Make It A Movie Night With Michael Moore
Posted by Michelle Moquin on March 27th, 2010
Good morning! It’s the weekend; looking for something to do? If you’re like me, I’m big on spontaneity. Love doing something fun at the last minute. Okay, so I haven’t planned too many Balinese vacations last minute, but a movie night with friends or even people you don’t know, can be lots of fun. Check this out – I just love this idea:
Dear MoveOn member,
When the Supreme Court ruled recently that corporations have the same First Amendment rights as people, our democracy entered a scary new world.
Now, if ExxonMobil, Halliburton, or any other corporation wants to defeat a senator for re-election, they can literally spend any amount of money. There are no limits.1
That’s why we’re launching a major new effort to root out corporate influence in Washington and make sure our elected officials start listening to Main Street instead of Wall Street.
We’ll kick it off big, with hundreds of parties around the country on March 27th and 28th to watch Capitalism: A Love Story, Michael Moore’s documentary about the financial crisis. There’s no better example of what happens when we let corporations run roughshod over our democracy, and it’s a really funny and important film.
We know from experience that MoveOn members love to get together for movie nights like this one, but we need someone to sign up to host a party in San Francisco. It’s easy to do and we’ll tell you everything you need to know. Click here if you can help out
Movie parties are a great way to get together with other progressives in your community, meet new people, eat some cookies (or other goodies), and talk about how we can make a difference together.
Capitalism: A Love Story is a fascinating documentary about how the global financial crisis happened, and who’s to blame. And like all Michael Moore movies, it’s really funny.
Along with the movie, we’ll discuss what we can do together to fight the influence of banks and other big corporations in Washington. But someone needs to take the first step: Can you host a movie party in San Francisco?
Thanks for all you do.
–Steven, Ilyse, Anna, Ilya, and the rest of the team
Readers: This is happening everywhere. If you’re a big planner, one that likes to do things weeks ahead, hosting this for tonight or tomorrow night, may not be your cup of tea. But hey, why not attend one? If we had a TV I’d host one, but we don’t so I am on the search for a party top crash. I find that going to this sort of thing, meeting like-minded people, is so inspiring knowing that you’re not alone when it comes to supporting the things that you are passionate about. Get out of your comfort zone – Go.
Marie: I have to say this one had me laughing more than the others for some reason.
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)
March 27th, 2010 at 9:21 am
Welcome to the Enchanting World of Webcams
Wallace Wang
It’s 3 pm and a young boy waits by the computer. In a few minutes, a screen message indicates that a call is coming in.
Seconds later, the image of his grandfather appears on the screen. They begin talking, each seeing the other in real time on a device known as a webcam.
The webcam gives them an opportunity to communicate and to get to know each other in a way that would otherwise be impossible.
The boy lives in Southern California, his grandfather in Michigan.
They are the son and father of Wallace Wang, a computer expert who was eager to tell readers about the new opportunities that webcams offer families everywhere…
MAKING THE CONNECTION
Webcams (short for World Wide Web cameras) have been around for more than a decade, but today they’re easier than ever to use.
For video conversations, each party must have a computer that came with a webcam, or buy a webcam that can be plugged into a computer.
You also need a high-speed Internet connection (otherwise the video and audio will be choppy) and a computer with speakers. Both parties must also subscribe to a service that makes the connection.
The leading services are Skype (www.skype.com), which can be used on both PCs and Macs, and iChat (www.apple.com/macosx/features/ichat.html), which is for Macs.
Both services are free, as are most of the other popular ones, including Yahoo! Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger and Windows Live Messenger.
Once you sign up on the Web for a webcam service, you can make video calls to people who subscribe to the same service or to a compatible one.
If the services aren’t compatible, it’s usually easy to sign up for the same service used by the person you want to call. (You can sign up for more than one webcam service.)
To make a call, you first use your computer to access your video phone service. Then enter the user name of the person you want to speak with.
The service sends that person a message that there’s an incoming call. Once the person signs in, you’ll see his/her image on your screen, and that person will see yours — and you can start talking.
Another wise move: Give a webcam to friends and family members with whom you’d like to keep in touch. Young people will often be excited (if not impressed) by such a tech-savvy gift.
Caution: Don’t give a webcam to a child without consulting his parents. There are many pornography sites on the Internet that prey on children with webcams.
When you shop for a webcam, look for one with…
A built-in microphone, a feature that most webcams have.
A clamp to attach the webcam to your computer monitor, a stand on which the webcam can also be placed and a cord that’s more than two feet long.
These three items make it easy to put the camera in a variety of positions, depending on the type of conversation you plan to hold.
To speak face-to-face with one person, for example, you might put the webcam directly in front of you, clamped to the monitor.
On the other hand, if you and your spouse are part of the conversation, a long cord and a stand will let you set the webcam several feet away on your desk so you both will be in the picture.
Popular webcams include…
Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000, which has wide-angle focusing, high-quality images and a built-in microphone. List price: $99.99. Information: Visit http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/webcam_communications/webcams/.
Microsoft LifeCam VX-3000, which comes with a built-in microphone but has somewhat lower-quality images. List price: $39.95. Information:
Visit http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/digitalcommunication/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=001. (Other Microsoft webcams — still under $100 — have higher-quality images.)
Webcam setup: All you have to do is plug it into your computer and install the software from a disc that comes with the webcam.
Many retailers can also help by sending a technician to your home or by advising you via phone or computer. Depending on what type of webcam assistance you need, these services might cost $100 to $250.
Very shrewd move: Find out if friends or neighbors use webcams. If they do, ask them to help with any setup problems you may run into.
WEBCAMS FOR SAFETY
The versatility of webcams has recently led to their use for home safety.
Example: For Mac computers, Periscope is software that lets your webcam take pictures of any home intruders when you are not at home.
The program automatically switches on the camera as soon as it detects sound or motion in a room. Periscope then takes pictures that are uploaded to the manufacturer’s Web site.
That way, intruders can’t destroy the pictures, even in the unlikely event that they discover the webcam, which is usually in an inconspicuous place, such as a cluttered bookshelf. List price: $24.95. Information: 212-929-3549, http://www.freeverse.com/mac/product/?id=7002.
Mugshot is a similar program that enables a webcam to sense motion and photograph intruders. It then sends you their pictures via e-mail. List price: $8. Information: http://www.nimisis.com/projects/mugshot.php.
These “intruder cams” don’t replace burglar alarms, but can be useful additions, providing police with evidence that can lead to arrest and prosecution.
Bottom Line/Retirement interviewed Wallace Wang, a San Diego–based computer expert. Wang is author of several books, including My New Mac: 52 Simple Projects to Get You Started and Steal This Computer Book 4.0: What They Won’t Tell You About the Internet (No Starch).
March 27th, 2010 at 9:27 am
Hafa adai
Okay Howie what’s up? Our Governor met with the President of Taiwan. Little Guam doesn’t need to make separate foreign policy.
====================
Camacho, Bordallo Greet Taiwan President Ma At Guam Airport
Last Updated on Friday, 26 March 2010 16:04
Written by Kevin Kerrigan
Friday, 26 March 2010 14:57
Guam – Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou was greeted by Guam Governor Felix Camacho and Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo today when he landed on island for a re-fueling stop on his way to Palau.
According to a report on the Focus Taiwan website, Ma’s Chartered China Airlines plane made a stop late this monring at the A.B. Won Pat International Airport. Ma was on his way back from the Solomon Islands for a brief refueling stop en route to Palau for a state visit.
Read the Focus Taiwan report
The website also reports that American Institute in Taiwan Chairman Raymond Burghardt, the top U.S. liaison officer with Taiwan in the absence of formal diplomatic ties, boarded Ma’s chartered plane to welcome him upon arrival on Guam.
The Governor’s office has made no official announcement of the timing of Ma’s arrival or of the fact that Camacho and Bordallo greeted him.
Earlier this week, Governor’s Spokeswoman Charlene Calip told PNC News that the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles had called her to warn Guam officials that no meeting should take place.
However Calip said that the U.S. Protocol office had advised that a “greeting” was not a “meeting.
Next stop for the Taiwanese President is Palau which will be the sixth and final leg of his week-long diplomatic tour of the country’s six allies in the South Pacific.
Ma has already visited the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nauru and the Solomon Islands.?
========================
So Howie, spill the beans.
Peter
March 27th, 2010 at 9:29 am
The men have had their way again. They gave all the money to another man.
Anna Nicole Smith’s estate has lost
March 27th, 2010 at 9:37 am
Yeah, Howie what is up? The Consul General of India has come here to put India’s two cents in.
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BY A STAFF REPORTER
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Susmita Gongulee Thomas, Consul General of India in San Francisco, visited Guam on March 17, where she held a potentially fruitful meeting with the Governor of Guam, Felix Camacho.
Camacho described the visit as historic as this was a first visit of an Indian Consul General to Guam. During the meeting, he expressed interest in initiating meaningful interaction with India to shore up the Island’s requirement of qualified manpower in the immediate future.
The two officials also discussed the possibility of Governor Camacho leading a trade delegation to India.
During the visit, Consul General Thomas, who was accompanied by her Consul for Community Affairs,
Ashok Sinha, was also able to establish contact with a small Indian American community of nearly 200 members.
Guam is the farthest territory under the jurisdiction of the CGI, San Francisco, and the visit by the Consul General helped to connect with the far flung community.
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So Howie, cat got your tongue?
Hafa adai
Harmon
March 27th, 2010 at 9:46 am
I’m moving to California if marijuana becomes legal.
March 27th, 2010 at 9:57 am
I’ve had this test. It is a little late for me to learn what is in this note. But if it can help others good.
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The beginning of the end for the PSA?
The march of common sense, amazingly, continues as the American Cancer Society takes a big step away from PSA tests.
It’s one of the most inaccurate and unnecessary medical tests ever designed… and as a diagnostic tool, it’s practically worthless. Yet millions of men have been given these exams as a routine part of aging.
That could be about to change.
In its first major revision of prostate cancer screening guidelines in nearly a decade, the American Cancer Society now says doctors need to explain to their patients the problems with this test before they offer it.
That means discussing the high risk of false positives and the fact that we now know this test leads to overtreatments– including millions of unnecessary and life-altering surgeries.
They’re also recommending that docs ditch digital rectal exams altogether–or a least stop giving them automatically–since they’ve shown no benefit at all.
Hear that? That’s the sound of the earth moving. But while these groundbreaking new recommendations are a step in the right direction, this is only a single step.
After all, they’re not abandoning these tests completely, which would be a real win for common sense… just limiting them and opening up the door for more informed decision- making.
That’s when docs explain the options, and then ask patients for their input–instead of just ordering them around, as many of them have been accustomed to doing.
What happens now is up to those doctors–and their patients. Will doctors REALLY tell their patients about the problems with these tests? Will patients really take the time to understand the risks?
It’s like buying a car… never trust the salesman’s word. But unless you do your homework before you reach the dealer, his word is all you’ll have.
The truth of the matter is that most people who develop prostate cancer do so late in life… or at least late enough that this slow-growing disease will never pose a threat. We’re all going to die of something… but the odds are pretty low you’ll die of prostate cancer.
The treatment, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of healthy aging–and comes with side effects that include incontinence and impotence, a one-two punch that could have you spending your final years in misery.
All for a treatment you never needed to begin with.
=================
This is so important to know.
Eric
March 27th, 2010 at 10:07 am
The scare tactics these guys use to get money is frightening. They will say or claim anything.
——————————-
The Great Struggle for
Western Civilization
Dear Fellow Conservative:
Have you been paying attention?
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Human Events is the place I call my editorial “home.” It’s true. For the past 12 years, in fact, I’ve not only been a regular contributor to Human Events, I’ve also been a key voice in their weekly editorial meetings.
I think you know what that is. No excuses. No compromises. No prisoners. Lots of spunk — and punch. And laughs.
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And so will you, I’m convinced — if you’ll just give it a try, by taking advantage of this specially-discounted Charter Subscriber offer, which includes a FREE hardcover copy of Mark Steyn’s New York Times bestseller, America Alone.
Click here to learn more. Meantime, I’ll be waiting for you… at “home.”
Your friend,
Ann Coulter
———————–
Who are the morons who buy this crap
Mike
March 27th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Peter from Guam:
I am not your servant so please use your manners when addressing me. I will answer you anyway because it is so obvious. I am not telling you anything you can’t figure out by yourself.
Guam happens to be located near an ancient mysterious portal which defies the rules of physics. Many Nations have had incidents in which aircraft have disappeared near Guam. Some have returned in random places — sometimes before they took off. This defies the laws of Space and Time.
This is a big deal. Whoever learns how to find and then operate this portal will have great power, so much so that it has also attracted Aliens from all over the Cosmos. Aliens have known about this for a long time, but have not been able to figure out how it works. Why do we believe we can accomplish things that Aliens far more advanced than we are cannot solve?
Aliens already use worm holes to navigate the Universe. This is another means of travel that was created by an unknown Entity eons ago.
That is why Guam has been receiving so many visitors from all over the World. Everyone thinks they have a chance of figuring it out.
Does that answer all your questions Peter? These are how the “Beans were spilled” to me.
Michelle and Zen Lill:
I just want to say hello. My plate is full at the moment so I have not had the time to comment. I had to answer Peter because he hit a nerve with me. I hope to be back in a week or two.
HOWIE
March 27th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
Harmon on Guam:
I just noticed that your comment was aimed at me so i am answering.
I have told Peter why Guam has become so popular lately. Read it and you will understand that your many visitors are not there for vacation. Why would anyone want to come to your 30 by 8 mile poor and backward little Island? The Natives seem like they need a lesson in manners.
Secondly, do not speak derogatorily to me. The cat has not gotten my tongue, you rude jerk.
HOWIE
March 28th, 2010 at 9:35 am
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