Sunday, March 28, 2010

Truism


Computers can never completely replace humans.
They may become capable of artificial intelligence,
but they will never master real stupidity.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Mastectomy Bill is in Congress now

Written by a surgeon.

I'll never forget the look in my patients eyes when I had to tell them
they had to go home with the drains, new exercises and no breast. I
remember begging the doctors to keep these women in the hospital
longer, only to hear that they would, but their hands were tied by the
insurance companies.

So there I sat with my patient giving them the instructions they
needed to take care of themselves, knowing full well they didn't grasp
half of what I was saying, because the glazed, hopeless, frightened
look spoke louder than the quiet 'Thank you' they muttered.

A mastectomy is when a woman's breast is removed in order to remove
cancerous breast cells/tissue. If you know anyone who has had a
mastectomy, you may know that there is a lot of discomfort and pain
afterwards. Insurance companies are trying to make mastectomies an
outpatient procedure. Let's give women the chance to recover properly
in the hospital for 2 days after surgery.

This Mastectomy Bill is in Congress now. It takes 2 seconds to do this
and is very important. Please take the time and do it really quick!
The Breast Cancer Hospitalization Bill is important legislation for
all women.

Please send this to everyone in your address Book. If there was ever a
time when our voices and choices should be heard, this is one of those
times. If you're receiving this, it's because I think you will take
the 30 seconds to go to vote on this issue and send it on to others
you know who will do the same.

There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which
will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital
stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the
'drive-through mastectomy' where women are forced to go home just a
few hours after surgery, against the wishes of their doctor, still
groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still
attached.

Lifetime Television has put this bill on their web page with a
petition drive to show your support.. Last year over half the House
signed on. PLEASE! Sign the petition by clicking on the web site
below. You need not give more than your name and zip code number..

http://www.mylifetime.com/community/my-lifetime-commitment/breast-cancer/petition/breast-cancer-petition


This takes about 2 seconds. PLEASE PASS THIS ON to your 20 friends.


Mastectomy Bill is in Congress now

Written by a surgeon.

I'll never forget the look in my patients eyes when I had to tell them
they had to go home with the drains, new exercises and no breast. I
remember begging the doctors to keep these women in the hospital
longer, only to hear that they would, but their hands were tied by the
insurance companies.

So there I sat with my patient giving them the instructions they
needed to take care of themselves, knowing full well they didn't grasp
half of what I was saying, because the glazed, hopeless, frightened
look spoke louder than the quiet 'Thank you' they muttered.

A mastectomy is when a woman's breast is removed in order to remove
cancerous breast cells/tissue. If you know anyone who has had a
mastectomy, you may know that there is a lot of discomfort and pain
afterwards. Insurance companies are trying to make mastectomies an
outpatient procedure. Let's give women the chance to recover properly
in the hospital for 2 days after surgery.

This Mastectomy Bill is in Congress now. It takes 2 seconds to do this
and is very important. Please take the time and do it really quick!
The Breast Cancer Hospitalization Bill is important legislation for
all women.

Please send this to everyone in your address Book. If there was ever a
time when our voices and choices should be heard, this is one of those
times. If you're receiving this, it's because I think you will take
the 30 seconds to go to vote on this issue and send it on to others
you know who will do the same.

There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which
will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital
stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the
'drive-through mastectomy' where women are forced to go home just a
few hours after surgery, against the wishes of their doctor, still
groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still
attached.

Lifetime Television has put this bill on their web page with a
petition drive to show your support.. Last year over half the House
signed on. PLEASE! Sign the petition by clicking on the web site
below. You need not give more than your name and zip code number..

http://www.mylifetime.com/community/my-lifetime-commitment/breast-cancer/petition/breast-cancer-petition


This takes about 2 seconds. PLEASE PASS THIS ON to your 20 friends.


Monday, March 22, 2010

How the People in My District Got Stupak to Change His Mind -- and Thus Saved the Health Care Bill ...a letter from Michael Moore

How the People in My District Got Stupak to Change His Mind -- and Thus
Saved the Health Care Bill ...a letter from Michael Moore

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Friends,

Well, our full court press on my congressman, Bart Stupak worked!
Hundreds of my neighbors here in his Michigan district spent the weekend
organizing thousands of voters to get busy and save the health care
bill. We called Stupak's congressional office non-stop and we got
thousands of people up here to flood his email box
<http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/my-personal-note-morning-my-neighbors-here-bart-stupaks-district>.


And then a rare thing happened: An elected representative did what the
people told him to do. It was nothing short of amazing.

Stupak, and his seven "right to life" Democrats who had said they would
vote against the bill, reversed themselves after what Stupak said Sunday
afternoon was a week of his staff having "really taken a pounding." Hey,
all we did here in northern Michigan was let him know that we would be
unceremoniously tossing him out of Congress in this August's Democratic
primary. One of our group announced she would oppose him in the Dem
primary. That seemed to register with him.

All of this made Stupak look pretty worn down at his press conference
yesterday, pleading with people like us to stop calling his house and
waking his wife "at two or three in the morning." Hey! That's not us. We
never call during Carson Daly!

Obama needed 216 votes in the House last night -- and he barely got them
(219 was the final number). Had Stupak not done a 180 in the last 24
hours, the health care bill would have gone down in flames. Thank you,
to all of you here in northern Michigan who did what had to be done. You
and you alone saved this bill in the final moments.

Stupak stood on the floor of the House last night and, in a surreal
moment, spoke against the "Stupak Amendment"! Once he got through his
medieval meanderings about where babies come from, he gave one helluva
speech.

And, that's when Republican congressman Randy Neugebauer of Texas
shouted out: "Baby killer! <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXmMSnGKYvk>"
Wow. I guess the fertilized egg police felt betrayed by Bart.

Those of us here in Michigan will now decide what to do about our
misguided congressman. We're a forgiving lot, but maybe not this time.
We shall see.

Bart, I'm glad you discovered you didn't have a uterus. And, like the
scarecrow, I'm glad you found a bit of your brain.

A good night it was -- important little steps were taken to bring our
country into the civilized world.

Now, we have some real work to do if we really want to say we have
universal health care. The sharks who run the insurance companies have
every intention of turning this lemon into some very profitable lemonade.

Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com <mailto:mmflint@aol.com>
MichaelMoore.com <http://www.michaelmoore.com/>

P.S. Someday, the Hyde Amendment is going to have to go. No Democratic
president should ever agree to anything that discriminates against women.


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The Great Thing About the Health Care Law That Has Passed? It Will Save Republican Lives, Too (An Open Letter to Republicans from Michael Moore)

The Great Thing About the Health Care Law That Has Passed? It Will Save Republican Lives, Too (An Open Letter to Republicans from Michael Moore)

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

To My Fellow Citizens, the Republicans:

Thanks to last night's vote, that child of yours who has had asthma since birth will now be covered after suffering for her first nine years as an American child with a pre-existing condition.

Thanks to last night's vote, that 23-year-old of yours who will be hit one day by a drunk driver and spend six months recovering in the hospital will now not go bankrupt because you will be able to keep him on your insurance policy.

Thanks to last night's vote, after your cancer returns for the third time -- racking up another $200,000 in costs to keep you alive -- your insurance company will have to commit a criminal act if they even think of dropping you from their rolls.

Yes, my Republican friends, even though you have opposed this health care bill, we've made sure it is going to cover you, too, in your time of need. I know you're upset right now. I know you probably think that if you did get wiped out by an illness, or thrown out of your home because of a medical bankruptcy, that you would somehow pull yourself up by your bootstraps and survive. I know that's a comforting story to tell yourself, and if John Wayne were still alive I'm sure he could make that into a movie for you.

But the reality is that these health insurance companies have only one mission: To take as much money from you as they can -- and then work like demons to deny you whatever coverage and help they can should you get sick.

So, when you find yourself suddenly broadsided by a life-threatening illness someday, perhaps you'll thank those pinko-socialist, Canadian-loving Democrats and independents for what they did Sunday evening.

If it's any consolation, the thieves who run the health insurance companies will still get to deny coverage to adults with pre-existing conditions for the next four years. They'll also get to cap an individual's annual health care reimbursements for the next four years. And if they break the pre-existing ban that was passed last night, they'll only be fined $100 a day! And, the best part? The law will require all citizens who aren't poor or old to write a check to a private insurance company. It's truly a banner day for these corporations.

So don't feel too bad. We're a long way from universal health care. Over 15 million Americans will still be uncovered -- and that means about 15,000 will still lose their lives each year because they won't be able to afford to see a doctor or get an operation. But another 30,000 will live. I hope that's ok with you.

If you don't mind, we're now going to get busy trying to improve upon this bill so that all Americans are covered and so the grubby health insurance companies will be put out of business -- because when it comes to helping the sick, no one should ever be allowed to ask the question, "How much money can we save by making this poor bastard suffer?"

Please, my Republican friends, if you can, take a quiet moment away from your AM radio and cable news network this morning and be happy for your country. We're doing better. And we're doing it for you, too.

Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com

P.S. I'll have more to say on this tonight, live on CNN, at 9pm ET. I'll be talking with Larry King about the health care bill and where we go from here, considering we still don't have universal health care.

P.P.S. In case you missed these photos in yesterday's NY Times Sunday Magazine... That's the results of seven years of madness. The Iraq War began its 8th year this weekend. How can we remove more of those responsible for this tragedy in November?


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Sunday, March 21, 2010

Chih-Min "Jim" Yen

Chih-Min "Jim" Yen

Photo
* Chih-Min "Jim" Yen of Vestal

* Chih-Min Yen, 87, of Vestal, died at home on Tuesday, March 16, 2010.
He is survived by Ping, his loving wife of 63 years; his son, David; his
brother, William; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was born in Wu
Tai, Shanxi Province, China. He was the fourth of five sons of Marshal
Yen Hsi-shan, governor for many years of Shanxi province in China. Jim
and Ping met and married in China before immigrating to the U.S. in
1949. He graduated from Union College in 1953 and received a Master's
degree from the University of Rochester in 1962, the same year that they
both became U.S. citizens. They moved to the Triple Cities in 1963,
where he worked for IBM in Owego for many years. After leaving IBM he
was president of Chenango Products before becoming a consultant until he
retired. Jim and Ping helped found the Triple Cities Chinese School and
were active in the Chinese Arts Association and other community
organizations. He was a grandfather figure to many of his friends'
children.

A Memorial Service will be held at noon at Allen Memorial Home, 511 E.
Main Street, Endicott on Saturday, March 20. The family will receive
friends from 10 a.m. to noon at the funeral home. Entombment will be at
the Vestal Hills Memorial Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial
donations may be made to the American Civic Society, 131 Front Street,
Binghamton NY 13905.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

My Congressman, Bart Stupak, Has Neither a Uterus Nor a Brain ...a letter from Michael Moore

My Congressman, Bart Stupak, Has Neither a Uterus Nor a Brain ...a letter from Michael Moore

Friday, March 19th, 2010

Friends,

I live in Michigan, in one of the 31 counties represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by none other than Mr. Bart Stupak, a Democrat. You've probably never heard of him. He's a pretty quiet guy, a former Michigan State Police trooper who boldly decided to run some 18 years ago as a Democrat in a rural part of Michigan that votes almost exclusively for Republicans (yes, I know -- what am I doing here? I'll save that story for a future letter).

His voting record is pretty conservative for a Democrat, but he's had a few shining moments. In the wake of the Columbine shootings, he voted for some gun control, a not-too-popular position to take here in northern Michigan. The NRA came after him with all they had in 2000.

But the good people of this area knew Bart's story and understood: He's been touched personally by gun violence. In a terrible tragedy, his teenage son, depressed and confused from the medication he'd been prescribed, killed himself with the family's .38 revolver. Despite the NRA's best efforts, Bart was returned to Congress by an overwhelming margin.

Yet, here we are, just days before a weak, simple-minded, but now ultimately necessary health care bill has a chance of making it through Congress -- and Bart Stupak is threatening to derail it because he wants to make sure that no woman WHO BUYS HER OWN INSURANCE with HER OWN MONEY is able to have a medically-insured abortion. We're not talkin' about federally-funded abortions -- those were stupidly outlawed long ago. Bart Stupak doesn't like that the Democrats' bill doesn't prohibit private insurance programs, set up for those whose employers don't provide it, from providing abortion coverage if they get any federal funding -- even to an individual woman paying without any government help. That's it.

A group representing most of America's 59,000 Catholic nuns has written to Congress and said that Obama's health care plan should be passed. Stupak, instead, has chosen to diss the nuns. Last night he went on TV and dug his heels in -- he said he intended to stop this health care bill and he didn't care what anyone had to say.

Now, it would be easy for some to just pass this attitude off on his Catholicism -- he believes what he believes and you have to respect him for that, even if you don't agree with him. But it's not that simple. It turns out that Stupak has been living in a subsidized room in the "C Street House," run by the infamous right-wing Christian cult "The Family." It was in this former convent that GOP Rep. Chip Pickering (according to his former wife) carried on the affair that ended his marriage. It's where South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford sought refuge as his marriage fell apart thanks to HIS affair. And then there's C Street roommate Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, who cheated on his wife with the wife of one of his top staffers. (The Justice Department is currently investigating whether Ensign committed a felony while paying off his aide to keep him quiet.)

C Street is where power, money, sex and religion meet. So am I led to believe that Bart Stupak lives in a brothel and belongs to a cult? He says he was just renting a room there. But that just doesn't ring true. Something stinks to the high heavens here, and Stupak sees no irony in taking his holier-than-thou position while living in a house that should be dubbed "Hypocrites' Hideaway."

If Stupak were truly pro-life then he'd vote for this bill. Right now, a mother in the U.S. has a TEN times greater chance of dying in childbirth than a mother does in Ireland. If you really wanted to reduce abortions, you'd have to ask yourself this question: Why does godless France, where abortion is nearly free (it's covered by their universal health insurance), have 20% fewer abortions per capita than we do? What's even more amazing about that statistic is that you can't even get an abortion in America in 87% of our counties because there isn't one single doctor in those counties who will perform one! 87%!! The Right has scared them all to death -- literally -- out of performing an otherwise legal, safe procedure. So, you can say women have "choice" in this country, but the reality is the "choice" doesn't exist in the majority of the nation. "Right to Life" has essentially won this battle. (My personal position: I don't get to have a position -- I don't have a uterus. If a Senate that was 90% female told me I couldn't have a vasectomy or made it a crime to leave the toilet seat up, I guess I might object.)

What is "life"? An egg is life, a sperm is life. Those sperm aren't running on a battery pack. They are living creatures, as is a fertilized egg. But they're not "human beings." A human being is something that can exist outside the womb of a mother. If you think a fertilized egg is a human being, then I respectfully ask you to go down to the DMV today and have them change your birthday on your driver's license to 9 months older than what you've been telling everybody.

So back to my question. Why do we have an abortion rate 20% higher than France's (and more than twice as high as Germany's), especially considering most doctors here won't perform them? The answer is ANY country that has universal health care, where contraception is free, where child care is free or inexpensive, where there is less poverty because people don't become bankrupt over medical bills -- those societies are simply going to have fewer unplanned and unwanted pregnancies.

And there the mask gets pulled off the Bart Stupaks and the "Christians." If the statistics show that countries with government-provided universal health care and nearly-free abortions are, in fact, the countries with the fewest abortions, then why on earth wouldn't the Right be the first in line to support universal health care?!!

Because it isn't about "universal health care." It's about controlling women, period. It's about sticking your nose in other people's business. It's about pushing your religious beliefs on everyone else because voices in your head tell you your Jesus is The One -- even though YOUR Jesus never said one single solitary word in any of the four gospels of the Bible about abortion or fertilized eggs being human. You've just gone and made it up about "life beginning at conception." Jesus NEVER said that. The little voice in your head said that, the same little voice that wants your grubby paws on women's uteruses. You need help. Please get some help and leave the rest of us alone, Mr. Stupak and friends.

After all, isn't it enough that women can't get an abortion in any of the 31 Michigan counties you represent in Congress? There is not one single abortion provider here in the north of the state, according to Planned Parenthood Mid and South Michigan. Hey, Bart -- you've already won! Women's rights have been stamped out in your entire Congressional district! Woo hoo!

So why don't you leave the rest of the country alone, step out of the way, and let them have the minimal health coverage this bill will give them? You wouldn't really crush the sick and infirm because of your own personal agenda, would you? What would Jesus do?

In the meantime, Bart, my neighbors and I are going to make sure a real Democrat runs against you in August's primary here. One of our religious beliefs in these parts is to never impose our religious beliefs on others.

Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com


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Thursday, March 18, 2010

Irish Diplomacy

Irish diplomacy is the ability to tell someone to go to hell and make them feel excited about the trip.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

How do I make a Leopard recovery disc? - Silicon Lust - Blogs - PC Authority

http://www.pcauthority.com.au/BlogEntry/138342,how-do-i-make-a-leopard-recovery-disc.aspx

The Green They Steal, The Greed They Wear ...a St. Patrick's Day lament by Michael Moore

The Green They Steal, The Greed They Wear ...a St. Patrick's Day lament by Michael Moore

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

Friends,

It was amazing. Every story on the front page of Tuesday's New York Times told the story of the Age of Greed during which a system known as capitalism is slowly, but surely, killing us:

Insurance company greed: "Millions Spent to Sway Democrats on Health Care"

War profiteers: "Contractors Tied to Effort to Track and Kill Militants"

There's no profit in repairing our infrastructure: "Repair Costs Daunting as Water Lines Crumble"

China, the bank: "China Uses Rules on Global Trade to Its Advantage"

You mean NAFTA didn't improve life in Mexico: "Two Drug Slayings in Mexico Rock US Consulate"

What happens when Big Food profits from hurting kids: "Forget Goofing Around: Recess Has New Boss"

There's now a daily parade of news like this -- well, not really "news," more like the media division of large corporations shoving your face into the dirt that is your life. You already know the schools are a disaster and the war is a boon for the Halliburtons and a bust for you. You don't need a newspaper to tell you the roads and electrical lines and the local sewage plant is in miserable disrepair.

And by now you've figured out that you don't really have any say in this, that what we call the "democratic process" is mostly a sham, pretty words that get repeated in the hopes we will all still fall for it. But the fix is in and we don't fall for it anymore. Admit it: Wall Street owns "our" Congress lock, stock and big barrel o' campaign cash. You want a say in this? Well, I don't see you on the Forbes 400, so shut the f@*& up and go fetch me another bottle of bubbly.

Within days, the House of Representatives will vote to pass the Senate health care "reform" bill. This bill is a joke. It has NOTHING to do with "health care reform." It has EVERYTHING to do with lining the pockets of the health insurance industry. It forces, by law, every American who isn't old or destitute to buy health insurance if their boss doesn't provide it. What company wouldn't love the government forcing the public to buy that company's product?! Imagine a bill that ordered every citizen to buy the extended warranty on all their appliances? Imagine a law that made it illegal not to own an iPhone? Or how 'bout I get a law passed that makes it compulsory for every American to go see my next movie? Woo-hoo! Who wouldn't love a sweet set-up like this windfall?

Well, the insurance companies -- get this -- don't like the Democrats' bill! That alone should be reason enough to vote for it.

Now, you would think these thieves would love this bill -- but they are actually fighting it. Why? Because it doesn't give them ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of the what they want. It only gives them... 90%! YOU SEE, pure greed demands all or nothing.

The insurance industry hates this bill because it puts a few minor restrictions on them. Six months after its passage they won't be able to deny children coverage if they have a pre-existing condition. How awful! Government interference! SOCIALISM!

But, hey, they'll still be able to deny these children's parents coverage until 2014! So if a parent gets sick and dies in the next four years, I'm sure someone will step in and raise these already-insured orphans.

And how big will the fines be if the insurance companies do deny someone coverage for having a pre-existing condition? Are you sitting down? A hundred dollars a day! That's it! So if you're the insurance company, and Judy is a customer of yours, and Judy needs an operation that will cost $100,000, what do you do? You take the fine! Let's say Judy lives another year after you've sentenced her to death, your $100-a-day fine will only cost you $36,500! That's a savings of $63,500! And trust me, my friends, that's EXACTLY what's going to happen.

There are some good things in this bill. Parents will be able to keep their children on their policy until the kids turn 26. A few things like that. So, yes, pass that.

But don't insult me and 300 million Americans by calling this "health care reform." At least you've stopped calling it "universal health care." We will not have universal health care or anything close to it. I wish the president and the Democratic leadership would just stand up and say, "We're sorry, America. We didn't get the job done you sent us here to do. We're weak and scared and unable to communicate the simplest of messages to the American people. Therefore, our bill will guarantee that 12 million of you will still have NO health insurance. And that's because we have decided to leave the greedy, private insurance industry in charge of our system. Forgive us for this and for continuing to allow profit to be the determining factor as to whether a patient gets the help she or he needs."

Please, Democrats -- just say that -- then pass this poor excuse of a bill. Pass it because, if President Obama takes a fall on this one, I don't know if he'll be able to get back up. And then NOTHING will get done. We can't have that. (And thank you Dennis Kucinich for hanging in there right up to the end and being the only one out of the 435 members to speak the awful truth.)

On the front page of yesterday's New York Times, the dateline was, sadly, once again, "Flint, Michigan." The story was about how doctors are no longer accepting Medicaid patients. Which means tens of thousands of poor can no longer go to the doctor. Last year, the State of Michigan also prohibited doctors from accepting Medicaid patients who had anything wrong with their vision, their hearing, their feet or their teeth. In a 16-county area northwest of Flint, there will soon be not one single hospital that will allow you to give birth there if you're on Medicaid. The official unemployment rate in Flint is 27% (unofficially, closer to 40%).

This is an American tragedy. And, as I've warned you for years, this tsunami is heading your way -- if it's not there already.

I've just turned on my new iPhone and it informs me that it has "apps" it would like to suggest I buy. One is called "Scanner." It will allow me to listen in on police scanners anywhere across the country. I buy the app. I see that the Flint police scanner is part of this. I turn it on out of curiosity. And this is what I hear, at one in the morning: A woman is being beaten by her husband... A home invasion is taking place ("16-year-old black male, wearing a white skull cap")... A child has been missing since noon today... Another woman is being beaten by her boyfriend... A diabetic, obese man is having trouble breathing and needs to be rushed to the hospital (there will be three more of these obese diabetics in the hours to come; the entire town is ill)... One more woman calling, screaming for help, "officers urged to use caution..."

...And on and on and on. This is what I have listened to before going to bed. I am filled with despair and helplessness as I hear my former neighbors crying out for help. I hate it. I have to turn it off. I start to cry. Thank you, iPhone. Thank you, Democrats. I'll sleep better knowing that you're looking out for all of us.

Bastards.

Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com

P.S. I'll continue my jihad today on Dylan Ratigan (MSNBC, 4pm ET) and, for the first time together in the same studio since our, um, 2007 debate, I'll join Wolf Blitzer live in his CNN Studio (5-8pm, ET). I'll also be on live for the entire 11am hour this morning on the wonderful Diane Rehm Show on NPR. You can listen live online here.

The rest of the day I'll spend wandering the halls of Congress with my shillelagh and shamrocks, doing my best impersonation of St. Patrick as I try to drive the snakes out of Capitol Hill. Wish me luck...


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Monday, March 15, 2010

Single Black Female

Single Black Female
This has to be one of the best singles ads ever printed.  It is reported to have been listed in the Atlanta Journal.

SINGLE BLACK FEMALE seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant. 
 I'm a very good girl who LOVES to play.  I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing trips, cozy winter nights lying by the fire.  Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand.  I'll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me..  Call (404) 875-6420 and ask for Roxy.     I'll be waiting....
Please scroll down ..
 


 





































 





Over 150 men found themselves talking to the Atlanta Humane Society.

If you don't pass this along, a dog will come out and pee on your keyboard!



Sunday, March 14, 2010

Free demo to create avatars using Text-to-Speech (TTS) by SitePal

http://www.oddcast.com/home/demos/tts/tts_example.php?sitepal

You Type it Speaks

*You Type...it speaks... This is amazing. Try it and see!!***

*Turn up your volume.** ***

*She will say anything you type. I sure don't know how they do this!
When you move the mouse around, her eyes follow the pointer. When you
write something in the left space and then click on 'Say it,' she says
it!** ***

*You can also change persons doing the talking and the language they
speak.** ***

*Technology! Wow !!** ***

*CLICK HERE
<http://www.oddcast.com/home/demos/tts/frameset.php?frame1=talk>*

Thursday, March 11, 2010

A Hug Certificate for You!


LET'S SEE WHO READS THEIR EMAIL
cid:_1_11676E801167699C00487E18852576AC
A Hug Certificate for You!
This poem is very sweet. Forward this on and back. Thanks!

If I could catch a rainbow
I would do it just for you
And share with you its beauty
On the days you're feeling blue.

If I could build a mountain
You could call your very own;
A place to find serenity,
A place to be alone.

If I could take your troubles
I would toss them in the sea,
But all these things I'm finding
Are impossible for me.

I cannot build a mountain
Or catch a rainbow fair,
But let me be what I know best,
A friend who's always there..

cid:_2_116773641167699C00487E18852576AC
This is a Hug Certificate!!

Send One to All Your Friends Who You Think Deserve A Hug
(Which, Hopefully Includes the Person Who Sent It to You).

If you receive this back 2 times . You're off to a good start, Unless you sent it to yourself. That's cheating!
cid:_1_114CFAA01167699C00487E18852576AC
If you receive this back 3 times. You're a good friend.
cid:_2_114CFCA41167699C00487E18852576AC
If you receive this back 4 times
........... You are popular! I wanna be just like you..
cid:_1_114CFEA81167699C00487E18852576AC
If you receive this back 5 times or more,
There are angels watching over you..

THANK YOU, IF YOU SEND IT BACK TO ME.


Life is a coin, you can spend it anyway you wish, but you can only spend it once.




electronic gadget security advice

GPS
A couple of weeks ago a friend told me that someone she knew had their car
broken into while they were at a football game. Their car was parked on
the green which was adjacent to the football stadium and
specially allotted to football fans. Things stolen from the car included a
garage door control, some money and a GPS which had been
prominently mounted on the dashboard.

When the victims got home, they found that their house had been ransacked
and just about everything worth anything had been stolen.

The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house. They then used
the garage remote control to open the garage door and gain entry to the
house. The thieves knew the owners were at the football
game, they knew what time the game was scheduled to finish and so they
knew how much time they had to clean out the house.. It would appear
that they
had brought a truck to empty the house of its contents.

Something to consider if you have a GPS - don't put your home address in
it. Put a nearby address (like a store or gas station) so you can still find
your way home if you need to, but no one else would know
where you live if your GPS were stolen.

MOBILE PHONES
This lady has now changed her habit of how she lists her names on her
mobile phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag, which contained
her cell

phone, credit card, wallet... Etc...was stolen. 20 minutes later when she
called her hubby (husband), from a pay phone telling him what had happened,
hubby says 'I received your text asking about our Pin number and I've
replied a little while ago.'

When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money
was already withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to
text 'hubby' in the contact list and got hold of the pin number. Within 20
minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.

Moral of the lesson:
Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your
contact list.

Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mom, etc....

And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts,
CONFIRM by calling back.

Also, when you're being text by friends or family to meet them somewhere,
be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you
don't reach them, be very careful about going places to meet 'family and
friends' who text you.

Cellphone Spy Ware Yahoo!

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?cl=18512808

2002 COACHMAN MIRADA 32'

http://utica.craigslist.org/rvs/1625763542.html

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Two Wolves

**

*Two wolves ..... as told by an old Apache:*

/*Translated from Apache*//* to English <http://smileycons.com/>*/**

*TWO WOLVES*

One evening an old Apache told his grandson about a battle that goes on
inside people.
He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

*"One is Evil* - It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed,
arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride,
superiority, and ego.*
"The other is * *The Spirit* - It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity,
humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion
and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his
grandfather: *"Which wolf wins?"*

The old Apache simply replied, "*The one you feed.."
*

*

*

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

The Two Wolves Within

Two wolves ..... as told by an old Apache:

The person that translated this from Apache

to English did a good job!!

TWO WOLVES

One evening an old Apache told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

"One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
"The other is 
 The Spirit  - It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Apache simply replied, "The one you  feed.."

Dr. Joseph Mercola: Avoid This If You Want To Keep Your Thyroid Healthy

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/thyroid-health_b_472953.html

Sell! Buy! Rebel! 'Capitalism: A Love Story' Is Out Today on DVD (...and what is up with Wal-Mart?)!

Sell! Buy! Rebel! 'Capitalism: A Love Story' Is Out Today on DVD (...and
what is up with Wal-Mart?)!

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Friends,

DVD-Day for "Capitalism: A Love Story" has finally arrived for all you
good folks who just couldn't figure out how to fit in a trip to the
movie theater between your three part-time jobs -- or simply weren't
able to afford the $10 for the small popcorn at your local rip-off
cine-mall when my film was released last fall.

What's with you people?! I make these movies for you to see on a big
screen, in the dark, with 200 strangers who want to hoot and holler
along with you. Those of you who did see it -- thank you!! You helped to
make it the 8th-largest grossing documentary of all time (and, as of
Sunday morning, "Capitalism" had sold more tickets than Best Picture
winner, "The Hurt Locker").

But for those of you who didn't get to the theater, what's your excuse?
Didn't want to sit through 20 minutes of TV ads up on the screen before
the movie started? Don't like sitting next to people who have 6
important cell calls to make during the film? Feet get stuck to the
floor after two hours of people spilling their 164 oz. sodas, thus
preventing you from getting up when the film's over? Jeez, what babies!

Well, starting today, you can now OWN your very own DVD
<http://www.amazon.com/Capitalism-Love-Story-Michael-Moore/dp/B0030Y11XS/>
(or Blu-ray
<http://www.amazon.com/Capitalism-Story-Blu-ray-Michael-Moore/dp/B0030Y11O2/>)

copy of my latest action/romance/horror film, "Capitalism: A Love Story"
-- and watch it in the comfort of your soon-to-be-foreclosed home! Get
it cheap at Amazon
<http://www.amazon.com/Capitalism-Love-Story-Michael-Moore/dp/B0030Y11XS/>,
rent or stream it fast at Netflix
<http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Capitalism_A_Love_Story/70122701>, or go
down to the local Wal-Mart that put your locally-owned mom & pop video
store outta business and pick it up for pennies on the dollar. See!
Something for everyone!

The fact that Wal-Mart is carrying this movie -- a movie that
specifically exposes Wal-Mart's past practice of taking out secret "dead
peasant" life insurance policies on its employees and naming itself as
the lone beneficiary should the employee meet an "untimely" early death
-- well, my friends, need you any further proof that Corporate America
is so secure in its position as the ruler of our country, so sure of its
infallible power that, yes, they can even sell a movie that attacks them
because it poses absolutely no threat to them?

A sane person would think that Wal-Mart would never carry "Capitalism: A
Love Story" because it's simply not in their best interests to inform
their customers of their shady past. After all, many Wal-Mart stores
wouldn't carry "Bowling for Columbine" back in 2003. That was *Kmart* I
went after (for selling the ammo to the Columbine killers)! But I guess
that was too Mart-y close for Wal-Mart -- so no DVDs were allowed of
that film on the shelves of some of the world's biggest retail chain's
stores (the movie studio estimated that cost them $2.5 million in sales).

But seven years later, it's a new day in America. The corporate coup is
complete. Corporations like Wal-Mart now call all the shots, write all
the laws, pay off almost all the congressmen and essentially (along with
the other Fortune 500 companies and Wall Street) rule the nation.
They've helped to eliminate consumer choice and the free market while
convincing you they are all for "free enterprise" and the "U.S.A."

More importantly, they've snuffed out any criticism or opposition.
They've even co-opted liberals, like the people who made the wonderful
documentary, "Food, Inc." The last half-hour of this movie includes -- I
kid you not -- an homage to Wal-Mart as the filmmakers swoon over this
kinder, gentler company that has decided to -- bless them! -- put an
organic food counter in their stores! Thank you, Wal-Mart! Kumbaya! (And
hey, granolaheads, don't forget to flash a smile on the way out of the
store at the "greeter" who can't afford to see a doctor.)

Yes, Wal-Mart, by selling "Capitalism," is saying to me: "Go ahead Mike
and expose us all you want! Hahahhaha! We're so convinced that the
public has either been dumbed down or made numb enough to not give a
lick about whatever it is you're saying about us and capitalism. We can
sell a million of these and it won't make a damn bit of difference about
our ability to rule the world. So knock yourself out, big guy!
Hehehehehehe. Go ahead and put your little movie on our shelves. It will
never start a revolution."

Or so they think.

But what if they're wrong?

What if they and their brethren -- the banks, the insurance companies,
the hedge fund sociopaths -- are too confident we won't fight to get our
country back? They think that because they, the richest 1%, now own more
financial wealth than 95% of all Americans COMBINED, that they can get
away with anything. Perhaps they're right. Perhaps they're not.

I did ask someone at the studio why Wal-Mart was so willing to carry
this movie.

"They're no dummies," he told me. "They know who shops in their stores
-- working people, blue collar, the people hit hardest by the economy.
They know your movie will resonate with them and that only means one
thing -- ka-ching, ka-ching at the cash register!"

Happy now? Good. I thought I'd cheer you up on my big day!

Listen, let me cut right to it: I am passionate about this movie. It is
not only my most personal film, it is the most vital and necessary film
I've made in my 20 years as a filmmaker. Period. I told my crew at the
start of this movie, "Let's make this film so brutally honest that NO
ONE with any money will ever want to write us a check to make another
movie!" And so we set off to make the most dangerous documentary we could.

As gloomy as our situation in the world looks these days, I refuse to
give up. If there's even the slightest chance that we can turn this
around, then I want to help, I want to be part of the fight along with you.

And I want you to see this movie. Not next week (by then, the health
insurance companies will have won). Not next month (by then, the banks
will have scuttled any new regulations). I need you to watch it right
now and I need you to get as many of your friends and family to watch it
as soon as possible -- and then I want you to do something.

That "something" can be found in the 80 new minutes of material and DVD
extras I've put on this home video. It's 80 minutes of bold ideas and
things we can do to get our country back. No one has seen these extras
-- and today will be the first time they're available on the home video
of this movie.

Well, that's the pitch. I get nothing $-wise from the sale of these
DVDs. I just want you to see this movie because, if you haven't, I think
you will not only be "entertained" for 2 hours, you'll be ready to
rock-n-roll your way down to the local Citibank and create the
nonviolent ruckus they need to see. THIS IS OUR COUNTRY -- not theirs.
They have plundered and pillaged long enough. Homes in this country
receive foreclosure filings every eight seconds! This must be stopped.

Let my movie be the tool you use to rise up and become the citizens I
know you want to be. If not now, when?

Thank you for all your support over all these years. You must know by
now that I honestly couldn't make these movies without you.

My absolute gratitude and best wishes for you and yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com <mailto:mmflint@aol.com>
MichaelMoore.com <http://www.michaelmoore.com/>

P.S. To order "Capitalism: A Love Story" from Amazon, click here
<http://www.amazon.com/Capitalism-Love-Story-Michael-Moore/dp/B0030Y11XS/>.
You can also add "Capitalism" to your Netflix
<http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Capitalism_A_Love_Story/70122701> and
Blockbuster
<http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/403385> queues.

P.P.S. To see just how secure Wal-Mart feels in its place as King of the
World, I'll take a spin around to some Wal-Marts this weekend and see if
the DVD has been pulled off the shelves. I'll let you know!


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Monday, March 8, 2010

Bob Evan's

Bob Evan's does not serve real maple syrup.......

Let's Watch the Oscars Together -- Right Now! ...from Michael Moore

Let's Watch the Oscars Together -- Right Now! ...from Michael Moore

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

Friends,

The best movie I saw this year won't be winning any awards tonight at
the Oscars. It wasn't even nominated for anything. In fact, it wasn't
even shown in the United States. Yet, I'm confident that, if you had had
a chance to see it, you would likely agree with me that this is a
brilliant film, a rare gem.

It's called "Troubled Water
<http://www.amazon.com/Troubled-Water-Sverre-Valheim-Thomas/dp/B002RZARX6>"
(not to be confused with last year's superb Katrina doc, "Trouble the
Water"). "Troubled Water" is from Norway and it is a work of art and
great storytelling from the opening frame to its final fade to black. It
tells the story of a young man who is paroled after spending time in
prison and gets a job as a church organist. He claims to be innocent in
the drowning of a child, but the boy's mother won't let it go.

When the film was over, I sat there amazed and wondering, "Why can't I
see movies like this all the time?" What is wrong with filmmaking, with
Hollywood? Why are most films just the same old tired assembly line
stuff -- sequels, remakes, old TV shows turned into movies, predictable
plots and storylines... "If you've seen the trailer, you've seen the
movie."

But "Troubled Water" was not like that -- and therefore its distribution
to the theaters of America was, in essence, doomed.

That's not to say we don't make great movies anymore. I loved "Avatar,"
"District 9," "Inglourious Basterds," "Up in the Air," and "Up" among
many others.

Some critics have hailed "The Hurt Locker" because the film "doesn't
take sides" in the Iraq War -- like that's an admirable thing! I wonder
if there were critics during the Civil War that hailed plays or books
for being "balanced" about slavery, or if there were those who praised
films during World War II for "not taking sides?" I keep reading that
the reason Iraq War films haven't done well at the box office is because
they've been partisan (meaning anti-war).

The truth is "The Hurt Locker" is very political. It says the war is
stupid and senseless and insane. It makes us consider why we have an
army where people actually volunteer to do this. That's why the right
wing has attacked the movie. They're not stupid -- they know what
Kathryn Bigelow is up to. No one leaves this movie thinking, "Whoopee!
Let's keep these wars going another 7 years!"

James Cameron has been targeted by the crazy right, too. Because -- and
Fox and Rush have this one correct, too -- "Avatar" is, in fact, an
allegory for America -- a land stolen from an indigenous people who were
slaughtered, a nation that not only allows corporations to call the
shots but let's them privatize our wars (wars in distant places with the
objective of controlling a dwindling energy resource), and a people who
seem hell-bent on destroying the environment.

Cameron is a brave and bold filmmaker, a college drop-out who became a
truck driver and then one day just decided he was going to make movies.
"Avatar" is an idea he's had in his head since he was a teenager -- and
somewhere, somehow, his dreams and creativity weren't snuffed out by the
machine. Thank God.

There is so much more I want to say about the state of movies these
days, but you've got better things to do on this beautiful Sunday. I
love this art form, and tonight is the night to celebrate it!

In fact, the Oscars are about to start. I'll try to "tweet" along
<http://twitter.com/mmflint> with you during the show.

Finally, let me leave you with a list of 20 great movies I saw in 2009
that received little or no recognition or distribution in the U.S. They
deserve to be acknowledged on this important night, and I hope you can
find them somewhere, someday (a number are already on DVD). They
represent the hope I have for the movies being the inspiring force I've
always believed in.

Be well. And -- no extra salt or butter on the popcorn!

Yours,
Michael Moore
MichaelMoore.com <http://www.michaelmoore.com/>
Twitter.com/MMFlint <http://twitter.com/MMFlint>

P.S. Here's my list of 20 "best pictures" I saw in 2009:

1. *"Troubled Water"* (see above)
2. *"Everlasting Moments"* - A wife in the early 20th century wins a
camera and it changes her life (from Sweden).
3. *"Captain Abu Raed"* - This first feature from Jordan tells the story
of an airport janitor who the neighborhood kids believe is a pilot.
4. *"Che"* - A brilliant, unexpected mega-film about Che Guevara by
Steven Soderbergh.
5. *"Dead Snow"* - The scariest film I've seen in a while about zombie
Nazis abandoned after World War II in desolate Norway.
6. *"The Great Buck Howard"* - A tender look at the life of an
illusionist, based on the life of The Amazing Kreskin starring John
Malkovich.
7. *"In the Loop"* - A rare hilarious satire, this one about the
collusion between the Brits and the Americans and their illegal war
pursuits.
8. *"My One and Only"* - Who woulda thought that a biopic based on one
year in the life of George Hamilton when he was a teenager would turn
out to be one of the year's most engaging films.
9. *"Whatever Works"* - This was a VERY good Woody Allen film starring
the great Larry David and it was completely overlooked.
10. *"Big Fan"* - A funny, dark film about an obsessive fan of the New
York Giants with a great performance by the comedian Patton Oswalt.
11. *"Eden Is West"* - The legendary Costa-Gavras' latest gem, ignored
like his last brilliant film 4 years ago, "The Axe".
12. *"Entre Nos"* - An mother and child are left to fend for themselves
in New York City in this powerful drama.
13. *"The Girlfriend Experience"* - Steven Soderbergh's second genius
film of the year, this one set in the the post-Wall Street Crash era, a
call girl services the men who brought the country down.
14. *"Humpday"* - Two straight guys dare each other to enter a gay porn
contest -- but will they go through with it?
15. *"Lemon Tree"* - A Palestinian woman has her lemon trees cut down by
the Israeli army, but she decides that's the final straw.
16. *"Mary and Max"* - An Australian girl and and elderly Jewish man in
New York become pen pals in this very moving animated film.
17. *"O'Horten"* - Another Norwegian winner, this one about the final
trip made by a retiring train conductor.
18. *"Salt of This Sea"* - A Palestinian-American returns to her
family's home in the West Bank, only to find herself caught up in the
struggles between the two cultures.
19. *"Sugar"* - A Dominican baseball player gets his one chance to come
to America and make it in the big leagues.
20. *"Fantastic Mr. Fox"* - A smart, adult animated film from Wes
Anderson that at least got two nominations from the Academy.


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Sunday, March 7, 2010

7 year old sings National Anthem - AOL Video

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/7-year-old-sings-national-anthem/40945200

Too Busy for a Friend?

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other
students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between
each name.

Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about
each of their classmates and write it down...

It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment,
and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a
separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about
that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire
class was smiling. 'Really?' she heard whispered. 'I never knew that I
meant anything to anyone!' and, 'I didn't know others liked me so much,'
were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if
they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't
matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were
happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in Viet Nam and his
teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen
a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.

The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him
took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless
the coffin.

As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up
to her. 'Were you Mark's math teacher?' he asked.... She nodded: 'yes.'
Then he said: 'Mark talked about you a lot.'

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a
luncheon.. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to
speak with his teacher.

'We want to show you something,' his father said, taking a wallet out of
his pocket 'They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you
might recognize it.'

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook
paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The
teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she
had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.

'Thank you so much for doing that,' Mark's mother said... 'As you can
see, Mark treasured it.'

All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled
rather sheepishly and said, 'I still have my list. It's in the top
drawer of my desk at home.'

Chuck's wife said, 'Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.'

'I have mine too,' Marilyn said. 'It's in my diary'

Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her
wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. 'I carry this
with me at all times,' Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she
continued: 'I think we all saved our lists'

That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark
and for all his friends who would never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life
will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will
be.

So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special
and important. Tell them, before it is too late.

And One Way To Accomplish This Is: Forward this message on... If you do
not send it, you will have, once again passed up the wonderful
opportunity to do something nice and beautiful.

If you've received this, it is because someone cares for you and it
means there is probably at least someone for whom you care.

If you're 'too busy' to take those few minutes right now to forward this
message on, would this be the VERY first time you didn't do that little
thing that would make a difference in your relationships?

The more people that you send this to, the better you'll be at reaching
out to those you care about.

Remember, you reap what you sow. What you put into the lives of others
comes back into your own.

May Your Day Be Blessed As Special As You Are

Michael Moore's Action Plan: 15 Things Every American Can Do Right Now"

"Michael Moore's Action Plan: 15 Things Every American Can Do Right Now"

You've Seen the Movie -- Now It's Time to ACT!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Friends,

It's the #1 question I'm constantly asked after people see my movie: "OK
-- so NOW what can I DO?!"

You want something to do? Well, you've come to the right place! 'Cause I
got 15 things you and I can do right now to fight back and try to fix
this very broken system.

Here they are:

*FIVE THINGS WE DEMAND THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS DO IMMEDIATELY:*

*1. Declare a moratorium on all home evictions.* Not one more family
should be thrown out of their home. The banks must adjust their monthly
mortgage payments to be in line with what people's homes are now truly
worth -- and what they can afford. Also, it must be stated by law: If
you lose your job, you cannot be tossed out of your home.

*2. Congress must join the civilized world and expand Medicare For All
Americans.* A single, nonprofit source must run a universal health care
system that covers everyone. Medical bills are now the #1 cause of
bankruptcies and evictions in this country. Medicare For All will end
this misery. The bill to make this happen is called H.R. 3200. You must
call AND write your members of Congress and demand its passage
<http://www.pnhp.org/amendment/>, no compromises allowed.

*3. Demand publicly-funded elections and a prohibition on elected
officials leaving office and becoming lobbyists. *Yes, those very
members of Congress who solicit and receive millions of dollars from
wealthy interests must vote to remove ALL money from our electoral and
legislative process. Tell your members of Congress they must support
campaign finance bill H.R.1826
<http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h1826/show>.

*4. Each of the 50 states must create a state-owned public bank like
they have in North Dakota.* Then congress MUST reinstate all the strict
pre-Reagan regulations on all commercial banks, investment firms,
insurance companies -- and all the other industries that have been
savaged by deregulation: Airlines, the food industry, pharmaceutical
companies -- you name it. If a company's primary motive to exist is to
make a profit, then it needs a set of stringent rules to live by -- and
the first rule is "Do no harm." The second rule: The question must
always be asked -- "Is this for the common good?" (Click here
<http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2009/03/how-nation%E2%80%99s-only-state-owned-bank-became-envy-wall-street>
for some info about the state-owned Bank of North Dakota.)

*5. Save this fragile planet and declare that all the energy resources
above and beneath the ground are owned collectively by all of us.* Just
like they do it in Sarah Palin's socialist Alaska. We only have a few
decades of oil left. The public must be the owners and landlords of the
natural resources and energy that exists within our borders or we will
descend further into corporate anarchy. And when it comes to burning
fossil fuels to transport ourselves, we must cease using the internal
combustion engine and instruct our auto/transportation companies to
rehire our skilled workforce and build mass transit (clean buses, light
rail, subways, bullet trains, etc.) and new cars that don't contribute
to climate change. (For more on this, here's a proposal I wrote
<http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mikes-letter/saving-the-big-3-for-you-and-me-a-message-from-michael-moore>
in December.) Demand that General Motors' de facto chairman, Barack
Obama, issue a JFK man-on-the-moon-style challenge to turn our country
into a nation of trains and buses and subways. For Pete's sake, people,
we were the ones who invented (or perfected) these damn things in the
first place!!

*FIVE THINGS WE CAN DO TO MAKE CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT LISTEN TO US:*

*1. Each of us must get into the daily habit of taking 5 minutes to make
four brief calls:* One to the President (202-456-1414
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/>), one to your Congressperson
(202-224-3121 <https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml>) and
one to each of your two Senators (202-224-3121
<http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm>).
To find out who represents you, click here
<http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/>. Take just one minute on each of
these calls to let them know how you expect them to vote on a particular
issue. Let them know you will have no hesitation voting for a primary
opponent -- or even a candidate from another party -- if they don't do
our bidding. Trust me, they will listen. If you have another five
minutes, click here to send them each an email
<http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/>. And if you really want to drop an
anvil on them, send them a snail mail letter
<http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/>!

*2. Take over your local Democratic Party.* Remember how much fun you
had with all those friends and neighbors working together to get Barack
Obama elected? YOU DID THE IMPOSSIBLE. It's time to re-up! Get everyone
back together and go to the monthly meeting of your town or county
Democratic Party -- and become the majority that runs it! There will not
be many in attendance and they will either be happy or in shock that you
and the Obama Revolution have entered the room looking like you mean
business. President Obama's agenda will never happen without mass grass
roots action -- and he won't feel encouraged to do the right thing if no
one has his back, whether it's to stand with him, or push him in the
right direction. When you all become the local Democratic Party, send me
a photo of the group <mailto:photos@michaelmoore.com> and I'll post it
on my website.

*3. Recruit someone to run for office who can win in your local
elections next year -- or, better yet, consider running for office
yourself!* You don't have to settle for the incumbent who always expects
to win. You can be our next representative! Don't believe it can happen?
Check out these examples of regular citizens who got elected: State
Senator Deb Simpson
<http://www.rbf.org/annualreviews/annualreviews_show.htm?root_doc_id=907315&display_doc_id=940605&fullnav=2>,
California State Assemblyman Isadore Hall
<http://photos.essence.com/galleries/icdrm2008images4isadorehall>,
Tempe, Arizona City Councilman Corey Woods
<http://www.tempe.gov/elected/woods.htm>, Wisconsin State Assemblyman
Chris Danou <http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=67068>, and
Washington State Representative Larry Seaquist
<http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/members/Seaquist/>. The list goes on and
on -- and you should be on it!

*4. Show up. Picket the local branch of a big bank that took the bailout
money <http://projects.nytimes.com/creditcrisis/recipients/table>.* Hold
vigils and marches. Consider civil disobedience. Those town hall
meetings are open to you, too (and there's more of us than there are of
them!). Make some noise <http://www.showdowninchicago.org/>, have some
fun, get on the local news. Place "Capitalism Did This" signs on empty
foreclosed homes, closed down businesses, crumbling schools and
infrastructure. (You can download them from my website
<http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/must-read/spread-the-word-capitalism-did-this>.)

*5. Start your own media.* You. Just you (or you and a couple friends).
The mainstream media is owned by corporate America and, with few
exceptions, it will never tell the whole truth -- so you have to do it!
Start a blog <https://www.blogger.com/start>! Start a website of real
local news (here's an example: The Michigan Messenger
<http://michiganmessenger.com/>). Tweet your friends
<https://twitter.com/> and use Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/> to
let them know what they need to do politically. The daily papers are
dying. If you don't fill that void, who will?

*FIVE THINGS WE SHOULD DO TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND OUR LOVED ONES UNTIL
WE GET THROUGH THIS MESS:*

*1. Take your money out of your bank* if it took bailout money
<http://projects.nytimes.com/creditcrisis/recipients/table> and place it
in a locally-owned bank or, preferably, a credit union
<http://www.creditunion.coop/cu_locator/quickfind.php>.

*2. Get rid of all your credit cards
<http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/04/09/michael-moore-endorses-chase-boycott/>
but one* -- the kind where you have to pay up at the end of the month or
you lose your card.

*3. Do not invest in the stock market.* If you have any extra cash, put
it away in a savings account or, if you can, pay down on your mortgage
so you can own your home as soon as possible. You can also buy very safe
government savings bonds or T-bills. Or just buy your mother some flowers.

*4. Unionize your workplace so that you and your coworkers have a say in
how your business is run.* Here's how to do it
<http://www.ueunion.org/org_steps.html> (more info here
<http://www.aflcio.org/joinaunion/how/howto.cfm>). Nothing is more
American than democracy, and democracy shouldn't be checked at the door
when you enter your workplace. Another way to Americanize your workplace
is to turn your business into a worker-owned cooperative
<http://www.ncba.coop/abcoop_howto.cfm>. You are not a wage slave. You
are a free person, and you giving up eight hours of your life every day
to someone else is to be properly compensated and respected.

*5. Take care of yourself and your family.* Sorry to go all Oprah on
you, but she's right: Find a place of peace in your life and make the
choice to be around people who are not full of negativity and cynicism.
Look for those who nurture and love. Turn off the TV and the Blackberry
and go for a 30-minute walk every day. Eat fruits and vegetables and cut
down on anything that has sugar, high fructose corn syrup, white flour
or too much sodium (salt) in it (and, as Michael Pollan says, "Eat
(real) food, not too much, mostly plants"). Get seven hours of sleep
each night and take the time to read a book a month. I know this sounds
like I've turned into your grandma, but, dammit, take a good hard look
at Granny -- she's fit, she's rested and she knows the names of both of
her U.S. Senators without having to Google them. We might do well to
listen to her. If we don't put our own "oxygen mask" on first (as they
say on the airplane), we will be of no use to the rest of the nation in
enacting any of this action plan!

I'm sure there are many other ideas you can come up with on how we can
build this movement. Get creative. Think outside the politics-as-usual
box. BE SUBVERSIVE! Think of that local action no one else has tried.
Behave as if your life depended on it. Be bold! Try doing something with
reckless abandon. It may just liberate you and your community and your
nation.

And when you act, send me your stories, your photos and your video
<mailto:photos@michaelmoore.com> -- and be sure to post your ideas in
the comments
<http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mikes-letter/michael-moores-action-plan-15-things-every-american-can-do-right-now>
beneath this letter on my site so they can be shared with millions.

C'mon people -- we can do this! I expect nothing less of all of you, my
true and trusted fellow travelers!

Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com <mailto:MMFlint@aol.com>
MichaelMoore.com <http://www.michaelmoore.com/>

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