It's about time?

E.U. Warns Internet Companies on User Privacy
By STEPHEN CASTLE and KEVIN O'BRIEN
Published: March 30, 2009

"..cookies help companies take note of users' habits and can be sold to advertisers to help them target their marketing efforts. But their use raises serious questions about who knows which sites we visit and what they do with that information." For something that may be old news, it certainly is still disconcerting to think that forces out there can watch your every move and really get to know "you" without you even knowing.

Help Imperiled Coral Reefs and Tropical Forests

Urge your members of Congress to support the Tropical Forest and Coral Conservation Act.

This important legislation will help developing countries reduce foreign debt while protecting tropical forests and endangered marine habitats around the world. Protecting tropical forests and coral reefs is critical to addressing climate change, maintaining species diversity, developing life-saving drugs, and establishing more sustainable local economies.

During the last Congress, the TFCCA passed the House of Representatives by voice vote and passed out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by voice vote with 10 cosponsors.

The TFCCA is a routine re-authorization of a successful international conservation program that has enjoyed wide bipartisan support for 10 years. The only substantive change is a very worthwhile expansion of the focus to include the protection and conservation of coral ecosystems.

Coral reefs are often called the "rain forests of the sea." The rate at which we are losing them is alarming. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 60 percent of the world's coral reefs may be destroyed by the year 2050 if the present rate of degradation continues. With Indonesia recently declared eligible for assistance, the passage of this legislation would help ensure that funds could be used to protect the important reefs there and in other nearby "Coral Triangle" countries.

The existing law has generated $175 million (made available over the next 10 to 25 years) to help conserve more than 50 million acres of tropical forests in Asia, the Caribbean, Africa, and Central and South America.

Tropical rain forests are immensely valuable. More than 50 percent of the world's terrestrial species are found in tropical forests and over 2,000 tropical forest plants have been identified by scientists as having anti-cancer properties. Yet these special forests are being felled at staggering rates. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 25.7 million acres of tropical forest were permanently destroyed each year from 2000 to 2005.

Re-authorization of the TFCCA will ensure that critically important activities already under way will continue, that threatened tropical forests are protected in many more countries around the world, and that coral reefs are conserved as well.

So once again, please urge your members of Congress to support the Tropical Forest and Coral Conservation Act.

Research: The Clean Energy Project

The Clean Energy Project is one of the more recent research projects added to the World Community Grid. From Harvard University, it is using WCG as a resource to "calculate the electronic properties of tens of thousands of organic materials--many more than could ever be tested in a lab--and determine which candidates are most promising for developing affordable solar energy technology." I have been donating my computer(s) to research since 2006 and I am proud to help out in any way that I can. Alternative energy sources are such a vital need for us to pursue these days and if this project can help, then you should consider participating!

Earth Hour 2009

Tonight, at 8:30p local time, join hundreds of millions of people around the world in making a bold statement about climate change. By turning off your lights for one hour, Earth Hour, you will send a message that you care about this issue and stand with the rest of the world in finding solutions to the escalating climate crisis.


One person committed to reducing energy consumption can make a difference, but millions working together can change the world.

PS: Happy birthday to a special someone!

Send a Lifeline to Sea Turtles and Other Imperiled Species

We may not have the money, but neither do they!

Tell Congress to increase funding for the conservation of sea turtles, tigers, elephants, rhinos, great apes and neotropical migratory birds.

Deep Packet Inspection Puts Open Internet at Risk

"The uncertainty surrounding Net Neutrality has given rise to a technology known as Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) that offers Internet service providers unprecedented control over Internet content, according to a new paper released by Free Press. Deep Packet Inspection: The End of the Internet as We Know It? argues that the use of DPI technology by Internet service providers should raise serious concerns for both users and lawmakers."

Read full article

Zimbabwe in Crisis

Zimbabwe's new unity government is inheriting a lot of old problems. A devastating cholera outbreak has killed more than 3,000 people, hunger is widespread, and political issues remain unresolved despite months of negotiations. That's why the African Union must do everything it can in its official role as guarantor of the new unity government.

Add your name to the petition and ask the African Union to keep its promise to Zimbabwe's new government.

Urge President Obama to Appoint a Regional Envoy to Deal with the Conflict in Darfur

Many "think that the violence in Darfur is a local problem, confined to Sudan. But with ongoing conflicts in Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR), and with rebels and refugees constantly traveling across the borders of all three countries, the problem is a regional one.

President Obama is committed to solving this problem. He is close to appointing a special envoy to deal with the human rights and humanitarian crisis in Darfur. But focus must be broader than Darfur to solve the problem. The conflicts in Sudan, Chad, and the CAR are interconnected, and any envoy must be given authority to deal with the entire region.

Fill out the form here to ask President Obama to appoint a regional envoy who will work with all parties to the conflicts, as well as the regional and international communities, to advocate a solution to the crisis."

Congress: Pass a Budget that Ensures Our Clean Energy Future!

President Obama's proposed federal budget will help rebuild and renew our economy by setting the right priorities for America: invest in clean energy to create millions of new green jobs, fight global warming and end our dependence on oil.

Please help get the word out to officials to pass a budget that reflects a new direction for our country's energy policy--a budget that takes the first step to finally tackling the issue of climate change and spurs our clean energy economy.

President Obama's budget plan not only puts us on the right path for a clean energy future but returns funding to protect important environmental initiatives like clean water protection, Great Lakes protection, high speed rail and the Superfund toxic waste program.

Please help make certain that the federal budget puts us back on the right track to protect the environment and boost our clean energy economy.

I just contacted my members of Congress asking that they support President Obama's budget priorities of clean energy and tackling climate change. Join me by taking action too!

We Deserve the Truth!

"During the last 8 years, crimes were committed in our name. Secret wiretaps. Illegal detentions. Torture.

Senator Pat Leahy (D-VT) wants the truth--who committed crimes, when were they authorized, and why? This isn't about gotcha politics or finger pointing, it's about responsibly looking at the past so we can have a better future. That's why Leahy held a Senate hearing about creating a special Truth Commission to investigate the activities of the Bush era.

Show Sen. Leahy that we stand behind him as he begins the search for answers."

How does health care in your state measure up?

"The Commonwealth Fund ranks health care in each state and estimates how quality of life would be enhanced, including overall financial savings, if a state improved its health care system."

PBS link

Tell Congress to cut programs in the Pentagon budget that don't work.

"In his Inaugural Address, President Obama said, 'The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works, whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end.'

A collection of military experts have already identified billions of dollars of wasteful programs which don't work, and should end.

Tell Congress to dump the useless programs, so we can afford things which truly make America stronger."

Homeland Security Intelligence Needs Focus, CDT Tells Congress

"In congressional testimony yesterday, the Center for Democracy & Technology cautioned that a growing system for collection and sharing of homeland security intelligence has inappropriately targeted First Amendment and other innocent activity. Citing examples of abuse, CDT called on a subcommittee of the House Homeland Security Committee to ensure that domestic intelligence efforts better focus on possible criminal conduct and that such efforts are brought under strong privacy protection guidelines."

CDT Testimony on Homeland Security Intelligence Efforts [PDF] March 18, 2009

Help stop the killing of Alaska's wolves

I just took action at SaveWolves.org to end the brutal slaughter of Alaska's wolves through aerial gunning, and I hope that you'll join me.

More than 800 wolves have already been shot dead under the state's brutal aerial gunning program. The Alaska Board of Game allows marksmen to shoot wolves from aircraft, or use low-flying airplanes to chase the wolves, run the helpless creatures to exhaustion, then gun them down at point-blank range once they're too tired to run any further.

If you have a heart, then you probably feel that these pathetic losers should stop hunting this way. It's one thing to control the wolf population, but hunt like a real man--or woman!--and don't go about it in a manner that will clearly define you as a weak, pathetic individual. There was a time when there existed a majority of people that respected the hunt. Help me protect these magnificent creatures against the douchebags in Alaska hunting like this by clicking the link below to send a free message to President Obama urging him to enforce the federal Airborne Hunting Act before it's too late for Alaska's wolves.

Please go to SaveWolves.org to take action now.

Then forward this message to your friends and family and ask them to join you.

Thanks for helping to protect our precious wolves.

Link Added: Green Tips library

Check out the Sierra Club's "Green Tips" Library for information and tips on living a green lifestyle. It has some good ideas. Find it in my |Causes| links section.

The Unit - "Hill 60" - Episode 16 (44:24)

Check this spooky episode of The Unit out online, it definitely creeped me out to think that something like that could happen anywhere really, if enough jerks got together.

NCIS - "Knockout" - Episode 18 (43:46)

No new Heroes episode this week, but...

I watched 24 from this week online! Who needs television when you can watch it on the Internet?!

Now watching.. Trust Me

Trust Me - Damage Control

The show stars Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanagh. It started this year and TNT has every episode up online!

Can you add your name?

I think that you would agree that it is time to move our country to a clean, prosperous and forward-thinking future. That’s why I just signed the Repower America petition urging Congress to take bold action on climate change, starting by capping carbon pollution.

Will you sign, too?

http://www.repoweramerica.org/carboncap

Powerful forces have already raked in billions of dollars to maintain our struggling, fossil-fuel economy. They deny the need for change. They say we should keep polluting our air. But we know clean energy works for America.

Please add your name to this important petition:

http://www.repoweramerica.org/carboncap

Thank you!

Help end mountaintop removal coal mining!

A message from the Sierra Club:

"A recent court decision just opened the floodgates on a new wave of mountaintop removal coal mines, releasing close to 100 new permits to bury streams with coal mining waste, which is a detrimental component in the mountaintop removal process.

Contact your member of Congress today and ask them to cosponsor the Clean Water Protection Act, H.R. 1310, which can help protect our streams and communities from the devastating effects of mountaintop removal coal mining.

I am sad to report that yesterday the first of these permits received the green light to begin their mining operations, with others soon to follow. Should the remaining 90+ permits go forward, over 200 miles of streams will be buried with mining waste, and the health and safety of communities in Central Appalachia will be even further jeopardized.

The Clean Water Protection Act would close a dangerous loophole created by the Bush administration, and would prevent mining companies from burying waterways with their waste. To date, close to 2,000 streams have been destroyed and now 200 more miles hang in the balance.

Next week, over 150 volunteers will be traveling to Washington, DC, to talk to Members of Congress about mountaintop removal. By sending an email today, you can help make sure their message is heard in our nation’s capitol. Use this link to contact your member of Congress today:

http://action.sierraclub.org/cleanwater

Thanks for all that you do to protect the environment.

Mary Anne Hitt
Deputy Director, Move Beyond Coal Campaign
Sierra Club "

Looking to get rid of an old cell phone?

Don't let it end up in a landfill! After careful consideration and a little bias, I figured to dump off a couple of my old phones at a Verizon Wireless store because of their HopeLine phone recycling program. I chose this program over others specifically because the end result helps out those Americans in need of support against domestic violence.

You can learn more about it from here and here.

In another recycling effort, you can also help prevent spent rechargeable batteries from entering landfills. Get more information by clicking here!

Now watching...

South Park's "The Ring" (Original Air Date: 03.11.09)

South Park's season premiere was pretty rad, ripping on Disney and the Jonas Brothers. One personal thing that stood out to me was a small jab at them lamely using the phrase, "That's how we roll." All I could think of is how it only makes a certain unidentified wannabe--a kid who NICKNAMED HIMSELF after a chick (less focus on nicknaming oneself after a chick and more focus on NICKNAMING YOURSELF; mega-lame!)--seem that much more lame than he already is. Posers never win.

Added Link: ODI

I added a link to Verizon Wireless’ Open Development Initiative (ODI) to my blog's |Causes| section after reading up on it today. ODI is a Verizon program "designed to encourage the development community to create new products, applications and services" beyond what already exists. The site provides information, events and presentations for your viewing pleasure and I found it worth sharing.

Special interests vs. clean cars

If you write a note today, you can help reduce the 20% of our nation's carbon emissions that come from cars, and set automakers on the path to cleaner automobiles.

Please support California's waiver request to set stronger pollution control standards for cars.

Those opposed to progress on auto emissions are speaking out to protect the status quo and to win this victory for clean energy, we need to speak even louder than these entrenched special interests.

The EPA needs to hear from us!

The state of California is ready to take action to reduce global warming pollution from cars, and 13 other states are ready too.

The opposition has their sights set on slowing this progress -- arguing that statewide actions won't work and claiming that automakers don't need any encouragement to make cleaner cars.

We can't let the special interests block this much-needed action.

Your voice will make a difference so let it be heard!

California must be allowed to reduce emissions critical to helping solve the climate crisis and when they do, it will pave the way for reductions in auto emissions all over this country and guide the auto industry onto the road of clean energy.

Please tell the EPA today that you support this action to Repower America.

Thanks! (http://www.RepowerAmerica.org/epawaiver)

Spring Ahead?!

For those of you confused about why it seems later than it is, that's because you have not adjusted to daylight savings time yet! Be certain to change your clocks forward an hour.

Boston's Freedom Trail

Anyone up for a walk? link