Good morning!

I know I usually post something about Wonderful Women of the World on Saturday but this is a long one, and includes some amazing men too, so I decided to post part of it today and the rest tomorrow.

From Think Progress:

Ten Women’s Health Heroes Who Inspired Us In 2013

This past year included an overwhelming number of attacks on reproductive health and freedom, including some of the harshest abortion bans this country has seen since Roe v. Wade. However — despite the persistent attempts to silence, shame, and police women and their bodies — there is one positive benefit resulting from the ongoing War on Women. It gave rise to several champions who didn’t back down from fighting for the issues that matter. Here are ten people who inspired us in 2013:

Lucy Flores

CREDIT: AP PHOTO/CATHLEEN ALLISON

In April, Nevada Assemblywoman Lucy Flores (D) took to the floor to advocate for overhauling her state’s abstinence-only education policy. In order to explain her support for the issue, Flores shared her own personal story of receiving inadequate sex ed as a teen. Flores explained she accidentally got pregnant when she was 16 years old and decided to have an abortion. She said she didn’t regret her choice, but she did want other young women in Nevada to be more educated about how to prevent pregnancy. “We prevent this by giving them the information and the resources that they need, so they don’t have to go to their dad and say, ‘I need $200 for an abortion,’ ” Flores noted.

Thanks to the shame and stigma that surrounds abortion, it’s still rare for public figures to talk openly about their decision to end a pregnancy, and Flores’ decision to share her story was very brave. The lawmaker received hate mail and death threats — as well as an outpouring of support from women’s health advocates, who rallied behind her with the #FierceFlores hashtag.

The Nevada legislature ended up approving the comprehensive sex ed legislation, and Flores is reportedly considering a run for Lieutenant Governor.

Daisy Coleman

CREDIT: CNN

In October, the Kansas City Star published a remarkable investigative piece about a sexual assault case in Maryville, MO involving a high school football player and a young victim — one that bore some striking resemblances to the infamous rape case in Steubenville. But there was one notable difference. Although victims of sexual assault typically remain anonymous in the media, the Maryville victim, Daisy Coleman, wanted to share her story publicly. She allowed the Kansas City Star to use her real name, and later appeared on CNN with her mother to recount the details surrounding her sexual assault.

Thanks to a pervasive rape culture that tends to place the blame for sexual assault squarely on the shoulders of the victim, the individuals who speak up about being raped are typically harassed and shamed. Coleman experienced that, too — even before she started talking to the media, she was bullied and ultimately driven out of her small town. But she refused to be silenced.

“Since this happened, I’ve been in hospitals too many times to count. I’ve found it impossible to love at times. I’ve gained and lost friends. I no longer dance or compete in pageants. I’m different now, and I can’t ever go back to the person I once was,” Coleman, who was just 14 at the time of her assault, wrote in a powerful op-ed in October. “That one night took it all away from me. I’m nothing more than just human, but I also refuse to be a victim of cruelty any longer. This is why I am saying my name. This is why I am not shutting up.”

Rev. William Barber

CREDIT: AP PHOTO/GERRY BROOME

Rev. William J. Barber II, the president of the NAACP in North Carolina, spearheaded the biggest progressive protests of the past year. Barber partnered with other clergy, progressive activists, and grassroots leaders to lead thousands of people in weekly “Moral Monday” rallies against North Carolina’s far-right legislature. They demanded economic and racial justice, access to health care and education, and voting rights. And they rallied against proposed abortion restrictions in the state, pointing out that lawmakers were wasting their time attacking women’s health while leaving important policy priorities undone.

In July, dozens of women’s health activists — including the president of the Planned Parenthood affiliate in North Carolina — got arrested in an act of civil disobedience against a proposed abortion bill at a Moral Monday protest. At that time, those activists brought the total number of activists arrested for protesting the state’s GOP-controlled legislature up to more than 700.

“When we started Moral Mondays and the first group went to jail, the women were at the front line,” Barber explained in an interview over the summer. “The sisters are here, the sisters have been here and the sisters are here to stay.”

Wendy Davis

CREDIT: AP PHOTO/LM OTERO

State Rep. Wendy Davis (D-TX) rose to national prominence after working to defeat a stringent package of abortion restrictions in the Texas legislature. Davis filibustered the legislation for over 11 hours without sitting down, taking a drink of water, leaving to go to the bathroom, or straying off topic. Thousands of people from across the country tuned in to watch, and spread messages of support under the #StandWithWendy hashtag. The pink sneakers she wore that night on the floor have become iconic.

Davis certainly did not work alone — her efforts were supported by thousands of pro-choice activists who protested at the capitol for weeks, and ultimately helped delay the legislation with a “people’s filibuster” — but she did become the nationally-recognized face of the backlash against Texas’ harsh bill. Thanks in no small part to the momentum that began with her filibuster this summer, Davis iscurrently running for governor.

Sarah Slamen

CREDIT: MSNBC

Sarah Slamen was one of the thousands of Texas who rallied at the capitol this summer with Wendy Davis. During a hearing on the anti-abortion legislation in the middle of July, Slamen delivered an impassioned speech against the measure. “Thank you for every hateful statement degrading women and girls to sex objects, and brood mares, and bald eagles, and leather wallets, like your eloquent pro-life supporters have done today. Thank you for being you, Texas legislature,” Slamen told the Republican lawmakers in the room. “You have radicalized hundreds of thousands of us.”

State troopers removed Slamen from the room while she was in the middle of speaking — a silencing tactic that ultimately backfired, since her testimony went viral. Later that month, she appeared on MSNBC to deliver the rest of her speech that got cut off.

“I’m privileged as a white woman from a middle-class background to be able to have attended all of those hearings,” Slamen pointed out during her TV appearance. “Women with two and three jobs, the 20 percent of women who might be living in the rural communities of Texas who can’t get to the capitol, caregivers, they can’t get to the hearings and stand up for their rights, and it’s obvious that all the Republicans on that committee don’t care about the right to their health care either. So someone had to say something.”

♥♥♥

Readers: Yoohoo!! to these wonderful people and all of their efforts for us women and girls. Thank you for all of your hard work and efforts!

On a side note, lately I am not liking the term, “War on Women,” or “War” on anything for that matter. Not to lessen what is at the present moment, I want to give the word “war” less power by not using it, and instead empower the women by promoting what we do want…peace and equality, love and respect, etc….and using those positive feeling words.

I missed some of the Christmas comments from some of you. Thank you for the good wishes! Again, I HOPE all of you had a wonderful time and are continuing the celebration through the new year. I am keeping it going.

Abhayankari: How sweet. Thank you.

Pavao: That is a funny question. I have never thought about it because I don’t know any Croatians. But I would not turn down a man because of his race as long as I was interested. Now…height...that is a different question. I guess it would give me the opportunity to really rock my high heels. :) PS: If I am going to to watch any sport, next to tennis, basketball is one of my fave sports to watch. I HOPE your team is doing well…but I have to say, I do root for the Warriors. :)

LB, Phillip: It was easy for me too. I already had insurance but changed my plan to a better one. I am very excited and pleased. Thank you Obama!

Greg: Oh…I would leave the word “only” out of your comment. There are quite a few more who know how sweet this is. :) Thanks and Happy New Year to you as well.

Social Butterfly: So nice to hear from you. I HOPE yours was all you had HOPEd it to be. xo

Peace & Love: “Live it, Give it.” Blog me. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

So nice to see some comments! I was wondering if I was going to be all alone in blogsville. :)

Thank you for all the delightful Christmas wishes. I had a wonderful time and I plan on these good feelings continuing through the new year and beyond. I feel so blessed and grateful for so much. I HOPE  that you do too, and that your Christmas was abundant and beautiful with your family and friends as well!

Now…onto today’s write…

Obamacare Sign Ups Soar Just Before Deadline, As Record 2 Million Visit Healthcare.gov

Tuesday was the extended deadline to sign up through the Obamacare exchanges in order to be enrolled for health coverage starting January 1. The day before, Healthcare.gov saw record traffic of 2 million people visiting the site and more than 250,000 phone calls over the course of the day.

Despite the Tuesday deadline, the administration said it will continue to work this week with people who had difficulty getting through the website.

“Our highest priority is making sure that everyone who wants to enroll to have health care coverage by Jan. 1 is able to do so, particularly since consumers had a hard time accessing HealthCare.gov in October and November,” administration spokesperson Julie Bataille said. Starting Thursday, “Consumers who tried to enroll prior to today and had problems with the system should contact the Marketplace call center for individual assistance.” A spokesperson earlier compared the extension to standing in line to vote when the polls close: “You still get to vote.”

CNN Money reports that federal and state exchanges all saw a surge of interest at the last minute: More than 6,700 people in Connecticut signed up Monday, while New York saw nearly 20,000 and California 27,000 in a single day. Several states, including Massachusetts, Oregon, and Maryland, have chosen to extend their deadlines for the state-run exchanges to the end of the month.

As the administration resolved the technical problems that plagued the initial rollout, enrollment steadily gained steam. President Obama announced last Friday, more than 1 million people had signed up for private coverage through the exchanges, up from 365,000 before November 30.

*****

Readers: Health and Politics were light discussions at our Christmas table this holiday. Although my relatives are Dems sometimes their viewpoints aren’t totally accurate. I was prepared. Some were concerned about the next presidential election. “Whoa…wait a minute…let’s not think that far ahead, we still have the midterms first and let’s not make a repeat of the last midterms.” Thankfully it was all very civil as I had expected.

So…What did you chat about around the dinner table? Blog me.

Melissa, Jessica, Luiza, Raquel: Thank you. Each of your requests are noted.

Peace out.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

First of all…to my international and Guamanian Readers…

Merry Christmas!!

I HOPE you all have a wonderful day with your families and friends!

To all my local Readers: Have a fun and safe Christmas Eve!!

Secondly, I came across this. Yes, it is not too late to give a gift of one of the most precious things that we have in life. One that without we would not survive. One that many may take for granted since we have daily access to it. Yet, for many, it is not always easily accessible, and for some, they even die because of the lack of it. I am talking about water.

Charity Water is a non-profit organization and their mission is to bring clean and safe drinking water to every person on the planet. And the cool thing is, is that private donors fund the staff salaries and operating expenses so that 100% of your donation goes directly to fund water projects in developing countries. How can you say no to something like that?

Still thinking about it? Here’s a little more to whet your appetite – Pun totally intended. :)

charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.

It’s hard not to think about water today. In the western world, we face growing concerns about our stewardship of the world’s most precious resource. There’s talk of shortages, evidence of reservoirs and aquifers drying up, and of course, plenty of people who simply don’t care.

But forget about us.

Most of us have never really been thirsty. We’ve never had to leave our houses and walk five miles to fetch water. We simply turn on the tap, and water comes out. Clean. Yet there are 800 million people on the planet who don’t have clean water.

It’s hard to imagine what 800 million people looks like really, but one in nine might be easier. One in nine people in our world doesn’t have access to the most basic of human needs. Something we can’t imagine going 12 hours without.

Here, we’d like to introduce you to a few of those 800 million. They are very real, and they need our help. They didn’t choose to be born into a village where the only source of water is a polluted swamp. And we didn’t choose to be born in a country where even the homeless have access to clean water and a toilet.

We invite you to put yourself in their shoes. Follow them on their daily journey. Carry 80 pounds of water in yellow fuel cans. Dig with their children in sand for water. Line up at a well and wait eight hours for a turn.

Now, make a decision to help. We’re not offering grand solutions and billion dollar schemes, but instead, simple things that work. Things like freshwater wells, rainwater catchments and sand filters. For about $20 a person, we know how to help millions.

*****

Readers: If you can, I HOPE you’ll donate. Thank you. May you never get thirsty and not have access to clean, safe drinking water.

Peace & Love. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

The Landfill Harmonic

Feeling powerless to help others? A single selfless act is all it takes to make music out of misery.

The source of inspiration can often be found in the most unlikely place. One of those unlikely places is a landfill in the slums of Cateura, Paraguay.

In 2009, a documentary filmmaking crew stumbled upon a local garbage picker who was making instruments from items found in a landfill. Nicolás Gómez, who goes by Cola, made flutes out of pipes and cellos from tin cans and meat tenderizers.

A community like Cateura is not a place to have a violin,” said Favio Chávez, director of the Recycled Orchestra. “In fact, a violin is worth more than a house here.”

Favio Chávez, a music instructor, started teaching the local children how to play classical music on these recycled instruments. From there, the Recycled Orchestra was born.

This collaboration of imagination and ingenuity gave the children of Cateura, a place where misery is high and opportunity is low, hope for a better life. “The world sends us garbage,” Chávez says. “We send back music.”

Chávez and his youth orchestra are now receiving invitations to play concerts all across the globe and plans are already underway for a world tour. With the Landfill Harmonic documentary trailer spreading through social media, the Recycled Orchestra is inspiring millions by showing how far the power of music and hope can take you when you have nowhere to go but up.

Watch it: 

Readers: Simply wonderful yes? It is amazing to me how someone can make something incredible out of what most of us would consider nothing more than junk. I am continually blown away by people who can create the extraordinary out of the ordinary…who can see the possibilities that no one else can…and more importantly, they follow their vision, and they have a profound positive affect on people’s lives.

Big kudos of congrats goes to Nicolás Gómez for his vision and talent in making these instruments,  and to Favio Chávez, the music instructor, for bringing this Orchestra to life.

Blog me and let me know if you have seen The Landfill Harmonic play.

On a side note, I was sent this write by a resource of mine. The funny thing is, I discovered this fun and inspiring piece of news also in a new magazine that was sent to me. I love this magazine. It is called Live Happy.

If you haven’t picked up a copy you might just want to buy a subscription for yourself and one for a few friends. (Disclaimer: no I am not getting anything from saying this – I just like the idea of it) There is a happiness movement that has been going on and it is gaining speed. This magazine focuses on living life with a more positive attitude…choosing happiness, and watch how your happiness becomes contagious and ripples into other people’s lives.

That is it in a simple nutshell but in my opinion it is much more. No doubt I will be blogging more about this in the new year.

Happy Saturday everyone!

Peace & Love to you.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

We have less than 2 weeks until the new year. Is it too early to post “a final look?’ The Progress report doesn’t think so, nor do I.  So, here it is:

Why Aren’t More People Talking About This?

A Final Look at 2013

This is the last Progress Report before we go on vacation for the holidays and we wanted to wrap up our look back at 2013. In particular, we wanted to bring you some really important stories that most people aren’t talking about.

ThinkProgress’ Judd Legum rounded up 9 big under-the-radar stories we think you should know more about. Check them out and spread the word:

1. Human rights abuses in North Korean prisons reached a level not seen since the Nazi atrocities.

A new report from the U.N. released in January found that hundreds of thousands of North Koreans are being subjected to historic human right abuses. Michael Kirby, a retired Australian judge who took the lead in creating the report, told BBC News “They had to live on rodents, grasshoppers, lizards and on grass and they were subject to cruelty, All in all it is a very horrifying story, the like of which I don’t think I’ve seen or read of since the Khmer Rouge [in Cambodia] and the Nazi atrocities during the second world war.” A former camp inmate “told investigators that he was lucky when a warden ordered the tip of his finger chopped off for damaging a piece of sewing equipment used to carry out forced labor — he could easily have been executed for the transgression.

2. The Tea Party became a major advocate for solar energy.

In Georgia, the Tea Party has teamed up with clean energy advocatesto bring more solar energy to the state, over the objections of utility giant Southern Co. Tea Party advocates are motivated not by reducing carbon emissions but by adding more competition to the energy market and reducing prices. Still, the atypical coalition could be a game-changer as renewable producers seek access to energy markets.

3. American cities criminalized homelessness.

In South Carolina, Columbia City passed an ordinance “to remove homeless people from the downtown business district.” Police officers are now specially assigned to patrol the downtown area and a hotline was set up “so local businesses and residents can report the presence of a homeless person to police.” In Los Angeles, Harrisburg, and Raleigh authorities cracked down on good samaritans providing food to the homeless in public. New York, Palo Alto, Tampa andMiami have focused on criminalizing sleeping in public. Overall, these efforts make it next to impossible for the homeless — a population of about 600,000 in America — to get back on their feet.

4. Thousands of people who worked their entire lives had their pensions stolen.

In Illinois and Michigan, thousands of working Americans had their promised pensions stolen from them, despite guarantees in their states’ constitutions that protected their benefits. Those impacted include “retirees who worked their careers as sanitation engineers and teachers, firefighters and police officers, public defenders and city clerks” — many of whom will now be thrown into poverty. As these two Midwest states appear to be getting away with it, many other localities may follow suit.

5. More people died in America from suicide than car accidents.

While mass shootings frequently land on the front page, many more people die of suicide each year. Data released in this year, covering 2010, found that for the first time more people died from suicide (38,364) than car crashes (33,687). While suicide is frequently associated with teenagers and the elderly, the growth has been fueled by “middle-aged Americans.” Experts speculate the rise might be attributable to middle-aged people “coping with the stress of caring for aging parents while still providing financial and emotional support to adult children.”

6. The oceans changed dramatically, transforming into an acidic stew inhospitable to marine life.

Much of the conversation about climate change focuses on rising temperatures. But carbon dioxide emissions is rapidly making the oceans inhospitable for marine life. Why? According to studies “the ocean absorbs about 30 to 40 percent of the atmosphere’s excess carbon, causing its pH to drop.” These acidity levels can corrode the shells of crustaceans, and have lead to an explosion in jelly fish populations. One Oregon fisherman reported, “Sometimes we’ll catch 4,000 or 5,000 pounds of jellyfish.” Another fisherman said that “he saw baby octopuses climbing up his crab line to escape the water. When he pulled up his crab trap, all the crabs were dead.”

7. The Supreme Court green-lighted the execution of people with severe mental disabilities.

In August, the State of Florida executed John Errol Ferguson, “a paranoid schizophrenic man who believes that he is the ‘Prince of God’ and that his execution is preparing him for ‘ascension.’” The Supreme Court has ruled that people with extreme mental disabilities are not constitutionally eligible for execution, but declined to intervene in Ferguson’s case and other cases like his. Last yeah, Texas executed Marvin Wilson, a man with an IQ of 61.

8. Vaccine conspiracy theories created localized epidemics of deadly, previously eradicated diseases.

In one Texas town a measles outbreak was traced to a mega-church pastor who preached against vaccines. Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, more 1,200 people contracted Measles. The outbreak was traced to “the country’s extensive Bible Belt where the majority of fundamentalist Protestants do not believe in having their children vaccinated.”

9. Cities and counties sought to boost their economy by attracting undocumented immigrants.

Much recent coverage has focused on states like Arizona and Alabama that have sought to make their states as inhospitable as possible to undocumented immigrants — with disastrous consequences. But other cities and counties have taken the opposite approach in an effort to boost their local economies, bucking federal guidlines and welcoming the undocumented. In Dayton, Ohio officials “make no effort to pursue residents without legal status, if they are otherwise law-abiding.” In Philadelphia, members of the city council are encouraging Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to stop detaining undocumented immigrants that aren’t dangerous. Meanwhile, Newark Police announced they would “decline immigration detainers issued to the department”by ICE.

Thank you for reading and helping to advance a progressive vision for America that seeks to improve the lives of all Americans, not just the  privlieged[sic] few. We look forward to your help keeping up the fight in 2014.

Have a happy holiday season!

*****

Readers: Thoughts? Any end of the year stories you think should be included? The blog is open.

I am so behind in my reading of the comments, I am not even going to try and catch up. I did a quick perusal and I see that Social Butterfly posted a write that got quite a few responses. Thank you /SB for engaging the readers on such an important topic that has hit home for many.  I agree with you, these atrocities need to be heard so that people who are affected or who have similar stories feel that they are heard too…that they too have a voice.

Speaking of voices…I think there are just as many people on my blog who commented and are not fans of Rachel Maddow as there were in the comment section where the article was originally posted. Where did you all come from? I’m going to hang with Helen: I know I’m repeating myself but I can’t help it. Yeah…where did they all come from? You stated it beautifully. And I had to chuckle at Rachel’s comment. Thanks for sharing. I am not familiar with that quote from her, but it is fitting isn’t it?

And, Mike, TM: You nailed it too.

Happy Friday! Peace & Love.

Blog me.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

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