Courageous amputee healing after accident 9:32 PM | Local News | News for Charlotte, North Carolina | WCNC.com | Top Stories

True here, posting this information received from ATV Report.
It's a feel-good story but I have some questions. Why was a seven-year old riding an ATV? Here in Cook County I see children who look to be in that age range roaring around on their snowmobiles, no adults in sight.
What are the ordinances about children driving ATVs and snowmobiles? And why are they apparently not enforced? Yes, Andrew is a swell little guy. But, where were his parents when he lost his leg? What the hell was he doing driving an ATV?

Courageous amputee healing after accident 9:32 PM | Local News | News for Charlotte, North Carolina | WCNC.com | Top Stories

Copper mining debate squares off in legislative hearing

Divisive debate on mining copper gets legislative hearing

Supporters, skeptics on northern mining square off

NEWS ADVISORY Contacts

Jan. 18, 2008 Janette Brimmer

Legal Director

MCEA

651-223-5969

jbrimmer@mncenter.org

Ron Meador

Executive director

Friends of the BWCA

612-332-9630

ron@friends-bwca.org

Chuck Laszewski

Communications Dir.

MCEA

651-223-5969

claszewski@mncenter.org

Divisive debate on mining copper gets legislative hearing

Supporters, skeptics on northern mining square off

ST.PAUL--What promises to be a contentious debate throughout 2008 will kick off Friday, Jan. 25 during a joint Legislative hearing by environmental, work force and economic development committees over proposed metallic sulfide mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

Two Canadian mining companies are vigorously pursuing state permits to mine copper, nickel, gold and other precious metals from sulfide-bearing rock in northeastern Minnesota. Polymet Corp. is expected to release its draft environmental impact statement on its proposed operation in the spring.

Metallic sulfide mining is different from taconite mining and much more hazardous to the environment. Once exposed to air and water, excavated rock produces sulfuric acid that drains into rivers, lakes and even ground water, killing fish, birds and other wildlife. Often the drainage carries toxic metals as well. States are usually left with millions of dollars of clean-up when the mine companies leave, a chore that can go on virtually forever.

Two of the expert witnesses Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy is bringing to the hearing will detail the damage done throughout the country by sulfide mining, explain that the Iron Range’s economy has rebounded from the taconite bust of the 1980s and show how sulfide mining could hurt, rather than help, the area’s economy.

WHEN: 12:30 p.m. Friday Jan. 25

WHERE: Room 200 State Office Building

WHO: Joint meeting of House Environment and Natural Resources Finance Divisions, Senate Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Budget Division, House Higher Education and Work Force Development Policy and Finance Division, and Senate Economic Development Budget Division. The chairs of the committees are Rep. Jean Wagenius, Sen. Ellen Anderson, Rep. Tom Rukavina and Sen. David Tomassoni.

Some thoughts on peace, nonviolence and power

Pack a Punch With Spiritual Energy

(Published in The Times of India on 18 January 2008)

by

Swami Veda Bharati

We often hear phrases like ‘power yoga’, ‘power breathing,’ and perhaps even ‘power meditation’. These phrases convey images of a heavy punch delivered by a wrestler or a country beefing up its armed forces. However, this is not the kind of power a practitioner of meditation pursues.

The Upanishads do state that atman is not to be found by one devoid of bala or power. Here, power refers to spiritual energy. The yoga sutras of Patanjali mention virya as one of the five ways of attaining samadhi and Brahmacharya or practice of celibacy confers virya. However, this virya arises out of shraddha or reverent conviction and is synonymous with the power to grant diksha or initiation which means shakti-pata, the power to transfer a higher state of consciousness to the disciple. This is the true meaning of power yoga.

The power in yoga means the power to extinguish one’s anger like that of taming a wild tiger, for instance. It means the will to overcome temptation and thereby altering the mental state of one who may approach a yogi with passionate thought. It is the power of Buddha whereby he converts Angulimala, the dreaded robber who cut off his victims’ fingers and wore them as a necklace round his neck. The Buddha walks into the robber’s lair and says “Come along, monk!” and helps transform the marauder into a monk instantly. The latter follows him like a tiger that has been tamed. That is true power.

The power of yoga is that of ahimsa whereby one abandons in all possible manner, at all possible times, towards all beings, any inclination to hurt or harm. With that power one may approach two combating armies, stand between them and through sheer power of presence, make them lay down their arms. Alexander had massacred many in battle during his conquests. Yet, he gave up violence after meeting with monks who advocated ahimsa.

Chengiz Khan established a large empire by sheer force of violence. When he reached what is now called Afghanistan , he began to have doubts; he questioned the meaning of his life. He invited a Taoist master to talk to him. The Taoist master’s spiritual energy convinced Chengiz Khan to stop his conquests and instead, set about consolidating what he had, peacefully. There is a painting depicting this in a Taoist temple in Beijing .

While the energy received from meditation may help one to win a long race, a true yogi uses the power to sit. Sitting still requires greater shakti or power than does running. True power is the power to stabilize yourself.

In the yoga sutras certain meditative practices are termed ‘sthiti-nibandhana’, establishing stability. Abhyasa or spiritual practice involves stable posture and undiluted relaxed concentration. During Abhyasa your breathing becomes calmer, deeper and lighter. Coupled with manasa japa or mental chanting, there is an even flow.

The ever-flowing mind-stream generates awakening of kundalini whereby one may conquer all intangible worlds and states within oneself. For a self-conqueror of the interior worlds the exterior conquests are mere pursuit of mirages, a wastage of power. He puts a stop to this. This vi-rama or ceasing is true power. We need to attain to this power of purity.

Let's have a local peace event in March

Is anyone interested in having our own peace event, including some nonviolent civil disobedience, during those 10 days in March?

Let True know.

- Anonymous

Plans in the Works to Stop-Loss Congress

http://resistinmarch.org

By David Swanson

The peace movement is planning 10 days of resistance in March 2008. New additions to the plans include an effort to "stop-loss" Congress. Here's a schedule from http://resistinmarch.org

MARCH 10 to 12, 2008 (Monday to Wednesday) in Washington, D.C.: Stop-Loss Congress
This March, while tens of thousands of Americans in Washington, D.C., and all over the United States will be participating in acts of nonviolent civil disobedience to protest the ongoing occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, and involuntarily deployed U.S. soldiers and innocent civilian victims will begin another year of occupation, torture, and murder, U.S. congress members will be on vacation (from the 15th to 30th, technically a "district work period"), ignoring the killing and suffering they have enabled, supported, and financed.

To intensify the irony, Congress has condoned a widespread stop-loss policy in the military which requires soldiers to involuntarily extend their tours and prolong the killing. It is time to Stop-Loss Congress!

On Monday March 10, and Tuesday March 11, we will deliver "official" stop-loss notices to all members of Congress in their Capitol Hill offices. These will notify them that all of their LEAVES, VACATIONS and HOME VISITS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED until further notice. Just as they require that active-duty personnel endure involuntary extensions of their tours of duty, we, the people for whom they work, are notifying them that they, too, will have their tours of duty INVOLUNTARILY EXTENDED until every foreign soldier and mercenary is out of Iraq, and home. When all the troops and contractors get home, then Congress can go home, and no sooner.

On Wednesday March 12, we will take nonviolent action on Capitol Hill, to ensure that, while thousands of Iraqis, Afghanis, and foreign invaders die and are injured for life, the members of Congress and their staffs do not go home but remain to DO THEIR DUTY, and immediately end the funding of the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. No members of Congress goes home until THE TROOPS COME HOME.

To participate in planning these events, to learn meeting times and places, to help distribute flyers and organize travel, training, and other preparation, join this listserve.

Participating Organizations: Hip Hop Caucus, AfterDowningStreet.org, Backbone Campaign, Camp Casey Peace Institute, CODEPINK Women For Peace, Common Ground Collective New Orleans, Democrats.com, Global Network, Gold Star Families for Peace, Progressive Democrats of America, Our Spring Break, The Critical Voice, Artists Against The War, Cities for Peace, ConsumersForPeace.org, Grandmothers Against the War, Kennebunks Peace Department, New Orleans Voices for Peace, Daughters of Vietnam Veterans, Why Not News, DC Chapter of IVAW,

MARCH 13-16, 2008 (Thursday-Sunday) in Washington, D.C.: Winter Soldier
Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW)'s Winter Soldier Testimony

Everywhere:
Local Events Supporting Winter Soldier and other Anti-Occupation local events
Local events supporting Winter Soldier.
March 15 in Santa Barbara, CA
March 15 in London, England

MARCH 17 and 18, 2008 (Monday and Tuesday) in Washington, D.C.: Training, Lobbying, Restoring the Constitution
Training in Nonviolence in preparation for March 19, Training in lobbying, Lobbying and on the 18th: Take Back the Constitution Day lobbying 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and evening event at 8 p.m.
Join us for a spirited day in the Halls of Power in Washington, D.C., from Congress to the Justice Department to the Parties' Headquarters to the White House, and an evening event with Constitutional scholars and writers. This is a call for impeachment, an end to the occupation, an end to torture.
[COMING SOON: Link to trainings and lobbying info.]
[COMING SOON: Link to Code Pink page on Take Back the Constitution Day.]
Participating Organizations: AfterDowningStreet.org, Grassroots America, DC Chapter of IVAW, CODEPINK Women For Peace, Our Spring Break, Democrats.com, Backbone Campaign, Progressive Democrats of America, The Critical Voice, Artists Against The War, Cities for Peace, ConsumersForPeace.org, Replace Pelosi (petition to be delivered), Grandmothers Against the War, Kennebunks Peace Department, Delaware Valley Veterans for America, New Orleans Voices for Peace, Daughters of Vietnam Veterans, Why Not News,

MARCH 19, 2008 (Wednesday) Everywhere and in Washington, D.C.: Nonviolent Resistance
Nonviolent Civil Resistance and/or Disobedience in All 435 Congressional Districts and in the Nation's Capital on the Fifth Anniversary of the Occupation of Iraq
Locations in each congressional district, to be determined locally, can include congressional offices (Congress Members and Senators will be in their districts on this day), federal buildings, military recruiters, weapons makers, war profiteers, or corporate media outlets. In Washington, with Congress out of town, the focus will be on war profiteers in the military industrial disaster-capitalism complex. Where possible, events will include a place for people not willing to risk arrest. Evening town hall forums can also include a larger audience.
Local Events.
Washington D.C. Events.
Participating Organizations: AfterDowningStreet.org, Backbone Campaign, Camp Casey Peace Institute, CODEPINK Women For Peace, Common Ground Collective New Orleans, Democracy Rising, Democrats.com, Global Network, Gold Star Families for Peace, Grassroots America, Hip Hop Caucus, Progressive Democrats of America, United for Peace and Justice, Voters for Peace, World Can’t Wait – Drive Out The Bush Regime!, DC Chapter of IVAW, Activist Responce Team (A.R.T), Washington Peace Center, Our Spring Break, The Critical Voice, Artists Against The War, Cities for Peace, ConsumersForPeace.org, Grandmothers Against the War, Kennebunks Peace Department, Delaware Valley Veterans for America, New Orleans Voices for Peace, Daughters of Vietnam Veterans, Why Not News,

ASPCA calls kitten murderer to account

Dear True,

I am sure you remember the horrific cat beating murder at the campground a few years ago. Awful as it was, to me it was even worse that the perpetrator was never prosecuted and the county attorney deliberately mis-interpreted the animal cruelty statute for Minnesota. I was and still am so appalled. But it is good to know that some one else is out there who might in future help those of us who complained bitterly but without success after that incident, which was actually witnessed unlike most murders. Read the following excerpt from the ASPCA news alert at http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=media_newsalert011808#1.

ASPCA also urges us to take special care of our companion friends in this severe cold weather. Frostbite in 15 minutes. Stay home and keep the dog and the cat indoors too.

Anonymous

ASPCA ANNOUNCES ARREST OF SUSPECT IN BRONX KITTEN KILLING
In late November 2007, the ASPCA was alerted to suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of a stray kitten who had been socialized, cared for and fed by the residents and employees of a building at 1581 Fulton Avenue, The Bronx. Witnesses told ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement investigators that 17-year-old Robert Tull, a resident of the area, struck the 4 1/2-month-old male kitten with a garbage pail lid on the night of the kitten's death. Back at ASPCA headquarters in Manhattan, an examination of the kitten's remains proved that he had suffered head trauma and that he had been drowned.

ASPCA Special Agent Patrick Breen arrested Tull without incident on December 17, just a short distance away from the Fulton Avenue building. At 17, Tull is considered an adult by New York City law. He has been charged with felony aggravated animal cruelty and faces up to two years in prison and a $2,000 fine.

It is a well-documented phenomenon that those who hurt animals without provocation—especially young people—often move on to commit acts of violence against humans. Please report animal abuse in New York City by contacting the ASPCA's anonymous tip line at (877) THE-ASPCA. To learn how to report cruelty elsewhere, visit our Report Cruelty section.

A Poem

The whole of Cook County

Remembers the day

The influx of realtors came

Surging our way.

There were thin ones and fat ones.

The young and the old,

Determined to mark every

Scrap of land "sold."

They came in such numbers,

In waves, like the tides,

Hungry and greedy

And vocal besides.

Never mind we were happy

Without feeling stuck,

The realtors cried "Progress!"

Meaning: "I smell a buck!"

"Let's bulldoze the roads

And plat out the woods,

Cut down lots of trees,

Hey! Who cares if it's good?"

"We're here for the lucre

So we feel that it's fair

To change laws & zoning

And shout down the mayor."

"Downtown needs a facelift."

The city was told.

"Something screwing the view

Like the Cobblestone Cove!"

"We don't like your lifestyle

But don't start to slobber,

'Cause we'll trash, if you let us,

Your cute little harbor."

"Divide and conquer,

Or wear you right out,

We don't care 'cause it's money

That we're all about."

"Like lambs to the slaughter

This town's right for the plucking.

Let our greed be the instrument

Used for the...er...job."

There's been nothing but discord,

Machinations, and worse,

A rash of bad poetry in

Multiple verse.

Always poking and sniffing for

Holes in the hedge,

They're constantly seeking

To insert a new wedge.

I like my sweet town just

The way that it is

And I'm sick of their schemes

And wish they'd take a piss.

But not in our well.

They should take a long hike --

And hurry along --

'Cause I'll be ecstatic the day that they're gone.

Anonymous

I'm anonymous, who are you? Are you anonymous too?

Because we can, we once again plagiarize, and print this poem in today's News Herald. So, sue us:

Anonymous Poems (bold in headline type)

Anonymous poems
And the papers that print them
Speak volumes about
The people who write them

Though you did not attend, or
Stand or defend them
Your opinions you "Herald" regardless

Anonymous poets write
Anonymous poems about
Anonymous unfounded fears

Let go of the past because
Time moves so fast, and
You cannot go back to the '70's

Bummer!

John Gorski
Grand Marais

Like dear Emily, a great poet, we at True believe that Anonymous (Nobody) are the yeast that rises the creative spirit. Certainly not the bad, bad poetry of locals with agendas.

Consider Emily's really good poem:

I'm nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there's a pair of us — don't tell!
They'd banish us, you know.

How dreary to be somebody!
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring bog!

We love being nobody, aka Anonymous. We celebrate our freedom from nya nya, shamey shame politics as usual. And we hope and pray we are better poets, though nobody could top Emily.

Seriously, the issue here is not anonymity. No, it is being able to speak out in the public media on a critical issue without losing personal credibility and income in a county where Texas-style Bidness calls the shots. That's why True decided to blog without revealing any of its individual contributors.

And at the end of the day, most people either do not want downtown residential or they don't give a shit. That's a documented fact by those so-called visionary planners who really wanted it to happen along with a 35 foot height limit that would have been manna from heaven for downtown bidness owners but NOBODY else liked.

So. It's the issues, stupid. Who cares who said it? The News Herald caved by apologizing. We all need to be able to speak out freely, both locally and globally.

True