Friday, December 15, 2006

Gender Equality Campaign in Vienna

Found this article in an Australian Paper, and find it a very neat idea, so sharing it here. The concept is to mix up the visual image signs we normally see that picture men and women. For instance, instead of a woman changing a babies diaper, the picture will be alternated with a picture of a man changing the babies diaper. What a great idea for an awareness campaign...the city of Vienna scores a BIG TEN on this one.

Viennese gender equality a sign of the times
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200612/s1813048.htm

A green exit sign shows a woman, rather than a man, running for the door, while a traffic light features another crossing the street, in a new initiative by the City of Vienna to raise awareness about gender equality.

The campaign, launched on Thursday and entitled "Wien sieht's anders" (Vienna sees it differently) is part of the Austrian city's "Gender Mainstreaming" project.

Its aim is to "give both genders the same exposure and ensure an equal distribution of chances, opportunities and duties" by changing the gender of figures pictured on familiar signs, City Hall said in a statement.

"Because it clashes with fixed visual habits, the campaign compels (people) to think, look and act differently," Sonja Wehsely, city councillor in charge of women's affairs, said in the statement.

Thus, signs using male characters will have their female equivalent, while the opposite will also be true.

Female exit signs and pictograms in bathrooms featuring a man, rather than a woman, changing a baby, will be introduced at City Hall to start with, the statement said.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Perfect Example of Where This Blog Wants to Go

Tadween is one of those ideas that will slowly grow as I figure out the direction and road it is meant to travel...one part of where it should go, is finding and featuring blogs of those who are making a difference...today, I found one such blog, and hope you will link to it, and follow the travels of a Peace Corp Volunteer.




An Exchange

The other day a fellow volunteer told me an interesting story that I felt sums up much of our job as Peace Corps Volunteers.

A couple weeks ago she was sitting at the market drinking the local beverage, chouck (I’ve written about it in past entries… I think there is even a picture of me drinking it somewhere in the archives.) A little girl (probably 5 or 6 years old) and her mother were there as well, sitting a few feet away. My friend saw the girl point to her and ask a question to the mother. We are all very used to being talked about and she thought nothing of it.

Again the little girl asked something of the mother and pointed at my friend. This time the mother got up, and slightly sheepishly walked over to where my friend was sitting and asked, “I’m so sorry to bother you, but, my daughter has never touched white skin before. Would you mind if she touched you?” My friend being the good sport she is thought for a second and said, “Sure.”

Saturday, December 2, 2006

To Our Friends Far Away...Boo Has Passed Away

Dinero Boo October 11th, 1995 to December 2nd, 2006

God's speed our furry friend, we will miss you ever so much, but we find solace in knowing you now dance among the stars....angels keep Dinero Boo


Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Australia's Aboriginal Lands Being Forced To Play Host To World's Spent Nuclear Fuel?

As an American living within the ten mile circle of death associated with the faulty, problem plagued, dilapidated facility that is Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, I am somewhat familiar with Nuclear Power and the dismal record of the regulatory agency (NRC) sworn to protect human health and the environment. When a licensee cannot meet a deadline, it is moved back, when they cannot meet a section of the 10CFR rules and regulations, the NRC grants them an exemption from the rules. In short, the nuclear industry is propped up by hidden financial support via our taxes, and laws that excuse the industry from the costs should and incident of enormous proportions ever occur...you could compare the Nuclear Industry to the War on Terror, in that the nuclear industry has to be right on important issues 100 percent of the time, and looking at the litany of violations Entergy is guilty of, it is only a matter of time, a proverbial ticking time bomb waiting to explode, raining down ruination and death on hundreds of thousands if not millions of innocent Americans.

It is this set of facts, coupled with my own knowledge regarding America's failed attempts at sighting a long term radioactive waste disposal facility that causes me to issue a call of warning to the citizens of Australia...it is my belief, that your nation, the Aboriginal lands are being set up to act as the Nuclear Waste Dump for the entire world's nuclear industry. A far fetched claim...hardly. Let's look at some disturbing facts regarding America's own attempts to site a storage facility.

The DOD, DOE and the NRC at one point moved forward with the concept of dividing America into compacts....groups of states paired together to deal with their own nuclear waste streams, with each state in the compact taking turns building and hosting a storage facility for a set period of years. One of these compacts was call the Midwest Compact, that would have served several Midwestern states including Ohio, who had by decree, was to be the first host state for such a compact. It did not matter what facts, what proof the environmental movement put forward, the compact led by Mr. Larson was determined to site the disposal facility at all costs. The Midwest Compact was killed, the group disbanded only after certain embarrassing documents were made public that showed the governments TRUE PLAN....get between 1-3 sites approved and constructed, then through newly introduced legislation change them into permanent long term storage facilities for the entire nation...how do I know this? I was the one who found some of those documents, one of the ones who broke them to the news media. The FIX was in, and it would have worked had the dirty truth not come out into the public domain.

It's interesting that one Senator Bayl from Indiana supports a plan by which America would become the nuclear fuel rod supplier to the world, considering that his state was a member of this dishonest and deceitful action to site a storage facility, one has to wonder what if any involvements he has with USEC, and the gaseous diffusion plants in Portsmouth, Ohio and Paducah, Kentucky. I digress.

For decades now, the government has tried to push the concept of YUCCA Mountain being America's place of choice for the storage of Spent Fuel Rods, spent uranium, and other nuclear waste streams. President Bush tried to do and end around in his first term, has attempted to short circuit citizen involvement in the process. After the November Elections, it was announced by a key Democratic Senator that YUCCA Valley is DOA (Dead on Arrival), so we can only assume that a Democratically controlled House and Senate will derail this storage site, and rightfully so. This means some 50 plus years into America's nuclear age, and we have no place to put the hellish waste streams that are being created from the production of Nuclear Power. The fact is, there is NO VIABLE PLACE in the entire world available currently for these waste streams.

Enter Prime Minister Howard and the Australian Government...someone (BIG BUSINESS) has sold them on the concept of nuclear energy, and on building a storage facility for radioactive wastes. After all, who in Australia is going to cry over loud about a radioactive waste storage facility built on Aboriginal land? To add insult to injury, the legislation passed by Australia's federal House of Representatives would GIVE THE LAND BACK when Australia is done with it! HELLO YOU DIP CHITS, some of the HALF LIVES of materials in the decay chain are 14 MILLION YEARS.

I urge the people of Australia to wake up! First, there is the issue of doing right by the Aborigine people/tribes. Secondly, you as a nation need to ask yourselves this question...Are we prepared as a nation to play host to the nuclear waste of an entire world? That is what you are being set up for, that is the writing on the wall. A serious accident at such a facility could leave over half of Australia inhabitable, that is what is at stake as your own Prime Minister Howard tries to RUSH this whole Nuclear process right past you before you can react, and stop it.

The federal House of Representatives has passed legislation to allow Aboriginal land in the Northern Territory to be used for a radioactive waste dump.

The Government says the Bill will allow Indigenous groups to offer their land for use, but have it handed back when the land is no longer needed.

Several sites in the Territory are being considered for a radioactive waste facility.

Deputy Labor leader Jenny Macklin says the new Bill will mean Aboriginal land rights will be diminished.

"The Howard Government is intent on making sure that you have no rights, no legal review avenues, no right to express your view, no right to giving informed consent," she said.

"Absolutely no say in this Government's blind pursuit of dumping nuclear waste in the Northern Territory."

The Bill will be debated in the Senate tomorrow.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

As You Give Thanks, Remember The Less Fortunate


A shared story, a shared hope from The Washington Scandal Blog.

A Worthy Charity Event for Thanksgiving

Tommorow, we give thanks, then we FEAST, gorging ourselves on treats, meats and deserts fit for kings...some are not so fortunate, some here in the land of plenty will go hungry. There are a lot of charities that work to feed and shelter our nation's homeless. The "Almost The News" blog hopes you will support one of these, give up a part of your day to lend them a helping hand in helping the less fortunate. In this spirit of giving and thanks, we share with you a brief story from "The Washington Scandal Blog" on one such charity, and one event in Washington, DC.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
http://washingtonscandal.blogspot.com/

Live in Washington, DC? Get Out Tomorrow and HELP THE HOMELESS
I'll be up early tomorrow baking our Thanksgiving pumpkin and pecan pies, preparing fresh cranberries, and doing up my own world famous deviled eggs. This early morning descent to the kitchen is a part of my family tradition, a part of the greater traditions that are Thanksgiving in the United States of America. Tomorrow is a time to give thanks, and also a time to share the bounty each of us has been blessed with. In Washington, there is just such an opportunity with the 5th Annual Thanksgiving Day Trot for Hunger in Washington, D.C.


If you live in Washington, it is not to late to be a part of this GREAT EVENT, and I would encourage you to show up and walk, run or crawl the 5K which supports SOME (So Others Might Eat), and interfaith group started in 1970 soup kitchen dedicated to the most basic needs of the homeless. Can't make it? Then how about sending them a small donation, or getting involved in their efforts by visiting their website? http://www.some.org/ Some things in life should ALWAYS be bipartisan, and feeding the hungry, compassion for those less fortunate is one of them.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Australia Needs to Just SAY NO to 25 Nuclear Reactors.

Seem's John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia bought Bush's push towards Nuclear hook line and sinker, and is pushing for 25 new Nuclear Reactors in Australia by the year 2050...he and his supposed staff of experts A) should take a much closer look at the issue, or B) are basing their personal recommendations on some personal enrichment scheme. I live within the ten mile circle of death for the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant in Buchannon, New York...it's no picnic, not something I would wish on my own worse enemy. If John Howard wants, I'll be happy to tell him all about the 200,000 gallons of radioactively contaminated water that has leaked into the ground under the Indian Point plant. Share with him the contaminaton of the Hudson River, and the results from test wells that show levels of radiation TEN TIMES above safe drinking water levels. Australia, if you read this, DO NOT BE FOOLED by the false promise of CHEAP AFFORDABLE POWER...it is a LIE.

Australia is urged to lift restrictions on nuclear power plants

By Tim Johnston / The New York TimesPublished: November 21, 2006

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/11/21/news/nuke.php

SYDNEY: A government commission has recommended lifting Australia's restrictions on nuclear energy and uranium mining, setting up a showdown between a government eager to develop new sources of income and energy and environmentalists who oppose the building of nuclear power plants.



Australia, which holds 40 percent of the world's uranium reserves, has no commercial nuclear power plants and strictly limits uranium mining.

The recommendations, issued by a panel commissioned by Prime Minister John Howard's government in June, asserted that easing curbs on the mining of uranium could reduce Australia's use of coal and lift revenues from uranium exports by $1.4 billion a year.

The commission advocated constructing 25 nuclear reactors to supply a third of Australia's electricity by 2050, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Calling on World...Help Pardon Border Patrol Agents

http://washingtonscandal.blogspot.com/
http://theporgietirebiter.blogspot.com/

http://gatherdemocrats.blogspot.com/
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Amnesty For Border Patrol Agents

Am assuming here, that any one not living under a rock is familiar with this story...two border patrol agents sentenced to HARSH prison sentences for doing their job, while our court system gave IMMUNITY to a drug dealer/smuggler. There is a moment afoot to see these twoheroes granted Amnesty...a moment I support, which is why I am posting the groups message to all of my blogs. I hope you will support this cause, and support these two border agents.

URGENT APPEAL TO PARDON THE BORDER PATROL AGENTS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11/17/2006

Dear Friend:

North Carolina Congressman Walter Jones is leading a campaign to pardon two Border Patrol agents whose only "crime" was doing their jobs ... and he has asked for our help.

On October 19th, United States Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean were convicted and sentenced to 11 and 12 years in federal prison respectively for firing shots at a Mexican drug smuggler who brought 743 pounds of marijuana across the U.S. border!

And if we don't act immediately to prevent this outrage, Agents Ramos and Compean must surrender themselves to Federal authorities -- and will be sent to prison!

If you are already familiar with the story, please click here to send an email to the President, expressing your outrage over this blatant miscarriage of justice

Agent Ramos served the Border Patrol for 9 years and was a former nominee for Border Patrol Agent of the Year. Agent Compean had 5 years of experience as a border agent.

The two agents were vigorously prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s office, but the smuggler was granted full immunity to testify against the agents!

Rep. Jones sent a letter to the White House to express his outrage over the President's indifference toward the plight of these two agents. "Despite my repeated requests for an investigation of this case, and a request by a dozen Members of Congress for the President to pardon these agents, this administration has ignored the concerns of countless citizens who have decried the unjust prosecution of these two heroes."

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow dismissed the idea of a Presidential pardon for these agents as ‘‘nonsensical.’’

Nonsense? What makes no sense at all is for the president to direct his U.S. Attorney's office to go after two dedicated BP agents while allowing a major drug smuggler to go free!

The drug smuggler, who was wounded while trying to escape, received full medical care (at taxpayer's expense); was permitted to return to Mexico; and is now suing the Border Patrol for $5 million for violating his civil rights!

What message does this kind of treatment send to all those other BP agents who risk their lives daily to stop the flow of drugs, illegal aliens and even terrorists across our 2500-mile-long Mexican border? No wonder the President's rating has plunged to below 30%

Please send your email today and then be sure to tell all of your friends and neighbors to visit our website so they can send their own messages to the President!

Thank you for your help and continued support for our work.

Best Regards,
Edward I. Nelson, Chairman
703-356-6567
ednelson@usbc.org
www.usbc.org

P.S. Please accept my apologies if you had asked to be removed from our files. We experienced a computer problem that corrupted our most recent datafile and I was forced to go back to an archived file that is held for emergency purposes. If you do not wish to receive our email alerts and eNewsletters, please click here to send an email to us so that we may remove your name from our database. Please be sure to put the word REMOVE on the subject line. Thank you.

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