Daily Sift

Barack Obama Yes We Can music video

2008-02-03T08:55:00.001-08:00

YES WE CAN!!!

TAVIS SMILEY | Guest: Gen. Colin Powell | PBS

2008-01-07T21:19:00.001-08:00

Colin Powell talk with Tavis about Obama.

Obama's Victory Speech

2008-01-03T22:27:00.001-08:00

He can do it!!!

Obama to Hillary: I look forward to you advising me

2007-12-14T19:42:00.001-08:00

Great Political Theater.

Vote Different

2007-12-14T15:10:00.001-08:00

GMA - Bill Clinton Says He Was Against the Iraq War?

2007-11-28T10:59:00.001-08:00

Why We Should Not Vote For Mrs. Clinton

2007-11-13T20:46:00.001-08:00

The "Honorable" Dick Cheney

2007-09-28T09:04:00.001-07:00

Censorship is Un-American

2007-09-20T19:19:00.000-07:00

Don't Be Fooled!

2007-09-14T16:36:00.003-07:00

We are Screwed!!!

2007-09-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

Filter For Good

2007-09-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

Why is bottled water waste a concern? Here are just a few reasons...

http://filterforgood.com/

Making bottles to meet America's demand for bottled water uses more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel 100,000 cars for a year1. And that's not even including the oil used for transportation.
The energy we waste using bottled water would be enough to power 190,000 homes2.
Last year, the average American used 167 disposable water bottles, but only recycled 383.
Americans used about 50 billion plastic water bottles last year. However, the U.S.'s recycling rate for plastic is only 23 percent, which means 38 billion water bottles - more than $1 billion worth of plastic - are wasted each year3.
Ditching bottled water keeps Mother Earth and your wallet green.

One Brita pitcher filter can effectively replace as much as 300 standard 16.9-ounce bottles. So you can get great-tasting water without so much waste. Talk about refreshing.
The average Brita pitcher filters 240 gallons of water a year for about 19 cents a day4. Put in perspective, to get the same amount of water from bottled water would require 1,818 16.9-ounce water bottles a year5 - at an average cost of a dollar a bottle, that's $4.98 a day6.
For about $10 each, you can purchase a 16-ounce or 32-ounce Nalgene bottle, saving you hundreds of dollars a year on bottled water.
Hydration at its best - carry the water you need and reduce your impact on the environment - one Nalgene bottle can last for decades, making it easy to stop buying single-serve bottled water to fulfill your everyday hydration needs.
Many people drink bottled water because they believe it to be of a higher quality, cleaner and better-tasting, but that's not necessary true.

In the United States, 24 percent of bottled water sold is either Pepsi's Aquafina (13 percent of the market) or Coke's Dasani (11 percent of the market). Both brands are bottled, purified municipal water3.
If you don't like the taste of your tap water, try Brita. Nine out of 10 consumers say "Brita clearly tastes better," according to an in-home usage study. They preferred the taste of Brita water - filtered through pitchers - to tap.
Dr. Gina Solomon, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group, told The New York Times that "there is no reason to believe that bottled water is safer than tap water."7
In the U.S., public water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which requires multiple daily tests for bacteria and makes results available to the public. The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates bottled water, only requires weekly testing and does not share its findings with the EPA or the public7.

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

1 Arnold, Emily, and Janet Larsen. "Bottled Water: Pouring Resources Down the Drain ." Earth Policy Institute. 2 Feb. 2006. 28 June 2007.
2 "Not Disposable Anymore." P.O.V.'s Borders. 2004. PBS.
3 Fishman, Charles. "Message in a Bottle." Fast Company Magazine July 2007: 110.
4 This cost assumes the purchase of a $25 pitcher (one filter included), plus 5 replacement filters at $9 each, for a total yearly cost of $70, or $0.19 cents a day.
5 Each filter produces 40 gallons of water and the average Brita owner uses 6 filters in a year, to produce 240 gallons, or 30,720 ounces, of fresh-filtered water. 30,720 ounces is equivalent to the water found in 1,818 16.9-ounce water bottles.
6 Purchasing 1,818 16.9-ounce water bottles at the cost of $1 each costs $1,818. Over the course of a year, that's $4.98 a day.
7 Burros, Marian. "Fighting the Tide, a Few Restaurants Tilt to Tap Water." The New York Times [New York City, NY] 30 May 2007: Section F, Page 1.

Move On Please!

2007-09-11T16:20:00.000-07:00

On the 6th year anniversary of 9/11 the media and many elected official have chosen to spend time talking about the MoveOn.org ad that was published in Mondays New York Times. Much of the rhetoric is centered on personally attacking a General in the time of war. The ad contains a picture of General Petraeus and below his photo is the following heading: General Petraeus or General Betray Us? This ad was published on the very day that the General spoke in front of congress about the progress being made in Iraq. What disturbs me most about the media coverage of this ad is that it derails people from having a meaningful conversation about the substance of the General’s report. The ad itself is not calling the Generals integrity into question per se. What it is pointing out is the fact that the Bush administration is not going to let the General give an accurate assessment of Iraq. How are we as Americans going to trust what the General is going to report when his commander has sanitized all the information that will undermine his justification for the troop surge?

I do not blame the General. He is doing what every good solider does-follow orders. The same way the Colin Powell did years ago at the UN when the Bush Administration was making its case for the Iraq invasion. Hmmmm, how did that info turn out? I guess history does repeat itself. The Bush administration is using yet another good solider for cover. To place the General in such a precarious situation is just plain wrong. And then you wonder why all of the top Generals who were in Iraq have left.

Now there is word that Bush is going to speak to the country on Thursday evening to announce that 30,000 troops will be brought home by next summer. Success you ask? NO, 130,000 plus will still be there with no end date in sight. And the Iraqi government has virtually quit. The surge was supposed to create an atmosphere for the Iraqi parliament to get their act together and they have not. What a freaking mess. The Bush administration is simply waiting for January 2009 so that they can hand off this problem to the newly elected President.

Honestly, the altruist side of me is wearing thin. I do value all life, including Iraqis, but I value the lives of American soldiers more. I realize that every prognosticator contends that if we pull out there will be dire consequences to be felt by the Iraqis, the region, and this country. Those very prognosticators where the ones who got us into to this mess and now they want us to trust them again. Fool me once…you know how it goes.

So let’s not get caught up in all the rhetoric/distraction over the ad. We need to focus on what’s next. There are American lives on the line. We cannot let our troops down the way this administration has.

I know there are no easy answers to this mess. However, as my mother always told me, if you make a mess you better clean it up. I wonder what his mother taught him.

DIALOGUE IS DEMOCRATIC!
R.

Stupid is what Stupid Does!

2007-08-24T14:15:00.000-07:00

Please check out this video of our "articulate" President. Yes the leader of our country thinks jokes can pass as charm.

Seriously dude answer the question

Made in America…I Think

2007-08-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

People often ask, what can I do to help our fellow American citizens. I have offered some answers but quite honestly most of what needs to change in this country would take a groundswell of historic proportions, thus what I am offering you today is a way to help out our fellow Americans today. For 3 easy payments of $19.99 you could…

It is simple and easy and you do it all the time. It’s called shopping. What I am suggesting is that when you go out to shop you purchase American made products. Yes, there are still some left. China isn’t making everything, at least not yet.

I am not raving protectionist like Mr. Pat Buchanan; however, what I am, is someone who looks for ways that we as conscientious citizens can help make this country better. I am fully aware that in this globalized economy not many products are produced and made in this country. Take my American car for instance. When I purchased my car the sticker indicated how much of my car was made in America. I am proud to say that 72% of my car was made and put together in the USA. My tires were not made in China, lucky me!

I realize that American made products tend to be a little pricier than products made in China, Sri Lanka, or Thailand. And yes, by purchasing the products made over there we are in fact helping these countries develop a viable industrial society which will help minimize some of their stark poverty. But this is where my altruist side has a limit. We need to help our own people first. Purchasing products from other parts of the world is unavoidable. Nonetheless, I am urging you all to take a minute to consider how the money you spend on American products helps out your fellow Americans.

From the manufacturing industry to retail store clerks, purchasing products that posses a tag that reads MADE IN AMERICA helps keep jobs here. Yeah, we could write to company owners but that is ineffective. They are beholden to the mighty dollars. Thus, if we use our dollars wisely they will listen. All it takes is a little time on your part to read the tag before you purchase. Plus it could save your life. Products from China could be bad for your health.

For more information on why this is important and for a comprehensive listing of products still MADE IN THE USA please check out the website below:
http://www.madeinusa.com

Newts Campaign Advisor

2007-08-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

On Monday Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House and leader of the Republican revolution of 1994, made the most hideous and ill-advised comment yet about Illegal Aliens. And I quote, “the war at home against illegal aliens is even more deadly than the war in Iraq and Afghanistan”. This comment was made in regard to the heinous triple murder that occurred in Newark, New Jersey on August 4th in which one of the suspects is an undocumented alien. Yes an illegal alien is in police custody for this monstrous crime. So Mr. Gingrich lets castigate the whole lot of illegals and deem them criminals. Such demagoguery may incite some republicans who are looking for more justification to rid this country of all illegals, but it will ostracize more.

Let’s think about this rationally Newt, over three thousand soldiers have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and tens of thousand more injured and maimed both physically and psychologically. And the war against illegals is more deadly? Dude, you need to get your eyes checked. Yes, I know 3 innocent people were murdered, but that is not a reason to make such an outlandish comment. If that were the case we should have all white males removed from this country because as serial killers they have killed three times the amount that the Newark Peruvian illegal is being accused of (i.e. Dahmer, Gacy, Bundy). (Somebody had to say it!) We are heading down a slippery slope when people in power or have a microphone at their disposal make generalizations about groups of people. Can you say Imus?

Gingrich went on to talk about his frustration with the President and Congress because they have down very little to reform this countries immigration policy and increase border security. I am in complete agreement with you there buddy. But do not undervalue the lives that have been lost in fighting this war or the lives who continue to work there ass off and are constantly demonized by the Right.

Below is a list of things that you should focus on “if” you’re going to run for President good ole’ buddy:
-A constructive plan for cleaning up the mess that Dick and Bush got this country into (Yeah, I know. Where does one begin?)
-Universal Health Care
-A Comprehensive Energy Plan which includes getting over our addiction to foreign Oil and hopefully Oil in general
-Steroids in Baseball. If Bush talked about it you should also. Ok, how about adequately funding Veteran’s hospitals because they deserve to get the best care.
-Reform Education. Cids kneed to now how to reed and right, if they are going to succeed in a global economy.

If you would like anymore assistance with your political platform please leave a comment. I am more than willing to help.

DIALOAGUE IS DEMOCRATIC!
R.

Cheney the Prophet

2007-08-11T16:27:00.000-07:00

I guess he conveniently forgot. Somebody please remind him.
Please watch the video below:

Hillary for President???

2007-08-09T15:15:00.001-07:00

Before reading on please watch the 15 second clip of Hillary Clinton at a recent Democratic Debate.

What a telling admission Mrs. Clinton. Thank goodness for Youtube. So now everyone can see your honesty for themselves. It has to be a first.

Here in lies my problem with Mrs. Clinton. She is always so calculated in what she says, and for once she spoke the truth. This shred of honesty was a direct attack on Barak Obama’s so-called Foreign Policy blunder over entering Pakistan as a possibility to find Bin Laden if he were elected President. Now of course she is not alone in parsing her words carefully, it is part and parcel of politics in general. Her husband was the master at it. But that’s the problem. As much as I would love to see a woman President, I am not willing to vote for someone, who is going to do what the men have always done. I know you can’t always get what you want (Rolling Stones). But damn. If we are going to have a woman President, she should change the rules of the game and not imitate what has always been done.

I am not willing to sacrifice my political beliefs for the sake of having a female, Latino, or African-American President. Case in point is conservatives who are willing to stand by Mr. Bush simply due to his party affiliation and religious beliefs. By the way, Conservatives listen up: I am very saddened by my conservative brethren who have acted in such a foolish manner. Reagan must be spinning in his grave. I am no conservative. However, I am disappointed in those who have and continue to sacrifice their political principles for W. They are in part the reason Georgie was re-elected. If true conservatives would have stuck to their principles he would back in Austin on his ranch. (How many days left until this is a reality?)

One should support a candidate for her/his stance on all issues, not just on the basis of gender, skin color, or one issue that you feel strongly about, i.e. the Christian right supporting Bush because of his position on Gay Marriage. Please no one-issue voters next time around. Look at what it got us into.

I am going to support a Presidential Candidate who shares my views on most things, such as Foreign Policy, Immigration Reform, Health Care, Education, and Trade. You know, issues that have long term implication for all of us and our off-spring. To have made up your mind at this stage in the game suggests that you are not looking beyond gender, skin color, or a particular view that a candidate shares with you. There is still a lot of time left before the first ballot is cast. Plus you never know, there just maybe a candidate or two that flips this election on its head.

DIALOGUE IS DEMOCRATIC!!!
R.

SAVE THE INTERNET!!!

2007-08-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

If you don't know what that means check out the video-

My Suicide Letter

2007-08-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Loved Ones,
If I continue to hear people in the news media talk about what should have been done to prevent the Minneapolis Bridge from collapsing I am going to kill myself.

With Love,
R.

Once again our reactive society has to confront another human tragedy unfold in front of our eyes because our elected officials did not do their job. I realize that we can’t failure proof every bridge, levy, and building in this country. But for goodness sake what is it going to take people. How many lives do we have to lose before we take every yellow or red or whatever freaking color flag seriously when it comes to our countries infrastructure?

On Yahoo’s main page last night the top story line was:
Bridge collapse a wake-up call for politicians - Yahoo!

That is complete and utter BS.
A what?!
A wake-up call?
Seriously?
It should be a BEAT-DOWN. (Yes, in this case I am advocating violence. Nothing else seems to work.)

As a result of this tragedy the federal government put out an alert for all states to check their bridge trusses. WOW! Always ahead of the ball. Shouldn’t states know this already?

I am not asserting that there is a simple answer to solving this issue. What I do know is that our tax dollars need to be spent on maintaining our infrastructures so that we can live a reasonable and safe existence in this country, free from our homes being flooded because a levy breaks or drowning in the Mississippi River because a bridge collapses.

I wonder how many of our elected officials asked for money to help maintain and upgrade essential infrastructure in their home states. Or were they to busy adding “pork” to their bills for things that do not matter or benefit their business partners. The problem with Washington is that there are too many politicians and not enough statesmen or stateswomen. They are more concerned with getting re-elected than serving the people who got them there in the first place. And then while there in Washington they spend their time playing “Gotcha” to see who they can subpoena next.

Once again it is up to us to put the pressure on the people who are supposed to be serving our interests in Washington. Let’s all give them a call and/or flood their inbox:

Call 202-224-3131 (Capital Switchboard), just tell them your zip code and they will transfer you to your representative. If you would like to email them click below:

http://www.house.gov/writerep

www.senate.gov/contacting/index_by_state.cfm

If there is a sliver lining to this story. It has to do with the people who willingly helped those who were victims of the bridge collapse. It is such a wonderful thing to hear stories about regular people risking their lives to help another person(s). It is a true testament of the Human spirit that is often overshadowed by the next hot news topic and not celebrated enough.

B-I-N-G-O! How about we get those people who acted selflessly and put them into positions of power? Hmmmmmmm! I can dream, can’t I?

(My heart goes out to those who are dealing with this unfortunate tragedy.)

DIALOGUE IS DEMOCRATIC!
R.

No End In Sight

2007-08-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

Due to Iraq being such a contentious issue I have intentionally avoided the topic. There has been and continues to be a plethora of information about this issue from a multitude of perspectives. I choose not to chime in. Not for fear of feedback. What is currently occuring in Iraq is a very nuanced and ever-changing situation. Thus it would completely dominate this blog.

Nonetheless, I have discovered a very engaging and comprehensive film about the topic that may be of interest to you. Check out the preview for it and more importantly see the film. This issue is far too significant to be ignorant about. American lives are on the line for goodness sake. And sitting idly by is UN-AMERICAN!!!

DIALOGUE IS DEMOCRATIC!
R.

CNN Gets Blitzed by Michael Moore

2007-07-30T17:33:00.001-07:00

Check it out for yourself.
R.

Sickened by "Sicko”

2007-07-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

Regardless of what you make think about Michael Moore and/or his body of work must take a back seat to the content and over all message of his film “Sicko.” Yes, of course it’s biased. But whose work isn’t? What worries me about the film has very little to do with the film itself. It has more to do with the onslaught of counter propaganda being disseminated through various media outlets (FOX, CNN).

One must ask themselves, who benefits from people not seeing this film.

Fact: Almost 50 million people in the US do not have insurance
Fact: Insurance companies are in the business of making money.
Fact: No health care system is perfect.

I have heard so much counter BS, that I am sickened by the reality that people may be dissuaded from seeing the film because of what they hear as apposed to seeing it for themselves. I hope this doesn’t make me a French loving anti-American communist. Oh that’s Michael Moore or so I have heard. Come on people let’s get past the shroud of mass media disinformation and realize that we as American should not tolerate a government that does not value the health of its populous.

While watching the film I couldn’t help but think about the iconic line “Greed is good” which was uttered by the fictional character Gordon Gekko (played by Michael Douglas) in the film Wall Street. Now while I do agree in part that greed as motivation for companies has produced a plethora of products that make our lives comfortable and in many cases livable, i.e. pharmaceuticals. I do not agree with the notion that the bottom line is the bottom line. For these insurance conglomerates to treat humans as merely part of a financial equation is morally apprehensible. What happened to valuing human life in this country? That’s right, only until you’re born then you are on your own. Dahhhh!

But what do you expect when we as a nation are so bamboozled by the rhetoric of partisan politics that it is virtually impossible to collectively stand-up for the weakest in our society. This is a HUMAN issue not a political one. Health care is a birth right but the US is the only industrialized country who doesn’t get it. Yes, I know the lines will be long if we have universal health care. They are long already. No system is perfect.

DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE!!!

There is a conversation in the film ‘Sicko” that speaks to the heart of what is wrong with our country. I am paraphrasing, the fact that we fear our government instead of our government fearing us as a democratic body is the problem. We are just as much to blame as the conglomerates and our government is. Apathy leads to tyranny (Somebody important said this, I just can’t remember at this moment). Thus the more we allow our elected official to dictate the course of this country the worse off it will be.

DIALOGUE IS DEMOCRATIC!!!
R.

Thank You Mr. Vick

2007-07-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe that I am going to write this. I cringe at the very thought of it. But here it goes. All of a sudden the media circus surrounding Paris Hilton’s prison time and subsequent release isn’t so bad. I know somebody kill me quickly. But hear me out for a second. What is soon to be the Michael Vick (quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons) dog fighting circus is going to suck up more media air than Paris “No Talent” Hilton, Lindsey “Cokehead” Lohan, and Brittney “Rehab Quiter” Spears combined. Can you say OJ trial?

Michael Vick, an African-American superstar athlete, is charged with breaking several federal laws. According to ESPN.com the indictments include conspiracy charges involving competitive dog fighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting and conducting the enterprise across state lines. Based on some of what I have read about the specific charges, Mr. Vick may have been involved in some abhorrent behavior with these dogs. Boy he is in big trouble, Americans love their dogs and he may be guilty of mis-treating them in the worst way. Once you piss off the dog loving public you are screwed. Now, I must remind you, in America you are innocent until proven guilty. Can you here the sarcasm in that statement? Unfortunately he is guilty in the court of “public opinion”.

However, the public opinion may be cut across “racial” lines. That is partly why a case like this garners such media attention. The “race card” always makes for good television, as evident by the OJ and Kobe Bryant trials. There was so much media attention surrounding those two cases that a bevy of other news worthy stories were brushed aside. That cannot happen again. There is way too much going on in the world right now to allow this story to dominate the airwaves.

The reality is that many of these celebrity stories are now “news worthy” because networks have merged their news division in with their entertainment division. Now what we have on our nightly news is infotainment. Historically, the evening news provided us with information that was pertinent to our lives. Instead we now get the latest on Lohan. CAN SOMEBODY MAKE IT STOP? IT HURTS MY HEAD!!!

I realize that after working long hours people do not want to hear about the latest from Iraq or how many indictments are being handed out to the White House administration when they relax in front of the TV. It is much easier to get caught up in the latest drama about over paid athletes and under talented actresses. But there has to be a limit. I just don’t think the 18-24 demographic knows where it is. I guess it doesn’t matter because they truly rule the world anyway.

DIALOUGE IS DEMORACTIC!!!
R.

Welcome Home (Short Story)

2007-07-25T21:59:00.000-07:00

Mister and Misses Rodriquez sit in silence for a moment and gaze upon the large SUPPORT OUR TROOPS ribbon that is mounted on their garage door. As she wakes up out of her trance, she looks over to her husband of 25 years and is about to speak. He immediately turns off the car, unbuckles his seat belt, and jumps out of his 1999 Ford Crown Victoria. He wants no part of this conversation. She is left stunned, speechless. She watches him slowly walk away into the back entrance of their small but quaint home in the heart of East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights to be exact.

Still stunned by her husbands’ behavior she gathers her purse and a bag from the hospital that contains her son’s military fatigues. She begins to walk towards the back of the house.

She stops and stares at the WELCOME HOME SON banner that is hung on the back of their house. Turns back to the garage and her eyes are glued to the plastic yellow tape on the side door that forms an X with the word CAUTION over and over again. She walks towards the X, fearing what lies beyond. She cannot help it. She has never run away from difficulties in her life.

She takes a deep breath. Rifles through her purse for her keys, “Por Dios, where are my keys?” She asks herself. Once she finds them, she gradually makes her way to the door, the X. The door is slightly ajar. She pulls down the X, slowly pushes on the door with her left hand, does the sign of the cross with her right “In the name of the father, the son, and the holy ghost,” she says, “Lord… give me the strength.”

The garage is damp and smells of mildew. Dust swirls in the air of three beams of sunlight that come through the small windows of the garage.

The first thing she sees is his large green camouflage duffle bag, still covered in sand dust, locked at one end. RODRIQUEZ is stenciled on the side of the bag. The bag has not been touched since he arrived home.

She takes another deep breath, remains stoic. Her eyes never leave the ground as she scans the garage floor. The paramedic’s muddy foot steps are everywhere from last nights rain shower, a lifetime ago.

She turns to her left, to the center of the garage. Does the sign of the cross again, “Lord…give me the strength,” she says. She sees them. Two red plastic milk crates knocked over on their side. As if everything was in slow motion. She picks one up and tries to remember where they came from. What were they used for? Why were they here? Why was he brought home safely to be taken away? Dios, Por Que? Never looking directly above her head.