Good Morning.

Well, have you seen Michael Moore’s movie yet? You know the flick, ’Capitalism: A Love Story’.  I was so jazzed for its release and yet I still haven’t seen the movie yet. I’ve just been so busy that I haven’t have the leisure of going sitting in a theater for a few hours….but I will.  However, not seeing the movie doesn’t mean that I can’t take more action. For those of you who have seen it (or not), for those of you who want to know what’s next, for those of you who want to do more,  here’s what Michael suggests. I have included some of my thoughts in red.

“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.

Although California alone has reported unemployment at around 12%, so many people are no longer collecting unemployment, or reporting that they are unemployed. Basically many have given up looking. I have heard the true unemployment is hovering around 20%. I don’t have anything to substantiate that but knowing how many of my friends are not working, that percentage wouldn’t surprise me. Rhonda: You commented that quite a few of your friends have been laid off. Thanks for posting your article. It is a sensitive time for many, and the last thing that needs to happen after you lose your job is losing your house. I think a moratorium is a good idea.

2. Congress must join the civilized world and expand Medicare For All Americans. A single, nonprofit source must run auniversal 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, no compromises allowed.

Nothing more for me to say here. I am for the Public Option and Single Payer.

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.

Again, I’m all for this. I’m going to check out this bill H.R. 1826.

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 for some info about the state-owned Bank of North Dakota.)

I don’t know anything about state-owned banks, but this has peaked my interest.

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 in December.) Demand thatGeneral 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!!

Again, this is going to take a little research on my part.

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), one to your Congressperson (202-224-3121) and one to each of your two Senators (202-224-3121). To find out who represents you, click here. 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. And if you really want to drop an anvil on them, send them a snail mail letter!

Doing this is a piece of cake. Make, making phone calls a daily habit. Everyone can do this. Maybe start off with a goal of calling once a week for a month, and then go from there. Increase your goal.  Make it something that is doable for you, so that you set yourself up to succeed, not fail. I’ve been calling lately but not enough. I’m going to try it: Once a week for a month. Wanna join me?

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 and I’ll post it on my website.

I had a great time the other night. If you’re not one to pull people together, then get on Obama’s website and find people who already have a group going and join. It’s really that simple.

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, California State Assemblyman Isadore Hall, Tempe, Arizona City Councilman Corey Woods, Wisconsin State Assemblyman Chris Danou, andWashington State Representative Larry Seaquist. The list goes on and on — and you should be on it!

I’m not one to run for office but maybe one of you are – go for it!

4. Show up. Picket the local branch of a big bank that took the bailout money. 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, 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.)

There’s a hidden activist in all of us: Find the activist in you and let him or her emerge!

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! Start a website of real local news (here’s an example: The Michigan Messenger). Tweet your friends and use Facebook to let them know what they need to do politically. The daily papers are dying. If you don’t fill that void, who will?

Hmm…I think I’m doing this already – how about you?

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 and place it in a locally-owned bank or, preferably, a credit union.

2. Get rid of all your credit cards 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 (more info here). 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. 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 working on quite a few of the above already. And you?

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 — and be sure to post your ideas in the comments 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
MichaelMoore.com

Join Mike’s Mailing List | Join Mike’s Facebook Group | Follow Mike on Twitter | Become Mike’s MySpace Friend

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Tk: Your son’s delight over his taxes being raised is rare. Obviously he sees the big picture beyond his own personal bank account. I hope that his attitude is contagious amongst his circle of influence and beyond.

Janet: Yep, I’m showing ads. And I love your idea. Thanks for jumping in to support my blog in creating revenue for moi. Readers: How about doing what Janet suggested? – it only takes a click, and I would be greatly appreciative of you and your finger helping me out :) Thank you!

Jonell: Congrats to you too!

Hi David: I have not seen that movie so I can’t comment but I do appreciate your feedback about my blog. I never thought that my blog was divided between whites and otw’s, or that people felt that they needed to take sides. I never meant for any sides to be taken, and I certainly don’t take sides. Not all whites are bad and not all otw’s are good. I just want equality for all, including women. I don’t care what color is racist, I just want racism to die, to cease to exist.

As far as your life story, thanks for opening up on my blog and sharing. What I like about this blog is that has turned into a venue where people feel they can open up. I’m happy that you feel the same. Hearing people’s stories, helps people relate to one another, it helps people to realize that we’re really not that different from each other. Enjoy being back home with your mother. I bet she is delighted to have you there.

In regards to your brother, I too have a brother and I can’t tell you how much I love and respect him. He is a bright solid light in my life. I am just as close to him as when we were were kids. And I would be miserable if something came in between us. I encourage you to send your brother to my blog – show him your entry. If he is a decent man, which I am sure he is,  he will come around. Don’t let this thing come between you any longer. Life is too short.

Readers: Sorry my peeps, I needed to sleep in late this morning, hence the late post. I still have a few things I want to say in response to the comments but I will catch you tomorrow. Have a beautiful day!

PS: 10:49 am:  Readers:  I needed to come back and clarify something. In my rush this morning, I was not very thorough in my comment to Janet. Let me be clear that I do not want you clicking the ads just to give me revenue. That was not my point. If you see an ad that you are interested in, then I would appreciate you taking the time to let your fingers do the walking and click on it. That’s it – hope that I am clear now. Thanks!

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor

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)

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During the presidential election last November, I was so excited to be a participant in hope….a participant in the energy of bringing Obama to the white house. But it didn’t end there. I know as well as you know, that that was just the beginning of our work. I look back, and getting Obama into the white house was a piece of cake compared to all of the challenges we face daily in getting something done for this country.

Because of the economic climate, expectation is high. Because of those that don’t want our president to succeed, the party of no continues to hit low.

But as Obama says, “I’m asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington…I’m asking you to believe in yours.”

Well, to believe in your ability is one thing, but in order to believe in it, one has to back it with action. And for me personally, sometimes I feel like I am not doing enough. And when I feel that way, I take action. How about you? Want to have a little fun with people who believe in their abilities like you do?

I read the below letter from ‘Organizing for America’ and I thought, “Yeah, this could be fun”, so I signed up.

Last week the President laid out his health reform plan and challenged Congress to act. OFA volunteers leapt into action, generating hundreds of thousands of signatures and calls to show grassroots support. Now we need to reach out in our communities, spread the facts about the President’s plan, and bring new voices of support into Washington.

If you can spare your lunch hour (or a couple of hours whenever you’re free), you can help make it happen. Here’s how: Organize or attend a “Health Reform Phone Booth.”

It’s simple: Just join up with other supporters in a public area where people will pass by, distribute fact sheetsabout the President’s plan, and help folks call their members of Congress on the spot to voice their support.

You can search online to see if there’s a booth already set up near you. But if not, just host your own! We’ll give you all the materials, phone numbers, and step-by-step instructions you need to make it a success — and when you register your Phone Booth online, other OFA volunteers can join you to lend a hand:

http://my.barackobama.com/SeptPhoneBooth

Passing health reform won’t be easy — they’ve been talking about it in Washington for almost a century. But we know that when ordinary people who believe in change reach out, spread the facts, and help folks from all walks of life make their voices heard, we can make history.

Thanks for making it happen,

Jeremy

Jeremy Bird
Deputy Director
Organizing for America

Let me interject here….If you’re one of those that has a hard time asking for what you want…asking others to join you in what you believe in…then break out of your shell and take a risk. You’ll be surprised that it isn’t that hard and you’ll actually have some fun, and more importantly you’ll discover that you do believe in your ability to bring about real change in Washington.  I know I believe, and if you read below, you’ll see that others believe too.

P.S. — In August we asked a few OFA volunteers to test out running a Health Reform Phone Booth in their area, and we got great reports — even from folks who were pretty nervous before they began. Here are just a couple:

I will confess that I questioned my decision to host an event the instant I hit the send button. I imagined myself on a street corner, handing out fliers like the guys hand out restaurant flyers. Relief struck when the first volunteer signed up with me. Imagine how thrilled I was when 15 had signed up!… We distributed 300 phone booth sheets and 600 info sheets… The best part, one of our volunteers was 79 1/2 years old. She was remarkable. Thank you for this opportunity. I am very glad I did it, no matter how nervous I was.
– Mark P. from New York, New York

We had two veterans tell us that they were very happy with the VA system, and one vowed to write a letter to the editor to dispel the myths that that system doesn’t work. Many people thanked us for having a booth and for trying to dispel the lies being spread by opponents of reform.
– Mike O. from Bozeman, Montana

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Readers: Well…how about breaking out of your shell? How about believing in your ability by taking action? All you need to do is give an hour or so of your time. Easy. Do it. Thanks for all you do. And for you Bay Area locals, I look forward to seeing you out there this week!

Peacin’ out…..

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor

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!

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2009

" 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"

While writing my blog yesterday on the Ponzi scheme, I briefly mentioned relationships that are created with inmates. A question had popped into my mind as to whether inmates had access to the internet. So I did a quick google during my write, and came across some very interesting websites.

I found a website , Prisoner Life, that helps connect people with inmates to create a pen pal relationship. It talked about how befriending a prisoner through writing letters, and the affect that receiving  letters has on prisoners. I found out that loneliness is one of the greatest challenges they face each day.

And that Mail call may be the lowest point of their day, if one doesn’t receive a letter.  Communication is essential in the rehabilitation process.  Studies have shown that those inmates who have people on the outside taking an interest in them have a much lower recidivism rate then those who do not. Not surprisingly, women are rarely recidivist, but men have a high recidivism rate.

When I read this, I felt sad and compelled to start up a pen pal friendship with an inmate. Who knows if I ever will….it was just a fleeting thought. Is that crazy or what?

And just a little side note before I end this post. Here is a little didley that I found on the website:

At the end of 1996, 1,571 per 100,000 blacks in the U.S. were incarcerated; this compares to 193 per 100,000 whites incarcerated.

What does that tell you about our judicial system? What does it tell you about racism? Those numbers are over ten years old. I wonder what they would look like today.

Readers:  I would love to hear from any of you that have started a relationship, either a plutonic friendship, love, whatever, with an inmate. What has your experience been like? Blog me. This is such an intriguing topic to me.

Zen Lill: It was good to catch up with you the other day too. How did the fashion show go?

Like you, prison pen pals have always blown me away too. Not because of the writing factor necessarily but because some create intimate relationships, fall in love, and some even get married, while the mate is still ‘in’…. ‘In prison’ that is. :) It is very intriguing to me.

Of course these days with internet dating, and even blogging, one can get to know someone very well through their writing, so it shouldn’t surprise us so much as to why. And when I think of how many people may actually be in prison that are innocent, it makes it less surprising that people will hook up and create a realtionship. Not to say that one can’t fall in love with a serial killer. Not my kind of life mate, but hey, there is evidently someone out there for everyone.

Helen: So maybe it wasn’t such a slow week and my peeps were trying to blog me. Sorry that you couldn’t, and thanks for trying.

Umei: You were obviously successful in posting your article – Thanks for the e-coli alert.

Got to run…Labor day weekend is almost here and I am so looking forward to 3 days of relaxation!

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2009

" 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"

Alexander: Thank you for telling us what really happened in the civil war; it is fascinating and repulsive at the same time. I appreciate your tellings because the history of our country never interested me much in high school, thanks to a very dry history teacher, and welcoming distractions :) Sneaking out of class was something I did when the opportunity presented itself, and quite frankly, the teacher didn’t seem to mind much. I guess I wasn’t really missing much as I am sure the history books weren’t exactly written as you have just chronicled to us. Over the years, I have had a growing desire to learn more and the challenge was finding the truth.

You say, “To be Still around 252 years after I was born is amazing.”  I can’t imagine. And what is amazing to me is that the confederate flag, and what it truly represents,  is still flying to this day after all of these years.

Readers: Here’s an article that was sent to me in regards to the flying of the Confederate flag.

IN 1962 the Confederate battle flag was placed on top of the South Carolina statehouse by vote of the all-white legislature. While other Southern states removed the flag from their statehouses, South Carolina refused to follow suit. This prompted the NAACP to organize a national economic boycott against South Carolina’s $14 billion-a-year tourism industry, and since the summer of 1999, more than 100 conventions and business organizations have participated in the boycott. The boycott is considered one of the largest since the 1970s. The NAACP’s president, Kweisi Mfume, said of the boycott, “this is a trigger you don’t want to pull until all else has failed. In the case of South Carolina, after 38 years of negotiating even the NAACP has a limit to its patience.”

Inflammatory remarks by state senator Arthur Ravenel made national headlines in Jan. 2000 when he defended the flying of the Southern Cross, referring to the NAACP as the “the National Association of Retarded People.” He then apologized to “retarded people” for associating them with the NAACP. At the time of the the February Republican presidential primary, party differences on the issue were thrown in sharp relief: the Republican contenders declined to take a stand except to say that the issue was a state matter; the Democrats were outspokenly against the flag remaining.

On April 12, 2000, the South Carolina state senate finally passed a bill to remove the flag by a majority of 36-7. The bill specified that a more traditional version of the battle flag (square shaped as opposed to the rectangular flag now flying above the statehouse) would be flown in front of the Capitol next to a monument honoring fallen Confederate soldiers. The bill then went to the House, where it encountered some difficulty. But on May 18, 2000, after the bill was modified to ensure that the height of the flag’s new pole would be 30 feet, it was passed by a majority of 66 to 43, and Governor Jim Hodges signed the bill five days later. On July 1, the flag was removed from the South Carolina statehouse.

The bill has not appeased everyone, however: the NAACP has not called off its boycott because they feel that the flag’s new position on the Capitol lawn is still too prominent.

This article was written in the year 2000, but today, not only is the flag still flying, most of the seats of government have civil war memorabilia displayed all over it. Disgusting. I can’t imagine black people having to see this flag daily, flying in their faces, knowing the meaning and the history behind it.

Thoughts? Blog me.

****************

Cheirika:  :) Thank you.

Anonymous: I hope for that too. Sen. Ted Kennedy is greatly missed.

Peace out….

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2009

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I read the comments last night and I felt somewhat how Gloria and Doug felt…This type of women’s abuse is not only happening in Congo but around the world, daily.  And we get focused in our own little worlds and what ever is happening in our own little worlds is what we live with daily. Thankfully the majority of us do not experience one little iota of abuse that women around the world experience.

I was disturbed at the lack of attention that the Congolese women were getting in the ‘Numbers’ that I quoted yesterday in my write, and quite  disturbed at the lack of attention that these same women got on my blog when I read the comments yesterday.

But then I woke up this morning and read from a different perspective.

Herbert: I hope that ‘exercising your demons’ on my blog helped. You certainly inspired the readers to write in and take action in the form of advice. (And by the way Herbert, I agree with Nell, I would’ve picked a different alias. :)

Wow, so much effort went to a complete stranger: Herbert. I can only hope that many of you ( I’m not counting on you George), will take that same passion that you have for Herbert’s  dilemma and support another cause that is meaningful to you. The desire to help someone is awesome.

Can you broaden your compassion and take it to another level when it comes to those outside of your own little worlds?  How about channeling it to something bigger, whether it is women in Congo or the environment, or something else? Being of service to someone or some cause can be one of the most fulfilling experiences. I can see that people want to reach out and help. I’m just asking that you take this passion to the next level.

Let me add, that I am not different from any of you.  I too focus on my own little world. It takes effort and time to reach out and be there for a person or a cause. It starts off as a selfless act, but I have learned that the more I do for others the more fulfilled I am in my life.  And because I am fulfilled by my actions, I want to do more. One doesn’t selflessly give to gain but what one gains by giving is priceless in regards to self fulfillment.  If we all gave more of ourselves and our time, how different this world would be.

Hmm…that is really all I have for this morning.

~~~~~~~~~~

Beth: I think it is clearer if you address the person you are speaking to in the body of the comment not in the ‘little box’.

Welcome back Billy. :)

Rick:  Sorry the pic wasn’t ‘enough’ for you. I rather liked it…love my hat, the bikini…all the bright colors. I think it looks good on my blog, as my summer shot.  Ah…I guess I can’t please every one.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor

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All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2009

" 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"