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Joan Brunwasser is a co-founder of Citizens for Election Reform (CER) which since 2005 existed for the sole purpose of raising the public awareness of the critical need for election reform. Our goal: to restore fair, accurate, transparent, secure elections where votes are cast in private and counted in public. Because the problems with electronic (computerized) voting systems include a lack of transparency and the ability to accurately check and authenticate the vote cast, these systems can alter election results and therefore are simply antithetical to democratic principles and functioning.
Since the pivotal 2004 Presidential election, Joan has come to see the connection between a broken election system, a dysfunctional, corporate media and a total lack of campaign finance reform. This has led her to enlarge the parameters of her writing to include interviews with whistle-blowers and articulate others who give a view quite different from that presented by the mainstream media. She also turns the spotlight on activists and ordinary folks who are striving to make a difference, to clean up and improve their corner of the world. By focusing on these intrepid individuals, she gives hope and inspiration to those who might otherwise be turned off and alienated. She also interviews people in the arts in all their variations - authors, journalists, filmmakers, actors, playwrights, and artists. Why? The bottom line: without art and inspiration, we lose one of the best parts of ourselves. And we're all in this together. If Joan can keep even one of her fellow citizens going another day, she considers her job well done.
Joan has been Election Integrity Editor for OpEdNews since December, 2005. Her articles also appear at Huffington Post, RepublicMedia.TV and Scoop.co.nz.
Sunday, February 12, 2012 Janet's Planet: Meet Canadian Environmental Activist and Blogger Janet McNeill
I write about is the intersection of the personal and the political. What is it that has led to this mind-blowing environmental crisis? I recall someone saying years ago that the environmental crisis is a spiritual crisis. And I have long believed that this is so. So I write about how these two things intersect. I've become very involved in nuclear issues. A lot of what I write about is the nuclear madness that threatens our
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 At 74, Welding Latest Passion for Versatile Artist, Dede Harris (3 comments)
Art is all about problem solving, whether it is balance, position, color, etc. Even empty spaces create a challenge. All areas have to be judged singularly and as a whole, a constant shift from the particular to the entire. I get an unsettled feeling, a visceral unease, when things aren't just right. Then I feel a sudden relief when the problem has been solved.
Saturday, February 4, 2012 US Business and Government Colluding to Fill American Jobs with Foreign Workers? (11 comments)
The practical implications of the State Department's conduct is that every U.S employer can now hire as many foreign workers as they desire to replace all American workers. U.S. business is "gaming the system." If no one is talking about the issue of importing immigrants to take American jobs away from Americans, then there is no problem. Will you stand with me to save the American Dream?
Sunday, January 29, 2012 YouTube and MTV Try to Shut Down New Cheney Indictment Film (2 comments)
The film is about indicting Cheney for ordering torture, waterboarding in particular.And he has been so arrogant about his self-perceived immunity from prosecution that he has admitted publicly that he was "a big supporter of waterboarding". So, one of the key scenes is our waterboarding scene,and that's the first preview clip we posted on YouTube.Next thing you know we got a notice from YouTube that they had blocked the video
Sunday, January 8, 2012 Marya Hornbacher: Moving Beyond "Madness" (8 comments)
There is so much misperception about mental illness, and so little understanding of what the actual experience of it is. I wanted to open the door to a place that feels worlds away for many people, and show that it's not so far off at all--it's just another facet of human experience. It had never occurred to me that I might have bipolar [usually then called manic depression] because I knew nothing about it.
Saturday, January 7, 2012 Robert Meeropol: RFC Aids Children of Progressive Activists (3 comments)
While I'm elated that so many people have taken to the streets, its potential impact on the RFC is more than a little daunting. We've learned in our 20-plus years of granting that there is often a 6- month-one year lag between when people are targeted and when they apply for us to support their children. We received a record number of new requests in 2011, and that all of them [predated] the OWS movement means that 2012
Thursday, December 29, 2011 Bureau of Prisons "Disappears" Federal Prisoner Just In Time for His Birthday (18 comments)
When I was visiting Gary in prison, another prisoner locked his eyes with mine and said, "Between a year and a half and two years." I waited. "That's when family and friends stop visiting." Thinking of our own reality and that of so many others I had met, I asked, "Because they run out of money?" "Because they run out of love." That's what prisoners fear most - that those they love will run out of love.
Friday, December 16, 2011 Election Integrity's Victoria Collier Speaks Up (11 comments)
What Jim and Ken's monumental efforts really exposed- the devastating final analysis- is how easy it is to corrupt our entire system with just a few well-placed criminals stationed as sentinels against justice at every level of our system.This is one of the greatest conspiracy stories of our time, and still very hard for most Americans to stomach. But we've got to keep telling the truth. It's more important now than ever.
Sunday, November 27, 2011 Investigative Journalist Who Blew Whistle on CT Cops Looks at Occupy Movement from Exile in Sweden (12 comments)
We see -despite the video evidence -some people blaming the Occupy supporters for their own brutalization, refusing to believe that our police could do such harm without good reason. Even worse though, our 'authorities' are well aware of this tendency, and play upon it, i.e., the claims that the UC Davis police felt 'threatened' in an attempt to legitimize the brutal pepper spraying videotaped there.
Friday, November 25, 2011 Batya: Portrait of a Recovering Alcoholic (3 comments)
32 plus years later, I still attend three meeting a week. When asked to do service work, I say yes. I sponsor/mentor people in AA. I have a sponsor and we talk. In the beginning, it was often; today, it's once every couple weeks. The people I spent my early years of sobriety with are still my closest friends. We literally grew up together. I have a life outside of AA which is beyond what I ever thought possible.
Monday, November 21, 2011 Cassie Green: From Corporate World to Community Grocer
Since graduating college in the late nineties, I worked for Aldi Foods, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and the most recent corporate work was for Cartier. Pretty varied experience but once I realized that I wanted to open a little organic/local market, it became clear that all of my previous experience had prepared me perfectly for it!
Sunday, November 20, 2011 Ann Medlock, "The Mayor & Wall Street"
The idea that federal agencies are helping coordinate these pushbacks of protestors only makes the whole thing more alarming. I love it that the pepper-sprayed Seattle woman lived in Germany as a child. She puts her concern about what's happening in this country now into that chilling context. It's time for us to yell "Stop!"
Thursday, November 17, 2011 Don Siegelman: Abramoff's New Book and What It Reveals About Me and My Case (7 comments)
Documents that would prove government misconduct have been withheld from us by the government, the prosecutors and now the DoJ since 2001. If Abramoff would open up and tell what really happened in Alabama it would help because Eric Holder could not ignore it. The coverage would be too great.I am expendable unless light is shined so brightly Eric Holder will have to take notice.
Sunday, November 13, 2011 Part Two, Tom Devine and his "Corporate Whistleblower's Survival Guide"
Last year, the law was blocked by a secret hold after unanimously passing both House and Senate. We're going to finish the job his time. 400 organizations with over 80 million members have signed the Make It Safe Coalition petition to pass the law without further delay. Leading conservative groups are working actively to hold R. leaders to their waste and abuse fighting commitments this time around.
Saturday, November 12, 2011 Tom Devine and his "Corporate Whistleblower's Survival Guide: A Handbook for Committing the Truth"
I wanted to share 32 years of lessons learned helping over 5,000 whistleblowers. People who may be traveling the highest risk, highest principled road of their life should not have to proceed by trial and error. Exercising the freedom to protest, they are the agents of accountability. Exercising the freedom to warn, they prevent avoidable disasters before it is too late for anything except finger pointing & damage control.
Friday, November 11, 2011 Chicago Comedian and Political Cartoonist: Their Take on Occupy Movement
The wide variety of the people fascinates me. I try to choose the participants carefully to document this. It is quite different from what is suggested in most of the coverage-- the protesters are not all young hippies. So far, the blog has been flying under the radar, and you're scooping the mainstream media, but people in the know think it's a great idea.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011 Michael Ostrolenk: Conservative Activist Using Transpartisan Approach to Build Bridges (1 comments)
My intention at the conference was both to give and promote the conservative voice on the issue.It's extremely important for the center-right to realize that supporting whistle-blower protections especially in the national security realm is vital to America's economic and security interests.Fiscal conservatism, constitutionalism and prodefense stances require conservatives to not only support but to champion whisleblowers.
Sunday, November 6, 2011 Harvey Wasserman On Ohio's Upcoming Labor Rights Referendum (2 comments)
Our lives and those of our children depend on restoring whatever semblance of democracy this nation has ever had. It has always been compromised, of course. But we now have the means and ability to win a truly transparent electoral system. The corporate elite is resisting with all it has, because if we prevail, their days our numbered.If we don't, OURS are.So we have a clear platform, we know the problem, now let's solve it!
Saturday, October 22, 2011 Former Federal Air Marshal On Air Safety And Lack Of Viable Whistleblower Protection (3 comments)
I think this administration wants to protect lower-level whistleblowers, as long as they only make disclosures to executive agencies, but never to Congress. Dangerous mismanagement disclosures that embarrass the bureaucracy's senior executives will be met with dozens of agency attorneys and years of litigation using up millions of taxpayers dollars.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011 John Ennis and his documentary, "Pay 2 Play: Democracy's High Stakes"
It explores Citizens United,the barriers to newcomer candidates, and ways to reclaim our campaigns from the highest bidder. It's an essay film about what I learned from traveling throughout Ohio, the bellwether state for America's political mindset. It was condensed data and first-hand evidence detailing massive effort to suppress voters and subvert elections. The credibility was important as was its nonpartisan tone.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 Corporate by Day, Reflexologist by Night Brenda Makowsky: A Foot in Two Worlds (1 comments)
Corporate America is about me fulfilling the American dream. I can own a home, car, and travel. Reflexology is about fulfilling my dream while helping the Universe. Reflexology is a wonderful approach to treating the body holistically. Aside from the physical touch, the conversations and bond between the reflexologist and recipient can be sacred and inspiring.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 Sepp of National Taxpayers Union Joins Fight for Whistleblower Protection (2 comments)
Protecting government whistleblowers isn't a right vs. left issue, it's a right vs. wrong issue. That was one reason why I gladly accepted my invitation to serve on a panel at the Washington Whistleblower Assembly [September 18, 2011], and why I hoped to approach attendees from a trans-ideological perspective. In my opinion, such conversations lead to collaboration in the best sense of the word.
Thursday, October 6, 2011 Church Group Makes 100 Quilts for Lutheran World Relief
We give our quilts to Lutheran World Relief. In 2010, quilts went to 24 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. In warmer climes, the quilts become a bed for the children to sleep on. In most cases, the quilts provide needed warmth where family resources have been taxed by war, earthquake, or floods.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 Neglect at Edgefield Federal Prison Causes Inmate to Lose Toes (4 comments)
[Mr. Waters] has been mistreated, as so many have, simply because the prison employees can, because no one holds them accountable, even for outrageously criminal actions. Medical care deprivation and abuse, along with the corresponding falsifications of federal records to cover up wrong-doing, are very common at Edgefield, which actively engages in medical experimentation on prisoners.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011 Mimi Clayton and Mimi's Organic Exchange
Throughout the years, my team and I have found it important to educate about sustainability in a fun, social environment. The Convergence Project, Inc, a not-for-profit, stemmed from Mimi's Organic Exchange. We are looking forward to collaborating with others and promoting opportunities to improve the quality of life within our communities and for the planet. We promote earth-friendly practices and businesses.
Friday, August 12, 2011 San Francisco Lover/Caretaker Shafted by Hard-hearted HUD Regulations (3 comments)
We also had a hard time preparing for his death: We were in and out of emergency rooms way too often: about 12 times in the last 18 months, I think. When you're dealing with hospitals, medications, hospice, friends who want to help, doling out morphine, cooking and cleaning, things like housing technicalities go to the wayside. So now, I'm dealing with the technicalities - that have turned into major life-altering situations.
Thursday, August 4, 2011 Musicians United for Safe Energy Launch Mega-Concert in San Francisco this Sunday (2 comments)
On Sunday, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, CSN, the Doobie Brothers, John Hall, Sweet Honey in the Rock and many other great artists will do MUSE2 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre south of San Francisco. We are trying to finally bury the nuke industry by stopping the loan guarantees they need to build new reactors. We are also focussed on shutting existing nuke, especially Vermont Yankee, Indian Point (NY) and the four in CA.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011 A Motor Oil Company That's Both Green and Responsible? Check out Universal Lubricants (6 comments)
For the past four decades,we have been an American leader in used oil collection, new oil refining and distribution.Unlike other companies that simply bottle re-refined oil,We collect,refine,blend and re-distribute our own green motor oil insuring that every quart,every gallon consistently is of the highest quality for optimal performance.We never lose guardianship within the chain,making us the only closed loop provider
Thursday, July 28, 2011 Bob Fitrakis on New Evidence of 2004 Stolen Election in Ohio (5 comments)
The contracts signed by Connell's company and SmarTech can be read in the filing for the first time. This isn't ancient history. It is state of the art vote theft. It is tied directly to Karl Rove and partisan Republican IT operatives. It could happen in Ohio again, it could happen anywhere in the country. It appears to have just happened in Wisconsin.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 Living with ALS [Lou Gehrig's Disease] - Meet Scott and Molly Poole (7 comments)
A nursing home would literally kill Scott in a short period as they lack the hands-on nursing Scott needs.What aid programs are available to people our age force you to lose virtually everything before they help you.It's not bad enough that you're sick,you have to watch every part of your life get destroyed on top of it.The people who made the rules have gold level health care for life.They work for us;Why can't we get it too?
Monday, July 25, 2011 The Art of Therapeutic Massage (4 comments)
I sort of tripped into massage. That first day of massage school as I started to understand what massage therapists actually did, I thought, "This is what I always wanted when I thought I wanted to be a doctor." It's the whole bedside thing, and actually making people feel better, without any of the unpleasantness that can come with medical healing. I feel lucky to have one of the few careers that allows human touch.
Sunday, July 24, 2011 "Not Since Moses" Race: A Unique Opportunity to Run on the Ocean Floor
Runners are a community. So my thought while first running the sea was that I must share this with other runners. And fortunately I had the experience of organizing a big run, in the Napa Valley, for the schools.So organizing a benefit run for local schools didn't scare me as it should have. Turns out organizing and managing a big run on an ocean bottom is more difficult than most events.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011 Kelly Donoughe: How Odyssey of the Mind Inspired this Alum (4 comments)
After competing in the structure problem for several years in middle and high school, I decided that I wanted to study civil engineering in college. Odyssey honed my problem-solving skills which I could then use and apply in many of my engineering courses. I currently work full-time as a civil engineer while going to school to earn my PhD. I eventually want to teach and inspire students just like Odyssey inspired me.
Saturday, July 16, 2011 Equal Exchange: Worker-Owned Fair Trade Food Company (5 comments)
We have worked to change the food system.We import and sell coffee,cocoa,chocolate,sugar and bananas,mostly organic, from small farmer cooperatives in over 20 countries.While our main customers include natural food stores and cafés, we also partner with thousands of faith based organizations to bring fair trade to more people and communities.We even developed a fundraiser program for schools and we have a popular web store.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 Lookingglass Theatre's "The Last Act of Lilka Kadison"
We did do a lot of research to get all of the history correct, but from the beginning, we set out to write a play that would suggest not what was, but what could have been both on the personal and the global landscape. We were most interested in exploring the ways in which young people of that time and place (Poland 1939) might have lived, not how they died. It's not a play about what was, but rather what could have been.
Monday, July 11, 2011 Dr. Sam Miklus, Mastermind Behind Odyssey of the Mind (7 comments)
Why should we have a be teacher telling a kid how to build a balsa wood structure when the kid could build one that would be far superior to the teacher's?The teachers play a role in this. For example,if we're having a problem with Greek mythology,the teacher can be the motivator behind the thing rather than the fact person.It's a different way of learning,there's no question about it.Creativity is the essence of human beings.
Saturday, July 9, 2011 What WikiLeaks Reveal about Corporatism Dominating American Foreign Policy (5 comments)
Time after time, US diplomats consult with the executives of some of the largest corporations to determine how to deal with conflicts in other countries. These cables also demonstrate how our government views any threat to corporate America as a threat to the US, which is absurd. The mainstream media has been ignoring the most significant revelations exposed by these cables, which is why it's essential to write about them.
Thursday, July 7, 2011 Magazine Publisher Moonlights as Urban Beekeeper (2 comments)
I wasn't really interested in bees in the beginning. Sure, I love honey and always have. I had an uncle who kept bees and used to give us giant jars of the thick, golden liquid sunshine with the comb when I was a kid. And, after I had been keeping bees for a few years, I found out my dad had kept bees when he was in 4H. So, maybe it is in my DNA.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011 Winter in July? Trying to Stay Warm in Edgefield Prison
Last weekend was a new low-literally. There was a virtual arctic blast emanating from the ceiling vents. So,huddled in prison, we shivered. At one point, I leaned over and touched Gary's cheek with my nose.He jumped.At noon, the thermostat showed 61 degrees in the visiting room.When I left, the temperature gauge in my car indicated it was 103 out.Many of the prisoners try to sleep in sweats and hats with thermostats set at 55.
Monday, July 4, 2011 Youth Inspires Family Vacation for Tornado Disaster Relief
A friend of mine, Jamey Johnston, went down in June, and after reading his journals and seeing the pictures of how devastated the area was, I knew I wanted to get involved. I shared my interest in going down with my family and next thing I knew, it turned into a family project. I'm excited to be going down with my mom, dad, 17 year old brother, my cousin, and my friend Jamey, who is returning to Joplin for a second time.
Friday, July 1, 2011 Election Integrity Advocates Take On Internet Voting In California (9 comments)
I believe that we will block or at least alter the email voting bill that sailed through the Senate.A major difference will be that a small but dedicated network of advocates is organizing opposition to the bill. Calls and emails are pouring into assemblymembers' offices, all opposed.6 years ago,it was difficult just to be heard. Now we are better organized and definitely influencing legislation.We only fail if we quit.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011 Jim Slama Talks About FamilyFarmed.org (1 comments)
We promote sustainable and local food.Our mission is to expand the production, marketing and distribution of locally grown and responsibly produced food,in order to enhance the social, economic and environmental health of our communities.We now work with many of the largest buyers of sustainable and local food to help them purchase sustainable and local food from family farms.
Monday, June 27, 2011 GreenChoice Bank - Great Alternative to Megabanks (1 comments)
We make loans to the local and sustainable business community, to the small businesses and entrepreneurs who are creating jobs and to sustainable business and building projects. We also invest back through local community and nonprofit sponsorships and by volunteering our time. This summer, we will be moving into the Green Exchange-a building designed to be Chicago's epicenter of sustainable commerce -and we are thrilled!
Thursday, June 23, 2011 Diane Wilson, Accidental Activist and Eco-Outlaw (9 comments)
This wasn't only an environmental fight. it was a gender and class fight.Going the regular route - working inside 'the box' was not going to work on the Texas Gulf Coast.If I acted like a well-behaved little citizen, asking permission and speaking nicely to my elected officials and playing the regular game in town, my bays and the fish and the dolphins and the shrimp and the pelicans and the fishermen were gonna get creamed.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 This Librarian Is Smashing Stereotypes, One Tattoo at a Time (2 comments)
Especially if it's a custom design, the artist is going to have a great deal of input so you want to work together to come up with something that everyone is jazzed about. I do have tattoos that already existed as images but you still want to get advice from the artist about how to best interpret those images on skin. Good shops and artists will work with you to make sure everyone is happy with the result.
Sunday, June 19, 2011 Coach from Bath, Maine, on Recent World Finals of Odyssey of the Mind (1 comments)
It's an international creative problem-solving program for students from kindergarten through college. It was founded 32 years ago by Dr. Sam Micklus, a university professor in New Jersey. Today, teams from across the US and throughout the world participate each year.Teams are made up of a maximum of seven students.My team took 2nd place at the State Tournament in March in the high school division of the Classics problem.
Thursday, June 16, 2011 Award-winning Children's Author Blue Balliett on "The Danger Box" and More
I'm always fascinated by how kids -- and the rest of us -- learn most effectively. I [taught] at UC Lab Schools for ten years. Ms. Hussey and I see eye to eye philosophically, but I would probably have been fired if I'd done all of the wild things she did! I was, however, a teacher who loved to launch into unpredictable, real-world investigations with my classes, adventures driven by the curiosities of the group.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 The River Project Teaches NYC Residents about Biodiversity of Hudson River
Participants can also do water testing, learn about and measure oysters, and catch live plankton in the river and identify them under microscopes. The River Project is an excellent venue for learning and just having fun. I'm excited to come to work every day and I love to show people the wonders of the life beneath the surface. It doesn't hurt that visitors are usually on field trips so they're in good moods themselves!
Thursday, June 9, 2011 Todd Pollak on The Green Press Initiative (2 comments)
It's a nonprofit program that takes a collaborative approach to working with publishers and their suppliers to reduce the environmental impacts of the book and newspaper industries. Since paper accounts for the largest part of most publishers' environmental footprint, a lot of our focus is on sourcing environmentally responsible paper and fiber that is either recycled or certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
Monday, June 6, 2011 Bread from the Heart A Hit at Chicago Green Festival (2 comments)
Bread from the Heart is my contribution to the local, sustainable living movement. It seems to me that such a basic, bread, should be pure, nutritious, and, of course, tasty. I also believe that it is important to teach children about nutrition and give them the opportunity for hands on experience with making food. I teach kids about grains and flour by using a grain mill attached to a stationary bike to make flour.
Saturday, June 4, 2011 Stephen Crockett and the College Student Activist Recruitment Campaign
I realized that progressive and reform movements,organizations and candidates have great appeal to college students but that appeal was not being systematically and professionally tapped on an ongoing basis.We need to recruit these student activists constantly and feed them into our efforts from every campus in America. to educate them about our issues,events,actions, volunteer opportunities,internship opportunities and jobs.
Thursday, June 2, 2011 Young Chicago Entrepreneur Brings Green Cleaning Products to Market (3 comments)
People have to clean no matter how bad the economy gets. There is an amazing power that comes with a great idea in business. It's just one of those things that can't be stopped. I have always felt like my success in business would be largely based on how good my idea is, no matter what the climate. It was this thinking, combined with some risk taking and confidence, that led me to still start my business.
Sunday, May 29, 2011 Celebrating 15 Years of Independent, Ad-Free YES! Magazine (2 comments)
This isn't feel-good fluff. It's smart to find out what works. All too often, progressives focus on flaws and failures -- our own and other peoples'. At YES!, we look for the possibility embedded even in difficult times. We want to celebrate people taking action and especially celebrate and understand successes. That helps energize everyone.
Thursday, May 26, 2011 Catskill Mountainkeeper Reports on PA Fracking (2 comments)
We can't undo the damage that's been done. We can,though,learn from our mistakes so we don't continue to roll the dice on the futures of our waters and health. Our environment is too precious for that kind of gamble. We must stop relying on this industry to police itself and embrace our responsibility to put in place the safeguards we need and the enforcement authority that's required to keep essential protections effective.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 Hobi, Service Dog In Training (4 comments)
When we got him,he showed a special sensitivity to my pain.He would lie on the part of my body that hurt - without my input.He is always by my side, watching me.When I'm at physical therapy, if he sees my balance fail,he jumps to get under me.If I stop swimming and float in the middle for a time because of pain or a cramp,he will stand up and bark and not stop until I am out of the water and next to him or start to swim again.
Sunday, May 22, 2011 Is This Megadairy A Threat to Health and Livelihood of NW Illinois Residents? (9 comments)
For the last two and a half years, dozens of volunteers and hundreds of supporters have battled this facility in the courts and in the papers, took photographs and water samples of discharges, filed reports with the IEPA,the US EPA, the AG, had informational meetings all over Northern IL, and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to stop a facility that never should have received a permit had state law been properly followed
Saturday, May 21, 2011 FAN Brings Great Programs to Parents of New Trier Township
Dr. Carol Dweck is one of the most highly-regarded researchers in the field of motivation and learning in the world. Her theories about "growth" and "fixed" mindsets have wide application in many areas, including education, sports, and business -- really, any field that is vested in maximizing human potential. Her work speaks directly to the issues of student success, failure, resilience, motivation and learning.
Monday, May 16, 2011 A Closer Look at the Ongoing Wisconsin Recount (10 comments)
I got interested in the WI Supreme Court recount because I was appalled that the Waukesha County Clerk could fail to report an entire city's vote total-over 14,000 votes!-and just say oops and not have anyone look into it.If you or I failed that colossally at our job,we would be fired.I want to know what happened.People are angry over this.We have a right to oversee the voting system and make sure it is fair and functional.
Thursday, May 12, 2011 After Plane Crash, Lynda Fishman Chose Life (2 comments)
In 2008, I was in a dark place in my life. While the loss of my job was nothing compared to what I lost as a young teen, the familiar feelings that accompany any loss are the same -- heavy sadness, hopelessness, fear, and just an overall feeling of gloom and weakness. Those familiar painful feelings of loss and sadness brought back those horrible memories of my teen years - memories I had kept tightly bandages for many years.
Monday, May 9, 2011 World-renowned Executive Coach's Observations on Human-Based Leadership
Human-based leadership is based on leading through what I call 'humanness' rather than command-and-obey, "do as I say" leadership. It's having power with people, not having power over people so, in effect, humanity-based as opposed to power-based. I define human-based leaders as people who marry a passion for what they do with compassion for those with whom they do it.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011 Literary Agent Shares Trade Secrets With New Writers (6 comments)
With the rise of the web, new ideas are not enough. Today, publishing is all about story telling, and that applies to serious nonfiction--yes, even a work of history and science has to tell a story--self-help, memoir, and virtually every other publishing genre. Many people fail to understand that a book can be the story of an idea or a time, as well as the story of an individual or group of individuals.
Sunday, May 1, 2011 Mary Allen and Northern Cook County's Award-Winning Recycling Program (1 comments)
I would like to ask your readers to take inventory of their consumption practices, and make a pledge to do something more each day to reduce waste and conserve resources, as well as educate themselves about safer household, person care and lawn care products. Let's choose be on the team that stands for long-term solutions for a healthier and sustainable future.
Friday, April 29, 2011 Fed Up With Corporate Tax Dodgers? Check Out PayUpNow.org! (3 comments)
Pay Up Now is an online effort to promote boycotts of corporations that pay little or no federal income tax. We investigate financial documents and data from other reliable sources to tell the facts about tax avoidance and other forms of irresponsibility among Fortune 500 firms. Average Americans are tired of subsidizing corporations who use American research, infrastructure, and national security without paying for it.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011 Catching Up with Syd Mandelbaum of Rock and Wrap It Up!
RWU nominated the NHL franchises in Detroit, Columbus, Minneapolis and Chicago for Environmental Quality Awards and they were presented on-ice in pre-game presentations. Each team had joined Sports Wrap! Over 11 tons of concession food were recovered during the 2010-2011 season equalling 18,000 meals.RWU was highlighted last week on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, which generated huge interest throughout North America.
Friday, April 22, 2011 David Gladstein Helps College Grads Land a Job
We focused on the skills required for a successful job search, but it's equally important to address physical and emotional well being during this stressful time. It's easy to become discouraged during an extended job search. Maintaining a healthy balance between the steps involved in the job search process with physical and social activity will help to maintain a positive outlook.
Monday, April 18, 2011 From Suburbia to Organic and Sustainable on Missoula Farm (6 comments)
Our farm would not be possible without a market in the area for local food. Restaurants in the area would not buy our produce if it was not important to consumers to eat that food. Missoula is a place where I have easily been able to connect to a community in which local food is a priority.I hope to take my skills to a community that is not so educated in local food and that does not have fresh food readily available.
Friday, April 15, 2011 Loyola's Biodiesel Lab Fuels Campus Shuttles and Visions of Energy Independence
Our Biodiesel Program was student-built, is primarily student-run, and is an interdisciplinary project. We don't just have chemistry students or environmental studies students in the lab. We get students from every department at the university to approach the issue of environmental sustainability in a holistic fashion. So we focus on all aspects of biodiesel from chemistry and politics, to education and marketing.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 Dr. Amy Banks on Keeping Those Grey Cells Fit As We Age (4 comments)
Not only does exercise keep your body fit, but it contributes to keeping your brain flexible and adaptable. One of the issues, particularly with advanced aging, is a sense of isolation as friends and family may be dying.I think people need to be able to maintain community and connections, opportunities to interact.The physiology of healthy relationship contributes to building a brain that is continuing to grow.
Monday, April 11, 2011 Symphony of Science - The Music Video That's Actually Good for You! (11 comments)
Symphony of Science is a music video series that remixes the powerful words of influential scientists and makes them sing about their subjects, through the use of auto-tuning techniques. A Glorious Dawn, garnered an unexpected amount of success and praise and amassed a million views in under a month.Since then, I have released nine videos on topics like evolution, the brain, space exploration, the big bang theory, and more.
Friday, April 8, 2011 Richard Mandell and the PanAfrican Acupuncture Project
When the US press finally began to cover the epidemic in Africa, I had a very visceral response: I was going to go to Africa to provide acupuncture. Of course, it didn't take long for me to realize that no matter how hard I worked, my efforts would not help enough people. So I chose to mirror a model of which I was already aware--by training others how to provide the treatments, access to acupuncture would increase greatly.
Thursday, April 7, 2011 Deborah Emin, e-Publishing and the Sullivan Street Press
What distinguishes our plans from the traditional ones is that we want to be involved in the process of making the book and even more importantly, helping all authors to understand how the new ways of marketing to readers are really about creating communities of readers and writers who do read and write because there are things that need to be done and understood about the world that can only be accomplished this way.
Monday, April 4, 2011 Bob Fitrakis on Ohio Republicans' New Jim Crow Voter ID law that Disenfranchises 900,000 Voters (2 comments)
I'd like to see more direct confrontations between the legislators who are passing these bills and voting rights advocates. The tactics used in the civil rights movement in the early 60s - nonviolent sit-ins, demonstrations, protests -need to be re-embraced. As in WI,I think people need to occupy the Statehouse in Columbus and not leave until the issue is publicly debated, not just by the legislature, but by the people too.
Saturday, April 2, 2011 Job Hunting Tips from Author of "What Color is Your Parachute?"
So, a funny thing happened to me, on the way to church. While just trying to help some campus ministers who were hanging on the ropes, I accidentally wrote a best-selling book.I didn't write it to be that.I didn't write it to make money, I only wrote it to be helpful. I didn't know that with its annual revisions (which I required) and with teaching from it all around the world, it would take over my whole life, [since] 1970.
Thursday, March 31, 2011 On the Road with Sue Wilson and "Broadcast Blues" (1 comments)
Corporations have been hiding the fact that they are responsible to their local viewers and listeners (even the Supreme Court has affirmed that fact). The corpos REALLY don't want people to get that,so I am shining a light so people can understand their rights.But just understanding that is not enough;if we are going to restore the discourse our beloved Democracy requires, We the People need to take back our public airways.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011 Argonne Lab's Head of Vulnerability Assessment Team Disses Election Security (7 comments)
If we can have about 15 seconds of access to most security devices (and presumably most voting machines),we can hijack them.This can occur at the factory, in transit, on the loading dock, in storage, while sitting around in the school hallways, etc. Thus, a cradle to grave, secure chain of custody is vital for any security device or voting machine.A chain of custody is a process,not a piece of paper bureaucrats scribble on.
Monday, March 28, 2011 Visiting Annie Salafsky's Organic Farm (2 comments)
Anyone with an interest in agriculture [should] pursue it as a career, no matter who they are or what their circumstance. Country living is peaceful and working with plants is deeply gratifying. Food is of utmost important to everyone. Knowing where it comes from and who grows it, or even better having the privilege of growing your own provides a profound sense of satisfaction.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011 Shalom Klein, the Networkers' Networker
There is a statistic out there that 90-95% of job openings out there are not posted online. Both business and employment opportunities require real relationship and personal connections. I am excited about our successes but look forward to doing even more and serving as a resource to your readers. The strength is in numbers, if we can come together - we will be able to accomplish huge things for our business community.
Monday, March 21, 2011 Family Farm Defenders Send 53 Tractors to Madison Rally (5 comments)
Grassroots opposition has been steadily growing as more and more folks realize what is at stake. First it was being portrayed as just an attack on public sector workers, but then when his budget came out people saw the true nature of his ideological agenda to downsize, privatize, and outsource all sorts of other essential services even selling off state owned power plants to the Koch Brothers without competitive bidding!
Friday, March 18, 2011 Husband and Wife Collaborate on "No Secret Where Elephants Walk" (2 comments)
We were used to operating solo. And we contemplated that the project could go one of two ways:Either it could be good fun.Or it could lead to the end of a 45 year-old marriage.I think the relationship was preserved because it was VERY clear who had ownership of which part.Of course,when it came time to write the intro to the book,that took us about 106 drafts. Arnie: I think the intro only took 104 drafts but I could be wrong.
Monday, March 14, 2011 Producer Michael Dorf Brings "Downtown Seder" to Chicago April 13
It's a full Seder, but taking the classic story from the Haggadah and dividing it up into about 20 parts which I then distribute between musicians, comedians, political figures, writers, thinkers, etc. The timeless story of liberation from slavery transcends us Jews and provides a great reminder of all the struggles for freedom around the globe from the Holocaust to genocide today in Darfur, civil rights struggles all over.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011 Devora Kimelman-Block, KOL Foods and The Virtues of Grass-Fed Meat (3 comments)
They need to be 100% grass-fed. They need to use no pesticides, fertilizers, hormones, antibiotics, arsenic or animal by-products as a part of their program. There are a limited amount of 100% grass-fed animals in the US because there is such demand since 100% grass-fed meat is so much healthier and better for the environment. But there is more and more interest among farmers, so as demand grows, supply grows.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011 Harvard Study: Personal Medical Bankruptcies NOT Controlled by MA Health Plan (5 comments)
The single-payer movement in VT has pushed the state's politicians to embrace single-payer reform for that state, and Gov. Shumlin and Sen. Sanders are publicly committed to fighting to get the federal waivers necessary to implement such reform. At a national level, it is clear to policy analysts that the Obama reform did not resolve the two major problems - access to care and costs. This will become clear in 2014.
Sunday, March 6, 2011 Edgefield Prison's Commitment to "Maintaining Family and Community Ties"? (9 comments)
He was threatened and has been targeted by employees of the prison, who then exacted retaliation against him (and me) for making known the illegal conditions of his confinement. The prison handbook states the prisoners have the right to make known the conditions of their confinement, but what isn't said is that those who exercise their rights pay a very high price, as their family and friends - those who love them.
Thursday, March 3, 2011 Mark Andersen, Reporting from Madison (9 comments)
I am a Madison native, an Army vet. Son of a Teamster. I work for a phone company in the IS (Information Systems department) and I am pursuing a Masters degree in writing. I am not a radical...had you told me that I would be joining a protest march, I would have told you that you were nuts!
Monday, February 28, 2011 Marlene Targ Brill on "Anne Shapiro and the Clothing Workers' Strike" (2 comments)
I couldn't help think about connections between my book and today's events. People forget why unions were needed and organized. They are short-sighted to think all workplace ills have been solved, and now the problem comes down to dollars and cents. I still hear how awfully my teacher friends are treated and how decisions from higher-ups damage education for students.
Sunday, February 27, 2011 Chicago's Stage Left Theatre Presents "An Enemy of the People" Opening March 1 (1 comments)
It's about a man who discovers that his town's major tourist attraction could potentially be harming people, and what happens to the community and his standing in it when he realizes that he could save lives or bankrupt his community. It's very much about public opinion, how the majority can be swayed, personal attack versus reasoned discourse and the role of the press in politics. It's a pretty heartbreaking family drama.
Friday, February 25, 2011 Veterinarian Nicholas Trout on "Ever By My Side, A Memoir in Eight Pets" (3 comments)
In the twenty-first century, we lead complicated lives and to me, our relationships with pets have become increasingly important because of the simplicity and purity of the emotions we get to share with them. Pets can be trusted. Our time together is uncomplicated by disapproval, resentment, or conflict. In our world of doomed and dangerous relationships, pets offer love without the risk.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 Singer/Performer Linda Eder on Her Life and Career
I was extremely shy about singing in front of anyone. I sang all the time but only when I was alone or sometimes with my younger brother. It was very hard for me to get up the nerve to audition for choir in 7th grade. I wanted to do it so desperately but it was like a small death to actually put myself out there. Singing in front of audiences became easier but I am still very shy about singing casually in front of friends.
Saturday, February 19, 2011 Katrina Through the Lens of Filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal (2 comments)
Our challenge was to find these stories, and to distill them into a fluid narrative without recycling the images, sensationalizing the story, or re-inscribing the racist stereotypes that had saturated the 24 hour news cycle. We found the real deal --smart, funny, undefeated, and determined survivors who were struggling to overcome not only Katrina and its aftermath but also a system that had failed them throughout their lives.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 Global Goods Partners: Handmade, Fair Trade Gifts That Support Women
GGP is a nonprofit, international development and fair trade organization all in one.We work with over 40 artisan communities in 22 countries throughout Africa,Asia and the Americas.Our mission is to alleviate poverty and provide sustainable livelihoods in some of the poorest communities.By working with women-led producer groups, we help create economic opportunity by importing unique, handmade and quality fashion accessories.
Monday, February 14, 2011 "Voice Teacher" Debuts at Louisville Derby City Film Festival February 20th
To enter this particular studio, pupils must embrace the psyche behind the training.The film catapults you into every aspect of Don's hyperactive personality. It also explores how his roots in the synagogue drove Don to become a cantor and rabbi, where he combined artistic singing with religious purpose. This is a psychological profile of a man who has dedicated most of his adult life to facilitating the human voice.
Friday, February 11, 2011 Literature for All of Us - We Open Worlds By Opening Books
We are a not for profit organization that empowers teen parents and other underserved youth to transform their lives.Our innovative program blends reading and creative writing with discussion in weekly book groups that build confidence and create community.The wonderful worlds of imagination and learning available through the written word-of others and ourselves. Literacy is about understanding the world and our place in it.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011 Ariel Sabar's "Heart of the City" Launched in Time for Valentine's Day
Heart of the City is as much an homage to New York as it is a high-five to people with the guts and savvy to find love in any big city. Finding love requires us to take a gamble, to suspend a certain measure of caution. The downside is the hurt when the risks don't pay off. But as I hope the stories of these nine couples show, you can't win if you don't play.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011 Glynn Wilson on the Huffington Post/AOL Merger (1 comments)
I would view it as another in a long line of corporate takeovers of independent media. It may not big as big as Comcast buying NBC and sacking Keith Olbermann. But it is another indication that Corporate America is fully-funded, thanks to the Bush-Roberts Supreme Court. And they are coming after any media they can get out of the way of telling the truth -- even if they have to buy them out to get rid of them.
Monday, February 7, 2011 Ann Medlock and the Giraffe Heroes Project - Sticking Their Necks Out for the Public Good (4 comments)
We tell the stories of mostly unknown people who stick their necks out for the common good and we give people tools to use in following those heroes' leads. It's a way to enCourage the heroes among us and to get more people involved in the world around them. Without citizen engagement, societies die. Our original focus was on this society, but it's gone global now, as it should.
Saturday, February 5, 2011 Mary Pipher: Writing to Change the World (10 comments)
Stories have the power to open hearts, change minds and inspire action. They can be very simple. Generally when a story deeply moves me, it will move others.They speak directly to the emotions. And they reach both sides of the brain. Stories are not right brain or left brain: they are whole brain. They integrate complicated information from all over the brain in ways that form meaning and pleasure.
Thursday, February 3, 2011 Localeaks for Anonymous News Tips to 1500 News Organizations (5 comments)
Anonymous tips have always played an important role in journalism. It's surprising that it took this long to give digital users some viable options. With less and less journalists on newspaper staffs, one major concern has been the ability of the press to effectively continue its vital role of watchdog journalism. I think this will help.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011 The GreaterGood Network - Making it So Easy to Do Good (3 comments)
The idea began with Jim Breem, who wanted to develop a type of Internet advertising that would benefit charity.100% of the funds paid by these sponsoring advertisers goes to GreaterGood Network's charitable partners.That first website expanded to be a network of charitable websites devoted to six major causes, all having a "click to give" component as well as giving visitors other simple and easy ways to contribute to a cause.
Monday, January 31, 2011 SC Republican Commodities Broker Uses FOIA to Investigate Electronic Voting (6 comments)
I had no political agenda whatsoever when I began my investigation. Putting party over principle is not healthy for our country in the long run. This is the one issue where everyone should come work together in a non-partisan manner. I would be honored to talk about what I have learned and share with them why our election system desperately needs changing, regardless of whether they were vegetarians or Libertarians.
Thursday, January 27, 2011 Ellen Singer Talks Us Through Living with Cancer
What does it mean to use the survivor term specifically for cancer patients? Do we call long-time MS patients or diabetes patients survivors? For better or worse, a vast array of diseases are out there wreaking havoc on human bodies every day. In my experience, no diseases are welcomed by patients but they call on us to do our very best at living before, during, and after whatever treatments accompany our diagnosis.
