Tricounty DFA Update: Bush Veto Alert, Meeting, DFA Conference, More
Hello Everyone!

In This Update:

1. Bush Veto Demo Alert
2. Meeting Wednesday
3. DFNY Conference Next Weekend
4. Keehn Announces
5. Saratoga DFA Meeting Monday, May 7
6. Friday Night Film Fest
7. On The Lighter Side


1. Bush Veto Demo Alert

One of the things we voted to do at our April Meeting was to hold a demonstration when Bush vetoed the Supplemental Bill with its timeline for ending the Iraq War. The Conference Committee finalized the bill and the House of Representatives passed it Tuesday. The Senate passed it Friday. Bush's veto is expected Tuesday or possibly Wednesday.

Accordingly, we agreed to rally for an hour at the intersection of Route Nine and Quaker Road in Queensbury. (This is because our usual rallying point in downtown Glens Falls is still torn up by the roundabout construction.) Since Tuesday is a work day, we agreed to gather at 5:30 on the veto day, whenever it occurs- again, presumably Tuesday or Wednesday. All I can say beyond that is stay tuned for further details. If the veto comes on Wednesday, we will not be able to hold the May DFA-Linkup meeting. We will just have to postpone until June. In effect, the rally/demonstration will be our meeting in that case.

2. Meeting Wednesday

If Bush's veto is not on Wednesday, then Wednesday, May 2nd, is our scheduled monthly DFA Linkup or Meetup at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe in downtown Glens Falls at 7pm. We'll see a return of something those of us who began with Dean For America will remember fondly: a new "Letters To Iowa" campaign. We should have the materials by then.

Only we won't be writing to Iowa, but rather the winners of the current DFA All Stars Poll ( If you haven't voted, or know what this is about, go to: http://www.democracyforamerica.com/allstars ). This is a vote to select a few early Congressional races Democrats are looking to take from the Republicans in 2008. The winners will be known later this week, and, just the way we wrote to people in Iowa asking them to support Governor Dean, we will write to Democrats in those districts asking them to support the winners of the DFA All Stars Poll. It will be fun.

3. DFNY Conference Next Weekend

I will have more information on this tomorrow night, but the third annual Democracy For New York Conference is on at the SEIU hall in Albany on Saturday and Sunday May 5th and 6th.

Included on the speakers list are Jim Dean, Chair of DFA, Eric Massa, Democratic Candidate for the NY-29th CD, Amy Little, Campaign Manager of the successful John Hall for Congress campaign and Brian Keeler, NYBri, candidate for the New York State Senate and founder of The Albany Project blog, and Bo Lipari, Director and Founder of New Yorkers for Verified Voting. Saturday evening will featuring a showing of the film "Taking the Hill" a documentary about five veterans who ran for Congress in 2006 along with a buffet at the Schuyler Inn in Albany.

If you are interested, RSVP, or get more details at: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=17019

Again, I will have more details tomorrow and at the meeting.

4. Keehn Announces

I am sure many of us read in the papers about Mayor Valerie Keehn's announcement Monday that she would run for reelection in November. Our Saratoga DFA group endorsed Val two years ago and the clean sweep won by the Democrats in Saratoga Springs in the 2005 elections brought attention across the country. It should be an interesting year in Saratoga.

Watch for important postings on this race and others on our blog at http://townmeetingday.blogspot.com .

5. Saratoga DFA Meeting Monday, May 7

On the same note, I am pleased to announced that Saratoga Springs DFA will be holding meetings again starting Monday, May 7th at 7pm.

As many of us know, Pat Friesen started the Saratoga meetups during the Dean campaign and did a great job. But Pat is now working for Rep. Gillibrand, so Sally Kirouac has agreed to take them on.

There are major races for City council coming up this year.

Sally sends this along:

"Dear Friends,
Please attend Talk with Mayor Valerie Keehn on Monday, May 7, 2007 at
7:00 PM. You can RSVP at:
http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=19886
The DFA of Saratoga Springs endorsed Valerie Keehn for mayor in 2005.
She was elected and has served for 16 months. Now she is facing
another Democratic primary in September and election in November.
Mayor Keehn will talk about what she has accomplished during her time
in office and what she hopes to accomplish in a second term.

"Those present at this DFA meeting will decide whether to endorse Mayor
Keehn for reelection.

What: Talk with Mayor Valerie Keehn
When: Monday, May 7, 2007, 7:00 PM
Where: Home of Sally Kirouac
21 Horseshoe Drive
Saratoga Springs NY 12866"

Many thanks to Pat for all her very hard work in the past!

6. Friday Night Film Fest

The Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe's Friday Night Progressive Film Fest continues at 7:30 with"

Apr 27 THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO (2006) Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross 95 min.
The post-9/11 climate found the U.S. government resorting to many unorthodox methods to quash the perceived threat from further terrorist attacks. None was more controversial or more headline-grabbing than the detainment camp set up in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which was constructed to imprison and interrogate Taliban and Al-Qaeda operatives captured by U.S. soldiers. Prolific British filmmaker Michael Winterbottom (9 SONGS) turns his cameras on the camp with this true story of three innocent British 20-something Muslims who were captured and held at Guantanamo for two years. Winterbottom cleverly marries extensive interview footage with the three men--Asif Iqbal, Ruhel Ahmed, and Shafiq Rasifknown, collectively known as the Tipton Three--with nerve-jarring reconstructive footage of what happened to them. After traveling to Pakistan for a wedding, the three men set out on an intrepid explora

7. On The Lighter Side

In times like these we do need some humor. Rik sends this along:

One night, George W. Bush is tossing restlessly in his White House bed. He awakens to see George Washington standing by him.
Bush asks him, "George, what's the best thing I can do to help the country?"
"Set an honest and honorable example, just as I did," Washington advises, and then fades away...
The next night, Bush is astir again, and sees the ghost of Thomas Jefferson moving through the darkened bedroom. Bush calls out,
"Tom, please! What is the best thing I can do to help the country?"
"Respect the Constitution, as I did," Jefferson advises, and dims from sight...
The third night sleep still does not come for Bush. He awakens to see the ghost of FDR hovering over his bed. Bush whispers,
"Franklin, What is the best thing I can do to help the country?"
"Help the less fortunate, just as I did," FDR replies and fades into the mist...
Bush isn't sleeping well the fourth night when he sees another figure moving in the shadows. It is the ghost of Abraham Lincoln.
Bush pleads, "Abe, what is the best thing I can do right now to help the country?"
Lincoln replies, "Go see a play."

Thanks everyone; watch for alerts on the veto protest!

Larry Dudley

Labels: Democracy For America, DFA, Glens Falls, Iraq Timeline, Iraq War, protest, Rally, Supplemental Bill

- posted by Larry Dudley @ 11:43 PM 0 comments

 
Tricounty DFA Update: May Meeting, More
Hello Everyone!

In This Update:

1. DFA-Link/Meetup Next Week: New "Letters To Iowa" Campaign
2. A Keehn Announcement
3. Join The DFA Rapid Response List
4. DFNY Conference May 5th
5. Must See: Bill Moyers Returns: Scalds Media On War
6. Must Read: Globalization, France,The Death of Democracy
7. Friday Night Film Fest

1. DFA-Link/Meetup Next Week: New "Letters To Iowa" Campaign

Next week, Wednesday, May 2nd, we'll be holding our monthly DFA Linkup or Meetup at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe in downtown Glens Falls at 7pm. There'll be a lot on the agenda (more in a few days) but we'll see a return of something those of us who began with Dean For America will remember fondly: a new "Letters To Iowa" campaign.

Only we won't be writing to Iowa, but rather the winners of the current DFA All Stars Poll ( If you haven't voted, or know what this is about, go to: http://www.democracyforamerica.com/allstars ). This is a vote to select a few early Congressional races Democrats are looking to take from the Republicans in 2008. The winners will be known later this week, and, just the way we wrote to people in Iowa asking them to support Governor Dean, we will write to Democrats in those districts asking them to support the winners of the DFA All Stars Poll. It will be fun.

2. A Keehn Announcement

A special invitation in tonight:

"Please join the Mayor of the City of Saratoga Springs, The Honorable Valerie Keehn on Wednesday, April 25th at 4:30 PM at the Spirit of Life monument in Congress Park for some important announcements!"

"In case of rain, we will meet at the Farmers' Market on High Rock Ave."

3. Join The DFA Rapid Response List

DFA in Burlington has a new initiative we'll be talking about at the next meeting: a alert list. Our DFA leaders in Burlington sometimes make blog postings with interesting information or calls to action. If you want to be alerted to when these are going up, so you don't miss them, and so you also can join in the comments, send a message to field@democracyforamerica.com . (It's helpful if you also register with blogs like http://www.dailykos.com/ or http://www.mydd.com/ so you can participate, too.) The comment lines also give you a change to interact with our DFA staff in Burlington, which is always fun.

4. DFNY Conference May 5th

Democracy For New York had a great annual conference at the SEIU hall in Albany last year. This year's looks to be even better, so put May 5th and 6th on your calendar for this year's event.

Included on the speaker list are Jim Dean, Chair of DFA, Eric Massa, Democratic Candidate for the NY-29th CD, Amy Little, Campaign Manager of the successful John Hall for Congress campaign and Brian Keeler, NYBri, candidate for the New York State Senate and founder of The Albany Project blog, and Bo Lipari, Director and Founder of New Yorkers for Verified Voting. Saturday evening will featuring a showing of the film "Taking the Hill" a documentary about five veterans who ran for Congress in 2006.

If you are interested, RSVP, or get more details at: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=17019

I will have more details this weekend and at next week's meeting.

5. Must See: Bill Moyers Returns: Scalds Media On War

Lisa sends this along, and I think this is going to be the television event of the year.

"Bill Moyers has put together an amazing 90-minute video documenting the lies that the Bush administration told to sell the Iraq war to the American public, with a special focus on how the media led the charge... Watch PBS from 9:00 to 10:30 PM on Wednesday, April 25. Spending that 90 minutes will actually save you time because you'll never watch television news again--" and

"The Washington Post editorialized in favor of the war 27 times, and published in 2002 about 1,000 articles and columns on the war. But the Post gave a huge anti-war march a total of 36 words. "What got even less ink," Moyers says, "was the release of the National Intelligence Estimate." http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/041207D.shtml

6. Must Read: France, Globalization, The Rise of Fascism?

There has been an extraordinary amount of news in the lat 72 hours or so, but the most under reported story of the week was clearly the presidential elections in France.

The French election will have enormous impact on people all around the world because the root issue is how a modern democracy is to respond to the exploding crisis of Globalization. Multinational corporations are playing nations off against one another, destroying worker rights, living standards, the rule of law, representative government and the environment. But more and more voices are being raised against the neoliberal "Washington Consensus" and shadowy anti-worker, anti-progressive groups like the Hamilton Project.

This extraordinary article in the Nation-- the most important article I have seen in some time on almost any subject-- covers a new theory proving what people all over the world have seen for some time, that the theory underlying Globalization is based on inherent contradictions and is doomed to disaster: http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/042407LA.shtml

This other piece in the Nation documents how a right wing victory in France will be used to rationalize the destruction of worker rights and standards of living even in communities like our own: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070430/stancil

If anyone doubts this, check out this account of the last Davos conference, a forum so favored by our corporate elite-- 40 million American jobs to be exported: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003668844_harrop17.html

This piece by Jerome on dKos shows what a real healthcare systems looks like, what the French have to lose, and we to gain: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/4/20/1179/27363

And what comes out at the end? The historical record is that when economies are destroyed, and democracy undermined, what you get is something like the Weimar Republic in Germany, and fascism.

I saw this remarkable article by Naomi Wolf, "Fascist America In Ten Easy Step" earlier in the day, but Phil sent it to me, too, and it is the coda to all of the above. If you consciously set out to destroy American Democracy, you would do exactly what Bush has been doing. And the globalizers have been playing a role, too: http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2064157,00.html

7. Friday Night Film Fest

The Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe Friday Night Progressive Film Fest continues at 7:30 with a video that could not possibly more appropriate to the article on fascism in ten easy steps above:

Apr 27 THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO (2006) Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross 95 min.
The post-9/11 climate found the U.S. government resorting to many unorthodox methods to quash the perceived threat from further terrorist attacks. None was more controversial or more headline-grabbing than the detainment camp set up in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which was constructed to imprison and interrogate Taliban and Al-Qaeda operatives captured by U.S. soldiers. Prolific British filmmaker Michael Winterbottom (9 SONGS) turns his cameras on the camp with this true story of three innocent British 20-something Muslims who were captured and held at Guantanamo for two years. Winterbottom cleverly marries extensive interview footage with the three men--Asif Iqbal, Ruhel Ahmed, and Shafiq Rasifknown, collectively known as the Tipton Three--with nerve-jarring reconstructive footage of what happened to them.

Labels: DFA, DFNY, DFNY Conference, Glens Falls, Globalization, Keehn, Larry Dudley

- posted by Larry Dudley @ 11:48 PM 0 comments

 
Tricounty DFA Update: Step It Up Day Report, DFNY Conference, More
Hello Everyone!

In This Update:

1. Step It Up Day Report
2. Circular Letter On Climate Change
3. DFNY Conference Coming Soon!
4. Friday Night Film Fest
5. Rep. Gillibrand Opens Office Saturday


1. Step It Up Day Report

Thanks to everyone who came out in the dank, cold wind and rain Saturday for our Step It Up Day Rally and bike path clean-up! We hauled a number of bags of trash away and demonstrated to fight Global Climate Change on the Gerald Solomon Bridge, which I am sure gave him heartburn, wherever he is. Our event was featured on DFA's Blog For America this evening: http://blogforamerica.com/view/20503#more There are more pictures by John Davis at http://www.dfalink.com/group_photos.php?gid=113 and http://events.stepitup2007.org/reports/1748 The Step It Up site also allows you to tell members of Congress about our event.

Thanks to Jim McAndrew for inspiration, for printing the great banners and also promoting a very successful event at the Garnet Hill Lodge in North Creek.

We also got a small but nice picture in the Post Star, but, unfortunately, no article. For this I have to take full responsibility: I failed to invite a pair movie stars like Saratoga did! What was I thinking! My bad, as the saying goes. Next time I promise to do better. By the way, if any of you happen to know a movie star or two, do let me know, would you?

2. Circular Letter On Climate Change

The Circular Letter On Climate Change we passed at our April meeting was also well received by our national leadership in Burlington and it was immediately featured on Blog For America as well: http://blogforamerica.com/view/20454

3. DFNY Conference Coming Soon!

Quite a few of us went to Albany last year for the Democracy For New York conference at the SEIU hall in Albany. It was terrific, so everyone, please put May 5th and 6th on your calendar for this year's event.

Included on the speaker list are Jim Dean, Chair of DFA, Eric Massa, Democratic Candidate for the NY-29th CD, Amy Little, Campaign Manager of the successful John Hall for Congress campaign and Brian Keeler, NYBri, candidate for the New York State Senate and founder of The Albany Project blog, and Bo Lipari, Director and Founder of New Yorkers for Verified Voting. Saturday evening will featuring a showing of the film "Taking the Hill" a documentary about five veterans who ran for Congress in 2006.

If you are interested, RSVP, or get more details at: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=17019

I will be posting more details soon!

4. Friday Night Film Fest

The Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe's Friday Night Progressive Film Fest continues at 7:30 with what may be the most important film of our time, Oscar winning--

Apr 20 AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (2006) Davis Guggenheim 96 min.
Humanity is sitting on a time bomb. If the vast majority of the world’s scientists are right, we have just ten years to avert a major catastrophe that could send our entire planet into a tail-spin of epic destruction involving extreme weather, floods, droughts, epidemics and killer heat waves beyond anything we have ever experienced. A catastrophe we have helped create. If that sounds like a recipe for serious gloom and doom -- think again. AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH offers a passionate and inspirational look at one man’s commitment to expose the myths and misconceptions that surround global warming. That man is former Vice President Al Gore, who, in the wake of defeat in the 2000 election, re-set the course of his life to focus on an all-out effort to help save the planet from irrevocable change. In this eye-opening and poignant portrait of Gore and his “traveling global warming show,”

5. Rep. Gillibrand Opens Office Saturday

From Liza Manzi, in Rep. Gillibrand's office in Glens Falls"

"Please Come to the Grand Opening of our Central District Office in Saratoga Springs!"

"April 21st – 12 noon to 2pm"

"487 Broadway, Directly across from City Hall, next to the Post Office."

"Stop in, enjoy some refreshments and share what's on your mind!"


Thanks everyone! See you all soon!

Larry Dudley

Labels: Climate Change, DFA, Glens Falls, Step It Up

- posted by Larry Dudley @ 9:05 AM 0 comments

 
Tricounty DFA Report: Great Anniversary Meeting!
Hello Everyone!

In This Update:

1. Meeting Report
2. Step It Up Day For April 14th
3. Snap Veto Demo Planned
4. Letters To The Editor
5. Governor Dean Gives Democrat's Response
6. Friday Night Film Fest
7. Meeting Pics


1. Meeting Report

Last Wednesday night we celebrated Greater Glens Falls DFA's 4th anniversary at our long time stamping grounds, the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe.

It was a busy night, with a green theme we shared with DFA groups across the country

First, a big thank you to Doug Auer for the large party tray of Rockhill pastries and treats-- they were terrific and went fast.

We started with a progress report from Jim McAndrew of Adirondack Windpower on the wind turbine project at Barton Mines site. The project is moving forward and Jim is optimistic, although everyone is waiting to hear from Governor Spitzer. As those who attended the meeting last May when we endorsed the project know, friends of former Governor Pataki were creating roadblocks to this signature green energy project.

We then reviewed and passed the final version of the Circular Letter On Climate Change. You can now view it on DFA-Link at: http://www.dfalink.com/uploads/files/896461aee6a85ff1/GlenFallsCircularLetterFinal.pdf

2. Step It Up Day For April 14th

At the meeting we discussed whether to do an environmental action for Step It Up Day for April 14th or Earth Day and we decided to do something on Step It Up Day.

Step It Up is an environmental day of action. It was founded by noted environmental author Bill McKibben, who many of us have seen speaking in our area (he is also one of the backers of Adirondack WInd turbine project). It's goal is to urge Congress to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 80% by the year 2050, and stop Global Warming and Global Climate Change. For more on the Step it Up initiative go to: http://stepitup2007.org/

We agreed to stage a rally and community clean up of the Warren County Bike Path running north and south of Bay Road in Queensbury, which we did two years ago.

The bike path is an important symbol of transportation that doesn't produce large amounts of global warming gasses. Neglect of the path sends a bad message to our community.

If you want to help: a.) bring a sign about global warming, b.) a trash bag to put litter, etc. in, c.) gloves, maybe, and d.) a friend!

The event will last two hours, from 2:30-4:30pm next Saturday, April 14th. We will meet at the intersection of Bay Road and the bikeway, just north of the Glens Falls City limits, and first go up the path to Quaker Road for a short rally, then break up into teams and go north and south of Bay on the bikeway to do a little spring cleaning. For more info: go to:http://events.stepitup2007.org/events/show/1748
It is also a DFA Green Event: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=19581

To reach the site, from the Adirondack Northway, take Exit 19 east on Quaker Road past Aviation Mall, cross Rt. 9, and continue on Quaker. You will pass under the bikeway bridge until you reach the Hannaford supermarket on the right. Turn right past the Hannaford onto Bay Road. The Warren County Bike Path crosses Bay Road about a quarter mile south of Quaker Road. The Bike Path can also be reached from the parking lots of the Aldi supermarket and the Hannaford supermarket (in back).

3. Snap Veto Demo Planned

Frank Grassia also proposed that we prepare a snap demonstration/vigil for the day Bush vetoes the Supplemental Appropriation Bill, which will limit US engagement in Iraq.

Bush has vowed to veto any bill that put any limits on the US occupation of Iraq, but we don't know when this will be. The Senate and House bills vary substantially: the Senate Bill wants US troops out in March next year, while the House bill would allow troops to remain until September. Also, the Senate bill does not have much in the way of earmarks-- or pork, depending on your point of view-- that the House bill contains. These differences will have to be worked out in conference committee and could take time. But we should be alert for when this happens.

4. Letters To The Editor

Dick Dudley also talked on how we need to get going again on letters to the editor. We did a great job on this before the election. But there now appears to be an effort to get pro-war letters into the paper. We need to send our letters, too, in order to restore some balance and show what area residents really think.
Send to: http://www.poststar.com/contact/?form=letter chronicl@loneoak.com
For others to to the AAUW at: http://capwiz.com/aauw/dbq/media/

5. Governor Dean Gives Democrat's Response

Governor Dean gave the Democrat's response to Bush's Saturday address, and it is terrific, as always. he began,

"As Americans, we are united in our support for our troops. And because we support our troops, Democrats have put forward a plan for success in Iraq. A plan to get us out of Iraq.
We have made it clear that we will work with the President to find a solution. In response, the President continues to say "my way or the highway," and Vice President Cheney uses divisive rhetoric to question the patriotism of members of Congress who disagree with him. That's not what the country needs right now."

"It is time for the President and Republicans in Congress to stop try to bully their way through this and work with Democrats to end the war. It's time for the President to show respect to the American people, who voted overwhelmingly to leave Iraq."

For a full transcript and audio: http://www.democrats.org/a/2007/04/dean_we_will_do.php

6. Friday Night Film Fest

Finally, the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe's Friday Night Progressive Film Fest continues at 7:30 with:

April 13 WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? (2006) Chris Paine 93 min.
This documentary explores the birth, limited commercialization, and subsequent death of the battery electric vehicle in the United States, specifically the General Motors EV1 of the 1990s. The film explores the roles of automobile manufacturers, the oil industry, the US government, batteries, hydrogen vehicles, and consumers in limiting the development and adoption of this technology. The film features interviews with celebrities such as Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, Alexandra Paul, Peter Horton, Phyllis Diller, a bi-partisan selection of prominent political figures including Ralph Nader, Frank Gaffney, Alan Lloyd, Jim Boyd, and ex-CIA head James Woolsey, as well as news footage from the development, launch and marketing of EV's. The film also features interviews with some of the engineers and technicians who led the development of modern electric vehicles and related technologies such as Wally Rippel, Chelsea Sexton, Alan Cocconi and Stan and Iris Ovshinsky and others.

7. Meeting Pics

If you haven't signed up for DFA-Link, now is the time to do it-- you'll need to to view the pictures Dick took of our anniversary meeting last week. Click this link and sign up by giving a name and a password. It's easy: http://dfalink.com/register.php?c=g&id=91042f3ae603ef90&

The photos are at: http://www.dfalink.com/group_photos.php?gid=113


Thanks Everyone! See you all Saturday at the Bike Trail to Step It Up and do a little community action by helping get the bikeway into shape.

Larry Dudley
- posted by Larry Dudley @ 11:31 PM 0 comments

 
Tricounty DFA Update: 4th Anniversary Wednesday! "Killowatt Ours" video, more
Hello Everyone!

Congratulations to everyone who have worked so hard and contributed so much to build Democracy For America in our area! Incredible as it may seem, this week we enter our fourth year of continuous operation. I know I speak for everyone that the many new friendships we all have made, and the sense of community we have created, have alone made it all worthwhile.

Come down and join us again, and also join us online at DFA-Link by clicking this link-- it'll help keep you, us and DFA National in Burlington in contact with one another: http://dfalink.com/register.php?c=g&id=91042f3ae603ef90&

In this update:

1. Gala Anniversary Meetup Reminder
2. Circular Letter On Climate Change
3. Step It Up Day On Global Warming
4. Killowatt Ours Premiere
5. Time To Join DFA-Link!
6. Bush's New Enemy: Iraqi Labor Unions. Also, Elizabeth Edwards
6. Friday Night Film Fest
7. Those Cats Still Need A Home!
8. On The Lighter Side...

1. Gala Anniversary Meetup Reminder

This Wednesday, April 4th, at 7pm at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe in downtown Glens Falls we'll be holding our gala Fourth Anniversary Glens Falls DFA Meetup or Linkup!

We will be having a special "green" themed meeting. Green energy has been a big issue with us ever since we took the DFA lead a year ago when we hosted Jim McAndrew of Adirondack Windpower and endorsed the Barton Mines windpower farm. We're hoping Jim will be able to make it for a progress report on the big 27 megawatt Adirondack Wind project.

2. Circular Letter On Climate Change

We'll also get back around to our Circular Letter On Climate Change. This started in January, was improved through the February Meeting, but was put off during the March meeting because of our resolution on the Iraq War.

3. Step It Up Day On Global Warming

We'll also discuss what we can do for green issues in May, particularly Step It Up Day and maybe Earth Day. Step It Up Day is sponsored by well know regional author Bill McKibben, who has often spoken in our area and is known to many of us here.

Step It Up is calling for Americans to ask Congress to cut carbon emissions 80% by 2050. We'll be discussing what we might be able to do for Step It Up Day.

For More on Step it Up day on April 14th go to: http://www.stepitup07.org/
4. Killowatt Ours Premiere

Then we will be holding the area premiere of Killowatt Ours, a video by the Southern Energy Conservation Initiative, and DFA National's big initiative for this month. It links our personal energy use to the destruction of forests, communities and people's health for coal mining. It shows how we can save the environment through our own energy tactics. This is a terrific video and is not to be missed. http://www.killowattours.org

5. Time To Join DFA-Link!

There have been many new members of this list in the last few months, and it's been some time since I alerted everyone to the importance of signing up with DFA-Link. DFA-Link makes it possible for us to create a community online, as well as at the cafe. We can all find and contact one another. It also makes it possible for you to receive message from DFA National in Burlington, like polls where YOU get to decide. It also has many great tools we all can use. It is really important to DFA's future for everyone to join DFA-Link. Just click this link, gave a name (and you don't have to use your whole name) create a password, and you've joined. It's really easy and you can control what you get: http://dfalink.com/register.php?c=g&id=91042f3ae603ef90&

6. Bush's New Enemy: Iraqi Labor Unions. Also, Elizabeth Edwards

Sometimes I like to pass along what strikes me as a seriously overlooked article and issue. This one is a dilly. Labor unions in Iraq and across the Arab world are trying to fight for the rights of workers, build democracy and a civil society, support women's rights and resist fundamentalist extremism. You think that' be something the U.S. would want to support? Think again.
"...the reactionary Bush administration has repeatedly snubbed them. In 2003 U.S.-appointed Iraq proconsul L. Paul Bremer preserved Saddam-era laws that prohibited collective bargaining, even as he supplanted much of the ex-dictator's legal system with his own executive orders. Bremer declined to unfreeze union assets that the IFTU claimed rightfully belonged to it, thus stunting the federation's ability to act while the American administration pushed through aggressive privatization measures."
The "must read" of the week: http://www.playboy.com/magazine/features/iraqi-unionism/iraqi-unionism.html

Also, although we've all heard about Elizabeth Edwards, Dick recommends this moving tribute by Frank Rich:
"it will be good for the country if Mr. Edwards can stay in this race for the duration, whether you believe he merits being president or not. (For me, the jury on that question is out.) The more Elizabeth Edwards is in the spotlight, the more everyone else in the arena will have to be judged against her. Next to her stark humanity, the slick playacting that passes for being "human" and "folksy" in a campaign is tinny. Though much has been said about how she is a model to others battling cancer, she is also a model (or should be) of personal transparency to everyone else in the presidential race." http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040107D.shtml

6. Friday Night Film Fest

The Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe's Friday Night Film Fest continues at 7:30 with:

Apr 6 DARK DAYS (2003) Marc Singer 88 min.
A groundbreaking documentary from British director Marc Singer with a moving soundtrack from DJ Shadow, shows a way of life that is unimaginable to most people. The film focuses on a group of homeless people that live deep underground in an abandoned New York City railroad tunnel. During the daytime they scavenge for food on the streets of New York. At night, they retreat to the tunnel where they have built homes out of scrap metal, plastic, and plywood. They have electricity, furniture, and working kitchens, not to mention community, comradery, and the support of each other. Some of them have lived in the tunnel for 25 years. Shot in vivid black and white, capturing both the grit (chicken wire, concrete walls, all precisely detailed) and the honesty (the residents have hit rock bottom and admit it) of the tunnel, Singer's film consists of candid conversations with tunnel residents, who are intelligent, funny, op

7. Those Cats Still Need A Home!

By the way, I am still trying to find a home for a pair of lovely cats that belonged to an elderly area couple who recently had to permanently go into a nursing home. One is a yellow male tabby with a lot of pep named Sammy, the other a grey female tuxedo cat named Mitzie with the sweetest personality who explodes into purrs with the slightest attention.

After living for some years with the doting attention of an older couple, consignment to a shelter will be a cruel fate. They are having a hard time adjusting to being alone. If anyone is in need of a cat, or has room and heart for one, please let me know at ldudley@nycap.rr.com

By the way, I know these cats are good Democrats! ;-) And as we all know, Democrats have to stick together!

8. On The Lighter Side...

Wendy Duvall sends this along: My favorite is #21.

T-Shirt Slogans

1) (On an infant's shirt): Already smarter than Bush ...

2) 1/20 /09: End of an Error ...

3) That's OK, I Wasn't Using My Civil Liberties Anyway ...

4) Let's Fix Democracy in This Country First ...

5) If You Want a Nation Ruled By Religion, Move to Iran ...

6) Bush. Like a Rock. Only Dumber ...

7) You Can't Be Pro-War And Pro-Life At The Same Time ...

8) If You Can Read This, You're Not Our President ...

9) Of Course It Hurts: You're Getting Screwed by an Elephant ...

10) Hey, Bush Supporters: Embarrassed Yet? ...

11) George Bush: Creating the Terrorists Our Kids Will Have to Fight

12) Impeachment: It's Not Just for Blowjobs Anymore ...

13) America: One Nation, Under Surveillance ...

14) They Call Him "W" So He Can Spell It ...

15) Which God Do You Kill For? ...

16) Cheney/Satan '08 ...

17) Jail to the Chief ...

18) Who Would Jesus Torture? ...

19) No, Seriously, Why Did We Invade? ...

20) Bush: God's Way of Proving Intelligent Design is Full Of Crap ...

21) Bad president! No Banana ...

22) We Need a President Who's Fluent In At Least One Language ...

23) We're Making Enemies Faster Than We Can Kill Them ...

24) Rich Man's War, Poor Man's Blood ...

25) Is It Vietnam Yet? ...

26) Bush Doesn't Care About White People, Either ...

27) Where Are We Going? And Why Are We In This Hand Basket? ...

28) You Elected Him. You Deserve Him ...

29) Impeach Cheney First ...

30) Dubya, Your Dad Shoulda Pulled Out Early, Too ...

31) When Bush Took Office, Gas Was $1.46 ...

32) The Republican Party: Our Bridge to the 11th Century ...

33) 2004: Embarrassed; 2005: Horrified; 2006: Terrified ...

Thanks for four great years, everyone! See you at the Cafe Wednesday! And if you haven't, don't forget to sign up for DFA-Link: http://dfalink.com/register.php?c=g&id=91042f3ae603ef90&

Larry Dudley
- posted by Larry Dudley @ 11:49 PM 0 comments