My brother sent me a link to a tremendous story about heroes, PRI's The World, "History Detectives Help Return Soldiers Diary To Vietnamese Family".
Items belonging to Vietnamese soldier Vu Dinh Doan rest on a table during a handover ceremony in Cay village. (Photo: REUTERS/Kham) Please click on the image and go to: "History Detectives Help Return Soldiers Diary To Vietnamese Family"
The story reminded me about asking our father what among all his WWII memories he felt most positive. He told the story of one night digging his foxhole and remembering a barn not too far away. He went alone to the barn looking for some straw to line his foxhole. He found some, slung his rifle on his back, and filled his arms with straw.
While leaving the barn, two German soldiers came up to him. They had their rifles ready. Dad thought he was dead. But the Germans had something else on their minds. Seeing him, they indicated they wanted to surrender. They couldn’t speak English and he couldn’t speak German. Dad gestured for them to follow him back to the American lines. They all made it back to his unit. Dad must have convinced his buddies that the Germans were surrendering and not to shoot them. That’s what our father remembered as being most positive about his war… to this day I am so honored to have had Dad in my life. He was a hero in so many ways - like the men in this History Detectives, PRI The World story.
Don’t you agree? We need accountable-to-us leaders to steer our national boat, Our USA, toward objectives that make a difference to us, the 99%, (the people who create wealth) such as: sustainable energy, sustainable health care, living-wage jobs, and education.
PBS Need To Know - The True Cost of the Bank Bailout - $12.8 Trillion (Please click on the image below to see video report via PBS.)
PBS Need To Know The True Cost of the Bank Bailout $12.8 Trillion
There is a great deal to admire about Canadians. One thing is that the Canadians are sharp, as in highly intelligent, in a wonderfully easy going way. Not braggadocios nor arrogant by a long shot, our Canadian friends deserve credit for doing the right energy thing for their people - something a large portion of the USA “R” side of the political spectrum seems to find repulsive.
What have the Canadians accomplished? How about: “an unprecedented $7 billion private sector investment in Ontario to create the largest cluster of wind and solar power anywhere on the planet.”
Here's the story: Samsung C&T, together with some of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, "under Samsung’s Green Energy Investment Agreement with the Government of Ontario, will create 16,000 jobs, kick-start a new industry in Ontario and generate 2,500 megawatts of clean energy – enough to power 600,000 Ontario homes."
Not that it’s been an easy road to this tremendous accomplishment, because the Canadian wing of the anti-sustainable energy people still are hard at work trying to sidetrack solar and wind energy development.
In what could become the beginning of a "game changing" healthy living trend, insurance provider Humana and mega-store Walmart announced (19 Sept 2012) a joint program to encourage one million members of Humana's wellness program, HumanaVitality, to purchase healthy groceries. Beginning 15 Oct, members will receive a 5% discount on purchases of healthy foods labeled with a “Great for You” icon."
The program's objective is to: "steer customers toward healthier food choices and potentially push down health-care costs — while driving people into Walmart stores".
With more than 40 years marketing experience, I believe this program is not only in the best interests of customers, but also a smart marketing move, that is, in the corporation's interest, too. It's also an excellent example of the "good" side of American-style capitalism.
Am I wrong? Or, does Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell look like famed TV star Dilly Dally from the 50s Howdy Doody Show? You be the judge! For more insight, click on the image and watch this clip from the show: (Sorry, the "Dilly Dally can't remember clip" is no longer available. The core is that Dilly Dally never remembers. For me, that's proof enough that Dilly's lookalike will continue not to remember that he is in Washington, D.C. to work for the people of the USA and not at the beck and call of Mr. Grover Norquist.)
O.K. I know you're wondering about the Howdy Doody Show... so go here for a few moments of pure snap, crackle and pop nostalgic heaven!
Incase you didn’t see this, it was a Carter who is responsible for getting the video of Romney to the Mother Jones reporter. Therefore, James Carter IV has earned the Only Do Good for Humanity award.
I call Carter's work “divine intervention.”
Jimmy Carter is a great man. He has a soul.
Romney must have forgotten his soul amidst his stash of gold bars in his basement.
Jimmy Carter’s grandson describes furtive efforts to arrange release of secret Romney video
By Associated Press, Published: September 18AP
WASHINGTON — Midway through a routine Internet search, James Carter IV stumbled upon a video that just didn’t seem right.
The grandson of former President Jimmy Carter and a self-fashioned Democratic opposition researcher, the younger Carter had watched countless hours of footage of Republican Mitt Romney and made it a habit to search YouTube every few days for keywords like “Romney” and “Republicans.”
The candidate’s comments about the "47 percent" come at the worst possible time for him politically.
But on this day in August, one clip jumped out. There was Romney, in an undisclosed location, bluntly discussing a visit to a Chinese factory with substandard conditions.
“The hidden camera video — it was all blurred out at the beginning, and it was mysterious,” Carter said. “It piqued my interest.”
Something told him there might be more there than the brief clip posted on the YouTube channel “Anne Onymous.” Although not affiliated with any campaign or super PAC, Carter had made it a personal mission to help get Democrats elected in 2012 — and to do his part to push back against Romney’s relentless campaign-trail mockery of his grandfather.
So Carter, 35, of Atlanta, set out track down the source of the video. He sent a message to the YouTube user seeking details. No luck. But then, after sharing links to the video on Twitter, Carter realized he had a new follower with the same name as the YouTube account. He quickly shot off a direct message.
“They were wary at first,” Carter said in an interview with The Associated Press. “But they did respond.”
What followed was a delicate, concerted effort to convince the source — still unknown to the public — that Carter could be trusted, and that the world had to see the rest of what was surreptitiously recorded as Romney spoke in May to donors who had paid $50,000 a person to attend the private fundraiser.
In a string of Internet conversations, Carter showed the source evidence that he had helped David Corn, a journalist with the magazine Mother Jones, report a story about Global-Tech Appliances Inc., a Chinese firm that Romney’s Bain Capital briefly invested in. Both Carter and the source suspected it was that firm’s factory that Romney was speaking about in the video.
“That gave me credibility,” Carter said. “They opened up to me a little bit.”
Soon after, Carter persuaded the source to trust Corn with the full video — on the condition that he keep the source’s identity a secret. Corn ran with it, using clues in the video to triangulate when and where it had been recorded.
Then on Monday and Tuesday, Corn posted the clips to his magazine’s website, sparking a firestorm for the Romney campaign over remarks claiming that nearly half of Americans “believe they are victims” deserving government help and that the Palestinians have no interest in peace with Israel.
“James: This is extraordinary. Congratulations! Papa,” the former president told his grandson Tuesday morning in an email obtained by the AP.
For Carter, whose Twitter profile notes he’s looking for work, his success in unearthing the video was followed by a string of job offers Tuesday, from the Ohio Democratic Party to online news sites like The Huffington Post and ThinkProgress.
But the coup de grace for Carter is the irony that Romney has spent many months assailing the elder Carter’s record on everything from foreign affairs to small business policy, hoping to saddle the incumbent president with the less popular vestiges of his Democratic predecessor.
“I’ve gotten a lot of Twitter messages from people supporting me and saying that it’s poetic justice that it was a Carter that uncovered this, considering the way that the Romney campaign has been talking about my grandfather,” Carter said. “I agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly.”
Since my childhood I have considered nurses, nuns and certain clergymen and doctors to be the real heroes of our times. Others like them have historically been the "first responders" when it came to fighting for those who could not defend themselves. Many have lost their lives trying to right social injustices, and certainly, today, they make the difference to millions of everyday Joes, like me.
To say that I was impressed with Sister Simone Campbell's presentation at the recent Democratic National Convention is very much an understatement. She brought tears to my eyes with her clear and uplifting presentation as she related her experiences.
While I have come to consider myself a humanist rather than a religious person of any variety, I feel Sister Simone and her colleagues are heroes, ranking among the most outstanding examples of "the good" which Christianity and the Catholic Church, in particular, has to offer. Why? Because they are standing up for those who have repeatedly been and continue to be the victims of our profit-first society.
Mayor Julian Castro delievered a tremendous keynote speech at the recent DNC. He is also right on target on jobs for San Antonio, too. Under his predecessor, San Antonio launched Mission Verde, modeled upon successful sustainable energy programs already underway in Europe. Mission Verde is San Antonio's unique blend of the essential elements - investment, education, training, power companies, big corporations, neighborhoods, small businesses, local government and residents - all actively involved. It is the new economy based upon sustainable energy. It is working now. Other U.S. cities are also launching their versions of Mission Verde, as well.
There were many great speeches last night in Charlotte, with Gov. Granholm's presentation among the best of the best. Last night she was GOV. ELECTRIC!
A few detractors immediately claimed her presentation was "bizarre" and "over the top".
Well, yes, her delivery was animated and performance was charged, even "electric", but in my view now is the time to be over the top and charged-up about the things that matter most. After all, we do have a choice to make in November. We have a path to choose.
For the first time in my life, I see this election offering our nation a distinctly clear choice between the two candidates and their respective "party platforms".
We are in a fight for our beliefs and Gov. Granholm came through with a powerfully motivating presentation for Pres. Obama... and, FOR US as in USA!
Here is the text:
"Good evening, I'm Jennifer Granholm, from the great state of Michigan, where the trees are just the right height! Let me tell you a story about the dark days in my home state. Towards the end of my time as governor, Ford closed one of its biggest factories, a factory in Wixom, Michigan. The Wixom plant had employed thousands of middle-class men and women in neighborhoods near—yet worlds away from—the place Mitt Romney was raised.
When Ford's decision hit, I went down to the local union hall. It was almost empty; a few workers milled about in shock and grief. I talked to a 45-year-old guy who told me, "This is the only place I've ever worked.
I've been loyal. I've done everything they've ever asked. And just like that, it's gone." He looked around the hall and said, "So, governor, is it over for us? Is the American auto industry dead?" Honestly, at that moment, I just didn't know. And that was just the beginning. When the financial crisis hit, things got a lot worse – and fast.
The entire auto industry, and the lives of over one million hard-working Americans, teetered on the edge of collapse; and with it, the whole manufacturing sector. We looked everywhere for help. Almost nobody had the guts to help us – not the banks, not the private investors and not Bain capital. Then, in 2009, the cavalry arrived: our new president, Barack Obama!
He organized a rescue, made the tough calls and saved the American auto industry. Mitt Romney saw the same crisis and you know what he said: "Let Detroit go bankrupt." Sure, Mitt Romney loves our lakes and trees.
He loves our cars so much, they have their own elevator. But the people who design, build, and sell those cars?
Well, in Romney's world, the cars get the elevator; the workers get the shaft. Mitt Romney says his business experience qualifies him to be president. Sure, he's made lots of money. Good for him. But how did he make that fortune, and at whose expense?
Too often, he made it at the expense of middle-class Americans. Year after year, it was profit before people. President Obama? With the auto rescue, he saved more than one million middle-class jobs all across America. In Colorado, the auto rescue saved more than 9,800 jobs! In Virginia, more than 19,000 jobs! In North Carolina, more than 25,000! Wisconsin: more than 28,000 jobs! Pennsylvania: more than 34,000! Florida: more than 35,000! Ohio: more than 150,000! And in the great state of Michigan? President Obama helped save 211,000 good American jobs. All across America, autos are back! Manufacturing is rebounding! Why? Because when Mitt Romney said "Let Detroit go bankrupt," who took the wheel? Barack Obama! When America was losing 750,000 jobs per month, who gave us a lift? Barack Obama! When American markets broke down, who jump-started the engine? Barack Obama! And when America needed it most, who got us rolling again on the road to recovery? Barack Obama!
America, let's rev our engines! In your car and on your ballot, the "D" is for drive forward, and the "R" is for reverse. And in this election, we're driving forward, not back. Let's re-elect our great president, Barack Obama!"
After the past two nights unexpectedly spent watching the Democrat's convention, my eyes have been opened and I feel a tremendous relief that I can see once again. The soul of America has survived.
I had given up hope and came to believe that I was alone fighting against the dark forces. But with my own eyes, over the past two nights, I saw thousands becoming empowered and charged .
A few months ago I confess I felt that was next to impossible.
So, I decided to give it one more try and present the options – plans – to whomever I could reach. That’s how the Encore Boomer Movement began and why I’ve launched a new website: www.encoreboomer.com
Check it out. We have a new economy to build. We have a way to create new jobs and make our communities whole again. And, importantly, we have a way to take back our homes, our savings and a new way to live healthy.
Just home for a few days after becoming an officially minted “medic” at Fort Sam in San Antonio, I remember my dad talking with me that fall day.
He had tears in his eyes when he asked me, a kid of 21 with no combat experience and no real medical training, if it could have been possible for him to have saved his best friend who had be shot in the chest while they manned a machine gun against a German Army attack in WWII. He propped his friend up in the back of their foxhole and kept firing the gun as they were nearly overrun. When he looked back a few minutes later his friend had died.
Overcome with empathy and love for my hero father, I knew he was suffering a traumatic loss he would never forget. He believed he could have done something more to have saved his friend.
To this day I cry for my father.
Oddly, I was reminded of my dad’s anguish that fall day in 1971, when I listened to Gov. Granholm’s plea to Pres. Obama to become the leader we need.
Yes, Gov. I agree.
We need leadership now, not more of the empty-headed selfishness exhibited all last week in Tampa.
We need the leadership because the sacrifices which gave us our nation were extreme to the max and made by millions of everyday Americans. They were the kids from Everytown USA who paid and to this day are paying the price so the “I”s can claim they did it all by themselves.
Gov. Granholm: Please Pres. Obama Be The Leader We Need Now!
Melissa Harris-Perry has earned my respect with this interview. After years of seeing empty suits and plunging blouses I had surrendered to the mediocrity I found and stopped watching TV/cable “news” programs entirely. I see Ms. Harris-Perry’s interview as an island amid the garbage that passes for “news” today. I applaud her “presenting the facts” and hope that more of the "media" might also follow her lead by confronting the issues and calling out the falsehoods when they are so blatantly offered as truths. Ms. Harris-Perry has renewed my faith and I’ll continue to seek penetrating, investigative journalism which is in search of the facts about the serious issues which we confront us as individuals and as a nation.
