287 Articles

Thursday, November 19, 2009
Part Two: Talking About Food and Farming with Orren Fox
I go to Glen Urquhart School. We have a huge greenhouse and we partner with The Food Project to grow pesticide-free produce for local shelters. Actually, I don't think of myself as an activist. I just talk about what I'm into. I think my classmates and friends are probably also interested in really cool things,like speaking Chinese or trains. I just happen to collect all my ideas on a blog where what I am thinking is visible.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Talking About Food and Farming with Orren Fox
(10 comments) I saw Food, Inc. and it really opened my eyes to what is happening. I can't figure out why people aren't more pissed off about this. Factory farming makes animals objects - not living, breathing, creatures. People say to me "But, it's just a chicken"... Right, it is a chicken, but I wouldn't say "just." I would say,it's a funny, bossy,silly animal that I am not willing to torture for the sake of cheap,tasteless meat and eggs.

Sunday, November 15, 2009
Part Two: Talking More with Jessica Blank, Author of "Karma for Beginners" and "Almost Home"
We're very excited about the "Almost Home" film that's in development! The novel came out in 2007, and was optioned by Jon Bon Jovi's film production company, which hired Erik and me to adapt the screenplay. We have a director on board who we adore (details still under wraps for the moment) - we are currently working with him to polish the script, and our producers are hoping to shoot the movie in 2010.

Friday, November 13, 2009
Talking More with Jessica Blank, Author of "Karma for Beginners" and "Almost Home"
As a teenage girl,it can be hard to figure out how your lived experience fits into things when the cultural norms-and the messages that adult culture is sending-are swinging so wildly between those two poles.I'm interested in trying to address that in the YA fiction writing that I do.Maybe that will help open up the dialogue and make learning about this stuff a little less scary for some teenage girls & young women out there.

Thursday, November 12, 2009
Catching Up with Gov. Don Siegelman
(3 comments) Peter has found more evidence (smoking gun emails)which proves the Bush/Rove prosecutor who said she had recused,actually remained involved in the case.This is very important because,as you will remember,my prosecutor's husband was not only my Republican opponent's campaign manager but was also identified by a Repub. whistle blower as having talked with Rove about getting the DOJ to prosecute me ("to take care of Siegelman").

Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Talking with Mystery Writer Sharon Fiffer
I knew that Jane Wheel had family issues to resolve;she had to rebuild her own professional confidence after leaving the advertising business,where she was successful if not always content;and I knew that she had to work on her own tics-her impatience,her restlessness,her passion for the worn out stuff of others.I wanted to explore her complicated relationship with her mother.And I wanted to write it with humor & compassion.

Monday, November 9, 2009
Talking with Steve Sugarman of International Humanities Center
There has been so much misery,so much behind-the-scenes dealing amongst the powers-that-be,and people are tired of it.They want to make positive, lasting change.No one begins a charitable endeavor because they love the back-office tasks.The role of a fiscal sponsor is to vault these projects into action,rather than them having to wait months for IRS exemption,by which time many of the situations will have run their course.

Sunday, November 8, 2009
Part Two, Manifest Positivity: Talking with Dave Berman
If there is to be Democracy, it is going to have to be local grassroots and ultimately come through municipal civil disobedience, where entire towns or counties or states defy a higher order of government that is attempting to direct actions against the people,most commonly through unfunded mandates. Like protecting medical marijuana patients, and refusal to legitimize the results of secret corporate vote counting machines.

Saturday, November 7, 2009
Manifest Positivity: Talking with Dave Berman
When the people lead,the leaders will follow.So,we are better served changing what we ourselves do,rather than continuing the unsuccessful and essentially futile task of asking or lobbying or even demanding change from the corporate/military/government/media juggernaut.A leopard can't change its spots and you can't get blood from a stone.Just don't keep doing the same thing & expecting a different result.

Friday, November 6, 2009
Voices of Katrina - Talking with Michael Burnett
(2 comments) I was raised in Gonzales, La., a place that's known for our Jambalaya. But just because we are the Jambalaya capital of the world, doesn't mean that every family in Gonzales can have a bowl full of it when they want it. Their are many people hungry in the streets. And anybody with a heart would want to do something about it.Everyone talks about making a change, but who is really willing to "Do Something" about it?

Thursday, November 5, 2009
The Voices of Katrina
(8 comments) Much has been accomplished over the last four years-largely by the inhabitants themselves and thousands of these outsiders who have poured in from all over the country,for a few days or a week or two.They express their gratitude freely,often with a tear in the eye and a catch in the throat.In turn,we feel a tad embarrassed by the display; we clearly see that our small, individual efforts are drops in a very large bucket.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009
New Orleans - Four Years and Counting: Talking with Ray Reggie
(2 comments) When I found her, she hugged me and we both sat there and cried and cried and cried. The baby boy made it, thanks to the help of the generous boat owner who risked his life to safe this baby boy. I say risked because the gunfire on Wednesday was horrible and his boat was a hot commodity. We were both determined to save the boy. Especially after losing my neighbor Web, I wanted to save this 28 day old boy!

Saturday, October 31, 2009
Part Three: Talking with Dr. Temple Grandin, Author of "Thinking in Pictures"
(4 comments) I had a terrible time.I was just teased absolutely horribly. If I hadn't had my science teacher in high school,I would have been in a real mess.He got me to start studying.I didn't see any point in going to school.Once I became convinced that I wanted to achieve this goal of becoming a scientist,I stopped messing around and started studying.Because now I had a goal of becoming a scientist.

Saturday, October 31, 2009
Free Antibiotics at Meijer! Check It Out!
(7 comments) As long as you have a doctor's prescription,anyone in your family - adult,child or family pet-can take advantage of this offer.You don't have to be sneaky about it.They are delighted to help out pet owners as well as just plain,under-the-weather humans."Rising health care costs are having a dramatic impact on families across the country.Our free antibiotic program is the next step to improving the health of our customers."

Friday, October 30, 2009
Part Two: Talking with Dr. Temple Grandin, Author of "Thinking in Pictures"
When the animal welfare issue came up first, they go “Oh, animal welfare. Big hassle. Give it to the lawyers, give it to the public relations department. Make it go away.” Then, when I took them out to the plants and things are going right and they're saying “That's not so bad,” but when things were going bad, oh, eyes got opened up. They were saying “Whoa. There are some things here that we need to change.”

Thursday, October 29, 2009
Talking with Dr. Temple Grandin, Author of "Thinking in Pictures"
One of the things that I started looking at very early in my career was all the little things that animals are afraid of. You know I'd get down in the chutes and I could see that the cattle would balk at a shadow, or a shiny reflection, or a chain hanging down and all these things that people tend to not notice. And if you removed these things from the facility, then the animals are going to walk right up the chute.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Part Four: Talking with Remote Area Medical Founder, Stan Brock
(6 comments) We see large numbers of people who have insurance, so it's not just the unemployed or homeless, by any means. We get people who have jobs and they have insurance, something like 40% of them have got insurance but the insurance, either the co-pay is too high and they can't afford to drop $500 or $1000 which is the co-pay in many cases, or their insurance doesn't cover dentistry and vision.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Part Three: Talking with Remote Area Medical Founder, Stan Brock
Most of the time we do these things in a school.And most of them are set up on a Friday,after the kids leave.6 or 8 hours later,we have the dental and vision and medical all set up.The local hosts have sent out fliers and been on the local radio and newspaper so that the public who need the service are aware of it.And they've got to be there early.Or chances are, your number will be too high and we won't be able to see you.

Monday, October 26, 2009
Part Two: Talking with Remote Area Medical Founder, Stan Brock
(1 comments) But you know the World Health Organization rates 190 countries in the way they're able to able to deliver care to their citizens. We are rated number 37... Remote Area Medical policy,that we adhere to strictly, is if you're wiling to stand in line, on a first-come, first-served basis, we don't care where you're from. We're not going to ask you who you are. We just ask, "Where does it hurt? "

Sunday, October 25, 2009
Talking with Remote Area Medical Founder, Stan Brock
(1 comments) We started out in a very small way. We had a request from a very poor county here in Appalachia that had lost their dentist. We literally put a heavy dental chair that we borrowed in the back of a pickup truck with a couple of dentists and the helpers and drove out to the location and fixed some teeth.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Talking with Andy Ostroy, of The Ostroy Report
Democrats need to embrace power, their majority & accept it whole hog, & not play the apologist role. Americans voted them into power on a message of change.And it's good-old-fashioned liberal change that they should deliver.They shouldn't waste too much time on "Operation: Bi-Partisanship"either.It's become abundantly clear this year that the GOP has one singular mission:to undermine the Obama administration so they can win

Monday, October 19, 2009
Part Three: Talking with Former Health Insurance Executive Wendell Potter
They haven't really known exactly how to deal with me.There have been many times when I agreed to appear on a TV program, for example & someone has been invited from the health insurance industry or a health insurance company.They simply won't appear on the same platform with me because they know what I'd say,the issues I would raise and the questions I would ask them.They'd be hard-pressed to answer in an honest way

Sunday, October 18, 2009
Talking with Former Health Insurance Executive Wendell Potter
(4 comments) I saw thousands of people lined up, waiting to get care that was being provided to them on a charity basis by doctors and nurses and other caregivers who were volunteering their time over three days. And these people were lined up, many of them to get care that was being provided in animal stalls and in barns.It just hit home to me - that this was the plight that many Americans are now finding themselves in.

Sunday, October 18, 2009
Part Two, Talking with Former Health Insurance Executive Wendell Potter
(2 comments) The industry sent a spy, if you will, someone who worked in the industry, to the Cannes Film Festival in France to go to the premiere of the movie there and then to call back for a conference call in which all of us were listening in to find out exactly what the movie was all about. That gave the industry what it needed to begin developing its PR strategy to try to demonize Moore and demonize the movie.

Monday, October 12, 2009
Part Two: Talking with"Aftermath" Playwrights Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen
"Aftermath" includes stories of people who were affected by sectarian militias,by religious persecution, by the military;it includes stories of Sunni,Shi'a,Christian and non-religious individuals,it includes stories of wealthy,middle-class and working-class individuals. Eventually,we come up with a group of stories that balance each other out, are individually compelling & dramatic,& that each tell a piece of the larger story

Sunday, October 11, 2009
Talking with "Aftermath" Playwrights Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen
(2 comments) Some people might see it as risky to give voice to Iraqis in their own words, since there is cultural pressure on us as Americans to see them as "other, "dangerous, alien--but we don't see it that way. We connected with each individual Iraqi we met on a deep and human level and believe that when American audiences hear them speak for themselves, they will connect with those stories on a human level as well.

Friday, October 9, 2009
Part Two: More Collateral Damage from the Siegelman Case – Talking with DOJ Whistleblower, Tamarah Grimes
(1 comments) They claim to have terminated me for cause.Do they intend to use my "outstanding" performance reviews? My performance-based awards?The letters of appreciation from DOJ staff for my services as an instructor at the DOJ training facility in SC?Letters of appreciation from DOJ staff for my services as a collateral duty EEO investigator?My whistleblower complaints?I am an exemplary employee with no discipline record.

Thursday, October 8, 2009
More Collateral Damage from the Siegelman Case – Talking with DOJ Whistleblower, Tamarah Grimes
(6 comments) It has been a devastating experience that has adversely affected every aspect of my life. Through this entire process, I continued to believe that the next person would be the one who would bring an element of sanity. I believed that the primary agenda of whistleblower protection was the promotion of honesty and integrity within the federal government.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Part Three: Talking with Harvey Wasserman, activist, journalist, author, college professor (and more)
If we can stop the Afghani escalation and turn the country toward a sane disengagement from there first,and from empire in general,it will mark an historic turning point.Once we do that, we can start to think in terms of where we really want to go.In SOLARTOPIA,I tried to envision a holistic overview of what we need to do.There are those who believe utopian thinking is wishful.It is. But without a clear goal we can never

Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Part Two: Talking with Harvey Wasserman, activist, journalist, author, college professor (and more)
(2 comments) The biggest problem in our government is corporate power,and with that, the huge amount of resources and political power taken by the military.Until we deal with those issues,we will go nowhere in this country on health care,the environment,social justice or anything else of importance.The question is when will we get a government that's no longer owned and operated by the corporations,which are the most powerful institutions

Monday, October 5, 2009
Vote Now for Your Favorite Drive $marter Challenge Video Contest Entry!
Judges have narrowed it down to the top ten. Public voting -- which begins today, Monday, October 5 and concludes two weeks later on Monday, October 19, at 11:59 PM -- will determine the four prizewinners. Public voting will occur on the Drive $marter Challenge contest website. The grand prize winner will get $5,000, and the next three runners-up will win other exciting prizes.

Monday, October 5, 2009
Talking with Harvey Wasserman, activist, journalist, author, college professor (and more)
(2 comments) We are on the brink of the abyss,as we were in 1965.LBJ had the choice of pulling out of Vietnam or plunging in.He made the wrong decision,and we have been paying for it ever since.Now Obama has the parallel choice in Afghanistan.To send more troops is to throw our the last of our diminished fortunes and the blood of yet another generation into the abyss. It will also destroy Obama and his presidency.We cannot let it happen.

Sunday, October 4, 2009
Talking with Michael Collins about the G-20 Happenings
(1 comments) There are much more dangerous situations that are handled by police on a routine basis without the paramilitary apparatus.The purpose is intimidation.It's a theatrical demonstration of overwhelming force that's intended to deter the need for that force in the first place.I see these events as counter demonstrations.It will never get to be like wartime Poland because the message is out -- here's what you get when you show up.

Friday, October 2, 2009
Greening America: Talking with Mindful Metropolis Publisher/CEO Richard McGinnis
Mindful Metropolis hatched out of the ashes of Conscious Choice Magazine in April of this year.We bring together communities throughout the Chicago metropolitan and surrounding areas with fresh ways to “be” in a cohesive, high social impact and sustainable environment. We promote businesses, non-profits, local organizations and educational institutions which inspire individuals to act.

Friday, October 2, 2009
Greening America: Talking with Mindful Metropolis Publisher/CEO Richard McGinnis, Part Two
(2 comments) What I got from both my rural and my urban experience: that the two have to come together somehow.The food resources in the urban environment are lacking except to the privileged segments of the metropolitan community who can afford to shop the seasonal farmer's markets and stores like Whole Foods.My passions are bringing together farm and city,organic food, proper care of the land & appreciation for the gifts of nature.

Thursday, October 1, 2009
Vote of No Confidence in E-Voting Merger, Part Two: Talking with Democracy Warrior Nancy Tobi
(3 comments) Their complaint points out that the e-voting companies now control nearly the entire voting system,from poll book management to vote-casting and -counting to results tabulation.The complaint takes note of the unconstitutional nature of this privatization of what are supposed to be public elections,and specifically the concealment of the voting system processes from public oversight through the use of computer programs

Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Vote of No Confidence in E-Voting Merger: Talking with Democracy Warrior Nancy Tobi
(6 comments) A few days before Labor Day weekend, rumors started circulating about proposed changes in the field of electronic voting machine vendors. Premier Election Systems,formerly known as Diebold,was shutting down, being bought out,or somehow going out of existence.Some of those rumors have turned out to be true. Is it premature, or inappropriate, to be celebrating?

Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Talking with Sam Ettaro of RepublicMedia.TV, Part Two
The cool thing about these technologies: they're easy to use and incredibly powerful! Anyone with a decent computer,broadband internet connection and a few bucks to spend on a good webcam and mic setup can have their own webTV show these days. It's really not complicated once you get over the intimidation factor. Young people grasp these technologies very quickly. We're always on the lookout for talented young broadcasters.

Monday, September 21, 2009
Talking with Sam Ettaro of RepublicMedia.TV
(2 comments) There's so much straight up lying, fabricating of news,and direct bias that it's very difficult for the American people to know who to trust anymore.What RMTV is about is maintaining the Fourth Estate -a truly free and independent press.A unified independent media could do enormous wonders for keeping the powers that be in check.We hope to help this unity happen through RMTV and similar cooperative models...

Sunday, September 20, 2009
Exclusive Interview with Dr. Steffie Woolhandler
(3 comments) The only way to affordably cover all Americans in through a Medicare-for-all,single payer approach.A single payer would generate $300-$400 billion in administrative saving annually,enough to cover all uninsured,to plug the gaps in coverage for Americans with only partial coverage.Obviously,Medicare-for-all is anathema to the insurance industry.Politicians are saving insurance industry profits but sacrificing American lives.

Monday, September 14, 2009
Greening America: One Household at a Time - Talking with Susan Agate and Mike Slutsky, Part Two
On our 30th anniversary (December, 2005) all of our children except Elana were in town. Mike, never one to pass up an occasion to make a speech, was describing my good qualities and said that I was an environmentalist. I had never thought of myself that way, even though by then I was doing lots of things to reduce my carbon footprint and care for the earth. So, I figured out that night that I am an environmentalist.

Monday, September 14, 2009
Talking with Todd Gitlin about President Obama and the Health Care Crisis
(1 comments) My advice is to press hard for the public option; turn out for MoveOn's Sept. 22 noon rallies at health insurance headquarters; lobby Blue Dogs and a few Republicans like mad; clamor to know what insurance companies contribute to the public good that entitles them to keep 14% of proceeds for profits plus administrative costs; do your homework; don't let polls get you down; don't let journalists get you down; don't let up.

Sunday, September 13, 2009
Greening America: One Household at a Time - Talking with Susan Agate and Mike Slutsky
(4 comments) I teach about ecosystems.The students learn that the biggest threats to ecosystems are habitat destruction &invasive species.Native prairie plants are better for our midwestern environment.I spent some time reading and talking with Mike about the possibility of turning our front yard into a native habitat,and that's what we did.It's been three summers since we had someone plant it,& it looks great.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Exposing Huge Hidden Profits of A Non-Profit Hospital, Part Two
(4 comments) What we did had to be done, and we were the only people to do it. I did it because I felt compelled to do it, not because I wanted to. No sane person would voluntarily subject themselves or their family to serious criminal charges and years of civil suits if they knew that would be the result of being a whistleblower. When you find yourself in this position,you do what your conscience requires you to do and hope for the best.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009
The Drive $marter Challenge Video Contest
To enter,submit a video of two minutes or less that illustrates one or more of the Drive Smarter Challenge gas- and money-saving driving and vehicle maintenance tips.Prizes include a $5,000 grand prize,VIP NASCAR and Indy race packages,and a transportation package including new tires and memberships in AAA and the Silver Spoke League of American Bicyclists.The deadline is September 20th so this calls for ingenuity and speed.

Monday, September 7, 2009
Exposing Huge Hidden Profits of A Non-Profit Hospital
(4 comments) A conversation with "Do No Harm" Producer/Director Rebecca Shanberg. "Do No Harm" is a documentary about two residents of a small Georgia town - a surgeon and an accountant - who blew the whistle on unethical practices going on at the local hospital, Phoebe Putney Memorial. The film is especially timely, given the current national debate on health care.

Thursday, September 3, 2009
Master of a Lost Art: Interview with Newspaperman Glynn Wilson, Part Two
(4 comments) The mainstream press does not devote the time and energy to understand a story; it has not done its job on many important stories.You are eminently qualified to discuss the Siegelman/DoJ case. So, if Rip Van Winkle approached you and said,"Ever since I woke up, I keep hearing the name Siegelman. What's up with this guy?" could you walk him through it so he would grasp why the Siegelman case is so significant?

Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Master of a Lost Art: Interview With Newspaperman Glynn Wilson
The only way I know how to do this is to immerse myself in journalism for many years--and follow the facts of a case close enough to know how to parse out the facts from the political fiction. New Yorker's Malcolm Gladwell says it takes 10,000 hours working at something to master it, which is about 10 years at 20 hours a week. I've been at it now more like 50 hours a week since 1979-80.

Sunday, August 30, 2009
Talking with Eric Lotke, Author of "2044:The Problem isn't Big Brother. It's Big Brother, Inc."
(6 comments) 2044 starts where George Orwell's 1984 left off. 1984 is about Big Brother and the leviathan government. But history didn't turn out that way. The government didn't take over. It got taken over.

Sunday, August 30, 2009
Talking with Eric Lotke, Author of "2044:The Problem isn't Big Brother. It's Big Brother, Inc." Part Two
(2 comments) I've always been concerned with social justice,&in law school I saw just how bad things were.Poverty,education&health care all just got dumped into the criminal justice system.I jumped in to try to make things better.For over 10 years I worked in and around the system.I managed direct-service programs,litigated individual&class-action cases,published research on "best practices"&did political work to turn them into practice.

Friday, August 28, 2009
Trying to Be Two Places at Once
(4 comments) At this very moment,I'm on a flight to the East Coast with Michael,my youngest.He moves onto campus tomorrow morning. While I've been anticipating this step for a long time,it's not exactly going as planned.I know,I know;life rarely does. But, in this case,not for the usual reasons.Rather than hanging out with Mick last night,I found myself rushing to the Emergency Room.My mother had another stroke.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Examining Political Corruption with David Fiderer, Part Two
(2 comments) Remember six years ago when Rove told Andrea Mitchell that Wilson's wife [Valerie Plame]was fair game?Rove's attack on Jill Simpson is the same sort of tactic.Rove wants to destroy her to distract from the real issue,which is that he's been caught deceiving about his contacts with the Justice Department,and he wants to intimidate others who may be inclined to speak the truth. Also, Rove's vindictiveness is legendary.

Monday, August 24, 2009
Examining Political Corruption with David Fiderer
(6 comments) In July 2008, I met someone from Alabama who was a supporter of Gov. Siegelman.She mentioned that the judge in the case owned a company that received a big federal contract after handing down a harsh sentence. I was shocked that such a thing could go on in a federal court and followed up.Soon enough, I realized that this thing is like a couple of John Grisham novels.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Caught in the Crosshairs: Gov Don Siegelman talks with OpEdNews, Part Three
(2 comments) Jurors are now free to conspire by email or text messaging during the course of a trial and to conspire with one another to try to get votes for a conviction even before the evidence and witnesses have been heard; it is more important to protect a jury verdict even with juror misconduct involved then it is to protect a defendant's right to a fair trial.How does that promote public trust and confidence?

Monday, August 17, 2009
Caught in the Crosshairs: Former Governor Don Siegelman Talks with OpEdNews, Part Two
(2 comments) In the second installment of our interview with former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman, we talk about the cast of characters, prosecutorial misconduct, and the reaction of legal scholars as well as a bipartisan group of 75 former state attorneys general.

Sunday, August 16, 2009
Caught in the Crosshairs: Former Governor Don Siegelman Talks with OpEdNews
(5 comments) Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman talked with OpEdNews this week before heading for this weekend's Netroots Nation conference in Pittsburgh. In our extensive, free-wheeling interview, he discussed being a target of the Bush DoJ, his case, the cast of characters, and how he's kept his spirits up during the ordeal.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Putting Our Best Foot Forward: A Conversation with an American Shoemaker, Part Two
(2 comments) It's easy in our globalized economy to become disconnected from the products we use and eat. Many of us have never met the people who sewed our clothes or grew our food.This is a dramatic change from a few generations ago. I think people miss this - and being able to connect with their shoemaker is a fun experience for most of our customers.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Guerrilla filmmaker Robert Greenwald Talks About "Sick for Profit" Campaign
(7 comments) We saw former President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton be completely pro-active, drawing up their own bill, and trying to push it through Congress, but those efforts failed. Obama is trying a different approach... Our job as activists is not to sit back and kvetch and second guess; it is to organize, organize, and organize to build the pressure for change. The pressure for change always comes from below.

Monday, August 10, 2009
Putting Our Best Foot Forward: A Conversation with an American Shoemaker
(3 comments) Today, Soft Star sells our handmade shoes to over 35 countries and specializes in selling direct to our customers who often designs their own shoes by choosing the colors and adornments. I feel pride in being one of the last shoemakers left in the USA and have no intentions of taking our manufacturing overseas. It feels good at the end of the day to package up beautiful shoes made with your own hands that morning.

Sunday, August 2, 2009
Interview with Nonprofit Maven Heidi Massey, Part Two
I have tried to replicate my own childhood experiences by participating in volunteer opportunities with my three children...We have also worked at soup kitchens, helped deliver holiday meals, and adopted pets from shelters, among other types of volunteering. Additionally, we have all volunteered for a number of political campaigns. We are always looking for opportunities to get involved.

Thursday, July 30, 2009
Interview with Nonprofit Maven Heidi Massey
I have always worked at nonprofit organizations. The mission of the organization is what drives my passion. Without that mission, I find it very difficult to get out of bed in the morning and go to work. I have a 16 year-old daughter who says, like many her age, that she wants to change the world one day. Most parents would dismiss that as youthful idealism. My response is I want to change the world with her!

Monday, July 27, 2009
Collateral Damage: Interview with Dana Siegelman
(5 comments) Typically, I interview people because of something they did, wrote, or believe. Today's guest,Dana Siegelman,is here because of who she is: the daughter of the former Governor of Alabama,Don Siegelman. He was the most visible target of the politicized Department of Justice during the last administration. Dana currently lives in California where she attended college.She has agreed to share her story with our readers.

Thursday, July 23, 2009
The Nitty Gritty of Caring for Aging Parents
(9 comments) I have apologized for causing my mother pain,however inadvertently. "Don't worry about me.I'm strong. I'll be fine."I fervently hope so. Thankfully,Mom knows for a certainty that her well-being is our only concern.For what it's worth.This road we're navigating together is a bumpy one, filled with potholes and pitfalls.If we can somehow help Mom maintain her dignity along the way, that may be the most any of us can ask for.

Monday, July 20, 2009
Interview with Karen Levy of Honor Flight
This idea of bringing vets to DC was the brainchild of Earl Morse,a physician assistant and retired Air Force Captain.When the WW II memorial was finished and dedicated in May of 2004, it sparked a lot of interest among Morse's patients at the VA clinic in Springfield, Ohio.Since its inception,Honor Flight Network has brought more than 40,000 vets of WW II,Korea,and Viet Nam to DC at absolutely no cost to the vets themselves.

Saturday, July 18, 2009
The Cult of Holt and More from Nancy Tobi
(4 comments) In complete opposition to his original bill,this new version requires NON-disclosure of election software.It provides trade secret protection to the private corporations and their anonymous employees who are programming the software counting our votes.It completely and historically removes public access to an open vote count.No legislation is better than bad legislation. Holt's bill is downright dangerous to our republic.

Friday, July 17, 2009
Happy Birthday, B!
(3 comments) This is an homage to Bernard "B" Rapoport who is 92 today. I'd like to share a few stories about this extraordinary man. Please join me.

Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tim Rhoze, Combining Activism and the Arts, Exclusive Interview
(2 comments) A little over a year ago, I began thinking about a project that would strengthen our communities by strengthening the intergenerational bonds between our young people and our seniors and using a theatre project as the conduit. I came up with YSTEP/Youth and Senior Theatre Ensemble Project.

Thursday, July 16, 2009
Alastair's Take on American Media
(3 comments) If anything,the media landscape is even less conducive to courageous behavior now than ever before- investigative budgets in newspapers are being annihilated-and in economic crises we have a target rich environment for investigative teams to pursue.We are left doing it for ourselves-as we have done from the beginning of this journey.There has been a huge amount of progress made to date. And a long and difficult path ahead.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Nancy Tobi Spells Out Exactly Why Holt Bill is Bad News for Democracy, Exclusive Interview
(2 comments) We have the White House, through its Agency, controlling our elections using computerized concealed vote counting, and Congressman Holt is trying to legislate this into federal law. If we allow this to happen we will not only have completely abdicated our electoral power to the White House, but we'll be making somebody pretty darn rich to boot.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Alastair's Prescription for Healthy Elections
(2 comments) Do not buy into the bullshit about whether this is a real or imaginary threat.If the system is as vulnerable,as we know it to be - and if we have criminal conspiracies of the kind that occurred in Ohio in 2004 preventing recounts then you know that this is real.Act on that knowledge.Assume that everything you do is being actively undermined by sophisticated vested interests and be very determined about sticking to your game

Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Scott Horton Shines the Spotlight on the DoJ, Exclusive Interview
(4 comments) a member of the prosecution team has now come forward and acknowledged that his claims are completely correct.She details how he was threatened and coerced to give false evidence and how the prosecutors working on the case traded jokes a bout it.This is a serious felony,and the prosecutors involved should forfeit their law degrees and be marched off to jail.But that would require a DoJ that actually enforces the criminal law.

Sunday, July 12, 2009
Exclusive Interview with Investigative Reporter Jason Leopold
(1 comments) What people can do is demand that Conyers and the Judiciary Committee hold a public hearing where Rove is deposed and under oath.Additionally, the committee should make Rove's deposition transcript available and all White House documents,such as emails and memos,that the committee used to formulate their questions.I think seeing Rove testify under oath and in public before the Judiciary Committee would be quite a catharsis

Sunday, July 12, 2009
Exclusive Interview with Democracy Warrior, Nancy Tobi
(5 comments) Holt's goal is nationwide,federally mandated and controlled,technology-enabled voting systems.Our goal,like that of the Founders,is government by the consent of the governed.These two goals are by their very nature mutually exclusive, and this is where the fundamental division lies between Holt others like me,who believe that you cannot have self governance with a privatized system of elections using trade secret software

Saturday, July 11, 2009
More Alastair: Scoop's Mission, the 2004 Election, and Online Independents
(5 comments) The internet is the best thing - perhaps the only thing - that has the ability to counteract the forces of corporate and elite power which are enveloping the globe and preventing us from reaching our full potential as humanity. Online freedom of expression is growing in power as the internet grows. We can see this most recently in Iran and during the last election cycle in the amazing Obama campaign.

Thursday, July 9, 2009
Interview with Scoop's Alastair Thompson, Part 2
(2 comments) Nothing concrete is being done even now -and given the track record of the election fraudsters,I would fully expect the 2010 midterms to be compromised.And when you realise that the corrupt election system is also being used to run primary races, you may quickly figure out why even with control of the House and the Senate, Obama is finding it tough going getting his agenda in place.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Interview with Scoop's Alastair Thompson
(6 comments) Welcome to OpEdNews, Alastair. You're an unknown quantity to many of our American readers. Yet your creation, Scoop.co.nz, been around for over ten years. Can you describe what Scoop is and what you do?

Sunday, June 28, 2009
One of those parenting moments
(7 comments) Loving our children, while key, is merely the down payment. They need more - much, much more, every step along the way. When they're babies, at least, it's relatively easy: food, sleep, a dry diaper. Accompanied, of course, by bounteous quantities of love. But, at the exact same time we are effectively addressing our young 'uns' needs, they are growing, changing, and inevitably moving away from us. It doesn't seem fair.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The mostly good news about the last one heading for college
We haven't even touched yet on the massive enthusiasm for the various sports teams and terrific school spirit. My friend Arlene who lives in neighboring Silver Spring claims that over the years, she has never heard anyone say anything bad about the university. All of this bodes well for my son's next four years. I can't wait for him to get started!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Part Two of Interview with Activist David Swanson
(3 comments) You've been immersed in activism for quite a while, continually coming at it from various angles. But, you never seem bitter or about to burn out altogether. How do you keep going? The time to work hardest is when it's most needed, not when it's least needed. As a graffito south of the border says,"Let's save our pessimism for better times."

Monday, June 22, 2009
Exclusive Interview with Activist David Swanson
David Swanson joins us today. A long-time advocate of peace and justice, Swanson still has plenty to do, even with Bush gone from Washington. Welcome to OpEdNews, David. President Obama is now six months into his administration. How's he doing so far?

Friday, June 19, 2009
Exclusive Interview with Jeff Benedict, author of "How to Build a Business that Warren Buffett Would Buy"
In March,I had the pleasure of interviewing investigative journalist and best-selling author Jeff Benedict.He had recently published Little Pink House,about the 2005 Supreme Court case on eminent domain. We're back,just a few short months later, to discuss How to Build a Business Warren Buffett Would Buy: The R. C. Willey Story which was also recently released.Welcome back,Jeff. It's a pleasure to talk to you again so soon.

Thursday, June 18, 2009
Part Two, Interview with Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, author of "My Stroke of Insight"
(4 comments) Welcome back for the second part of my interview with Jill Bolte Taylor, best-selling author of My Stroke of Insight - A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey. We laid the groundwork in part one. So, let's talk now about the time you spent in the hospital. I was fascinated by the way a doctor or nurse's essential energy could so greatly affect you.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Exclusive Interview with Jill Bolte Taylor, author of "My Stroke of Insight"
(7 comments) Jill Bolte Taylor experience a debilitating stroke one morning in December, 1996. As a brain scientist at Harvard, she was in the unique position of being able to observe what unfolded from both a personal and scientific perspective. That narrative, about her stroke and its aftermath, forms the basis of her book, the New York bestseller "My Stroke of Insight - A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey."

Monday, June 15, 2009
Cultivating Memories While Gardening
(10 comments) I have always loved working in the garden, on my knees, the dirt caking under my fingernails, and the sun warming my back through my shirt. As I putter around, I feel intensely connected with both my mother and Bernie. In those moments, we are all magically younger and vital. What could be better than that? Any veggies will be icing on the cake.

Friday, June 12, 2009
Affordable College - More notes from America's Future NOW Conference
(2 comments) The cost of higher education has gotten a heck of a lot higher in recent years.Even a willingness to take on large amounts of student debt is no longer a guarantee of future earnings. Our present system of financing for higher education is definitely broken and affordable college an oxymoron.Still,hope remains.The session I attended last week on this topic was packed,and had a large proportion of students.Here are my notes.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Notes from America's Future NOW Conference
(4 comments) This is the fourth year that I have attended the Take Back America [TBA] conference in Washington DC. This time was different. First of all, it's not called TBA anymore. America's Future NOW is the new name, reflecting the hope that we, in fact, took back America in November. Here are my rough notes so far.

Monday, May 25, 2009
Part Two, Chipping Away at the Siegelman Case with Paul Benton Weeks
(10 comments) Thank you, Paul, for telling us your story. Your own words, from the Kreig article, neatly lay out the whole case for judicial integrity: ""¨I've been a fan of good judges for my entire twenty-eight years as a lawyer. But when you get a bad one, with all the power that they hold, that's about as close to the devil here on earth as you can find."

Saturday, May 23, 2009
Chipping Away at the Siegelman Case with Paul Benton Weeks
(4 comments) One of those incensed about the Siegelman case is Paul Benton Weeks, a Missouri attorney who places a high value on judicial integrity.I attended a tele-conference Monday that Weeks hosted,along with journalist Andrew Kreig.Kreig just finished a thorough article on the Siegelman case,the result of five months' research.Weeks is convinced that Siegelman's sentence should be overturned.We continued our conversation after

Monday, May 18, 2009
Vets Speak Out! Interview with Devon Read
(4 comments) I am against the proposed escalation in Afghanistan because I believe it is based on false assumptions.The counter-terrorism mission would be better served by an international police&diplomacy effort than by the heavy-handed tactics the US Military is trained in.I can say from personal experience that grunts are trained to fight a standing military force & our efforts have been counterproductive in the delicate situation there

Sunday, May 17, 2009
Vets Speak Out! Interview with Christopher Gallagher
(3 comments) Christopher Gallagher grew up on Long Island(NY)and now lives in Las Vegas where he is president of the local chapter of IVAW (Iraq Veterans Against the War).He was part of a contingent of eleven vets that descended upon Capitol Hill this week to share their take on what is going on in Afghanistan.He told me, "Unfortunately,I did not get the responses that I had hoped for. For many offices,it was business as usual."

Saturday, May 16, 2009
Vets Speak Out! Interview with Rick Reyes
(1 comments) Rick Reyes is a former marine corporal who served in Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan,2001) and Operation Iraqi Freedom(2003). Since coming home in 2004,he has become increasingly disenchanted with our foreign policy.He contacted filmmaker Robert Greenwald through Facebook to thank him for his Rethink Afghanistan documentary campaign. Now, Greenwald and Reyes have joined forces.

Friday, May 8, 2009
Interview with Dr. Margaret Flowers, Arrested Tuesday on Capitol Hill, part two
(2 comments) This is a rights-based movement& will only succeed if we treat it as such, stand up & say that enough is enough.We can do this!Congress is on a timeline.They want legislation by August & voted on by November.The whole "health care debate" is being scripted to lead us into a Massachusetts-style of reform.It will be too expensive & won't guarantee that everybody can get healthcare.It would be better if nothing is passed..

Thursday, May 7, 2009
Interview with Dr. Margaret Flowers, Arrested Tuesday at Senate Roundtable on Health Care
(3 comments) I have with me Dr.Flowers,co-chair of the Md. branch of the 16,000-member Physicians for a National Health Program."I got involved because I saw how private insurers were making medical decisions that were inappropriate and because I felt like I (and others) couldn't practice quality medicine because of the tricks that insurers use to avoid paying for health care.It is wrong and people are suffering and dying because of it."

Monday, May 4, 2009
Interview with Legal Schnauzer's Roger Shuler, Part Two
(1 comments) One of my goals from the start was to make Legal Schnauzer about more than my little case--to connect my experiences to larger problems with our overall justice system. The reporting on the Minor case probably is where I've been able to do that the most.If some measure of justice is achieved in that case, then my time as a blogger/citizen journalist will have been worth it.

Sunday, May 3, 2009
Exclusive Interview with Legal Schnauzer's Roger Shuler
(1 comments) Joining us today is Roger Shuler, citizen journalist and the brains behind the blog,Legal Schnauzer:"one couple's encounter with corrupt judges, slimy lawyers, and incompetent prosecutors in Alabama... and how you can avoid being cheated by the vermin who make a mockery of our justice system." Clearly, Shuler doesn't pull his punches.

Monday, April 27, 2009
Democracy under Attack in Florida
(5 comments) A recent editorial in the Orlando Sentinel quotes the Governor: "What is it we're trying to cure? The more opportunity you give people to vote, the better it is for democracy."- This is a perfect opportunity for Crist to stand behind his own words by vetoing this heinous bill. Americans will applaud his actions.

Thursday, April 23, 2009
Exclusive Interview with Thomas Walsh, author of "Damnyankee"
Damnyankee will appeal to those who love WW II sagas, airplanes, or Ireland. I enjoyed it for a completely different reason. I consider myself a connoisseur of stories and story-telling.And what a story this is!This slim volume comes fully loaded with action,history,and heart.Walsh's deft handling kept me fully engaged until the last page was turned. I had come to care about the Damnyankee crew and I was sad to let them go.

Thursday, April 2, 2009
Part Three of Interview with David Gewirtz, Author of "Where Have All The Emails Gone?"
(2 comments) The idea of electronic voting machines with no paper trail seems the height of irresponsibility&, frankly,stupidity.First,they're computers,so they could fail.But we also know almost any system is easy to hack&the risk of an unauditable voting machine being hacked and perhaps changing an election is far too high.People will always try to swing elections --they always have.But we don't need to make it ridiculously easy for them

Monday, March 30, 2009
How we built an emergency network of compassion in less than three weeks
(2 comments) Debra's house is safe.People are out there,willing to get involved.I'm heartened and relieved.No corporations,foundations or big mucky-mucks participated in this effort.Gov. Jindal didn't step forward;the Times Picayune certainly didn't.The unbeatable combination? The power of the pen plus people caring about one another.A group of average people with big hearts and plenty of worries of our own,we worked together

Monday, March 30, 2009
Part two of Interview with David Gewirtz, Author of Where Have All The Emails Gone?
If you don't pay attention to the security of your computer, you could lose everything.Someone from Belarus could easily pop into your life and take all your money,charge up your credit cards,and cause you no end of hurt.From the perspective of White House security,the last thing we want is an enemy nation or organization to be able to interfere with the secure command and control of our government or,worst case,cause us harm

Sunday, March 29, 2009
Exclusive Interview with David Gewirtz, Author of Where Have All The Emails Gone?
(6 comments) David Gewirtz is the author of Where have all the Emails Gone? which was published in 2007. He has also written more than 700 articles "about technology, competitiveness, and national security policy." David has agreed to an extensive interview with OpEdNews. This is the first of a three-part series.

Saturday, March 21, 2009
Exclusive OpEdNews Interview with Jeff Benedict, Author of Little Pink House
(1 comments) This is the complex human story behind one of the most controversial Supreme Court cases of recent history - Kelo v. City of New London.It follows a group of blue-collar Connecticut homeowners set on a collision course with powerful forces in government and private industry. Benedict's tour de force weaves the actions and motivations of all the major players into a seamless tableau spanning nine years.I couldn't put it down!

Thursday, March 12, 2009
Exclusive Interview with Andi Novick
(4 comments) We have lost track of our founding principles.When I speak about the constitutional right to vote including a public count that regular people can observe& scrutinize,people's eyes glaze over-as if they were someone else's principles,someone else's constitution.Reclaiming rights is much harder than holding on to them, so I'm hoping to hold on to what we have.As the song goes,"you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone."

Monday, March 9, 2009
Losing Our Homes - Up Close and Personal
Debra South Jones has been running Just the Right Attitude, a combination food bank/soup kitchen for residents of New Orleans since way before Katrina. Friends of mine have volunteered at JTRA over the past few years when they were in the Gulf Region on organized trips. They raved about Jones and the operation that she runs.She is one impressive lady. She is also about to be evicted from her home.

Sunday, March 1, 2009
Powershift 2009: Focus on Zo Tobi, Using Music to Deliver the Clean Energy Message
(4 comments) I was excited about news of the 11,000 young participants of PowerShift 2009,who will demand tomorrow immediate climate action from their elected officials on Capitol Hill.Whatever happened to youthful cynicism?When I was their age,a growing distrust of those in power made it very easy not to care.That sure doesn't seem to be true with these young movers and shakers, who are the same age as my own kids.

Friday, February 27, 2009
PowerShift 2009: Taking A Seat at the Table
(2 comments) Over the last few weeks, I've been talking with Zo Tobi, of the Sierra Student Coalition. He and the rest of the organizers of PowerShift 2009 are, at this moment, gearing up for the 11,000 young people who will be descending upon the nation's capital this weekend.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Nancy Tobi, On her way to PowerShift 2009
(3 comments) Because of her extensive computer background,she has a special grasp of the problems inherent in computerized electronic voting.She sees the institutionalization of electronic voting through HAVA as a giant Ponzi scheme with national implications. She has been a proponent of public, observable vote counting and the need to educate people to do it right. She and Bev Harris of Black Box Voting are heading to DC this weekend for

Monday, February 23, 2009
What a good day looks like
(2 comments) Parents with children of a certain age will remember Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. And, who hasn't had moments when everything seemed to go wrong? You'll be relieved to know that this article is not about that. On the contrary. I'd like to describe what inadvertently turned out to be a pretty terrific day. Sorry about the red herring; I couldn't resist that title.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Building A Promise
(2 comments) Thomas Edison once said, "If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves."- This story is a glorious illustration of this philosophy.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Aint No Santa without those Elves
(4 comments) For this clothing drive, I've targeted large coats for men. Some of the guys who come to the soup kitchen every week are pretty big. After they layer up, they're even bigger, so regular sized coats simply don't fit. Yet, for those who spend so much time outside a warm, well-fitting coat can spell the difference between relative comfort and disaster.

Saturday, February 7, 2009
Following Up with Steve Heller, formerly known as the "Diebold Whistle-blower"
(11 comments) I recently had the opportunity to catch up with election integrity hero, Steve Heller. Our last interview was back in August, 2007. Join me for this candid, exclusive conversation in which Steve muses about how his life has changed since 2004, and how he feels about that.

Thursday, February 5, 2009
A dose of laughter: How one man overcame cancer with the help of humor
(22 comments) The more I listened,the more compelling Robert Schimmel became. He has taken a taboo and shone a bright light into its every nook and cranny. Not only has cancer become the soul of his routines; he wrote a book about it: Cancer on five dollars a day (chemo not included): how humor got me through the toughest journey of my life. Schimmel and cancer are clearly on intimate terms with one another.

Sunday, February 1, 2009
Filmmaker Gabe Chasnoff - Making Katrina Up Close and Personal
(2 comments) I recently caught up with Gabe Chasnoff. His remarkable, new documentary, Renaissance Village, is about life in the largest of the 200 RV parks created by FEMA, in the aftermath of Katrina.

Monday, January 19, 2009
On the Cusp of Change, and Going with What You've Got
(6 comments) We are on the cusp of a historic moment. The baton will soon be passed; the end is in sight. We survived the last eight years, barely. We may be battered and bloody, but, starting tomorrow, we have another chance.In the spirit of fresh starts and new beginnings, I offer these personal vignettes, each with the theme of going with what you've got.

Saturday, January 17, 2009
Snopes Warns of Virus: Email Subject line: Obama Acceptance Speech
Warn friends and family about this computer virus.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Speak your mind regarding paper ballots hand counted
(7 comments) Now's your chance to speak your mind about the way our elections are presently run and the option of paper ballots, hand counted. Deadline is midnight 12/31.

Saturday, December 27, 2008
Manning the Bread Station on Christmas Day: Translating Words into Deeds
(5 comments) It's my brother's fault,actually. Really.He told me about getting together with friends,making sandwiches,and distributing them at Union Station on Christmas.I wrote about it,my friend Barbara read my article,and said that we should do it, too.So, we made a plan. In the meantime,I looked into the Evanston network of soup kitchens and really wanted to be a part of that.So,a little before noon,we headed to 1st Methodist Church.

Thursday, December 25, 2008
"Murder, Spies & Voting Lies: The Clint Curtis Story"
(9 comments) My guest is filmmaker Patty Sharaf.Her latest film is "Murder, Spies & Voting Lies:The Clint Curtis Story".Released earlier this year, MSVL already won best documentary at the New Jersey Film Festival. All the ingredients of a blockbuster""a whistleblower,corruption in high places,a suspicious suicide,a dash of espionage,election fraud,media silence,&democracy itself in peril ""plus the Added Scariness Fact that it's all true!

Monday, December 22, 2008
Madoff and Me
(11 comments) No, I'm not carrying Madoff's love child. And I didn't have money invested in his scheme. But, I was once scammed – big time – by a scoundrel masquerading as a friend. Madoff has forced me to dredge up that unpleasant episode, buried deep for over a decade.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Gifts That Speak Volumes
(6 comments) The truth is that it doesn't much matter what you do; the key is that you do it together. Most of us know intuitively that accumulating Things doesn't make us any happier. Likewise, we know in our collective gut that what does bring happiness is quality interactions with those we most care about. So, stay home, get cozy, and, to paraphrase Stephen Sills, "love the ones you're with!"

Sunday, December 14, 2008
Soup Kitchens: Part of Evanston's Network of Compassion
(1 comments) This week,I finished an interview with Debra South Jones,executive director of a combination food bank/soup kitchen in New Orleans.It seemed logical to next check out what is going on in my own neighborhood.Over the last few days,I discovered an intricate network of services including soup kitchens,food pick-up,counseling,job referrals, warming centers and shelters, all just a few minutes' drive from my home.

Sunday, December 7, 2008
Patriotic Spending and Helping Others
(7 comments) Holiday shopping needn't be stressful; looked at in the right way, it can offer opportunities for creativity. I love thinking outside the (gift) box. Here are some ideas, many of them gleaned from friends and readers. Odds are that you live far from Chicago; in that case, treat this article like a recipe - tinker and tweak freely to fit your own circumstances and locale.

Saturday, December 6, 2008
Katrina on my Mind: Debra South Jones with Just the Right Attitude
(2 comments) I just finished "Standing Up To the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times" by Democracy Now's Amy Goodman and her brother David. The book's opening chapter is about Katrina, and how local residents are fighting to get their lives back.Debra South Jones does not appear within those pages, but she certainly could. She is the executive director of Just the Right Attitude.

Sunday, November 30, 2008
More Election 2008 Stories: On the road in Iowa and Wisconsin
Sharon Evans traveled from Chicago, where she lives, to Iowa first and then to Wisconsin to canvass and later get out the vote. This is her story.

Friday, November 28, 2008
The Knot in the Pit of My Stomach: Reflections on Mumbai
(4 comments) Since I was busy in the kitchen the last few days and concentrating on the upcoming holiday,I was only dimly aware that anything was going on Over There.In fact,when I received the email from Brasscheck,I posted it to OpEdNews without thinking too much about it.The corporate media do spend too much time changing the subject. Only later did I realize the extent of the attacks & the number of casualties ""160 dead,300 injured.

Thursday, November 27, 2008
How We Give Thanks
(2 comments) The turkey is in the oven,all the food is prepared,& things are on track for our family dinner in a few hours.While I waited for the pumpkin muffins to bake,I took a moment to leaf through today's Tribune."Giving Spirit is Growing" by Robert Mitchum was on the front page. I couldn't resist the urge to share, so I'm stealing a few minutes to dash this off before I have to get back to work.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Snopes Warns of "Amazing Speech by Obama" Computer Virus
It was brought to my attention that a new computer virus is circulating which is banking on your interest in the recent presidential election to lure you in. Snopes has confirmed that various headlines like: Amazing Speech by Obama may appear to be from legitimate news sources but are actually a "prime opportunity for a renewed flood of malware-spreading spam."

Tuesday, November 25, 2008
More Election 2008 Stories: Election Judge Who "Helps" Voters Vote
(2 comments) I noticed that there was a hispanic gentleman who seemed confused and a republican judge "helped" him. I noticed that he was reaching towards the screen to "demonstrate" how to use the machine and at that time I yelled "while I am glad to see you are helping to explain how to use the machine I don't think that a live demonstration means voting on his behalf".

Monday, November 24, 2008
More Election 2008 Stories: NH SoS shuts citizens out of central tabulation of votes
Protect the Count is a joint effort of Black Box Voting,Election Defense Alliance,Protect the Count-NH,Video the Vote,YouTube,&GenVote.org who documented Election Day and the subsequent vote counting across the country.Watch Deputy SoS Dave Scanlan observe- or is he mocking?- the state constitution when he keeps the public from viewing this critical aspect of vote counting.Video was edited by Nancy Tobi of Democracy for NH.

Monday, November 24, 2008
Making Sense of Today's Economy
(5 comments) Don't worry, it's not me trying to make sense of it. I leave that to Chris Martenson. I'm the first to admit that my own grasp of economic matters is nothing to write home about. I'm sure I'm not alone, so I'm offering this up to all of you out there in the hope that you find it useful. (Ordinarily, I don't post something like this without checking it out first, but I'm still over my head with post-election coverage.)

Monday, November 24, 2008
Heifer International: A Different Approach to Gift-Giving
(6 comments) I love everything about Thanksgiving - those tantalizing smells wafting out of the kitchen,the festive table, the togetherness of family and friends.It's a lot of work,but well worth it.I can't think about this fast-approaching holiday,however, without fretting about the next up-and-coming one.This article is an antidote, intended to take the sting out of giving.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tim Robbins to NYC Bd of Elections
(7 comments) Many of us read with dismay the experience of actor and voting activist Tim Robbins. Because of his persistence, and perhaps because of his fame, he was ultimately able to vote. It wasn't easy nor was it pretty. Note the vindictive behavior of the NY Board of Elections - releasing Robbins' home address to the newspapers, adding insult to injury.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008
More On Election 2008: Salt Lake City Goes Obama!
(1 comments) Thanks for the attached notice on Salt Lake having gone Obama in the recent election.Having lived in the greater Salt Lake metro area for seven years in the ''70's,and within driving range for the last nine years, this isn't that suprising to me.Salt Lake has grown tremendously over the last three-four decades, particularly with the effect of the Winter Olympics.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008
More election stories - this one from a proud Republican in Austin, Texas
(5 comments) This election story is a bit longer than many but a worthwhile read, nevertheless. I'm grateful to Phil Hutson for sharing it with us and invite you to do the same before the memories fade.

Sunday, November 16, 2008
More Election 2008 Stories - Obama Rocks Abuja (Nigeria)
I was speaking and leading workshops on citizen activism and community problem-solving.Suddenly the motivational part of my job got a lot easier.People understood the obstacles that Obama had surmounted &took heart that they could overcome the challenges that they faced.Nigerian attitudes toward the US seemed to reverse overnight.8 years of American foreign policy widely seen as bullying,selfish & shortsighted.The stereotype

Saturday, November 15, 2008
More election stories - Chicago on Election Night
Many of us growing up in the sixties are reticent to get excited about politics. Our ideals were dealt a serious blow by the Vietnam War and the assassinations of both the Kennedys and Doctor King. "Only the good die young?" But the sight of these people on the El, the hope that Obama represents is very gently and subtly opening some of our jaded hearts.

Thursday, November 13, 2008
Election 2008: Spotlight on Minnesota
(8 comments) In terms of getting to the bottom of this senate race and determining who will be the ultimate victor, we're fortunate that this close contest happened in Minnesota. In a few weeks, we'll know a lot more about the fitness of this system of electronic optical scanners and the integrity of our vote, at least in Minnesota.

Thursday, November 13, 2008
Election 2008: Spotlight on Banana Republic/Broward County, Florida
(6 comments) Ellen Brodsky was arrested today and taken away to the Broward County Jail.No one has heard from her and it's been over 3 hours since she was arrested.Following is an account of what happened as witnessed by Maida Genser,the woman who was with Ellen when she was arrested.Poor Ellen -- this is outrageous -- these people are out of control, and this sounds like an oppressive third world country.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008
More Election Stories: Double Trouble
1000s of blind people have been betrayed by those who led us to believe that,by using these machines, we would gain our independence & privacy in the voting booth.Like our sighted brothers&sisters,we can not verify whether our vote has been counted as cast.But,what's more we were led to believe that we would finally have the right to have our vote cast&counted just like everyone else.Little did we know what that actually meant

Monday, November 10, 2008
Great Expectations and Grave Concerns - More Election Personal Narratives
A few days ago, I posted the first of my series of voters' personal narratives on Election 2008: Grant Park on Election Night. In response, I got several more responses, including this one from Jerry Lobdill. He also sent it to Obama's website but has low to no expectations about its reception there.

Saturday, November 8, 2008
Grant Park on Election Night
(2 comments) Our good friend Jane,for many months a happy warrior in the Obama campaign,recalls being at Grant Park here.We've known her since she was born.The poignancy of her rapture is the real deal. "Two thirds of my life have been lived under a Bush regime. Every election that has really mattered to me has ended in heartbreak and gripping bitterness. To be quite honest, I don't think I really believed it would happen."

Friday, November 7, 2008
Reporting from inside the sandwich of the Sandwich Generation – the indignity of aging
(1 comments) There is nothing unusual or unexpected about what has happened to my mother in recent years. Anyone with elderly parents will recognize them in my words. We all must go through the life cycle, moving along whether we're ready or not. Time is a gift, not to be squandered. But it also robs us of our robust health and those we love, if we were lucky enough to have them in the first place.

Monday, November 3, 2008
The Pre-Election Jitters
(9 comments) Underneath the veneer of confidence right now, anxiety is rampant.We've been burned twice;we no longer know what to expect.Up morphs into down, black into white,with no apparent rhyme or reason.I have already had the adrenaline shakes more than once and woken up in the middle of the night to stare at the ceiling until dawn.Incidentally,I find these election jitters much harder to handle than becoming an empty nester.

Sunday, November 2, 2008
Tales from the trenches – More election stories
(2 comments) Your activism isn't limited to this upcoming election.Look beyond it.Pick a candidate,champion a cause.Promise to become an election judge or poll worker in the future.(They are a critical but largely unappreciated part of our democratic process.) Remember,Tuesday marks the end of one chapter but the beginning of the next.And the fight for election integrity will not stop once the winner of this election is declared

Thursday, October 30, 2008
When Bad Things Happen to Good Voters - A Tale of Two Students
(2 comments) Voters Unite! Executive Director John Gideon puts out Daily Voting News year-round. In recent days, there is so much going on, he has ramped it up to twice-daily news bulletins. Let's look at how voting is going for two young voters. Plus potential problems at the polls and what you can do to safeguard your vote.

Sunday, October 26, 2008
Antidote to Election Theft: "Steal Back Your Vote"
(5 comments) "Steal Back Your Vote" is about enabling all legitimate voters to vote,whatever their political persuasion.It discusses the barriers to voting laid out in "Block the Vote"and goes a step further by giving concrete suggestions on how to combat them.While Palast and Kennedy feel that the GOP has already stolen the election,they stress that it's not too late.Readers can still take action to blunt the voter suppression tactics.

Monday, October 20, 2008
Snopes confirms danger of Straight Ticket Voting (STV)
(5 comments) Ellen went to a tremendous amount of trouble to gather the information for the 15 states that use STV.It is provided at the VotersUnite!website. Nevertheless,her advice would be: avoid using STV.Vote for each and every race individually,even if it takes a little longer.This is a clear case of more convenient not being better.Avoid Straight Ticket Voting!Help spread the word to the millions in the 15 states that offer STV.

Saturday, October 11, 2008
Letting Go, Part Two: The Morning After
(2 comments) This morning, we got up early to take our son, Michael, to the airport. I am now, officially, an Empty Nester. Inquiring minds "" AKA family and friends "" have been asking how I'm faring. Give me two minutes and you'll be able to judge for yourself.

Sunday, October 5, 2008
Letting Go: Reflections from the Almost-Empty Nest
(4 comments) It's not like I haven't been through this before.Kids leaving the nest, going off to college,coming home on break or for holidays.I survived it then and I'll survive it now. Michael is the last one,our baby. That makes this time somehow different "" more final, infinitely more poignant.

Thursday, October 2, 2008
"Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back" - Pen and Paper vs. Electronic Voting Machine
(9 comments) I spent no more than $20 for a year's supply of pens.The most expensive item I bought cost a few dollars.Yet each package came with a guarantee.Right there in black and white:Satisfaction guaranteed,via repair,exchange,or refund.Our electronic voting machines,on the other hand,come with no guarantees.Just why can't the companies that design them stand behind their products or give us our money back?What contracts did we sign?

Monday, September 29, 2008
Paul Newman: Ice Cream Cones, Salad Dressing, and The Hole in the Wall Gang
Extolling the newly departed is an expected part of the life cycle. Eulogies often gloss over major personality flaws and exaggerate good deeds. That's the way the game is played.But Paul Newman really was one of a kind,in the best sense of the phrase.I'm adding my voice to the chorus,celebrating Newman's special blend of genius,generosity and humor.I salute the man whose offstage behavior outshone his formidable talent.

Thursday, September 25, 2008
Wall Street, the Great Depression, and the Power of Stories
(7 comments) We as individuals often find ourselves powerless in the face of larger forces – the economy,war, politics,ill health,bureaucracy, governmental indifference,or extreme weather conditions. What makes all the difference is how we meet these challenges.No matter what happens with Paulson's proposal,we as a nation face an uncertain future.We will have to reach inside ourselves for strength. Mary Jane's mother provides a role model

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The best high school reunion I ever didn't attend
(5 comments) Last weekend was my 40th high school reunion.It came and went without me. Not that I ever had any intention of going.The specter of being in a room with scores of people last seen in the corridors of New Trier was scary, rather than enticing,frankly.I've maintained a few stellar friendships from that era.But,I choose not to dwell on that outdated,prehistoric version of myself.I prefer the well worn,but much smarter Me of today

Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Boston Time-Out or What I did on my summer "vacation"
I'm on the plane,on my way home after a weeklong Time Out.We left a week ago,weighed down with six overstuffed duffle bags,many lists,and my daughter Ariella,who has moved to Cambridge for graduate school.The time was not spent lounging poolside,eating bonbons,shopping in ritzy stores,& getting pedicures.Far from being a pampered poodle,I was quintessential Mother""shopper, shlepper,builder,financier,adviser,& cheerleader.

Sunday, August 31, 2008
Exclusive Interview with Investigator Rady Ananda
(13 comments) The only way we're ever going to have honest elections is if citizens take over the process, simplify it (meaning, no software), and allow constant scrutiny by everyday people of all political faiths, or who are nonpartisan.The ballots have to be counted on election night, at the polling site, before all who wish to observe, and the results announced immediately "" before any precinct knows the results of any others.

Monday, August 11, 2008
"Stealing America: Vote By Vote" and What People are Saying
(12 comments) "STEALING AMERICA" lays out the case that something's deeply wrong with our election system with disturbing clarity. Don't see this film if you want to remain in denial. Our democracy is in trouble "¦ This film will convince you that it's time to wake up, start paying attention, and get involved. "" Bob Koehler, syndicated columnist, Tribune Media Services

Wednesday, July 30, 2008
A Chat with Filmmaker Dorothy Fadiman on the eve of the release of "STEALING AMERICA: Vote by Vote"
(4 comments) STEALING AMERICA is kicking off a 13-city tour with its debut on August 1 (through August 7)at the Quad Cinema in NYC.The film will start by running for a week in each of 13 cities,with more to come. "An Inconvenient Truth", "Fahrenheit 911",and "Sicko" have already proved that serious documentaries can make an impact via the commercial theatre circuit. Fadiman hopes that STEALING AMERICA might join their ranks.

Thursday, July 24, 2008
Playing hooky - a little taste of heaven
(6 comments) If you're like me, you harbor this fantasy that the work you do can't possibly survive your absence. Most of us are so overwhelmed by life's many demands on us, we can't step back and see the larger picture. But we know, if we take half a second to think about it, that there is more to life than work. While this is a simple concept, it is often incredibly hard to put it into practice.

Friday, July 11, 2008
Sneak Preview of "Count My Vote - A Citizen's Guide to Voting" by Steven Rosenfeld
(6 comments) There are few people in a better position to write the voter education guide,Count My Vote,which will hit the bookstores later this month.This is a combination sneak preview and interview with its author...While mental health might dictate a more Zen approach to current elections,he has given us actual tools to address some of the barriers that could keep us from voting in the first place.All of us can benefit from reading it.

Monday, July 7, 2008
How about some good news, for a change?
(8 comments) Too infrequently do we hear about anything good happening Out There. That doesn't mean it's not happening, only that the media has judged it un-newsworthy. We can do something about that. I offer a counterproposal.

Sunday, July 6, 2008
One activist's prescription for mental health
(7 comments) ...how hard we have to work at counteracting the truly bad vibes out there in our every day life, even if we're simply minding our own business.If we are activists, we have additional motivation to protect ourselves from the strong current of negative energy that can leave us depleted and feeling powerless, deflecting us from our mission.

Friday, July 4, 2008
What you can do about FISA RIGHT NOW
(3 comments) Once civil liberties are gone,it's a heck of a lot harder to get them back. The vote is supposedly scheduled for Monday or Tuesday.Use a few minutes this weekend making your voice heard.What better time to be thinking about issues like democracy,freedom,and tyranny than on the 4th of July?To make this as convenient as possible,I've included an action page to enable you to sign a petition against FISA.Our reps need to listen

Tuesday, June 24, 2008
The Silence of the Mainstream Media, Part 4 of Exclusive Series with Richard Hayes Phillips
(5 comments) I seem to be well known and highly regarded among those who get their news from the internet.Those who rely upon television & newspapers do not even know my name.I stand by my work.And I could defend my work,& elaborate upon it,if the "mainstream"- media would only give me the opportunity."Mainstream" media makes much of "the public's right to know." But only the "alternative" media recognizes that our elections are rigged.

Friday, June 20, 2008
The Broken Contract Lies Upon My Office Floor, Part 3 with Richard Hayes Phillips
This piece is about how close this book came to disappearing into a black hole. It got me thinking about just how much of what is really newsworthy never sees the light of day. Project Censored has been documenting uncovered news for over three decades. Help make sure this story - the theft of the 2004 election - stays in the public eye.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Being Multi-faceted in a Two-Dimensional Society, part 2, with R. H. Phillips, Author of "Witness to a Crime"
In "Being Multi-faceted in a Two-Dimensional Society"you will get a much better sense of who Phillips is,what makes him tick.He is a philosophical man,who is comfortable in his own skin and who loves what he does,a rarity these days.The tenacity that he has shown in the compiling of Witness to a Crime: A Citizens' Audit of an American Election was presaged by an earlier one-man campaign against BMI, the music moguls.

Thursday, June 12, 2008
Richard Hayes Phillips,Author of "Witness to a Crime: A Citizens' Audit of an American Election"
This book is an indispensable aid to understanding the 2004 election in general,and Ohio specifically.Because Kent State U. Press reneged on its contract,"Witness to a Crime" almost wasn't published at all.But,Phillips simply refused to allow this story to slip away.Part one in this OpEdNews exclusive series: Why I was able to become an election fraud investigator.

Sunday, May 25, 2008
Reflections on My Son's High School Graduation
(1 comments) "For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven."-I don't have to close my eyes to hear the Byrds' rendition of this classic from my youth.For my family,this is a season of milestones""one of which is Michael's imminent graduation from high school. It's definitely time to kvell(a tremendously useful & juicy Yiddish word which means to swell with pride over the accomplishments of your near and dear).

Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Pedometers and Other Black Boxes
(2 comments) Paul Wellstone wisely said: "If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for, at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them." So, we've already seen where easy, fast, and convenient lead. Is that what we want? If not, we need to make better choices; and, we need to act. Now. Bottom line: Use it or lose it. Exercise your democracy!

Monday, May 12, 2008
Reflections on Mother's Day, Silver Linings, and Second Chances
(1 comments) I love Mother's Day.It's such a nice way to celebrate where we've all come from as well as our own part in shaping the next generation. Since we mothers are human,after all,it's nice to celebrate our collective success rather than dwell on the wild roller coaster ride that inevitably accompanies it.I want to discuss how an event that looks bad or troubling can somehow morph into something positive ""a blessing in disguise.

Monday, May 5, 2008
Loser Take All: Election Fraud and the Subversion of Democracy, 2000-2008
(6 comments) Warning:This book will make you uncomfortable.Miller pulls no punches. He's happy to spread the blame around – politicians,the Religious Right, corporate interests,election officials,the corporate media,voting machine vendors,fanatics for whom victory is all that matters–all (and more) come in for legitimate criticism.The biggest villains of the piece are those in the GOP who seek nothing less than a permanent power grab and

Friday, April 25, 2008
Exclusive Interview with David Earnhardt, producer/director of "Uncounted", Chicago premiere Tuesday, April 29th
(4 comments) The biggest problem with electronic voting is it breaks a big, a basic tenet of democracy "" is that we're supposed to be voting in secret and counting in public. You can't see how the counting happens on these electronic voting machines. You just put your vote in a black box, and then it just disappears. It's not a good way to run our democracy.

Saturday, April 5, 2008
Basketball, shopping for colleges, and the impending empty nest
(3 comments) What I did over spring break and how periodically and deliberately escaping from the intensity of activism is good for the soul and more productive in the long run.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Who's Watching Your Back? Part 1: You, the American Consumer
(1 comments) Consumers Union is the exemplar for responsible testing.CU's efforts prove that it is possible to provide the public with information to make intelligent choices regarding consumer purchases,and to raise consumer expectations within industry and government.Keep this paradigm in mind, and stay tuned for the second part in the series,when I draw a parallel to the most important American product of all ""our democratic elections.

Monday, March 24, 2008
Notes from the Take Back America Conference
(7 comments) Universal health care, kick starting the economy, rebuilding unions and the middle class, ending the war, achieving social and economic justice were once pretty much the exclusive province of the progressive movement. But activists pushed and talked and pushed some more and these are now mainstream values, absorbed by the more centrist candidates themselves.

Monday, March 24, 2008
A Tale of Three Men: Pete, Norman, and Bill - More from the Take Back America Conference
(1 comments) Animals have the uncanny ability to detect natural disasters before they manifest themselves. We voting integrity advocates are like the canary in the mine. The rest of our country is either willfully dismissive or oblivious. Ignore us at your peril! Instead, try this: inform yourselves, get mad, and get busy!

Monday, February 11, 2008
Sen. John McCain on YouTube: the Flip Side of "Yes We Can!"
(1 comments) Two short YouTube music videos, one of Sen. McCain, the other of Sen. Obama. The contrast is stark.

Sunday, January 27, 2008
John Graham's Sit Down Young Stranger: One Man's Search for Meaning
(1 comments) While Graham's life contains enough adventures for a dozen more ordinary people,I was much more drawn to his parallel, inner quest.I think that John's saga is a fascinating demonstration of Yogi Berra's aphorism,"it aint over till it's over."Sometimes,the most difficult and wayward individuals somehow end up the most responsible and empathic of adults.You have to take the long view, never give up,and just live long enough.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Martin Luther King, Jr.: His Day and Every Day
(4 comments) Today is Martin Luther King Day.It almost slipped past me unnoticed.In the car this morning,I caught a bit of one of his speeches.Four minutes, tops.Yet enough to get me thinking.I downloaded the speech and listened to it as I read along. The words flowed off the pages and out of my speakers and pooled around me, vibrant and alive. Has it really been forty years? Some days, it seems that we have made no progress at all.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Beyond Baseball: Steroids - here, there, and everywhere
(6 comments) Recognizing the pandemic drug use in sports has changed the way I look at the MLB. I don't regard this as making excuses; context is always relevant. What we have is no less than a worldwide culture of cheating that infects everything it touches. If you've been following sports for years, maybe none of this is a surprise, but for a newbie like me, it's, well, news. I feel soiled.

Friday, December 28, 2007
Steroids in Baseball and Beyond
(7 comments) The whole baseball steroids furor is a wonder to behold. Normally, baseball holds little interest for me. I freely admit that I haven't been to a ballgame in twenty years or more, not counting my son's very brief Little League career. So, I resemble the alien that drops in to observe the local customs. Frankly, I was hoping to capitalize on the tremendous interest this story has sparked.

Saturday, December 15, 2007
OpEdNews Exclusive Interview with John Graham
(8 comments) In this interview,John Graham shares how his sense of adventure turned into a zeal for working for the common good""and seeking out and giving recognition to others who did the same.The first time I heard of John was the summer of 2005 when I read "Who's Watching the Watch List?"his account about finding himself on the "No-Fly"list.his new book:"Sit Down Young Stranger:One Man's Search for Meaning" is due to be released soon.

Thursday, December 13, 2007
The Great Hanukah/Christmas/Kwanzaa DVD GIVEAWAY Update
We have two DVDs and a few days left to the contest. Simple rules to enter. Win yourself a copy of David Earnhardt's "Uncounted: The New Math of American Elections".

Sunday, December 9, 2007
Exclusive Interview with Syndicated Columnist Bob Koehler
(3 comments) Koehler is an award-winning, syndicated columnist and editor for Tribune Media Services.He is also a rarity "" a member of the mainstream media who has paid attention to the issue of election fraud.He wrote "The Silent Scream of Numbers- The 2004 election was stolen "" will someone please tell the media?" after attending the National Election Reform Conference in Nashville in April, 2005.The article generated a huge response

Friday, December 7, 2007
The Great Hanukah/Christmas/Kwanzaa DVD GIVEAWAY
(8 comments) I recently watched and reviewed the new documentary "Uncounted: The New Math of American Elections" which premiered in Nashville last month. Emmy-award winning director David Earnhardt has generously given OpEdNews ten copies of the DVD to give away to our readers. Here's all you have to do to be eligible for a copy of "Uncounted".Entries must be received (or postmarked) by midnight, December 17, 2007 so respond quickly.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Listen up! OpEdNews' Rob Kall on Tonight's "Voice of the Voters"
Rob Kall joins NJ Sen Gill and Renee Steinhagen,Exec Dir of the NJ Appleseed Public Interest Law Center,as Gould's special guests to discuss yesterday's advance of landmark election audit legislation in NJ.Voice of the Voters is devoted to voting rights and election reform. Ultimately it is an exploration of Representative Democracy itself & the responsibilities of citizens and their elected representatives.On the Net &1360 AM

Monday, December 3, 2007
Your Money or Your Life - Credit Cards, Identities and Democracy For Sale
(7 comments) "Your money or your life" pretty much covers these two scenarios.One strips victims of their money,as well as their privacy,and perhaps their identity.The other deprives them of their constitutional right to vote within our democratic system,which is the cornerstone of the American way of life.You can always get a new credit card and fight for your credit rating. But recovering our elections is proving to be a lot trickier.

Friday, November 30, 2007
"Uncounted: The New Math of American Elections" and the Power of One
(10 comments) Judging from the veteran's response and audience reaction,David Earnhardt can be pleased that his message was heard at the Nashville premiere.At the pro-democracy rally in Atlanta in the summer of 2005, marchers chanted, "Keep the vote alive!" One hand-printed sign poignantly and pointedly read, "I voted. Did it count? Who knows?" The appropriate follow-up question is "Who cares?" I sure do. What about you?

Monday, November 19, 2007
My two-minute video-- intro to our easily corrupted elections. Please Circulate!
(15 comments) The folks* at Ampolo invited me to be interviewed for their website. Here is their short video "A Vote with Confidence?" on voting integrity, the upcoming elections and what ordinary citizens can do. They distilled about ninety minutes of the interview into a few moments, and I think they did a good job.

Thursday, November 15, 2007
Flu Shots, Mindful Shopping and the Dog that Thought She was Human
(16 comments) Sound familiar? This administration has so mastered the art of intimidation, that even now in its floundering end stages, it retains a mystical, if mythic advantage. What will it take to get the opposition to grow some spine? Don't hold your breath. Ariana Huffington wrote a book a few years ago entitled Fanatics and Fools. You don't need me to tell you who's who.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Rudy, the company he keeps, and "The REAL Rudy: Command Center"
(7 comments) A man is known by the company he keeps.~The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy. For Rudy Giuliani, GOP aspirant to the American presidency, this company apparently includes the Rev. Pat Robertson "" who has been brought on board as an advisor "" and former NYPD Commissioner Bernie Kerik. Both of these men were recently featured in the news.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007
"Michael Clayton", Issues of Accountability and Brave New Films' "The Real Rudy: Radios"
(18 comments) This documentary from Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films is less than seven minutes long.Within that small package,the case against Rudy is efficiently and effectively laid out using interviews and film clips.Remarkably free of hysteria considering that the grieving families are among those interviewed, the film poses questions that need answers.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Musings on root canal, bad dreams and the big C
(23 comments) We go about our business assuming that we will most certainly wake up the next morning, that cars will stay in their own lane, and that planes will remain in the sky until they land safely at their scheduled destination. As anyone who has had a near-miss will quickly admit, though, it's really all wishful thinking. What happens in the blink of an eye can change our lives forever.

Sunday, October 14, 2007
Take a Look: Prof. Steven Freeman's Presentation On Stolen US Elections
(5 comments) Here's a video crash course on election fraud for those of you who are waking up to the fact of election fraud but can't find anything in the mainstream press. Steven Freeman, award-winning professor at the University of PA, author of "Was the 2004 Presidential Election Stolen?", spoke before the National Latino Congreso in Los Angeles last week and laid it all out quite clearly and succinctly. Watch this and pass it on.

Sunday, October 7, 2007
The Dixie Chicks, "Shut Up and Sing" and the Cost of Dissent
(21 comments) Shut Up and Sing traces the three years after "The Comment."Despite everything,they have stood by one another and by the conviction that they must be able to speak their minds in order to be true to themselves.In the process,they have achieved new levels of authenticity and maturity, and their songs resonate with passion. They're emphatically not going to shut up and, if we're lucky, they'll keep on singing for a long time.

Friday, September 7, 2007
The Cat in the Hat, elusive happy endings, and the [election] mess that is so big, and so deep, and so tall
(6 comments) This passage resonated with me and kept popping up, virtually every time something new and horrible happened. Dr. Seuss's "mess" of epic proportions so aptly and amazingly described exactly what is going on with our elections. Is it just me, or do you see it too? Since I was on the topic of kid's books, I also reread Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, another family favorite. (More on that in a bit.)

Sunday, September 2, 2007
Labor Day, Tavis Smiley's amazing work ethic, and his book: "What I Know for Sure, My Story of Growing Up in America"
(7 comments) You wouldn't necessarily think that I would find much in common with Mr. Smiley. We are separated by race, religion, generation, geography, childhood socio-economic background – in fact, just about everything. And yet, I found that there were many important values that we shared – faith, honesty, hard work, family, community, and public action.

Thursday, August 30, 2007
Fooled Again Series: Exclusive Interview with Michael Collins
Election fraud is one of the essential vehicles to lock down our freedoms and protections while the treasury is looted. Elections confer legitimacy on rulers who then take advantage of that trust and misrule. Election fraud is the means. The end is control of the public based on the notion that somehow we chose these harmful policies through elections. It's an elegant process, very efficient. From the Interview.

Sunday, August 26, 2007
"Fooled Again" Series: Exclusive Interview with "Diebold Whistleblower" Steve Heller
(41 comments) In this exclusive interview with "Diebold Whistleblower" Steve Heller, we discuss how he got interested in the state of our elections, his experiences in Ohio in November 2004, and his prescription for healthy, secure, accurate, democratic elections. Please join us!

Wednesday, August 22, 2007
The Dan Rather Voting Machine Special, A Recipe for Election Disaster, and Serious Food for Thought
(10 comments) I'm continually amazed by the connections between seemingly unrelated threads in my life. Right now, I'm reading Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, the memoir of Ruth Reichl, the former New York Times restaurant critic. It's hard to think of a topic more removed from the state of our elections. And yet, both yesterday and today, her book touched on topics that seemed uncannily relevant.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007
First in the "Fooled Again" Series: Interview with Nancy Tobi
(13 comments) The point of all this is to say that in New Hampshire we have this tradition of grassroots democracy,and we all believe we run clean elections. New Hampshire has more recounts than any other state in the nation.We make it easy and financially feasible to hold recounts.Our recounts have never revealed any problems with the scanners.But that doesn't mean our elections are safe.As long as we use those computers,they are not safe.

Sunday, August 12, 2007
A Timely Second Look at Mark Crispin Miller's "Fooled Again"
(9 comments) In the coming months,I would like to look at current events on the election front through the lens of this re-issued,insightful book.Since so much is covered in this dense volume, I will break up my writings into a multi-part series.Topics will include the purpose of elections and the role of the press in a democracy, present legislation and how politicization of our elections has threatened the entire fabric of our democracy.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007
California's Bowen, the press and the election integrity S.O.S.
(16 comments) With the almost simultaneous release of three important studies on computerized election systems in the last 10 days or so (CA Secretary of State Bowen’s “top-to-bottom” review, and the UConn and Florida State University reports), is this roiling election morass finally going to reach the tipping point and stimulate massive media interest?

Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Action Alert: Here's the 'Just say "NO!" to HR 811' kit
(4 comments) The clock is ticking!The House of Reps is poised to vote on NJ Rep. Holt's "election reform" bill (HR811),perhaps as early as tomorrow,Thursday. Organizations ordinarily aligned with the common good have pulled out all the stops to ram this legislation through.Unless - and maybe even though - we make a LOT of noise, this bill will become law and our elections will take more irrevocable steps away from democracy. Speak up now!

Sunday, July 8, 2007
The $64,000 question: Is democracy worth an hour of your time?
(38 comments) We have all heard for quite a while that our members of Congress would never agree to a ban of the DRE voting machines (touch-screen).Mary Ann raises a very good question:how do we know that that this is true? And its corollary:has anyone actually asked them?If one hundred people step forward,we will each have fewer than five calls to make.How much time can that take? Is this too much to ask? Frankly, I don't think so.

Sunday, July 1, 2007
"Sicko"
(26 comments) Who among us, however careful, conservative or genetically blessed, can guarantee that he will not be struck down by illness or accident? This subliminal fear and anxiety forms an underlying drumbeat for our daily lives. A recent study showed that the poorest English citizen fares better in terms of life expectancy and overall health than the wealthiest American.That's sobering.But don't worry - there's a pill for everything..

Monday, June 25, 2007
The Take Back America Conference and Me, Part 2: Conscience and Connectedness
(8 comments) There was a dark time several years ago, shortly after the 2004 election when I felt cast out and isolated.Each of us doubters hunkered down in our personal bunker, cut off from one another.But,opposition to the war,to the excesses and inhumanities of this administration is picking up steam and volume.It's easier to connect with others.Like the first days of spring after a long and brutal winter-a breath of fresh air.

Monday, June 25, 2007
Stealing America: Vote by Vote
(2 comments) Concerned Families of Westchester is sponsoring the film Stealing America: Vote by Vote.At the Hastings library, 7:30 p.m.this Tuesday June 26.The 2008 elections are fast approaching.Have the problems of 2004 been addressed? This is a great chance to see this important film.The overriding question is:How can we create an election system in which voters have confidence,and in which votes will be counted fairly?

Sunday, June 24, 2007
Take Back America 2007 and Me
(13 comments) Each time I got to the corner of Connecticut and Florida,I was greeted by a street sign saying:2000 Florida. It resonated for me,symbolizing just when everything started to go wrong. Every time I passed that darn sign,it gave me another jolt.For the last number of years,I have strongly felt that each of us can make a difference,can make the world a better place.This is a perfect example of the flip side of that equation.

Sunday, May 20, 2007
"Commander 'N Thief", a must-see documentary by Tom O'Brien
(19 comments) While most of the film is spent presenting the evidence of massive, nationwide election fraud in 2004, Palast casts his eyes ahead to 2008, where he predicts more of the same, but on an even larger scale. He calculates that there were around two million votes in 2000 that were cast but never counted. That number jumped to over 3.6 million in 2004, and he anticipates five million "spoiled" votes in 2008.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007
To my Mother on Mother's Day
(36 comments) What do you give to your octogenarian mother for Mother's Day that she's sure not to receive from someone else, and that you know will be just her size? I decided that the perfect solution was to write an article about our relationship.

Wednesday, May 2, 2007
"Help America Vote...on Paper - a citizen call for election integrity"
(3 comments) Help America Vote...on Paper is pint-sized in length;it nevertheless covers many of the points that other films have taken far longer to make. While 18 minutes isn't enough time to provide much depth,this is a perfect appetizer.The fact that it's a free download is icing on the cake.Even the busiest person can find 18 minutes to spare.I'm really busy and I managed to watch it twice in the last two days to write this review

Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Action Alert Made Easy: A Really Important Homework Assignment
(6 comments) Hopefully,you will all take heart from this boiled-down,step-by-step template and be empowered to follow the steps yourselves.Let me know where you got and what they said.Trust me when I say that this kind of approach can make a difference.In the meantime, we will be creating dozens–hopefully hundreds or thousands–of citizen journalists who are stepping forward to do the job so disastrously abandoned by the mainstream press.

Sunday, April 15, 2007
"Swing State Ohio" a documentary by Jed Wolfington
(9 comments) This is a professionally done piece, and it's quite apparent that the team did its homework. The music, camerawork,and editing are all executed neatly and effectively.The storyline is crisp,and the pace lively but not rushed.While the content is painful,the finished product is a pleasure to watch.But most importantly,the subject is an important one.Ohio as swing state – the quintessential swing state in the 2004 election.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007
"American Blackout" - a documentary by Ian Inaba
(7 comments) "American Blackout" is a sort of real-live "Groundhog Day"–as it documents the sadly cyclical themes that punctuate the history of blacks in America.The end of slavery in this country almost 150 years ago did not bring this issue to a close,and we have been grappling ever since with integrating our darker-skinned fellow citizens with mixed success- most critically in the struggle for the right to vote.

Thursday, April 5, 2007
Bernie Ellis: OpEdNews' "Local Hero" #8
(14 comments) Editor's Note: Here's someone worth knowing. Let me know if you don't agree.

Friday, March 30, 2007
"The Right to Count: Democracy v. Electronic Voting" - A documentary by Richard Van Slyke
(5 comments) "The Right to Count" examines the evolution of our elections and asks the pivotal question of whether our present system properly serves our citizens and our democracy.While you may not understand each and every term that they toss around,you'll certainly get the underlying message that we are in deep, deep trouble.This film is a welcome addition to the mounting evidence of major election meltdowns since electronic voting...

Friday, March 30, 2007
Due Today: My Indignant, Open Letter to House Committee Regarding HR 811
(2 comments) We all worked our butts off to jam the fax lines on Capitol Hill, requesting that they look more closely at HR 811. Apparently, our success was insufficient. None of the faxes will be entered into the record unless we request it. With a deadline of today. Here is my angry letter. If you have the energy to email Janelle, we have another chance to try to make Washington listen to us.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007
ACTION ALERT! Contact Members of Comm of House Administration
(6 comments) Tomorrow morning, March 29th, is the deadline for contacting the Committee on House Administration about any reservations that citizens may have about HR 811, the new election reform bill crafted by Rep. Rush Holt. Here is something you can do to make your voice heard. Secure, transparent, accurate elections are the foundation of democracy. Are you willing to work a bit for it? Now's your chance. It's all laid out here.

Monday, March 26, 2007
"Pride" - The Story of Jim Ellis and the PDR Swim Team
We should celebrate any story, fact or fiction, which serves to motivate us to continue our fight for a fair and level playing field for everyone. The power of storytelling is that it makes us realize what is possible, however unlikely or distant it may seem. Isn't a level playing field exactly what we voting integrity advocates are fighting for?

Friday, March 23, 2007
(Almost) Everything I know I Picked Up at the Pool
(17 comments) It gives me strength and determination to keep doing what I'm doing in the same way that swimming alongside complete strangers spurs me to greater efforts. I often pick up my pace to match that of the swimmer in the next lane over.He stimulates me to try harder,swim faster and push myself farther.If we can all do that for one another, we will all be the better for it, and so will our world.

Thursday, March 15, 2007
Former FBI Agent: Reform the Patriot Act
(1 comments)

Thursday, March 8, 2007
Bouncing for Health, College Prep and an Amazing Shopping "Spree"
(10 comments) I'm taking a short break from the daily grind of voting integrity advocacy. (It can get a little intense.) Just long enough to tell you about the interesting developments in my life over the last few weeks. Then, it's back to the trenches.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Confused about election reform legislation? You're not alone
(1 comments) Are you prepared to let this important decision be made without your input or consent? Remember government "of the people, by the people, for the people"? Democracy demands eternal vigilance and citizen participation. Without it, we are merely living in a nation impersonating a democracy. Will you settle for that?

Tuesday, January 30, 2007
"My Soul Looks Back in Wonder, Voices of the Civil Rights Experience" by Juan Williams
(7 comments) As Susan Brownmiller writes in "My Soul Looks Back in Wonder", "Change in this country comes from people's movements. It doesn't come from electoral politics or legislation. It starts with very special people who declare themselves soldiers in an unpaid volunteer army of the moral, knowing they can really make change."

Saturday, January 20, 2007
Democracy is Not A Spectator Sport and What "WeThePatriots" Are Doing About That
(12 comments) It is up to us to complete the "unfinished work" Lincoln referred to in the Gettysburg Address, in this case, assuring free, fair, secure, transparent elections for our people. We have before us an historic opportunity to change course and return to what the Founding Fathers had in mind. It is a sacred task that we face. Are we up to the challenge? Very soon, one way or the other, we shall see.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Building Bridges, Amending HR 550 and What I Did Over Winter Break
(8 comments) I spent a lot of time over my winter break pondering these weighty matters. I balanced this heavy cerebral activity with recharging my batteries, getting back into an exercise routine, reconnecting with friends and family and concentrating on my OpEdNews work.It's Sunday already and I'll have to set my alarm tonight so that I am able to get up on time in the morning. It was fun while it lasted.Real life begins again tomorrow.

Monday, January 1, 2007
"Confessions of an Economic Hit Man"
(19 comments) For some reason, I have been drawn to heavier material. It started with Blindsided by Richard Cohen, about his life with MS. Now, it's Perkins' Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. This book is my every nightmare come true. When I speak about it, the first thing most people ask is, "It's fiction, right?" Wrong. And, I'm more sorry about that than I can say.

Saturday, December 30, 2006
Crocs, Costco and the Mindful Shopper
(18 comments) Actually, what I really want to talk about are actions and consequences – a concept I've been stressing to my kids for the last two and a half decades. I'm a wholehearted subscriber to the theory, although that doesn't mean that following through is easy.

Thursday, December 28, 2006
Three open letters to Kathy Dopp, Jonathan Simon and voting activists everywhere
Here are three letters written to two voting activists but which have relevance to activists everywhere. Take note and take heart. We ARE making progress. You ARE making a difference! Anyone else want to chime in? There's no such thing as too much moral support!

Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Election Forum: Dumb scanners
More discussion on how to approach election reform. Jump in at any time.

Monday, November 20, 2006
Election Forum: Paul Lehto
What recent experience in San Diego tells us about election reform, audits and the Holt Bill, HR550.

Saturday, November 18, 2006
Election Forum
Optical scanners, DREs and hand counted paper ballots are all discussed here by Marc Baber and Jana Nestlerode. Feel free to join the discussion. A national discourse on this subject is well overdue, especially in light of the many election fiascos that took place ten days ago.

Thursday, November 16, 2006
He Said/She Said: When is a Voting Machine Like an ATM?
Further conversation on electronic voting machines.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006
A Post-Election E-Conversation with Ion Sancho
(1 comments) Last December,Leon County (Florida) Supervisor of Elections Sancho brought down the wrath of Diebold by inviting Black Box Voting with Harri Hursti and Hugh Thompson for an authorized hack. This hack(which can be seen in shocking detail on HBO's "Hacking Democracy"(being shown all month) demonstrated that an optical scanner (via a memory card)could be programmed to flip the vote tally invisibly. FL is again in the news.

Saturday, November 11, 2006
Upset? Angry? Overwhelmed?
The intention of presenting these materials is not at all to make anyone feel overwhelmed or upset. Our intention is to help people understand what has been hidden from the public by various forces, and to inspire us to join together in building a brighter future for us all. We know that everyone of us can make a difference in what is happening in our world.

Thursday, November 9, 2006
How I Spent Election Day
(3 comments) It's old news already, fit only for wrapping fish. But I need to tell my story. Then, I'll be able to move on. Please humor me.

Tuesday, November 7, 2006
Our Vote is our Voice: Notes from the Frontlines on Election Day, 2006
I dreamt that I went to my polling place where I have voted faithfully for the last twenty plus years and was told that I wasn't registered. I felt like I'd been sucker-punched; my heart started hammering and I awoke with a jolt. PLUS late-breaking election news from Evanston Election Judge Bob Wilson. He's the same guy who hacked into Cook County's online voter registration database to show how vulnerable it was.

Sunday, November 5, 2006
HBO's "Hacking Democracy" and Where the Heck are those Minutemen When You Need Them?
Minutemen were farmers, blacksmiths, lawyers, artisans and shopkeepers who laid down their tools at a moment's notice. They fought to throw off the British yoke and when that was done, they went quietly back to their lives. We must learn from their example.

Sunday, November 5, 2006
TLC: A Prescription for Activists - Take As Needed
As long as each of us feels ourselves alone, isolated and powerless, they have us right where they want us. That's why I'm prescribing a regimen of TLC (tender loving care) for the foreseeable future. We have a lot to do to get our country back. It will be a long, hard fight and we must be in top condition to pull it off.

Thursday, November 2, 2006
Eternal Vigilance: The Fight to Save Our Election System
Something interesting is happening here. I keep thinking and writing "we" as opposed to "they". Even though I heard about the conference only after it happened, I feel like I was there. It's uncanny, this bond that connects all of us patriots who feel so strongly about the absolute need for fair elections.

Wednesday, November 1, 2006
Truth in the Booth: The Clint Curtis Story
(7 comments) I would have told this story even if I hadn't been asked to. There are few heroes these days, and Clint Curtis is decidedly one of them. We all owe him a debt of gratitude. If he hadn't stepped up to testify before Congress, this shameful chapter would have been buried in history with no one the wiser.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Dorothy Fadiman's "Stealing America: Vote by Vote"
(3 comments) The genius of massive election fraud is that it overrides the people's will by entrenching in power people and policies without resorting to overtly aggressive tactics like tanks patrolling Pennsylvania Avenue. When I heard Jonathan Simon make this very ominous yet fitting statement, it reminded me of the way you cook a frog.

Sunday, October 29, 2006
A Work in Progress
(1 comments) Each of us is a work in progress, from the moment of creation to one's last breath. I had pretty much thought of myself as a finished product, being middle-aged, my youngest almost ready to leave the nest. But, I find that activism has unearthed a new me, tapping into a previously undiscovered aspect of my personality. The fact that others find my ideas and projects to be notable is quite surprising, and it feels really good.

Sunday, October 22, 2006
"Man of the Year", Paul Revere, and the Deer that Wanted a Ride
(5 comments) it's up to us average citizens to stretch beyond our usual capacity to make connections, to talk this up, to spread the word. There's not a minute to waste. Somehow, we need to achieve this tipping point as soon as humanly possible if we want to retrieve and revive our democracy. Is that important to you? Then, what are you going to do about it?

Saturday, October 21, 2006
Cheated! written by Sheri Myers, illustrated by Sophie Goldstein
(1 comments) Sheri Myers thought about how to effectively convey to people the huge story that our elections are being stolen.She came up with what she calls a "graphic account,"a format that resembles a full-length comic,but which is neither light nor amusing. Myers's goal was to take the material and serve it up in educational yet entertaining bite-sized pieces.She and daughter, Sophie, have succeeded in accomplishing that goal and more.

Thursday, October 12, 2006
A Glance Backward as We Gaze Forward: Review of No Umbrella: Election Day in the City
No Umbrella takes us inside Ward 7, a poor, minority district of Cleveland, on Election Day 2004. While we never leave that particular polling place, what we see is a microcosm of what went on in urban centers all over Ohio, and in other battleground states as well.

Monday, October 9, 2006
Yom Kippur, Where the Wild Things Are, and the Dance of "Participatory Democracy": More on We Count 2006
(2 comments) It is a wonderful process to watch, this metamorphosis from wistful observer to active participant.I'm trying to do something similar:to inspire and empower people to willingly leave the sidelines and plunge into activism, getting caught up in what we shall call the dance of 'participatory democracy'. While I was in the shower this morning, I came up with what I think is a pithy slogan:"Democracy is not a spectator sport".

Tuesday, October 3, 2006
Notes from the WeCount2006 Voting Integrity Conference
(1 comments) The first installment of the WeCount2006 Conference on fair elections and democracy that took place this weekend in Cleveland. It was GREAT! An exciting and energizing event. Much more to come.

Sunday, October 1, 2006
The Men Behind the Curtain: or Cable News Confidential: My Misadventures in Corporate Media
I'm trying to finish this book review before leaving for the Cleveland We Count 2006 Conference early tomorrow morning.When I come back, I'll be inundated by impressions from the conference. I'm delighted that Mr. Cohen doesn't "need" my review. He's doing just fine, thank you, without it.His back cover is peppered with blurbs by the likes of Molly Ivins, Howard Zinn,Studs Terkel, and others. No, he definitely doesn't need me.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Cleveland, Here I Come!
(1 comments) I make it a point to avoid large crowds of strangers as much as possible. But the idea of rubbing shoulders with like-minded souls is simply irresistible.I just can't miss this opportunity.My dear friend Mary offered to take good notes for me if I choose to stay home I'm hoping it's 6 hours rather than 7 each way and that I'm able to take advantage of having all those wonderful people in one place at the same time.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Why Smoke Was Coming out of My Ears
(4 comments) or My Reaction to the Princeton Center's Nine-Minute Video. Tell me, please, if you can: what other ingredients for disaster do you need to convince you that there is something very wrong here?

Sunday, September 17, 2006
A Sensible Solution to the Election Integrity/Voting Machine Crisis? What do you think?
From Norma: Universal Precinct-based Handcount Sample (UPS). [Handcount 10% sample of paper ballot records, in every precinct, on election night, by citizens.] This as a preliminary step to final eradication of all voting machines, period.

Sunday, September 17, 2006
Letter to the Voting Integrity Editor: Where the heck are those Democrats?
Voters have not received a single message about how they can go about protecting their right to vote. There is no national Democratic monitoring effort that Democrats can use to report voter intimidation or problems at the polls. This is the situation inspite of the best effort from activists, during the DNC Summer Meeting in Chicago several weeks ago, to secure such a system.

Friday, September 15, 2006
9/11, Jury Duty, and What America is Demanding of Us Right Now
Besides tying together those seemingly disparate issues, this OpEd piece is actually a review of DeLozier and Karp's new book: "Hacked! High Tech Election Theft in America, 11 Experts Expose the Truth!"

Tuesday, September 5, 2006
New Book Exposes Evidence Connecting Electronic Voting with Election Fraud
Dedicated editors Abbe DeLozier and Vickie Karp break through the confusion surrounding the issue of electronic voting and stolen elections by compiling a weighty treatise, HACKED! High Tech Election Theft in America, featuring 11 recognized experts on how electronic voting has stolen our democracy: Bev Harris, Lynn Landes, Bob Fitrakis, Harvey Wasserman, Victoria Collier, Kathleen Wynne, Jeremiah Akin, and others.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Fighting Burnout: An Activist's Lament
(2 comments) While I'm not exactly equating my activism with the travails of unexpected twins, there is a certain resemblance. Getting so tired that I can't put sentences together, feeling overwhelmed, having so much to do without the confidence that it's even physically possible to do it all. Actually, the more I think about it, it really is very similar.

Monday, August 21, 2006
"Caught on Tape, The Fix is In!"
(2 comments) ...a new online video about America's flawed voting process by freelance journalist Lynn Landes. In this 13-minute video Landes strongly urges all political candidates to not concede their races until they or their supporters have verified election results through the collection of voter affidavits or signed statements in some or all precincts. She calls these efforts, "Parallel Elections". Link to the video included.

Thursday, August 10, 2006
Exercise in Democracy: Use It or Lose It
(4 comments) This is the text of an email that I sent out this week to voting activists across the country. I am beginning to receive responses, which I will post. Please join in this exercise in democracy, a debate on HR 550, Rep. Rush Holt's bill for election reform. Is it truly the "gold standard" or something else entirely? Or something in between? It is all of our best interest to find out.

Monday, August 7, 2006
Ode to My Mother: From her Voting Activist Daughter
Now I would like to tell you about my mother. Bear with me – it's not the segue it might seem. From the get-go, she has been my biggest fan.

Thursday, July 27, 2006
Our Worst Fears Confirmed
(8 comments) Steven Freeman's new book is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand what has happened in the last several presidential elections. Don't pooh-pooh Freeman's premise without giving it a closer look. Come back with reasoned arguments if you can, but this book needs to be part of a crucial public debate about our elections and our future.

Thursday, July 20, 2006
"Local Hero" Corner: #6
It might seem an odd time for a book review. The world seems to be coming apart at the seams. I'm not wild about 'book reports' (writing or reading them) but I love to read and share what I've loved. So, if you're not a reader or can't be bothered with real live modern day heroes, don't read any further.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Letters to the Editor: Voting Issues
As I've mentioned, I'd like this to be an ongoing feature. You don't have to think highly of my work or even comment on it. You don't even have to agree with me. I'd like readers to consider this a safe place to explore all aspects of our current elections dilemma. Having a heartfelt debate is the first step towards reclaiming the democracy which is slowly but surely slipping between our fingers.

Thursday, July 13, 2006
E-voting in the Trenches: A Two-Year Chronology
(2 comments) Look how much has happened since this film about electronic voting was made. Containing highlights post-April 2004, this article can serve as a resource guide for all voters concerned with our election mess.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006
A follow-up to "Has this country gone completely insane?"
Did you read the article? This is the story behind the story of his run-in with the police at a VA medical center during the 320-mile, four-week peace walk. I think you'll find it very interesting.

Thursday, July 6, 2006
Responses to "Armed Madhouse and the huge task ahead of us"
I haven't yet heard from any avowed Republicans. I meant what I wrote. I really DO want to know what Republicans think about all these stratagems which effectively stifle minority voting. I'd like to promote 'healthy dialogue'. Also, did you find me too harsh? Am I overstating the case? Can we really afford to sit back and wait for someone else to 'fix' our democracy?

Tuesday, July 4, 2006
Armed Madhouse and the huge task ahead of us
I feel like the famed little Dutch boy who heroically stanched the flow by sticking his finger into the hole in the dike. Only, in my recurring nightmare, I don't have enough fingers to keep everything together until help arrives. And, is help even on the way?

Wednesday, June 28, 2006
The Zen of Swimming
(4 comments) This is a radical departure from my usual political rants, I admit. My aim is to probe that gap between the experience of boy-jocks who grew up to be man-jocks and girls like me, who grew up in the ‘50s and the ‘60s.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Joan Goes to Washington: A follow-up
It seems now would be a perfect time for people to start distributing copies of "Invisible Ballots" to their elected officials, the local press and influential members of their communities. My ability to produce these DVDs at a discounted bulk rate will enable us to spread the word on a grander scale than before. I invite your participation.

Thursday, May 18, 2006
Joan Goes to Washington: An Update
(1 comments) I can’t take credit for the wonderful idea of bringing DVDs and conference delegates together. That honor goes to Rob Kall, my editor at OpEdNews. What he neglected to tell me was that the project would fall entirely in my lap and have to be funded and executed within an incredibly short period of time. Thanks, Rob!

Thursday, May 4, 2006
Interesting new developments with "Invisible Ballots" DVD project!
I started this project almost eight months ago. Since then, more than 250 individual/group borrowers have been enlisted, one by one. I have an opportunity to reach eight to ten times that many in the course of a three-day conference! At the rate I've been going, it would take me 64 months (more than five years) to get to 2,000 borrowers. In short, this is a much more efficient, cost-effective way to spread the word.

Thursday, April 27, 2006
The "Invisible Ballots" Lending Library Project Update
(1 comments) What's happening with the project: what's been accomplished, what's in the works...

Monday, April 17, 2006
What's up in Leon County, Florida: The continuing saga of Ion Sancho and the quest for fair elections...
I was disappointed to read several days ago that Leon County is back negotiating with the same Diebold whose machines were so easily hacked by Harri Hursti last December. Here are the emails Supervisor of Elections Ion Sancho and I exchanged over the last two days on what exactly is going on there.

Monday, April 17, 2006
"Quandary" responses, Part 7
Here's another installment of election comments. I'm particularly interested in your reaction to the first letter.

Sunday, April 16, 2006
"Quandary" responses, Part 6
More letters to the editor on election issues in a more compact, easy to read version. Read and respond. I invite your participation.

Monday, April 10, 2006
"Quandary" responses, part 4
Comments continue to pour in. That's terrific. We don't have to agree to have a conversation. In fact, the quality improves as the breadth of opinion increases. Keep reading and writing!

Friday, April 7, 2006
"Quandary" Responses, part 3: More letters from readers of OpEdNews
I'm quite pleased with the number of responses to my original article. Feel free to weigh in on the subject. You don't have to be an expert; in fact, we're all amateurs here. I've been thinking about the potential of networking. I came up with this pithy expression: "Knowledge shared is power squared". What do YOU think?

Monday, April 3, 2006
Another batch of responses to "A bit of a quandary"
Keep 'em comin'!

Monday, April 3, 2006
Some responses from OpEdNews readers to "A bit of a quandary"
(2 comments) I am very happy to already report a good number of responses to my March 31st OpEd piece "A Bit of A Quandary". I expect that more will be coming and I will print them as well. You don't have to love my writing style in order to get posted. I'm interested in your reaction to the contents. Let's get a real conversation going on these very important issues. This is how democracy works.

Friday, March 31, 2006
A Bit of a Quandary
(3 comments) We CAN take back our elections and create an informed, mobilized public that is actively involved in determining the course of our country and our future. That will be a bonus, for healthy democracy depends on the vigor of its debates and the degree of involvement of its citizens.

Sunday, March 19, 2006
"Invisible Ballots" lending library project goes 'legit'!
For all of you wondering when you could start making tax deductible contributions to the "Invisible Ballots" lending library project... The answer is, starting right now!

Monday, March 13, 2006
Making a difference: one dvd at a time
Reflections on the six-month anniversary of the inception of my "Invisible Ballots" lending library project.

Wednesday, March 8, 2006
Putting two and two together...
(1 comments) Perhaps, we have been going the long way around. Perhaps, right under our noses lies a very simple solution to disabled voting and HAVA compliance that will neither break the bank nor threaten voting integrity. If benefit of the doubt has to be given, I vote for honoring the integrity of the vote. What do you say?

Tuesday, March 7, 2006
Thank you, Ion Sancho, guardian of voting integrity
Here is the email address for Ion Sancho, the intrepid Supervisor of Elections for Leon County, Florida. I think that we should all be in touch to thank him for his courage in standing up to Jeb Bush, Florida's Secretary of State and the many electronic voting machine proponents arrayed against him.

Sunday, January 15, 2006
It Takes A Village
I now recognize in a more fundamental way that there is no such thing as a “self-made man”. We stand on the backs of those who preceded us and stand shoulder to shoulder with those who share our goals and our passions. We are part of a long chain of human endeavor to make our world a better place to live. We forget this connectedness at our peril.

Sunday, December 25, 2005
While You Were Sleeping: Legal Shield for Vaccine Makers, Part 2
The below website provides a fast and easy way to participate in some "public backlash" by telling your representatives your concerns about this back-door attempt to protect Big Pharma.

Friday, December 23, 2005
The Gift that Keeps on Giving
The Coalition for Visible Ballots has arranged a special deal with the maker of “Invisible Ballots”, the DVD that explores the perils of electronic voting machines.

Thursday, December 22, 2005
A New Year's resolution that's guaranteed easy to keep
I propose a New Year's resolution that's doable, won't cost you any money or even much time. And, you'll feel good after you do it. I promise. Is that a good deal or what?