Toxic Dispersant used in oil spills

So Why Is the Toxic Dispersant Used in BP's Gulf Disaster Three Years Ago Still the Clean-up Agent of Choice in the US?

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guns & background checks

Assault weapons ban bill fails in US Senate sns.mx/NmvTy9
— U.S. Senate Update (@USSenateUpdate) April 18, 2013

Shame on the US Senators who decided it was more important to get an A plus from the #NRA than a passing grade from their constituents.
— Donna Brazile (@donnabrazile) April 18, 2013

Giffords: 'I'm furious' with Senate gun vote bit.ly/13jPeoI by @jtsthehill
— The Hill (@thehill) April 18, 2013

America, meet the 45 senators who blocked background checks (did your lawmaker make the list?) motherjones.com/politics/2013/…
— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) April 18, 2013

If you are mad as hell .... write your senators and let them know how you feel. Just so you know here's how they voted:

Republicans Who Voted for the Proposal 

• Susan Collins (R-ME) 
•  Mark Kirk (R-IL) 
• John McCain (R-AZ) 
• Pat Toomey (R-PA) 

 Democrats Who Voted Against the Proposal

• Max Baucus (D-MT) 
•  Mark Begich (D-AK) 
• Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) 
• Mark Pryor (D-AR) 
•  Harry Reid (D-NV) (Voted "no" as a procedural move to preserve option to reintroduce the bill.) 

  republicans Who Voted Against the Proposal

•   Lamar Alexander (R-TN) 
•  Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) 
•  John Barrasso (R-WY) 
• Roy Blunt (R-MO) 
• John Boozman (R-AR) 
• Richard Burr (R-NC) 
•  Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
•  Dan Coats (R-IN) 
• Tom Coburn (R-OK) 
• Thad Cochran (R-MS) 
• Bob Corker (R-TN) 
•  John Cornyn (R-TX) 
•  Mike Crapo (R-ID) 
• Ted Cruz (R-TX) 
• Michael Enzi (R-WY)
•  Deb Fischer (R-NE) 
•  Jeff Flake (R-AZ) 
•  Lindsey Graham (R-SC) 
•  Chuck Grassley (R-IA) 
• Orrin Hatch (R-UT) 
• Dean Heller (R-NV) 
• John Hoeven (R-ND) 
•  Jim Inhofe (R-OK) 
• Johnny Isakson (R-GA) 
• Mike Johanns (R-NE) 
• Ron Johnson (R-WI)
•  Mike Lee (R-UT)
•  Mitch McConnell (R-KY) 
• Jerry Moran (R-KS) 
• Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) 
• Rand Paul (R-KY) 
• Rob Portman (R-OH)
•  James Risch (R-ID) 
•  Pat Roberts (R-KS) 
•  Marco Rubio (R-FL) 
•  Timothy Scott (R-SC) 
• Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
•  Richard Shelby (R-AL)
•  John Thune (R-SD) 
•  David Vitter (R-LA) 
•  Roger Wicker (R-MS) 

 democrats Who Voted for the Proposal

• Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) 
• Michael Bennet (D-CO) 
• Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) 
•  Barbara Boxer (D-CA) 
• Sherrod Brown (D-OH) 
• Maria Cantwell (D-WA) 
• Ben Cardin (D-MD) 
• Thomas Carper (D-DE) 
•  Bob Casey (D-PA) 
•  Christopher Coons (D-DE) 
• William "Mo" Cowan (D-MA) 
• Joe Donnelly (D-IN) 
•  Richard Durbin (D-IL) 
• Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) 
•  Al Franken (D-MN) 
• Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) 
• Kay Hagan (D-NC) 
• Tom Harkin (D-IA) 
• Martin Heinrich (D-NM) 
• Mazie Hirono (D-HI) 
•  Tim Johnson (D-SD) 
• Timothy Kaine (D-VA) 
•  Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) 
• Mary Landrieu (D-LA) 
•  Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
•  Patrick Leahy (D-VT) 
•  Carl Levin (D-MI) 
• Joe Manchin (D-WV) 
•  Claire McCaskill (D-MO) 
•  Robert Menendez (D-NJ) 
• Jeff Merkley (D-OR) 
• Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) 
• Christopher Murphy (D-CT) 
• Patty Murray (D-WA) 
•  Bill Nelson (D-FL) 
• John Reed (D-RI) 
• Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) 
• Brian Schatz (D-HI) 
• Charles Schumer (D-NY) 
• Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) 
• Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) 
• Jon Tester (D-MT)
•  Mark Udall (D-CO) 
• Tom Udall (D-NM) 
• Mark Warner (D-VA) 
•  Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) 
• Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) 
• Ron Wyden (D-OR) 

 independents
 Angus King (I-ME): Yea Bernie Sanders (I-VT): Yea

list courtesy of  Mother Jones article:  Meet the 45 Senators Who Blocked Background Checks

by Dana Liebelson, a reporter in Mother Jones' Washington bureau. Her work has also appeared in The Week, TIME's Battleland, Truthout, OtherWords and Yahoo! News  

Petition - Shared Sacrifice: Bernie Sanders - U.S. Senator for Vermont

excerpt...

Dear Mr. President, This is a pivotal moment in the history of our country. Decisions are being made about the national budget that will impact the lives of virtually every American for decades to come. As we address the issue of deficit reduction we must not ignore the painful economic reality of today - which is that the wealthiest people in our country and the largest corporations are doing phenomenally well while the middle class is collapsing and poverty is increasing. In fact, the United States today has, by far, the most unequal distribution of wealth and income of any major country on earth.

...go to his page to read more and sign the petition, use the link below

 Petition - Shared Sacrifice: Bernie Sanders - U.S. Senator for Vermont

Gun Violence

My Gun Control Rant

I grew up in the sixties road in trucks with my dad and others with their rifle racks and have never been aftraid of guns.  I served in the military and know how to use an M16 very well. I do believe that people should have the right to own guns; however, I have never seen the benefit of average citizens being able to purchase and carry automatic assault like weapons.  Those are weapons of "war" and should be left in the hands of military personnel and law enforcement.   Where do you stand on the issue?

Here's some other info I recently found on the web on this "hot-botton" issue:

guncrisis.org -

The Gun Crisis Reporting Project: Seeking solutions to the epidemic of homicide by gunfire in Philadelphia

 

FACT: 6.6 million guns were transferred in the U.S. last year without a background check. #WeDemandAVote, twitter.com/BarackObama/st…
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 11, 2013

In my backyard:

BREAKING: Henry County Man is accused of shooting his wife and daughter then shooting himself. Details at 4.
— NewsChannel 5 (@NC5) March 11, 2013

One Million Moms and Dads Against Gun Violence

Enough is enough. We cannot stand by and let our children be killed by senseless violence. We are committed to offering a voice to those who have been silent while so many of our children have been harmed by gun violence. No more.

We are two moms who refuse to do nothing in the face of the massacres that have taken too many of our country's children. No matter what you believe is the issue that has lead to these events--get involved to change the problem. This page is to provide a platform to the voices that have been silent against gun violence for too long. We have done it their way--if more guns meant safety, we'd be the safest country in the world.

We are committed to communication, awareness, support and action. Something has to change to make this country safer for our kids.

 (on the other side...)

One Million Moms Against Gun Control

 another  Facebook Community

We urge you to contact your elected representatives and demand they honor their oath to protect the Second Amendment and the Constitution of these United States of America. Make your voices heard today!

 

NRA Ad targeting minorities

Dear @nra, we don't trust you. Sincerely, Black America... bit.ly/Z3kqGp PLEASE RETWEET

— Russell Simmons (@UncleRUSH) March 8, 2013

Civil Rights ...remembering the struggle

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Do the Right Thing," focus on the purpose

Stimulus package:
Pass this already. Time is ticking. Democrats and Republicans, just do the "right thing.” Look at what will put people back to work, give us some confidence in the stability of our economy. This package can't be all things for all people. Fund the programs that have teeth; this is no time for "pie in the sky" wishlists.
Keep the focus on the purpose--to Stimulate the Economy.

Compassion, the "new" black

Faith based initiatives: Good idea. It’s American. At our core this is who we are. I like what the Ba hai faith says about different religions “that all spring from the same source.” I believe this. I grew up in a very religious family. At various times and stages in my life it has been a bit inconvenient. However, having experienced a mighty unseen hand at work at some of my most perilous, frightening moments, I holdfast to my abiding faith in a higher power. My foundation is still that of a 12 year old humbling accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. That said, I have also seen the inner workings of many “organized” religious institutions and it was not always pretty. So I can understand how the best and highest ideals of man can fall short with flaws. While not perfect most religious followers will do well as long as they remember and honor the concepts of caring more for others than themselves. Just “caring” is a giant step in the right directions. Thanks, President Obama for bringing “compassion” back.
I think it’s great that we have a leader who has and outwardly exhibits compassion and humility yet remains strong and Presidential. Keep up the good work. It does matter to people like myself. I’ve never been one of those people who wanted my President to be “someone I would have a beer with.” I want a President who is smarter than me but can also “relate” to me and my situation with compassion. What if, compassion becomes the “new” black, where average service oriented people become our heroes. Imagine a time and place where service is honored over greed.

Just as the little "black" dress forms the basis of any descent wardrobe, compassion should form the basic character of any descent human being from the less to the greatest. Thank you President Obama for being a role model not just in words or deeds but the very essence of your being.

The Bailout: "...like I'm a four year old"

The Bailout: I'm really tired of the political game playing that's going on in Washington. We all know they are going to pass it. Hopefully sooner rather than later. I think it is needed but like most Americans I'm interested in how it will affect me. What's in it for me? That's what every American really wants to know.

Congress and the media should work on explaining that a bit better. Explain it to me like I'm a 'four" year old because this economic stuff makes me feel like one. Go ahead, it won't hurt my feelings at all. I want to "understand."
My sarcastic voice: Our representatives on the hill should have no problem doing this since their behavior has been pretty much on that level. It's like they just learned to play "psych."

Blogging--as active engagement

Engagement--my new watch word. As you can see I haven’t posted for sometime. Although I haven’t posted here I have been very busy posting on other interesting blogs. I’ve wrestled with how to manage my time and still be involved while not comprising my own need for creativity. I’ll devoted my focus here first. One Woman’s Voice will be the eternal well from which I draw.

When I first became interested in blogging, about two years ago, I quickly set about to create all these elaborate blogs; each focused on a different area of interest. According to all the blog-cology, this was the way to go. Was I doing it for fun or profit? Well it depended on which day I was blogging.

Let’s face it. The human being is a wonderfully complexed creature. Add a bit of creativity and trials of life to the mix and you’ve got one interestingly whacky unpredictable character. That’s me--Interesting, whacky and unpredictable. So what kind of blog(s) should a whacky chick like me create? Where do my passion and interests lie?


Creativity--I love making things. As a veteran coming from a large family of veterans I am politically impassioned. I like to say, I was patriotic before patriotism was cool. As a member of a very large loving southern family with a small family of my own, I continue to share in and experience the joys and sorrows of daily living in this tribe. I oten attempt to capture these moments through photography. Being equally moved by the joys and sorrows, drives me to activitism. So what's a whacky unpredictable chick to do?

One woman’s voice is the heartfelt expressions of engagement. I am engaged with life. It leads me in many different directions. This is simply the place where I record my impressions along the way. It is with this singleness of purpose this blog exist. It is one woman's engaged prespective on the business of living. Doing it My Way!

Sustainable Lifestyle Practices and Communities

The time has come for everyone to have more Eco-friendly sensibility

Eco-fact: Commercial car washes are better than washing your car at home in the drive.

Commercial carwashes reuse/recycle their water. They are also required to treat their water. Using a commercial carwash eliminates potential chemicals and toxins being added to your lawn or the neighborhood drain.

Like many people these days, I'm trying to become more educated about the environment and eco-friendly practices. Periodically, I will be sharing some of the knowledge and resources I find with you here.

One information source is Sara Snow, a Natural Living Expert who host the Discovery-Home show, "Get Fresh with Sara Snow." It is very informative, entertaining, and covers a myriad of topics including cooking and fashion. "The Green" is another such program hosted on the Sundance Channel.

Eco-Practice (fashion):

1. Wear vintage clothes and recycle old clothes by finding new uses.

2 Buy clothing that uses sustainable textile fiber. These can come from organically grown (chemically free) crops or unusual plants that are not normally used in the fiber and textile industry like bamboo. Bamboo is now being used in textile industry to produce very fashionable fabrics and garments.

On your next shopping trip, don't just like at the price tag but take a closer look at the fabric content label. Or instead of heading to the mall or big chain store, try visiting and sampling the wares of a local vintage clothing or thrift store.

Make it point to began educating yourself and incorporating more eco-friendly practices in your daily life. We can no longer afford to leave this task to a few "tree-hugging" nonprofit organizations. I believe it's vital we all began to take a more active personal role in sustaining the planet earth. Although we're making more frequent trips to the moon, so far, we're still only living here on earth. Let us all pitch in to preserve it. Start today, if not for yourself--then do it for your grandchildren and our future generations.

Something to fight about

We just finished celebrating the 4th of July...American Independence Day. Now, that was a war worth fighting for. A war based on principles of freedom and participation for all although as a nation we still often stumble living this out, I believe the basic motives were pure.

Next take a close look at our "War Money" counter in the upper right for real-time visual on the actual money being currently being spent on the Iraq War. Better yet, add a link to your blog or web page by going to Cost of War: National Priorities Project. You can even compare the cost of war to other things that money could have bought like health and education. What are we fighting for--democracy (for who), greed, hatred, fear? Here's an emanate idea worth fighting for--protecting and preserving our earth which is in grave danger no matter what the skeptics say. This is a war where everybody can win. Isn't that worth fighting for? " Check out Live Earth
to find out what's going on or get involved. You can even make a pledge that doesn't actually cost you. How cool is that? Check out the interview with former Vice President, Al Gore and advertising guru and motivational entrepreneur, Donnie Deutsch at The Big Idea: Donny Deutsch questions people/