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		<title>Ron Paul for Republican Candidate for President</title>
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		<comments>http://www.chicagoease.com/ron-paul-for-republican-candidate-for-president/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:18:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chicago Ease</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blacklist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jon Stewart]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[main stream media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[msm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ron paul]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.chicagoease.com/?p=840</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[video from pierre1024
The reason I like this candidate, actually there are several, but the major one is that he accurately sees the unsustainable efforts of the wars we are fighting and realizes that we should NEVER have been in Iraq to begin with, seeing that there was NO al qaeda there until we made the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<address>video from <strong><a id="watch-username" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/pierre1024" rel="author" target="_blank"><strong>pierre1024</strong></a></strong></address>
<p>The reason I like this candidate, actually there are several, but the major one is that he accurately sees the unsustainable efforts of the wars we are fighting and realizes that we should NEVER have been in Iraq to begin with, seeing that there was NO al qaeda there until we made the incursion.</p>
<p>His presidency would allow our brave fighters to return home pronto&#8230;unfortunately the media is blacklisting him and does not make any mention of his name.</p>
<p>He has also called for the fed to be audited and scrutinized. These two reasons alone should usher him into winning primaries across the United States and give President Obama a real run for his incumbent money.</p>
<p>Jon Stewart did a great job of calling out the liberal and neocon main stream media and here is the clip from youtube&#8230;there indeed is hilarity in truth!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf80sWs9WdE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf80sWs9WdE</a></p>
</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s see if the main stream media has enough muscle to extend this blacklist of Ron Paul for republican nominee as he maintains his momentum and even wins a few states that were not expected&#8230;ah, if only!</p>
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		<title>Congrats to CPS food contractor, Chartwells-Thompson on forced lunches</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChicagoAtEase/~3/bCBZhWDIRzI/</link>
		<comments>http://www.chicagoease.com/congrats-to-cps-food-contractor-chartwells-thompson-on-forced-lunches/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:10:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chicago Ease</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[CPS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chartwells-Thompson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chicago Public Schools]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home lunch ban]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.chicagoease.com/?p=827</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[from chicagocurrent.com
by George Dougherty

&#160;
Thanks and a tip o&#8217; the brim to George Dougherty of chicagocurrent.com on his short but sweet news item regarding the assault on parents to provide their children with food from home. Rather than seeing whether the food that parents pack are deemed nutricious, NO packed lunches are allowed, thus taking away [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<address>from <a href="http://www.chicagocurrent.com" target="_blank">chicagocurrent.com</a></address>
<address>by <a href="http://www.chicagocurrent.com/users/Geoff-Dougherty" target="_blank">George Dougherty</a><br />
</address>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Thanks and a tip o&#8217; the brim to George Dougherty of <a href="http://www.chicagocurrent.com" target="_blank">chicagocurrent.com</a> on his short but sweet news item regarding the assault on parents to provide their children with food from home. Rather than seeing whether the food that parents pack are deemed nutricious, NO packed lunches are allowed, thus taking away the parent&#8217;s rights and obligations to their children and not only habding that responsibility to the state, but fattening the wallet of the CPS food contractor, Chartwells-Thompson. This bottom line just about explains it all, as it is always the money trail that eventually leads to the answer. Thanks, George for that last sentence on your story.</p>
<p>Would be interesting to see who their friends are in the political arena&#8230;</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">-<span id="more-827"></span></h3>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">CPS ban on outside lunches raises questions</h1>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div>
<p>A Chicago Public Schools policy allowing principals to ban kids from  bringing their own lunches is under fire at one campus on the West Side.</p>
<p>At Little Village Academy, principal Elsa Carmona saw students  packing junk food for lunch and decided they&#8217;d be better off with  cafeteria fare.</p>
<p>&#8220;Nutrition wise, it is better for the children to eat at the school,&#8221;  Carmona said. &#8220;It&#8217;s about the nutrition and the excellent quality food  that they are able to serve,&#8221; she <a href="http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/news/local/ct-met-school-lunch-restrictions-041120110410,0,3846970.story?track=rss&amp;utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ChicagoBreakingNews+%28Chicago+Breaking+News%29" target="_blank">tells the Trib</a>.</p>
<p>Kids and parents say they don&#8217;t care for the cafeteria food. But the  policy benefits the CPS food contractor, Chartwells-Thompson, which is  paid based on the number of lunches it serves.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
<div id="attachment_828" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 250px"><a rel="attachment wp-att-828" href="http://www.chicagoease.com/?attachment_id=828"><img class="size-full wp-image-828 " title="healthy-lunch" src="http://www.chicagoease.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/healthy-lunch.jpg" alt="CPS ban on outside lunches raises questions" width="240" height="185" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">CPS ban on outside lunches raises questions</p></div>
</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Guv Walker on Agent provocateurs: “We Thought About That…”</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChicagoAtEase/~3/YxfMuuLMaD4/</link>
		<comments>http://www.chicagoease.com/guv-walker-on-agent-provocateurs-we-thought-about-that/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:41:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chicago Ease</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[agent provocateurs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governor Walker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[collective bargaining]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wisconsin]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.chicagoease.com/?p=821</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Union members take notice!
Your peaceful demonstrations may not sit well with Governor Scott Walker and his fellow Republicans and if the public sees you acting TOO respectful and orderly he may employ &#8220;troublemakers&#8221;, aka agent provocateurs to sully the good name of the unions and their members.
-
Hard to believe? Don&#8217;t take it from me, the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3 style="text-align: center;">Union members take notice!</h3>
<p>Your peaceful demonstrations may not sit well with Governor Scott Walker and his fellow Republicans and if the public sees you acting TOO respectful and orderly he may employ &#8220;troublemakers&#8221;, aka agent provocateurs to sully the good name of the unions and their members.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">-<span id="more-821"></span></h3>
<p>Hard to believe? Don&#8217;t take it from me, the Governor&#8217;s own words admits to considering infiltrating said &#8220;troublemakers&#8221;. The only reason, or one of the only reasons, stopping him was his perception that the public is more behind him than the unions. He did not mention that it was unethical in any way.*</p>
<p>Hmmm, one wonders if their aren&#8217;t already agents in the midst willing to cast the stone and get to work disrupting the congenial and orderly demonstrations should the alarm be sounded. Whatever side you are on in this situation, it is just wrong to use agent provocateurs, regardless of political leanings.</p>
<p>As you will hear, on the second part of the two-part youtube presentation you can hear the Governor stating &#8220;we thought about that&#8221;. So without any further ado, here is the two part conversation of Governor Walker and a faux David Koch, multi-millionaire and quasi-employer of the governor himself.</p>
<h3 id="watch-headline-title" style="text-align: center;">Lefty prank caller poses as David Koch, phones Gov Scott Walker 1of2</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyJOs-SuXzw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyJOs-SuXzw</a></p>
</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">-</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">-</p>
<h3 id="watch-headline-title" style="text-align: center;">Lefty prank caller poses as David Koch, phones Gov Scott Walker 2of2</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Listen here (part two) at 4:25 mark, no denial at all implying its use at a later date or circumstance.</em></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EjiX4O0kvA">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EjiX4O0kvA</a></p>
</p>
<address style="text-align: center;">videos from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/WebsZachAndrews" target="_blank"><strong>WebsZachAndrews</strong></a></address>
<address style="text-align: center;"> </address>
<address style="text-align: left;">*Disclaimer&#8230;</address>
<address style="text-align: left;">I am only reprinting Governor Scott Walker&#8217;s considered abuse of the Constitution because I do not believe that any Country, State or Municipality nor any organization or company has the right to use agent provocateurs in a Democracy. Whether I agree with a principal or disagree, people have the right and obligation to respect the opinions of the other side without attempting to blame that side for the treachery that they perpetrate.</address>
<address style="text-align: left;"> </address>
<address style="text-align: left;">If found out, it is the civic duty of all Americans, regardless of political persuasion, to point it out and condemn it publicly.<br />
</address>
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		<title>‘Use live ammunition’ against Wisconsin protesters, Indiana official says</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChicagoAtEase/~3/evPNJiNR1nU/</link>
		<comments>http://www.chicagoease.com/%e2%80%98use-live-ammunition%e2%80%99-against-wisconsin-protesters-indiana-official-says/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Feb 2011 15:49:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chicago Ease</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[collective bargaining]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Indiana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wisconsin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ammunition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deputy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deputy attorney general]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[general]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indiana attorney general]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jeff cox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[live ammunition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[office]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[police]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[protest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[republican gov]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[riot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[state]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[union]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Update]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wisconsin capitol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wisconsin republican]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.chicagoease.com/?p=814</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[from rawstory.com

Update (3:15 pm ET): Indiana deputy attorney general loses job
The Indiana Attorney General&#8217;s office announced Wednesday that the  deputy attorney general who called for Wisconsin riot police to use  deadly force on protesters is no longer employed by the agency, according to WISH.
-
Update (2:30 pm ET): Indiana official delete personal blog
An Indiana [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<address>from <a href="http://www.rawstory.com" target="_blank">rawstory.com</a></address>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<div id="attachment_815" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 242px"><a rel="attachment wp-att-815" href="http://www.chicagoease.com/?attachment_id=815"><img class="size-full wp-image-815" title="wisconsinprotest1" src="http://www.chicagoease.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/wisconsinprotest1.jpg" alt="wisconsin protest" width="232" height="176" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">wisconsin protest</p></div>
<p><strong>Update (3:15 pm ET): Indiana deputy attorney general loses job</strong></p>
<p>The Indiana Attorney General&#8217;s office announced Wednesday that the  deputy attorney general who called for Wisconsin riot police to use  deadly force on protesters is no longer employed by the agency, <a href="http://www.wlfi.com/dpps/news/indiana/tweet-lands-deputy-ag-in-hot-water_3727263" target="_blank">according to WISH</a>.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">-<span id="more-814"></span></h3>
<p><strong>Update (2:30 pm ET): Indiana official delete personal blog</strong></p>
<p>An Indiana deputy attorney general who called for Wisconsin riot police to use &#8220;live ammunition&#8221; on protesters has deleted his <a href="http://procynic.blogspot.com/">personal blog</a>.</p>
<p>Jeff Cox had claimed that <em>Mother Jones</em> would try to &#8220;silence&#8221; him.</p>
<p><em>Original report continues below&#8230;</em></p>
<p>One official in Indiana suggested over the weekend that riot police  should use deadly force on those protesting Wisconsin Republican Gov.  Scott Walker&#8217;s plan to strip unions of their rights.</p>
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<p>A Saturday tweet from <em>Mother Jones</em> reported on the likelihood that police would soon be clearing the Wisconsin Capitol building of demonstrators.</p>
<p>&#8220;Use live ammunition,&#8221; <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/JCCentCom/status/39211723726651392" target="_blank">a Twitter user named JCCentCom replied</a>.</p>
<p>When confronted, the Twitter user stood by his words, insisting that the protesters were &#8220;political enemies&#8221; and &#8220;thugs.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;[A]gainst thugs physically threatening legally-elected state  legislators &amp; governor? You&#8217;re damn right I advocate deadly force,&#8221; <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/JCCentCom/status/39213412865146880" target="_blank">he wrote</a>.</p>
<p><em>Mother Jones</em>&#8216; Adam Weinstein later discovered that JCCentCom was a <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?locale=en_US&amp;id=44166956&amp;srchtotal=5&amp;authType=NAME_SEARCH&amp;srchid=54ef9cd3-0c83-49a6-83fa-b8573dafe347-0&amp;srchindex=3&amp;pvs=ps&amp;pohelp=&amp;authToken=HO6P&amp;goback=.fps_indiana_Jeff_Cox_*1_*1_*1_*1_*51_*1_Y_*1_*1_*1_false_1_R_true_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2" target="_blank">deputy attorney general</a> at the Office of the Indiana Attorney General.</p>
<p>From the writings on his blog <a href="http://www.procynic.blogspot.com/">Pro Cynic</a>, it seemed that this wasn&#8217;t the first time Cox had used over-the-top rhetoric against those he disagreed with.</p>
<p>&#8220;But he evinces contempt for political opponents &#8212; from labeling President Obama an &#8216;<a href="http://procynic.blogspot.com/2009/07/what-to-do.html" target="_blank">incompetent and treasonous</a>&#8216; enemy of the nation to comparing &#8216;enviro-Nazis&#8217; to Osama bin Laden, likening ex-Labor Secretary <a href="http://procynic.blogspot.com/2009/01/putting-reich-in-robert-reich.html" target="_blank">Robert Reich</a> and <a href="http://procynic.blogspot.com/2009/08/we-have-seen-it-before-we-will-see-it.html" target="_blank">Service Employees International Union</a> members to Nazi &#8216;brownshirts&#8217; on <a href="http://procynic.blogspot.com/2009/08/thought-for-day.html" target="_blank">multiple</a> <a href="http://procynic.blogspot.com/2009/09/more-dark-clouds-or-counterdemocracy.html">occasions</a>, and referring to an Indianapolis teen as &#8216;<a href="http://procynic.blogspot.com/2010/11/white-girl-syndrome.html" target="_blank">a black teenage thug who was (deservedly) beaten up&#8217; by local police</a>,&#8221; Weinstein noted.</p>
<p>In an e-mail, <em>Mother Jones</em> asked Cox to provide some context for his remarks.</p>
<p>&#8220;For &#8216;context?&#8217; Or to silence me? All my comments on twitter &amp; my  blog are my own and no one else&#8217;s. And I can defend them all,&#8221; he  replied.</p>
<p>Bryan Corbin, a spokesman for the Indiana attorney general&#8217;s office,  told the magazine that Cox&#8217;s comments were &#8220;inflammatory&#8221; and would be  reviewed.</p>
<p>&#8220;We do not condone any comments that would threaten or imply violence or intimidation toward anyone,&#8221; he added.</p>
<p>&#8220;Individuals have the First Amendment right to post their own  personal views in online forums on their own time but as public  servants, state employees also should strive to conduct themselves with  professionalism and appropriate decorum in their interactions with the  public.&#8221;</p>
<p>As of Wednesday morning, Cox had declined to provide further explanation for his tweets or writings on his blog.</p>
<p>The battle for union rights was expected to <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11054/1127265-84.stm" target="_blank">move next</a> to Indiana, where Democratic state senators had fled the state to run  out the clock on a bill that would have weakened collective bargaining.</p>
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		<title>Chicago Blizzard 2011 Redux</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChicagoAtEase/~3/sFww3NqhL2Q/</link>
		<comments>http://www.chicagoease.com/chicago-blizzard-2011-redux/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 Feb 2011 09:51:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chicago Ease</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Chicago blizzard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2011]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blizzard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chicago]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chicago blizzard 2011]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.chicagoease.com/?p=811</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[

  
    
      The Quadrilogy of My Favorite Snow Shovel    
    
    
      
    
  
  
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      The Quadrilogy of My Favorite Snow Shovel    
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          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">Runtime</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">0:38</dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">Views</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">276,587</dd>
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          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">Runtime</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">1:01</dd>
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          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">Runtime</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">1:16</dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">Views</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">154,104</dd>
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          <img alt="Chicago Thunder Snowstorm.AVI" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/SRJYRIopu7s/3.jpg" width="120" height="90" />
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          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title">Title</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title"><a id="tubepress_title_SRJYRIopu7s_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281">Chicago Thunder Snowstorm.AVI</a></dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">Runtime</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">0:40</dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">Views</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">139,944</dd>
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          <img alt="Chicago blizzard 2011 closes Lake Shore Drive HD" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qV3Bcngnv3M/mqdefault.jpg" width="120" height="90" />
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          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title">Title</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title"><a id="tubepress_title_qV3Bcngnv3M_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281">Chicago blizzard 2011 closes Lake Shore Drive HD</a></dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">Runtime</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">2:08</dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">Views</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">89,953</dd>
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        <a id="tubepress_image_rmZN_Gyz3DU_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281"> 
          <img alt="Chicago storm 2/1/2011" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rmZN_Gyz3DU/1.jpg" width="120" height="90" />
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          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">Runtime</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">1:49</dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">Views</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">80,933</dd>
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          <img alt="Chicago Blizzard 2011 - Unbelievable Scene on Lake Shore Drive" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/et0axOoiGs8/default.jpg" width="120" height="90" />
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          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title">Title</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title"><a id="tubepress_title_et0axOoiGs8_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281">Chicago Blizzard 2011 - Unbelievable Scene on Lake Shore Drive</a></dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">Runtime</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">1:31</dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">Views</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">76,440</dd>
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      <div class="tubepress_thumb">
        <a id="tubepress_image_qJt4nV6hM1Y_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281"> 
          <img alt="Jim Cantore Jolted by Thundersnow" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qJt4nV6hM1Y/3.jpg" width="120" height="90" />
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          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title">Title</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title"><a id="tubepress_title_qJt4nV6hM1Y_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281">Jim Cantore Jolted by Thundersnow</a></dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">Runtime</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">0:39</dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">Views</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">60,398</dd>
        </dl>
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      <div class="tubepress_thumb">
        <a id="tubepress_image_AnI4SYDdTEk_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281"> 
          <img alt="Chicago Blizzard 2011, Lake Shore Drive 2/3" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/AnI4SYDdTEk/1.jpg" width="120" height="90" />
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          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title">Title</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title"><a id="tubepress_title_AnI4SYDdTEk_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281">Chicago Blizzard 2011, Lake Shore Drive 2/3</a></dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">Runtime</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">2:16</dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">Views</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">43,312</dd>
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      <div class="tubepress_thumb">
        <a id="tubepress_image_Z1xqB1Fv8M0_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281"> 
          <img alt="Chicago Blizzard 2011 - Lake Shore Drive" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Z1xqB1Fv8M0/2.jpg" width="120" height="90" />
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          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title">Title</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title"><a id="tubepress_title_Z1xqB1Fv8M0_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281">Chicago Blizzard 2011 - Lake Shore Drive</a></dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">Runtime</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">1:11</dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">Views</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">43,082</dd>
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      <div class="tubepress_thumb">
        <a id="tubepress_image_oh9wMDeD_Gc_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281"> 
          <img alt="ATV Fun in the Chicago Blizzard 2011 (Tinley Park, IL)" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/oh9wMDeD_Gc/mqdefault.jpg" width="120" height="90" />
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        <dl class="tubepress_meta_group">
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title">Title</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title"><a id="tubepress_title_oh9wMDeD_Gc_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281">ATV Fun in the Chicago Blizzard 2011 (Tinley Park, IL)</a></dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">Runtime</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">0:27</dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">Views</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">38,826</dd>
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        <a id="tubepress_image_v5ReEsmul8c_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281"> 
          <img alt="Thunder Snow - 2011 Blizzard" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/v5ReEsmul8c/default.jpg" width="120" height="90" />
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        <dl class="tubepress_meta_group">
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title">Title</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title"><a id="tubepress_title_v5ReEsmul8c_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281">Thunder Snow - 2011 Blizzard</a></dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">Runtime</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">0:47</dd>
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      <div class="tubepress_thumb">
        <a id="tubepress_image_cwiKPiNCdq8_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281"> 
          <img alt="Worst Snow Plower in Chicago" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cwiKPiNCdq8/1.jpg" width="120" height="90" />
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        <dl class="tubepress_meta_group">
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title">Title</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title"><a id="tubepress_title_cwiKPiNCdq8_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281">Worst Snow Plower in Chicago</a></dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">Runtime</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">3:10</dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">Views</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">34,785</dd>
        </dl>
      </div>
      <div class="tubepress_thumb">
        <a id="tubepress_image_k-vzgnfXsyI_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281"> 
          <img alt="Chicago Blizzard 1979" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/k-vzgnfXsyI/1.jpg" width="120" height="90" />
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        <dl class="tubepress_meta_group">
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title">Title</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title"><a id="tubepress_title_k-vzgnfXsyI_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281">Chicago Blizzard 1979</a></dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">Runtime</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">1:44</dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">Views</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">31,780</dd>
        </dl>
      </div>
      <div class="tubepress_thumb">
        <a id="tubepress_image_9DlvhD6CBbo_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281"> 
          <img alt="The Historic Chicago Blizzard Of 2011: THUNDERSNOW" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9DlvhD6CBbo/mqdefault.jpg" width="120" height="90" />
        </a>
        <dl class="tubepress_meta_group">
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title">Title</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title"><a id="tubepress_title_9DlvhD6CBbo_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281">The Historic Chicago Blizzard Of 2011: THUNDERSNOW</a></dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">Runtime</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">15:07</dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">Views</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">31,680</dd>
        </dl>
      </div>
      <div class="tubepress_thumb">
        <a id="tubepress_image_FobhIcACLF4_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281"> 
          <img alt="Chicago Blizzard 2011 - Thunder Snow - Strike!" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/FobhIcACLF4/2.jpg" width="120" height="90" />
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        <dl class="tubepress_meta_group">
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title">Title</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title"><a id="tubepress_title_FobhIcACLF4_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281">Chicago Blizzard 2011 - Thunder Snow - Strike!</a></dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">Runtime</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">1:16</dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">Views</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">30,613</dd>
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      <div class="tubepress_thumb">
        <a id="tubepress_image_bbYr3bvQBMY_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281"> 
          <img alt="Amid Blizzard, Drivers Stranded in Chicago" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/bbYr3bvQBMY/3.jpg" width="120" height="90" />
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        <dl class="tubepress_meta_group">
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title">Title</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title"><a id="tubepress_title_bbYr3bvQBMY_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281">Amid Blizzard, Drivers Stranded in Chicago</a></dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">Runtime</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">2:38</dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">Views</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">28,564</dd>
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      <div class="tubepress_thumb">
        <a id="tubepress_image_iUQii3dAXT4_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281"> 
          <img alt="Chicago Blizzard 2011" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/iUQii3dAXT4/default.jpg" width="120" height="90" />
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        <dl class="tubepress_meta_group">
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title">Title</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title"><a id="tubepress_title_iUQii3dAXT4_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281">Chicago Blizzard 2011</a></dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">Runtime</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">2:20</dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">Views</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">24,331</dd>
        </dl>
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      <div class="tubepress_thumb">
        <a id="tubepress_image_uSz-3dgngP4_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281"> 
          <img alt="My Audi A4 Snow Drifting After Blizzard January 11th 2011" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/uSz-3dgngP4/mqdefault.jpg" width="120" height="90" />
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        <dl class="tubepress_meta_group">
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title">Title</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_title"><a id="tubepress_title_uSz-3dgngP4_2102559281" rel="tubepress_youtube_normal_2102559281">My Audi A4 Snow Drifting After Blizzard January 11th 2011</a></dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">Runtime</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_runtime">1:37</dd>
          <dt class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">Views</dt><dd class="tubepress_meta tubepress_meta_views">22,496</dd>
        </dl>
      </div>
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<p>Recap of some best moments of the 2011 Chicago blizzard.</p>
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		<title>President Obama’s Limited Vocabulary Excludes Words Tier 5, 99ers</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChicagoAtEase/~3/X1W3wSiEXWk/</link>
		<comments>http://www.chicagoease.com/president-obama%e2%80%99s-limited-vocabulary-excludes-words-tier-5-99ers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Dec 2010 20:35:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chicago Ease</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[99ers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tax cut]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tier 5]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[President Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tier 5]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vocabulary]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.chicagoease.com/?p=805</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Funny how tongue-tied and simple-minded the former “community organizer” became during this charade of impending doom if the tax-cuts were not implemented. He graciously and obligingly bowed to the Republican party while not even mentioning one time, NOT ONE SINGLE TIME, the plight of the unemployed who have, through no fault of their own, expended [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a rel="attachment wp-att-806" href="http://www.chicagoease.com/?attachment_id=806"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-806" title="obama-smoking_design" src="http://www.chicagoease.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/obama-smoking_design.png" alt="" width="178" height="178" /></a></p>
<p>Funny how tongue-tied and simple-minded the former “community organizer” became during this charade of impending doom if the tax-cuts were not implemented. He graciously and obligingly bowed to the Republican party while not even mentioning one time, NOT ONE SINGLE TIME, the plight of the unemployed who have, through no fault of their own, expended the alloted 99 weeks of unemployment and are now in dire straights.</p>
<p>Undaunted, the Commander-In-Chief failed to even mention Tier 5. The least a leader of a great nation can do is to address those who are struggling to make ends meet. Whether you could do anything or not, the fact of mentioning those without unemployment benefits and empathizing with their plight would have been appreciated.</p>
<h3>-<span id="more-805"></span></h3>
<p>Unfortunately, President Obama, by his deafening silence to these millions of people, of which I am one, apparently shows his contempt for them. I guess we are in the way of his progress of putting our children and grandchildren in even more in debt so the 2% wealthiest can get a HUGE Christmas bonus.</p>
<p>For the 99ers we don’t even get a lump of coal. What a heart this guy possesses. Not to mention us one single time… and this was across the board with his supporters as well. The Black Caucus seemed to be among the few with compassion and a need to resolve this crisis in a humanitarian way. My gratitude and wholehearted support is with them.</p>
<p>But everything will work out as it always does. This job of governing the United States of America was way too big for him it seems, as history is constantly proving, and we will vote in someone who actually knows how to do a job well.</p>
<p>God bless you President Obama. May you enjoy this term in office and lead a successful private life as well after the 2012 general elections.</p>
<p>Just wish that your vocabulary, and your compassion for your fellow man, wasn’t so limited.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;quot;Verdana&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;">Funny how tongue-tied and simple-minded the former “community organizer” became during this charade of impending doom if the tax-cuts were not implemented. He graciously and obligingly bowed to the Republican party while not even mentioning one time, NOT ONE SINGLE TIME, the plight of the unemployed who have, through no fault of their own, expended the alloted 99 weeks of unemployment and are now in dire straights.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;quot;Verdana&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;">Undaunted, the Commander-In-Chief failed to even mention Tier 5. The least a leader of a great nation can do is to address those who are struggling to make ends meet. Whether you could do anything or not, the fact of mentioning those without unemployment benefits and empathizing with their plight would have been appreciated.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;quot;Verdana&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;">Unfortunately, President Obama, by his deafening silence to these millions of people, of which I am one, apparently shows his contempt for them. I guess we are in the way of his progress of putting our children and grandchildren in even more in debt so the 2% wealthiest can get a HUGE Christmas bonus.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;quot;Verdana&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;">For the 99ers we don’t even get a lump of coal. What a heart this guy possesses. Not to mention us one single time… and this was across the board with his supporters as well. The Black Caucus seemed to be among the few with compassion and a need to resolve this crisis in a humanitarian way. My gratitude and wholehearted support is with them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;quot;Verdana&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;">But everything will work out as it always does. This job of governing the United States of America was way too big for him it seems, as history is constantly proving, and we will vote in someone who actually knows how to do a job well.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;quot;Verdana&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;">God bless you President Obama. May you enjoy this term in office and lead a successful private life as well after the 2012 general elections. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;quot;Verdana&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;;">Just wish that your vocabulary, and your compassion for your fellow man, wasn’t so limited.</span></p>
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		<title>Obama’s Christmas Gifts Revealed</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChicagoAtEase/~3/LdwqD3iUZFs/</link>
		<comments>http://www.chicagoease.com/obama%e2%80%99s-christmas-gifts-revealed/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Dec 2010 14:12:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chicago Ease</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Keith Olbermann]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[President Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unemployed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unemployment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unemployment compensation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Unemployment extension]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2012]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[99ers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[election]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hillary Clinton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McCain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tier 5]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.chicagoease.com/?p=779</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Top 2% &#8211; $130 Billion
99’ers &#8211; $0 and no jobs (not even a lump of coal)

 
 
 
Keith Olbermann&#8217;s special comment on the President&#8217;s betrayal of the 99ers appears on the sidebar and after this article
It appears that President Obama is declaring victory in getting a bill passed that assures the richest 2% of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Top 2% &#8211; $130 Billion</strong></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><strong>99’ers &#8211; $0 and no jobs (not even a lump of coal)</strong></h2>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong> </strong></p>
<div id="attachment_782" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 490px"><strong><strong><a rel="attachment wp-att-782" href="http://www.chicagoease.com/?attachment_id=782" target="_blank"><img class="size-full wp-image-782  " title="obama_mcconnell" src="http://www.chicagoease.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/obama_mcconnell.jpg" alt="President Obama gets a dressing down from Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY)" width="480" height="320" /></a></strong></strong><p class="wp-caption-text">President Obama gets a dressing down from Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY)</p></div>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Keith Olbermann&#8217;s special comment on the President&#8217;s betrayal of the 99ers appears on the sidebar and after this article</em></p>
<p>It appears that President Obama is declaring victory in getting a bill passed that assures the richest 2% of the nation of pocketing an extra 130 billion dollars while those who have been actively looking for work and having their extension lapse after 99 weeks of futile searching get…a total and complete ignoring and disdain of the 99ers by the Commander-in-Chief himself. One must remember, this tax cut was in place for 8 years and during that time millions of jobs were lost, so to say that it is needed so jobs can be created is sheer gibberish. It will only go in the pocket, not the job market. Eight years of analysis has already proved that.</p>
<p>I dunno, for a guy that was supposedly a “community organizer” in the windy city fighting for the rights of the less fortunate there appears to be no fight left in him to at least try to come to a solution in assisting those who are at their last chance of dignity and getting some form of employment.</p>
<p>By allowing the Republican Party to so publicly humiliate those who trusted the President that “change you can believe in” was more than a catch phrase, I have come to the conclusion that this job that we elected him for, the Presidency of the United States, is just too big for him to handle.</p>
<h3>-<span id="more-779"></span></h3>
<p>The health care bill that he fought for during the first two years of his presidency was nothing more than a waste of time. Really, what good is that bill when the economy was tanking and jobs were being shed left and right?</p>
<p><strong>THE COUNTRY WAS IN A RECESSION AND PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS IN A TRANCE OVER HEALTH CARE, NOT IN REBOUNDING THE ECONOMY!!!</strong></p>
<p>Nothing, and I mean nothing, was done by him to address those out of work during that time. Putting the cart before the horse is a more appropriate term for him than “change you can believe in”. And the health care bill sucks, to boot! Score another one for the Republican party. They were right again!</p>
<p>It’s right about now that I get the “what ifs”. What if Sen. John McCain had indeed won? Would you really see a difference? Two years down the road I can actually say “I doubt it”. A President McCain even may have had, ironically, a better handle on how to help the jobless gain employment.</p>
<p>What if Hillary had won? It was Hillary that started this healthcare idea during the time of her husband’s presidency. I also feel that she would have put this on the back burner while the country was in a recession… I have a gnawing feeling deep inside that we elected the wrong person for the job. I am now of the opinion that she would have given us a better chance and a fairer shake than he has or ever will.</p>
<p>Pipe dream? Looking at President Obama’s track record right now I would venture to guess that not only it is not a pipe dream, but the time wasted on the health bill would instead have been used to concentrate lifting the economy and giving the unemployed an opportunity to voice their concerns. It was, after all, those concerns that fell on deaf ears during this current Administration.</p>
<p>But all that conjecture only tempts one to dampen their spirits. Myself, I use those “what ifs” to look ahead to the future. By his inaction and apparent disconnect and unconcern for those left out of the unemployment benefits, the 99ers, myself being one of them, I feel that his chances of reelection will be slim. I will work incessantly to see that happen.</p>
<p>I will work for any bonafide candidate that seeks to defeat him in the Democratic primary and if that does not occur will vote Republican. Yes, Virginia, there are a lot of good republicans out there who are concerned about the country&#8217;s unemployed. You have to research it as the main stream  media seem to keep it under wraps.</p>
<p>Fact of the matter at this point in time is that I cannot support someone who will give 130 billion dollars to the richest of the country and the metaphorical middle finger to those, who through no fault of their own, can’t find employment after 99 weeks of seeking it.</p>
<h4>That is change <em>I</em> can believe in.</h4>
<p style="text-align: center;">- &#8211; - &#8211; -</p>
<p><em>I hope that everyone has enjoyed the Chanukah season and are looking forward to having a Merry Christmas and Happy, and prosperous, New Year!</em></p>
<p><em>I count my blessings everyday that I am able to still seek work and know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We just have to make it happen!</em></p>
<h2 id="watch-headline-title" style="padding-bottom: 8px; text-align: center;"><span id="eow-title" class="long-title" style="vertical-align: top;" title="Keith Olbermann's Special Comment 12-07-10: Obama's inexcusable, disheartening capitulation" dir="ltr"> Keith Olbermann&#8217;s Special Comment 12-07-10: Obama&#8217;s inexcusable, disheartening capitulation</span></h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="long-title" style="vertical-align: top;" title="Keith Olbermann's Special Comment 12-07-10: Obama's inexcusable, disheartening capitulation" dir="ltr">
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl1eSYLAODE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl1eSYLAODE</a></p>
<p></span></p>
<address style="text-align: center;"><span class="long-title" style="vertical-align: top;" title="Keith Olbermann's Special Comment 12-07-10: Obama's inexcusable, disheartening capitulation" dir="ltr">from </span><strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/hidnusr10" target="_blank"><strong>hidnusr10</strong></a></strong></address>
<p style="text-align: left;">Keith Olbermann&#8217;s Special Comment 12-07-10: Obama&#8217;s inexcusable, disheartening capitulation<br />
The entire Special Comment is available at MSNBC&#8217;s Countdown website, here:<br />
<a class="yt-uix-redirect-link" title="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#40559453" dir="ltr" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#40559453" target="_blank">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#&#8230;</a></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">Obama’s Christmas Gifts Revealed</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">Top 2% &#8211; $130 Billion</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">99’ers &#8211; $0 and no jobs (not even a lump of coal)</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;"> </span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">It appears that President Obama is declaring victory in getting a bill passed that assures the richest 2% of the nation of pocketing an extra 130 billion dollars while those who have been actively looking for work and having their extension lapse after 99 weeks of futile searching get…a total and complete ignoring and disdain of the 99ers by the Commander-in-Chief himself. One must remember, this tax cut was in place for 8 years and during that time millions of jobs were lost, so to say that it is needed so jobs can be created is sheere gibberish. It will only go in the pocket, not the job market. Eight years of analysis has already proved that.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">I dunno, for a guy that was supposedly a “community organizer” in the windy city fighting for the rights of the less fortunate there appears to be no fight left in him to at least try to come to a solution in assisting those who are at their last chance of dignity and getting some form of employment.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">By allowing the Republican Party to so publicly humiliate those who trusted the President that “change you can believe in” was more than a catch phrase, I have come to the conclusion that this job that we elected him for, the Presidency of the United States, is just too big for him to handle.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">The health care bill that he fought for during the first two years of his presidency was nothing more than a waste of time. Really, what good is that bill when the economy was tanking and jobs were being shed left and right? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">THE COUNTRY WAS IN A RECESSION AND PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS IN A TRANCE OVER HEALTH CARE, NOT IN REBOUNDING THE ECONOMY!!!</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">Nothing, and I mean nothing, was done by him to address those out of work during that time. Putting the cart before the horse is a more appropriate term for him than “change you can believe in”. And the health care bill sucks, to boot! Score another one for the Republican party. They were right again!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">It’s right about now that I get the “what ifs”. What if McCain had indeed won? Would you really see a difference? Two years down the road I can actually say “I doubt it”. A President McCain even may have had, ironically, a better handle on how to help the jobless gain employment.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">What if Hillary had won? It was Hillary that started this healthcare idea during the time of her husband’s presidency. I also feel that she would have put this on the back burner while the country was in a recession… I have a gnawing feeling deep inside that we elected the wrong person for the job. I am now of the opinion that she would have given us a better chance than he has or ever will. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">Pipe dream? Looking at President Obama’s track record right now I would venture to guess that not only it is not a pipe dream, but the time wasted on the health bill would instead have been used to concentrate lifting the economy and giving the unemployed an opportunity to voice their concerns. It was, after all, those concerns that fell on deaf ears during this current Administration.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">But all that conjecture only tempts one to dampen their spirits. Myself, I use those “what ifs” to look ahead to the future. By his inaction and apparent disconnect and unconcern for those left out of the unemployment benefits, the 99ers, myself being one of them, I feel that his chances of reelection will be slim. I will work incessantly</span></p>
<p><strong>Obama’s Christmas Gifts Revealed</strong></p>
<p><strong>Top 2% &#8211; $130 Billion</strong></p>
<p><strong>99’ers &#8211; $0 and no jobs (not even a lump of coal)</strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>It appears that President Obama is declaring victory in getting a bill passed that assures the richest 2% of the nation of pocketing an extra 130 billion dollars while those who have been actively looking for work and having their extension lapse after 99 weeks of futile searching get…a total and complete ignoring and disdain of the 99ers by the Commander-in-Chief himself. One must remember, this tax cut was in place for 8 years and during that time millions of jobs were lost, so to say that it is needed so jobs can be created is sheere gibberish. It will only go in the pocket, not the job market. Eight years of analysis has already proved that.</p>
<p>I dunno, for a guy that was supposedly a “community organizer” in the windy city fighting for the rights of the less fortunate there appears to be no fight left in him to at least try to come to a solution in assisting those who are at their last chance of dignity and getting some form of employment.</p>
<p>By allowing the Republican Party to so publicly humiliate those who trusted the President that “change you can believe in” was more than a catch phrase, I have come to the conclusion that this job that we elected him for, the Presidency of the United States, is just too big for him to handle.</p>
<p>The health care bill that he fought for during the first two years of his presidency was nothing more than a waste of time. Really, what good is that bill when the economy was tanking and jobs were being shed left and right?</p>
<p><strong>THE COUNTRY WAS IN A RECESSION AND PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS IN A TRANCE OVER HEALTH CARE, NOT IN REBOUNDING THE ECONOMY!!!</strong></p>
<p>Nothing, and I mean nothing, was done by him to address those out of work during that time. Putting the cart before the horse is a more appropriate term for him than “change you can believe in”. And the health care bill sucks, to boot! Score another one for the Republican party. They were right again!</p>
<p>It’s right about now that I get the “what ifs”. What if McCain had indeed won? Would you really see a difference? Two years down the road I can actually say “I doubt it”. A President McCain even may have had, ironically, a better handle on how to help the jobless gain employment.</p>
<p>What if Hillary had won? It was Hillary that started this healthcare idea during the time of her husband’s presidency. I also feel that she would have put this on the back burner while the country was in a recession… I have a gnawing feeling deep inside that we elected the wrong person for the job. I am now of the opinion that she would have given us a better chance than he has or ever will.</p>
<p>Pipe dream? Looking at President Obama’s track record right now I would venture to guess that not only it is not a pipe dream, but the time wasted on the health bill would instead have been used to concentrate lifting the economy and giving the unemployed an opportunity to voice their concerns. It was, after all, those concerns that fell on deaf ears during this current Administration.</p>
<p>But all that conjecture only tempts one to dampen their spirits. Myself, I use those “what ifs” to look ahead to the future. By his inaction and apparent disconnect and unconcern for those left out of the unemployment benefits, the 99ers, myself being one of them, I feel that his chances of reelection will be slim. I will work incessantly to see that happen.</p>
<p>I will work for any candidate that seeks to defeat him in the Democratic primary and if that does not occur will vote Republican.</p>
<p>Fact of the matter at this point in time is that I cannot support someone who will give 130 billion dollars to the richest of the country and the metaphorical middle finger to those, through no fault of their own, can’t find employment after 99 weeks of seeking it.</p>
<p>That is change I can believe in.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;"> to see that happen.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">I will work for any candidate that seeks to defeat him in the Democratic primary and if that does not occur will vote Republican.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">Fact of the matter at this point in time is that I cannot support someone who will give 130 billion dollars to the richest of the country and the metaphorical middle finger to those, through no fault of their own, can’t find employment after 99 weeks of seeking it. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">That is change I can believe in.</span></p>
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		<title>Unemployed, and Likely to Stay That Way</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Dec 2010 15:57:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chicago Ease</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.chicagoease.com/?p=777</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[from heraldtribune.com
by Catherine Rampell

The longer people stay out of work, the more trouble they have finding new work.
That is a fact of life that much of Europe, with its underclass of permanently idle workers, knows all too well. But it is a lesson that the United States seems to be just learning.
-
This country has some [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<address>from <a href="http://www.heraldtribune.com" target="_blank">heraldtribune.com</a></address>
<address>by Catherine Rampell<br />
</address>
<p>The longer people stay out of work, the more trouble they have finding new work.</p>
<p>That is a fact of life that much of Europe, with its underclass of permanently idle workers, knows all too well. But it is a lesson that the United States seems to be just learning.</p>
<h3>-<span id="more-777"></span></h3>
<p>This country has some of the highest levels of long-term unemployment —  out of work longer than six months — it has ever recorded. Meanwhile, job growth has been, and looks to remain, disappointingly slow, indicating that those out of work for a while are likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. Even if the government report on Friday shows the expected improvement in hiring by business, it will not be enough to make a real dent in those totals.</p>
<p>So the legions of long-term unemployed will probably  be idle for significantly longer than their counterparts in past recessions, reducing their chances of eventually finding a job even when the economy becomes more robust.</p>
<p>“I am so worried somebody will look at me and say, ‘Oh, he’s probably lost his edge,’ ” said Tim Smyth, 51, a New York television producer who has been unable to find work since 2008, despite having two decades of experience at places like Nickelodeon and the Food Network. “I mean, I know it’s not true, but I’m afraid I might say the same thing if I were interviewing someone I didn’t know very well who’s been out of work this long.”</p>
<p>Mr. Smyth’s anxieties are not unfounded. New data from the Labor Department, provided to The New York Times, shows that people out of work fewer than five weeks are more than three times as likely to find a job in the coming month than people who have been out of work for over a year, with a re-employment rate of 30.7  percent versus 8.7 percent, respectively.</p>
<p>Likewise, previous economic studies, many based on Europe’s job market struggles, have shown that people who become disconnected from the work force have more trouble getting hired, probably because of some combination of stigma, discouragement and deterioration of their skills.</p>
<p>This is one of the biggest challenges facing policy makers in the United States as they seek to address unemployment. Its underlying tenet — that time exacerbates the problem — means that the longer Congress squabbles about how to increase job growth, the more intractable the situation becomes. This, in turn, means Washington would need to pursue more aggressive (and, perversely, more politically difficult) job-creating policies in order to succeed. Even reaching an agreement over whether to extend benefits yet again has proved contentious.</p>
<p>Several factors lead to this downward spiral of the unemployed.</p>
<p>In some cases, the long-term unemployed were poor performers in their previous positions and among the first to be terminated when the recession began. These people are weak job candidates with less impressive résumés and references.</p>
<p>In other instances, those who lost jobs may have been good workers but were laid off from occupations or industries that are in permanent decline, like manufacturing.</p>
<p>But economists have tried to control for these selection issues, and studies comparing the fates of similar workers have also shown that the experience of unemployment itself damages job prospects.</p>
<p>If jobless workers had been in sales, for instance, their customers might have moved on. Or perhaps the list of contacts they could turn to for leads is obsolete. Mr. Smyth, for example, says that so many of his former co-workers have been displaced that he is no longer sure whom to call on    about openings.</p>
<p>In particularly dynamic industries, like software engineering, unemployed workers might also miss out on new developments and fail to develop the skills required.</p>
<p>Still, this explanation probably applies to only a small slice of the country’s 6.2 million long-term unemployed.</p>
<p>“I can’t imagine very many occupations and industries are of the type that if you’re out for nine months, the world passes you by,” said Heidi Shierholz, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, a liberal research organization. “I think this erosion-of-skills idea is way overplayed. It’s probably much more about marketability.”</p>
<p>Many unemployed workers fret about how to explain the yawning gaps on their résumés. Some are calling themselves independent “consultants” or “entrepreneurs.”</p>
<p>Mr. Smyth has been working on his own documentary film and trying to develop ideas for new TV shows with a friend. But with financing for such projects scarce, he says he is still looking for a full-time job.</p>
<p>Employers are reluctant to acknowledge any bias against the jobless, and many say they try to take broader economic circumstances into consideration.</p>
<p>“Generally speaking, when the economy’s good and someone’s been out of work for a year, you might look at them funny,” said Jay Goltz, who owns five small businesses in Chicago. “These days I don’t know if you can hold it against somebody.”</p>
<p>Even so, old habits die hard, especially because unemployment has been unusually concentrated among a smaller group of workers in this recent recession than in previous ones, meaning that fewer workers bear the scarlet “U” of unemployment.</p>
<p>“From what I’ve seen, employers do tend to get suspicious when there’s a long-term gap in people’s résumés,” said James Whelly, deputy director of work force development at the San Francisco Human Services Agency. “Even though everyone on an intellectual level knows that this is a unique time in the economy, those old habits are hard to break with hiring managers and H.R. departments who are doing the screening.”</p>
<p>It does not help when job seekers are repeatedly rejected — or worse, ignored. Constant rejection not only discourages workers from job-hunting as intensively, but also makes people less confident when they do land  interviews. A Pew Social Trends report found that the long-term unemployed were significantly more likely to say they had lost some of their self-respect than their counterparts with shorter spells of joblessness.</p>
<p>“People don’t have money to keep up appearances important for job hunting,” said Katherine S. Newman, a sociology professor at Princeton. “They can’t go to the dentist. They can’t get new clothes. They gain weight and look out of shape, since unemployment is such a stressful experience. All that is held against them when there is such an enormous range of workers to choose from.”</p>
<p>Though economists generally agree that getting the long-term unemployed back to work  quickly  is necessary to keep people from becoming unemployable, the mechanism  to do so is unclear.</p>
<p>Most forms of stimulus try to create business conditions that foster the nation’s output growth, which encourages companies to hire. Output has been growing slowly, however, and has not stoked much job creation. There have also been other indirect incentives, like a small tax break for hiring unemployed workers, but as yet their effectiveness is unknown.</p>
<p>Direct employment programs — like the public works projects of the New Deal and World War II — may be the fastest way to put people back to work, economists say. But those raise concerns of crowding out businesses and displacing other workers. Also the approach, which smacks of socialism to some, seems  politically untenable at the moment.</p>
<p>One possible compromise might be broader-scale retraining and apprenticeship programs, suggests Lawrence Katz, a labor economist at Harvard.</p>
<p>“That’s better than having more people just go on disability as a last resort, and then basically never return to work in their life, which many will do,” he said. The Obama administration has recently thrown its support behind an effort to overhaul community college retraining programs.</p>
<p>“One of the reasons to focus on training for workers, even if you’re not training workers for new jobs, is that when you have workers who have not been in a job for a long time, you need to do all you can to get them to look and feel job-ready when the openings do eventually come back,” said Betsey Stevenson, the Labor Department’s chief economist.</p>
<p>The real threat, economists say, is that America, like some of its Old World peers, may simply become accustomed to a large class of idled workers.</p>
<p>“After a while, a lot of European countries just got used to having 8 or 9 percent unemployment, where they just said, ‘Hey, that’s about good enough,’ ” said Gary Burtless, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “If the unemployment rates here stay high but remain relatively stable, people may not worry so much that that’ll be their fate this month or next year. And all these unemployed people will fall from the front of their mind, and that’s it for them.”</p>
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		<title>Chemical Industry: 1 California Children: 0 Senator Pavley’s BPA Ban Fails Amid Heavy Chemical &amp; Pharmaceutical Industry Lobbying</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChicagoAtEase/~3/zcMA5BKHXqk/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:08:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chicago Ease</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.chicagoease.com/?p=766</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[from centurycitynews.com
video by ABCActionnews
 

Chemical Industry: 1
California Children: 0
 
Senator Pavley’s BPA Ban Fails Amid Heavy Chemical &#38; Pharmaceutical Industry Lobbying 
In the wake of an expensive and shamefully deceptive lobbying campaign waged by the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, California Senate members voted down Senator Fran Pavley’s Toxics-Free Babies and Toddlers Act (SB 797). The bill, which [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<address>from <a href="http://www.centurycitynews.com" target="_blank">centurycitynews.com</a></address>
<address>video by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ABCActionNews" target="_blank">ABCActionnews</a></address>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<div id="attachment_769" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 451px"><a href="http://www.chicagoease.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Hverdagens_kemi_306435a.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="size-full wp-image-769   " title="Hverdagens_kemi_306435a" src="http://www.chicagoease.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Hverdagens_kemi_306435a.jpg" alt="Baby bottle" width="441" height="294" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">image from politiken.dk</p></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span>Chemical Industry: 1</span></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span>California</span><span> Children: 0</span></h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong> </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span>Senator Pavley</span></em></strong><strong><em><span>’s BPA Ban Fails Amid Heavy Chemical &amp; Pharmaceutical Industry Lobbying </span></em></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>In the wake of an expensive and shamefully deceptive lobbying campaign waged by the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, California Senate members voted down Senator Fran Pavley’s Toxics-Free Babies and Toddlers Act (SB 797). The bill, which was defeated in the final hours of the legislative session late Tuesday night, would have worked in coordination with</span><span>California</span><span>’s Green Chemistry Initiative to ban the use of BPA in feeding products designed for children three and under. With a final vote of 19 -18 the bill was just two votes shy of passage. Two member of the Senate who had previously voted in favor of the bill are out on medical leave.</span></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">-<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="more-766"></span></span></h3>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>“It’s a shame that we have failed to protect our most vulnerable citizens from this toxic chemical,” said</span><span>Senator Pavley</span><span> (D–Santa Monica). “This has been a real David vs. Goliath fight and I’m disappointed that some of my colleagues in the Senate chose to side with the powerful chemical and pharmaceutical industries and not with</span><span>California</span><span> children.”</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>California was poised to join Canada, </span><span>Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, Wisconsin and Washington state <span>and several other cities and counties in the United States that, with significant bi-partisan support, have enacted bans on BPA in baby bottles and other feeding products for children. “The science on BPA clearly shows cause for alarm,” said</span></span><span>Senator Pavley</span><span>. “Every child from every community in our state deserves access to safe, affordable products. “</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>Bisphenol-A (BPA) is an artificial hormone that is widely used in shatter-proof plastic baby bottles, sippy cups and the lining of formula cans. It leaches out of containers and into food and drink consumed by babies and young children.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>More than 220 peer-reviewed studies have linked BPA to a host of health problems, including breast and prostrate cancer, infertility, obesity, and neurological and behavioral changes, including autism and hyperactivity.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>Senator Pavley</span><span>’s SB 797 was co-authored by Senator Carol Liu, D –</span><span>Pasadena</span><span>, and was sponsored by Breast Cancer Fund, Environmental Working Group and Physicians for Social Responsibility.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>“We are heartbroken, disappointed and perplexed,” said Gretchen Salter of Breast Cancer Fund. “In the seven states that have banned BPA, both Republicans and Democrats have joined together to protect children. I hate to say it, but after an intensive and expensive lobbying campaign by the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, it looks like big money has trumped the health of babies in the </span><span>California</span><span> legislature today.”</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>The bill had widespread support from health care professionals, business owners and a long and diverse list of organizations including; Black Women for Wellness, Latinas for Reproductive Justice, The Help Group for Autism Spectrum Disorders, California Teachers Association, California Nurses Association, Asian Health Services, California Women Infants and Children (WIC), SEIU, California Labor Federation, and Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice to name a few. The opponents included BPA manufacturers Dow and SABIC Innovative Plastics, as well as infant formula makers Abbott, Mead Johnson, and Nestle.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>SB 797 passed the Senate in June of 2009 and the Assembly in July of 2010. However, the bill failed to pass a Senate concurrence vote that would have sent the bill to the governor’s desk. Two Senators who originally voted for the ban in the Senate are now out on medical leave.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong><span>Misleading Fear Tactics</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>Highly paid lobbyists told some lawmakers food production plants in their districts like General Mills would close even though those plants do not produce any baby food or baby products. Lobbyists for formula companies told lawmakers in both the Assembly and the Senate that alternative products aren’t available and a ban on BPA would cause a formula shortage. Yet, at the same time these companies are marketing a variety of formula and food containers to parents as “BPA free.” Industry lobbyists used their scare tactics on voters by sending direct mail claiming that a BPA ban would be too costly for lower-income families and deprive consumers of access to canned goods. It’s not true.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>Affordable alternatives for BPA are already on the market. Playtex, Evenflo, Gerber, Advent and Disney First Years have eliminated it from many of their products. Wal-Mart and Toys R Us have pulled BPA-laced products from their shelves.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>“It’s a shame the chemical and pharmaceutical industries stooped to such low levels to try and confuse voters and lawmakers,” said</span><span>Senator Pavley</span><span>.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong><span>What Happens Behind Closed Doors; Industry Tactics Leaked</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>In May 2009, chemical and food industry lobbyists called an emergency brainstorming session to devise an attack plan to kill SB 797 and similar bills pending around the country.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>Meeting behind closed doors at the exclusive Cosmos Club in Washington D.C., representatives from Coca-Cola, Alcoa, Del Monte, Crown, the American Chemistry Council, the North American Metal Packaging Alliance, and the Grocery Manufacturers Association committed a half million dollars to an effort to “prolong the life of BPA.”</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>A copy of the <a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ewg.org%2Ffiles%2FBPA-Joint-Trade-Association.pdf" target="_blank">meeting minutes</a> leaked to the <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/46630742.html" target="_blank">Milwaukee Journal Sentinel</a>, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/30/AR2009053002121.html" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a>, and Environmental Working Group revealed the attendees discussed employing some disturbing tactics to kill BPA legislation in California including:</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>-Using “fear tactics (e.g. ‘Do you want to have access to baby food anymore?’)”</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>-Focusing on “the impact of BPA bans on minorities (Hispanic and African American)</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>and poor,” by insinuating that without BPA, food prices would rise.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>-Finding a “pregnant young mother who would be willing to speak around the country</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>about the benefits of BPA,” something which the group referred to as “the holy grail”</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>According to <em><em><span>The Washington Post</span></em></em><em>,</em> the accuracy of the note was confirmed by Kathleen M. Roberts, a lobbyist for the North American Metal Packaging Alliance.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>After the meeting’s minutes were leaked, Coca-Cola disavowed the group’s tactics, but none of the other attendees followed suit.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>While the tactics backfired in states like</span><span>Connecticut</span><span>, they seemed to be working in</span><span>California</span><span> according to a recent story by <a href="http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/lobbyist-plan-use-fear-tactics-fight-bpa-ban-seems-be-working" target="_blank">California Watch/Center for Investigative Reporting</a>.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>“They stole the playbook from the tobacco industry,” said</span><span>Senator Pavley</span><span>. “And sadly, it worked. But I will continue to fight for the health and well-being of</span><span>California</span><span>’s children and I’m confident this toxic chemical will ultimately be banned for our children’s food and drink.”</span></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Cash register receipts contain BPA, a disputed toxin</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3YD5Km--Tw">httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3YD5Km&#8211;Tw</a></span></p>
<p id="eow-description" style="text-align: center;">Bisphenol-A or BPA is a chemical used in the making of plastic bottles and containers. Some say the chemical is toxic, and it&#8217;s been linked to receipts</p>
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		<title>crystalline fructose</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:49:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chicago Ease</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[cancer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fructose]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corn syruo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crystalline fructose]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.chicagoease.com/?p=760</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[from thegoldenspiral.org
 
The body doesn’t handle large amounts of fructose well. You can maintain life with intravenous glucose, but not with intravenous fructose; severe derangement of liver function results. There’s also evidence that a high intake of fructose elevates levels of circulating fats (serum triglycerides), increasing the risk of heart disease. I never use fructose in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<address>from <a href="http://thegoldenspiral.org" target="_blank">thegoldenspiral.org</a></address>
<p> </p>
<p><em>The body doesn’t handle large amounts of fructose well. You can maintain life with intravenous glucose, but not with intravenous fructose; severe derangement of liver function results. There’s also evidence that a high intake of fructose elevates levels of circulating fats (serum triglycerides), increasing the risk of heart disease. I never use fructose in my home.  <a href="http://www.drweil.com/" target="_blank">dr. andrew weil</a></em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.chicagoease.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/fructose.gif" target="_blank"><img class="size-full wp-image-762 aligncenter" title="fructose" src="http://www.chicagoease.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/fructose.gif" alt="" width="349" height="253" /></a> </p>
<p>So, there is a new criminal in town.  Seems to be the next generation of high fructose corn syrup.  But this guy is even more devious placing himself in “healthy” drinks. </p>
<h3>-<span id="more-760"></span></h3>
<p>I am referring to crystalline fructose.  It is produced by allowing HFCS to crystallize. It is then dried and milled into the desired particle size for packaging.  As a result, it is 100% fructose.  </p>
<p>Fructose is not the best thing for your body.  Fructose exists in foods as either a monosaccharide (free fructose) or as a disaccharide (sucrose). Free fructose does not undergo digestion; however when fructose is consumed in the form of sucrose, digestion occurs entirely in the upper small intestine. As sucrose comes into contact with the membrane of the small intestine, the enzyme sucrase catalyzes the cleavage of sucrose to yield one glucose and fructose unit. Fructose, passes through the small intestine, virtually unchanged, then enters the portal vein and is directed toward the liver.</p>
<p>I know that is a lot of information, so lets see if I can make it a bit more understandable.  When fructose is in the presence of sucrose, your body has a better chance of understanding what to do with it in terms of breaking it down and processing it.  When it stands alone, your body does not know how to metabolize the molecule, so it sends it right to your liver.  This results in the fattening of the liver, or cirrhosis.  So, why is this important.  Well, HFCS is a blend of 45% sucrose and 55% fructose.  Therefore, to an extent your body knows what to do in its presence.  In contrast, crystalline fructose is 100% fructose.  This means you have an even higher chance of developing fatty liver.  </p>
<p>(edit. note.: I do not want this to be used as justification for allowing consumption of HFCS.  HFCS has its own list of harmful reasons to stop ingesting it.  In this example, I am just focusing on the metabolism of the fructose molecule.)</p>
<p>Here is another reason to avoid crystalline fructose…. arsenic.  Yes.  The processing of this molecule allows for acceptable levels of arsenic, heavy metals, lead and chloride.  Again, these are toxic chemicals that your body is unable to process.  The impact on your health is immeasurable.  While, a simple serving of the drink might not be bad, over time the build up of any one of these components can lead to death.  </p>
<p>The biggest reason this particular molecule is so bad is because of the products it is being placed in: health drinks.  Vitamin Water seems to be the most popular of the beverages, but other examples are FUZE, Mistic, SoBe, Snapple and W20 for Women.</p>
<p>There is an entire category of beverage, marketed as healthful for you and your body, most commonly encouraged to drink after your work-out.  In reality, you would be better off drinking a Coke after a hard exercise routine, as compared to Vitamin Water.</p>
<p>This is just another example of how the food industry and the corn industry have managed to get a toxic substance into the food you eat.  As people get away from HFCS, there is something to easily replace it.  And as people become more aware of CF, there will be another substitution.  This is an ongoing process that is damaging the health of Americans.</p>
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