV interview was comprised of excerpts of an interview with Gov. Palin and are quoted from: By Andy Gallacher, BBC News, Miami.

You have been given a voice, use it. Go out and SCREAM! about something you care about.

Governor Palin, Wardrobe, Speeches, Tina Fey, Society, New Administration, Senator McCain, President-elect Obama, Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Political

Arizona State Sen. John Huppenthal's end the Lies Strategy

Chandler, AZ, November 12th, 2008.

Chandler police announced that they will recommend filing charges against Senator John Huppenthal for misdemeanor counts of theft and tampering with a political sign on Election Day.

John, did we have a momentary lapse of reason? What possibly could you have been thinking? I know it wasn't "Now this will be good P.R.".

A Chandler police spokesman said the investigation is complete and a police report will be submitted to city prosecutors within the next few days. It is up to the city prosecutors to decide whether to file charges against the 16-year state lawmaker.

A 78-year-old Democratic volunteer accused the senator of yanking the sign from her hands - watch her video - She's 78. She uses a Walker... Huppenthal what were you thinking? Her full interview can be seen here. My advice to the Senator, don't screw with old people and... damn, you should have known better than to screw with an old Democrat on this election day!

Huppenthal, who represents an area that includes west Chandler and parts of Ahwatukee Foothills and Tempe, said the sign contained a lie about his involvement in solving air quality issues at Corona del Sol High School in Tempe.

Senator, really, a lie? Oh My! Now we can't have that can we? So what are we to do... Yes, I guess you're right, let's go around ripping things up, tearing things down, destroying property that isn't ours, breaking laws just so we can show those damned people who lie.

Can I get three cheers? Hyp-Hyp-O-crit! Hyp-Hyp-O-crit! Hyp-Hyp-O-crit!

Huppenthal stated that he was following the law pertaining to political signs.

The LAW states: No one can remove political signs 45 days before an election or seven days after except for the candidate to whom the sign belongs or the property owner if the sign is placed on private property, or if the sign is placed in violation of the law.

Huppenthal stated that he had left the sign beside a trash bin in the apartment complex for it to be easily found by the owner... Case Closed


Senator John Huppenthal, Senator, Arizona, John Huppenthal, Chandler Police, political sign, misdemeanor, theft

Seemingly Impossible is Possible

Amongst everything that seems to be filled with doom and gloom I have come across a lecture from Professor Hans Rosling that may offer a glimpse of hope - given time. The lecture "Seemingly Impossible is Possible" is shown as it originally aired by TED TV using Gapminder software to demonstrate global statistics in ways you have never seen them before (well, at least I hadn't). A look at Africa's struggles shows that the gap between have and have not seems minuscule when talked about in dollars and cents.

Statistics are unfortunately not the most sexy thing in the world, however Professor Hans Rosling has the gift and ability to show us global trending statistics in ways you may have never seen them before. There is hope that the seemingly impossible is possible.

Watch this video, pay attention to where the world was, where we are now and how we got here. Attention: This video has a run time of 20 minutes - it is worth the view

You have been given a voice, use it. Go out and SCREAM! about something you care about.

Africa, Hans Rosling, statistics, global, seemingly impossible is possible., global statistics

Tents of Hope

Darfur activists pitch tents to influence Washington, the following includes excerpts from an article published in the Sudan Tribune, written by Daniel Van Oudenaren.

November 10, 2008 (WASHINGTON) – Activists set up some 350 tents of hope on the national mall in front of the United States Capitol building this weekend, hoping to reenergize the U.S. Darfur movement and influence the president-elect.

It seems that this hope is alive for many of us. The hope that we can energize the efforts of the United States and our President to act on behalf of the people of this region.

Each of the tents was sent by a community somewhere in the United States, representing approximately 350 cities in 48 states.

As the article continues Mr Van Oudenaren goes on to provide expectations of those demonstrating:

.... benchmarks will include whether or not the UNAMID peacekeeping force receives the equipment that it has thus far been denied, such as transport and attack helicopters...

Today in Darfur

"...Nigerian peacekeepers were ambushed in West Darfur, wounding a peacekeeper, and on the same day attackers shot at a humanitarian vehicle, wounding the driver.... the Nigerian Protection Force Company stationed at the Geneina Super Camp in West Darfur was ambushed by a group of unknown men armed with Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) and AK-47 assault rifles

These are the UNAMID Peacekeeping forces that need the support - this is part of why the Tents of Hope are trying to draw in this nations attention.

...Later in the day a vehicle belonging to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees was attacked in Zalingei, West Darfur...

This crisis will not let up without pressure from the international community. Add your voice, talk about this at home, at your church, in your community, on your blog. Write letters to your government officials, let them know that we must support the efforts and the needs of the UN Peacekeeping forces.



You have been given a voice, use it. Go out and SCREAM! about something you care about.

Darfur, activists, Sudan Tribune, Sudan, Tents of Hope, Peace Tents, peacekeepers, UNAMID

UN uthorized UNAMID Falls Short of Promise

Protect the People of Darfur

It has been a year since the U.N. Security Council authorized the UNAMID peacekeeping force for Darfur and promised to deploy 17,000 additional troops to protect the people of Darfur.

In the last year, barely 2,000 additional troops have so far reached Darfur. This failure to act is simply unacceptable.

The people of Darfur need protection more than ever. The prosecutor of the ICC / International Criminal Court issued formal charges against Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir for genocide, which may cause him to take his vengeance out on Darfuris.

Pesident al-Bashir came to power in Sudan in 1989 on July 14 2008 he was charged with ten counts of war crimes and genocide as a result of Resolution 1593. It is unlikely that there will be any action. President al-Bashir will not be arrested, he will not be transported to the Hague for trial. He will continue his ways.

Why? Why wont the world take action? The world view and it's approach is fairly conservative, especially given the big oops in Iraq, here's why I say that.

By using the "Do nothing" approach the world will operate under the blind eye of it's been here all along why screw with it now or; the region stays as status quo - it is no more nor is it any less stable than we have experienced for a decade or more. However, get involved and the region may fall in to complete chaos (quite the opposite of what we have there right now isn't it?).

So what's the benefit to turning a blind eye with the exception of the occasional publicity laden political outcry? We benefit from Sudan's intelligence sources on our "war against terror" and thus won't cut our own wrists to push someone, who is "helping" us, out of power. At least not without first setting up a puppet government and we seem to be just a bit busy right now with other parts of the world that we thought we could do this in.

Other than that what's holding us back, well, we, the US, may be a bit gun shy about getting involved in another Muslim country at this point, our recent attempt doesn't seem to be going so well politically at home or with our allies.

And the world turns, evil begets money, money begets evil, and oil! Oh my God, Oil begets it all! There is an election scheduled in Sudan for July of 2009, it is highly doubted that it will be free and/or fair. It is also highly suspect that the self-determination referendum for the south, in 2011, will be on time or honest. Why bring these dates and elections in to the conversation? The Sudanese election in '09 is important for al-Bashir to maintain control. The referrendum, if it were to pass, would successfully separate al-Bashir from 80% of the oil produced in Sudan, and don't forget....Oil begets it all.

To insure that things go his way, it seems Sudan's President or representatives thereof, have been making nice with some entrepreneurs in China: The BBC uncovered concrete evidence that weapons from China - a permanent member of the Security Council - are being used in Darfur in violation of a U.N. arms embargo.

It has never been clearer that the member states of the U.N. Security Council need to muster the political will to deploy peacekeepers to Darfur.

Write your local / state representatives, tell them this has to stop. Deploy the troops authorized by the UN mission in Darfur / UNAMID.

You have been given a voice, use it. Go out and SCREAM! about something you care about.


Darfur, UNAMID, Omar al-Bashir, al-Bashir, genocide, Hague, referrendum

Refugees United: I Saw Them Die

Today thousands of voices will be raised by the Bloggers Unite for Refugees effort as there are thousands upon thousands of stories that need to be shared; thousands upon thousands of voices that need to be heard.

I will, today, try to add my voice for some of those.

"I saw them die; and after seeing them I knew we had to run away or else we would also die with them....We all ran helping and carrying our children - there were very many of us running away.....My husband and our four children and myself left our home."

Congolese mother Anatasia Ndaonduye, age 30.

At the age of 30 I was climbing the corporate ladder, complaining about traffic and fighting the hustle and bustle of every day life as I knew it. I enjoyed the liberties of being able to sleep in my house, eat food from my refrigerator, and know that my children slept securely and in peace.

'Life is desperate'

...trudging northwards past the last of the government soldiers, past the dead fighters rotting in the ditch, past the empty artillery shell casings and discarded ammunition boxes that litter the first CNDP checkpoint....The family's head, Ndugu, said they were leaving the safety of Kibati because they simply had no choice...

As a human I can not conceptualize the feelings that this man must have. As a Father I can not fathom how this man must feel. How is it humanly possible to live, exist in such an environment. As I write this I wonder is there anything in my life I can relate to this type of despair, and no matter where I have been in life I find that there is not.

"We know its dangerous, but what can we do. We had no shelter (for the rainy season), there is not enough food for everyone, and we just couldn't stay ..... we would rather die in our home than in the camp."

How does one arrive at this point in life? The point that allows you to make this decision. The courage, the fear, the complete and utter hopelessness this family is facing must feel like wave after wave crashing down upon you in some horrific and relentless nightmare. The number of displaced peoples in our world, as of 2007: 8,525,500.

Refugees in Osire Camp in Namibia peacefully demonstrated for their basic rights in June. Countless children stood with their parents holding signs that read, "We are not animals in the zoo. We are people....."

November 4th, 2008 nearly 250,000 people gathered in Grant Park, Chicago to cheer a new President. Not a single participant felt fear or threat from their government for the gathering that was taking place. A few thousand miles seems to equal a few hundred years.

.....In retaliation, Namibian officials have banned refugees from setting foot outside the camp--despite the fact that the Constitution of Namibia allows residents to demonstrate peacefully.

I wish this was the end - but it is not. Join me wont you, act, even if it is simply by raising awareness in your family, social circle, or church. Reach out and be a voice for those who so desperately need one.

Update: New clashes between government and rebel forces have broken out near Goma.

Thousands of displaced people have fled in panic from a nearby camp, as the clashes continue. The UN force, Monuc, have deployed helicopters to try to contain the violence.

There will be more stories to tell, more voices to hear. Be a voice.

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