Scoundrel's Shadow Writings

Tip-Toe - A Poem by Jeff Parsons

jeffparsons — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 06:26:09 GMT

I see you coming I hide and peek around the bush I'm afraid of you hurting me I don't want you to push I tip-toe in silence So I won't awake The terrible things you could to do me Or show you all the things you could take I hold your hand so tightly And that is when I fear Could you use your love as a weapon? And I gently shed a tear I'm so careful not to shudder When in your arms I lie From the thoughts of my heart in your hands Hoping you won't make it cry For I am just as scared as you About this experience we've begun And the outcome of the future As we journey towards the Sun But I know inside, way deep down It's a chance that must be done For if I don't risk a little I could miss a lot of fun I know that we should go real slow And Tip-Toe Carefully For eventually down the road We may surprisingly be pleased Let's take our time to learn and grow For those are the keys to knowing The things about us that we do best Our Character will be showing So I run and hide, Then peek again Still scared of what may be And deep down from inside my soul Hope you'll help me see All the things I need to learn about you All the things that you like best All the things you worry about the most I'll study hard to pass the test So breathe real deep and close your eyes Everything will be alright, My Dear For we both share the same thing in common And that same thing is the same fear

Jim Page at The Airplay Cafe

jeffparsons — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:41:30 GMT

with Brian QTN 4/29/2009 8:00 PM at Airplay Cafe 701 E Burnside St Portland, Oregon (503) 808-7908

Rev Feathers At The Airplay Cafe in Portland Oregon Tonight!!!!

jeffparsons — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 21:58:14 GMT

Feathers 29th Birthday and Live Album Recording

Happy Earth Day!!!

jeffparsons — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:02:50 GMT

Anyone can find your drivers license, now! Hurry and delete your information!

jeffparsons — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:08:33 GMT

Check your Driver's License I already removed mine. I suggest you all do the same. Now you can see anyone's Driver's License on the Internet, including your own! I just searched for mine and there it was...picture and all! Thanks Homeland Security! Go to the web site, and check it out. It's un believable!!! Just enter your name, city and state to see if yours is on file. After your license comes on the screen, click the box marked "Please Remove." This will remove it from public viewing, but not from law enforcement. Please notify all your friends so they can protect themselves too .. Believe me they will thank you for it. http://www.license.shorturl.com/ News

Moving Back To The Portland, Oregon Area

jeffparsons — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 00:39:18 GMT

For those of you who don't know, I am getting laid off this week and selling all my furniture. I will be leaving next weekend to return to the Great North-West. I'll be glad to be back in the Portland/ Vancouver Area. I've missed it up there.! Wish me luck!!!

The Roar Of The Last Wild Jaguar

jeffparsons — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 08:18:28 GMT

I sit outside on this quiet evening And listen for the faint roar I used to hear occasionally But will never hear any more I used to feel so privileged When I heard the last wild Jaguar's call I knew that only in a short time That I'd never hear it at all They were putting a fence up along the border That President Bush had ordered done Not caring about the animals migration routes He didn't care about a one The wild Jaguars used to roam up here They hunted and played and bred But on this dark March evening They're only left in my head. As I sit here listening and waiting To hear another distant roar I'm wishing and I'm hoping To experience it it once more But in my heart and soul I realize That it's only now a memory in my mind And the roar of the last wild Jaguar Has been heard for the last time ® Jeff Parsons

Memorial Event for Macho B, 1993(?) – 2009: Iconic Jaguar of Southern Arizona to Be Remembered and Honored

jeffparsons — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:55:27 GMT

TUCSON, Ariz.— A memorial service for the jaguar Macho B, and a plea for better protection for his fellow jaguars, will be held from noon to 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 5, outside the offices of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 201 N. Bonita Ave., Suite 141, in Tucson. “Macho B epitomized the majestic but fragile nature of our southwestern ecosystems. By speaking out for Macho after he is gone, we fervently hope that our mountains and deserts can still be home to his kin for decades and centuries into the future,” said Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity. The event will allow people to share their thoughts and feelings about the much-photographed Macho B, along with their wishes for a new presidential administration to right the many wrongs committed against American jaguars before it is too late. The Fish and Wildlife Service issued a permit to the Arizona Game and Fish Department to capture a jaguar for research, but under the Bush administration refused to develop a jaguar recovery plan – thus ensuring the risk to jaguars was not compensated by any intention to increase their desperately low numbers. The Fish and Wildlife Service also refused to map out critical habitat for jaguars. Both measures are required under the Endangered Species Act and are the subject of a lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, which will be heard in federal court in Tucson on March 23. “Secretary Salazar has an opportunity to correct past wrongs done to Macho B and other jaguars by the Bush administration,” said Robinson. “A recovery plan and designation of critical habitat will ensure that science is at the center of efforts to conserve the jaguar in the United States.” The public is invited to bring written expressions of support for protection of critical habitat for jaguars and for development of a long-delayed jaguar recovery plan. These, along with other pleas for the defense of jaguars and the conservation of their wild homelands in the Southwest, can be addressed to the new Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar. The public prayers and petitions will be handed to local Fish and Wildlife Service officials at the conclusion of the services. Participants are also encouraged to bring signs to express their regret over the loss of Macho B.

The Last Known Jaguar In The United States Caught Near Tucson Euthanized

jeffparsons — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:54:12 GMT

TUCSON, Ariz.— A wild jaguar captured by the Arizona Game and Fish Department on February 18 and outfitted with a radio collar was recaptured and euthanized Monday after being found ailing as a result of kidney failure. Presuming that the jaguar had a weak kidney prior to capture, it’s unknown whether the stress of capture and sedation caused the weak kidney to fail. At an estimated 15 to 16 years old, the 118-pound male animal dubbed “Macho B” was the oldest known jaguar in the wild. Macho B was the only jaguar known to be living in the United States; he had been photographed repeatedly since 1996 in southern Arizona. Three other jaguars, at least one of them thought to have been killed in Mexico, have also been recorded in the United States since 1996, but none are known to be living now. “This is a major setback for the jaguar, particularly given that the border wall is making it much harder for jaguars to reoccupy their ancestral homes in the southern United States,” said Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity. “We are deeply saddened.” “Macho’s legacy should be action to develop a science-based recovery plan and protection of the areas they call home to ensure their survival,” he added. The Center for Biological Diversity will be in federal district court in Tucson, Arizona on March 23 in its lawsuit against a Bush-era U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refusal to develop a recovery plan and designate critical habitat for the jaguar. A recovery plan would lay out the information needed for jaguar recovery, the least intrusive means of getting that data, and the means by which the population of jaguars would be increased and secured. “We support research to understand the jaguar’s ecology, including capturing animals when necessary,” Robinson said. “But it does entail risk, and with the Bush administration’s refusal to develop a recovery plan and protect critical habitat for the jaguar, it is unclear how the information will be used to benefit the jaguar.” Robinson added: “An overarching recovery plan would serve as a roadmap for a time when jaguars are far more resilient to the loss of a single animal than they are today.” Jaguars once ranged from the Bay Area of California to the Appalachian Mountains. The Jaguar Conservation Team’s scientific advisory group has stated that every single jaguar in the northern portion of the species’ remaining range is important, given the jaguar’s rarity.

Tell Obama: Stop Jaguar Killings

jeffparsons — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:43:38 GMT

The first wild jaguar to be captured and fitted with a radio-collar in the United States — and the only jaguar known to be living here — was killed in Phoenix, Arizona, Monday night. The jaguar, called “Macho B,” was accidentally captured in an Arizona Game and Fish Department wire snare on February 18 and was recaptured and euthanized Monday, March 2 after he was found to be suffering from kidney failure. This is a terrible setback for the fragile population of northern jaguars that once ranged from the San Francisco Bay area to the Appalachian Mountains and now are so rare that only four have been photographed in the United States since 1996. Macho B was the oldest known jaguar in the wild, at an estimated 15 to 16 years. It is not known whether he had a mate or offspring; the last known female jaguar in the United States was shot by the federal government in 1963. Dr. Dean Rice, the expert veterinarian who performed Macho B’s autopsy, already confirmed our worst fears — the capture and sedation of Macho B did contribute to his untimely death. Now, more than ever, any surviving jaguars need your immediate help to protect and recover them in the hidden canyons and cliff-fortified forests of their southwestern U.S. home, and to ensure that the border wall doesn’t forever keep their kind at bay. Tell the Obama administration to stop permitting the risky capture of jaguars until and unless a long-denied recovery plan is developed that recommends capture and specifies how to do it with the least danger to the jaguar. The new Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, must rescind and reverse the Bush Administration’s formal decision never to recover jaguars and not to protect a single square foot of their critical habitat. Write a letter now so that Macho B will be the last wild American jaguar to die at human hands – whether on a cold metal veterinary table or as the victim of a snare or a gun in the wild. WHAT’S AT STAKE: Macho B was first photographed in August 1996 when a cougar hunter’s dogs treed him in the Baboquivari Mountains of southern Arizona. Unlike so many jaguars preceding him, this male was allowed down the big juniper full of vim and vinegar and with his hide intact. Since then, the same jaguar -- identifiable by his unique pattern of spots -- was caught on film dozens of times in a different mountain range by motion-operated cameras that also recorded a second jaguar -- Macho A. Macho A has not been seen since 2004, but he and possibly other unconfirmed but reported jaguars might remain largely undetected -- their black splotches concealing their presence in the oaks and pines of Southwest canyons and mountain sides. But the last few animals need more than camouflage to survive uncontrolled development and habitat loss in sunbelt-boomtown Arizona, not to mention government snares -- even if they are set to better understand the unique wildlife of the Southwest. Use the form above to save the jaguars who still need our help, and to ensure that their kind will never disappear forever from our planet. Send a letter asking Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to: 1) Reverse the Bush administration decision to not develop a recovery plan for jaguars and not to designate their critical habitat, and settle the Center for Biological Diversity’s March 23 lawsuit with an agreement to extend jaguars their full legal protections. 2) Not issue further permits to “inadvertently” or otherwise capture endangered jaguars from the wild, and withdraw an existing permit issued to USDA Wildlife Services, which authorizes this horrendous agency to injure or kill one more jaguar, until a recovery plan has been completed that in part guides research on the jaguar. Macho B no longer looks down from hidden perches, and his paws no longer leave prints along the ephemeral streams of the Southwest. But we still need jaguars to keep balance in our ecosystem. Click here to speak out for a strong recovery plan and on-the-ground protection for the jaguar. Macho B photo courtesy Arizona Game & Fish Department. Follow This Link: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2167/t/5243/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26813

President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address

jeffparsons — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:16:23 GMT

My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition. Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents. So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans. That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights. Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom. For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth. For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction. This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America. For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do. Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage. What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. 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. Those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government. Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good. As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers ... our found fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more. Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint. We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you. For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace. To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist. To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it. As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all. For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate. Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizenship. This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath. So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: "Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it)." America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations. Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

Thanks

jeffparsons — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 21:52:12 GMT

I want to thank all of you that sent me messages, called me and supported me during the time after my father and his brother passed away. You all touched my heart and soul. You all helped me so much make it through that situation. My heart and blessings go out to you all. Thanks for being my friends, Scoundrel

WEBN 102.7 Cincinnati Rock Streaming

jeffparsons — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 23:30:30 GMT

http://www.webn.com/cc-common/ondemand/player2.html?world=st

My Dad's Twin Brother

jeffparsons — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:44:31 GMT

We Buried my Father Wednesday. And Yesterday Afternoon, My Dad's Twin Brother Who Just Was Diagnosed With A Brain Tumor Not Long Ago, Passed Away And Joined Dad In The Afterworld. Wow! This Has Been Such A Hard Week. But Due to My Finacial Situation, I must Get On The Plane Today And Head Back To Tucson, Arizona. I'm Just Speechless.

My Father has passed away

jeffparsons — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 14:39:51 GMT

After being Hospital on Christmas for a heart attack, my father has passed away.

Let's not forget...

jeffparsons — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 03:18:44 GMT

Let's not forget all the soldiers fighting on this holiday. Let's not forget the elderly that are all alone on this holiday. Let's not forget the the ones that have just lost their jobs or the ones that have joined the homeless. Let's not forget the ones in hospitals, institutions and jail. Let's not forget the ones who are abused. Let's not forget the ones who are slaves. Let's not for the ones that are sick. Let's not forget the ones that are dying. Let's not forget the ones who have passed on. Let's not forget the lonely. Let's not forget those who need us in their lives. How about, let's not forget all of these people each and every day. Happy Holidays Scoundrel

I Need Blessings For My Uncle Jerry

jeffparsons — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 23:28:35 GMT

I found out today that my uncle, My Dad's twin brother, is in the hospital. He has a brain tumor. Biopsy is on Tuesday followed by the necessary treatment. It's got me feeling kinda numb. I've been on the phone all day with family and just hung up from talking to Him and Aunt Jane. They'll celebrate 49 years of marriage at the end of this month. I hope to see them at 50 years, too. I'm just kinda reflecting today and taking it easy. And I'm sending blessings and good energy his way. Thanks, Jeff

Voters take cameras into booths, testing laws

jeffparsons — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:16:39 GMT

By JAKE COYLE, AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle, Ap Entertainment Writer NEW YORK – In the digitized world of YouTube, Facebook and other Web sites, the voting booth no longer is the most private of places: People are documenting their votes like never before. Throughout Election Day, voters were uploading videos and photos of themselves pulling levels and punching holes in ballots — a practice that could be unlawful, depending on the state. YouTube, in partnership with PBS, created an area on the Google-owned video-sharing site particularly for voting videos: http://www.youtube.com/videoyourvote. Some videos document long lines or alleged instances of voter intimidation. Others merely revel in the democratic joys of voting, including first-time voters speaking outside their polling places. "This is the first presidential election in which YouTube has existed," said Steve Grove, head of news and politics at YouTube, which was founded in 2005. "The user-generated revolution in content creation has really changed the way that we report our experiences to each other and also, really, how we hold each other accountable." Many videos elsewhere on YouTube, though, show voters inside their voting booths. YouTube warns users of the legality of such videos by pointing to the state regulations outlined at the Citizen Media Law Project: http://www.citmedialaw.org. Some states prohibit all recording inside polling places, including Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Nevada, North Carolina and Texas. Most states specifically prohibit the public display of one's marked ballot as a way to prevent possible voter coercion. YouTube spokesman Aaron Ferstman said PBS is checking videos in the "Video Your Vote" section to make sure they're from a state where creating a video is legal. "That said, it's in the hands of the voter to know what's legal and what's not in their area," said Ferstman. Those laws also haven't stopped many from posting photos on Facebook or photo-sharing sites like Flickr. There's a group on Flickr called "US Election 2008" with more than 200 members: http://flickr.com/groups/uselection08. David Basner, 28, made his Facebook profile photo on Tuesday the one taken from his cell phone depicting his ballot marked for Barack Obama with his thumbs-up next to it. "I wanted to mark the occasion and remember it — I have a feeling it's going to be a historic occasion," said Basner. "This is the first time that I voted where I had the means to do that without having to bring a camera." ___ On the Net: http://www.youtube.com/videoyourvote http://flickr.com/groups/uselection08 http://www.citmedialaw.org

Obama's grandmother dies

jeffparsons — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:06:08 GMT

By HERBERT SAMPLE HONOLULU (AP) — Barack Obama's grandmother, whose personality and bearing shaped much of the life of the Democratic presidential contender, has died, Obama announced Monday, 1 day before the election. Madelyn Payne Dunham was 86. Obama announced the news from the campaign trail in Charlotte, N.C. The joint statement with his sister Maya Soetoro-Ng said Dunham died peacefully late Sunday night after a battle with cancer. They said: "She was the cornerstone of our family, and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength, and humility. She was the person who encouraged and allowed us to take chances. " Obama learned of her death Monday morning while he was campaigning in Jacksonville, Fla. He planned to go ahead with campaign appearances. The family said a private ceremony would be held later. Last month, Obama took a break from campaigning and flew to Hawaii to be with Dunham as her health declined. Obama said the decision to go to Hawaii was easy to make, telling CBS that he "got there too late" when his mother died of ovarian cancer in 1995 at 53, and wanted to make sure "that I don't make the same mistake twice. " The Kansas-born Dunham and her husband, Stanley, raised their grandson for several years so he could attend school in Honolulu while their daughter and her second husband lived overseas. Her influence on Obama's manner and the way he viewed the world was substantial, the candidate himself told millions watching him accept his party's nomination in Denver in August. "She's the one who taught me about hard work," he said. "She's the one who put off buying a new car or a new dress for herself so that I could have a better life. She poured everything she had into me. " Obama's nickname for his grandmother was "Toot," a version of the Hawaiian word for grandmother, tutu. Many of his speeches describe her working on a bomber assembly line during World War II. Madelyn and Stanley Dunham married in 1940, a few weeks before she graduated from high school. Their daughter, Stanley Ann, was born in 1942. After several moves to and from California, Texas, Washington and Kansas, Stanley Dunham's job landed the family in Hawaii. It was there that Stanley Ann later met and fell in love with Obama's father, a Kenyan named Barack Hussein Obama Sr. They had met in Russian class at the University of Hawaii. Their son was born in August 1961, but the marriage didn't last long. She later married an Indonesian, Lolo Soetoro, another university student she met in Hawaii. Obama moved to Indonesia with his mother and stepfather at age 6. But in 1971, her mother sent him back to Hawaii to live with her parents. He stayed with the Dunhams until he graduated from high school in 1979. In his autobiography, Obama wrote fondly of playing basketball on a court below his grandparents' 10th-floor Honolulu apartment, and looking up to see his grandmother watching. It was the same apartment Obama visited on annual holiday trips to Hawaii, a weekling vacation from his campaign in August, and his pre-election visit in October. Family members said his grandmother could not travel because of her health. Madelyn Dunham, who took university classes but to her chagrin never earned a degree, nonetheless rose from a secretarial job at the Bank of Hawaii to become one of the state's first female bank vice presidents. "Every morning, she woke up at 5 a.m. and changed from the frowsy muu-muus she wore around the apartment into a tailored suit and high-heeled pumps," Obama wrote. After her health took a turn for the worse, her brother said on Oct. 21 that she had already lived long enough to see her "Barry" achieve what she'd wanted for him. "I think she thinks she was important in raising a fine young man," Charles Payne, 83, said in a brief telephone interview from his Chicago home. "I doubt if it would occur to her that he would go this far this fast. But she's enjoyed watching it. " Stanley Dunham died in 1992, while Obama's mother died in 1995. His father is also deceased. When Obama was young, he and his grandmother toured the United States by Greyhound bus, stopping at the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone Park, Disneyland and Chicago, where Obama would years later settle. It was an incident during his teenage years that became one of Obama's most vivid memories of Toot. She had been aggressively panhandled by a man and she wanted her husband to take her to work. When Obama asked why, his grandfather said Madelyn Dunham was bothered because the panhandler was black. The words hit the biracial Obama "like a fist in my stomach," he wrote later. He was sure his grandparents loved him deeply. "And yet," he added, "I knew that men who might easily have been my brothers could still inspire their rawest fears. " Obama referred to the incident again when he addressed race in a speech in March during a controversy over his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. "I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother," he said. Dunham was "a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world but who once confessed her fear of black men who passed her on the street. " Still, much of who Obama is comes from his grandmother, said his half sister. "From our grandmother, he gets his pragmatism, his levelheadedness, his ability to stay centered in the eye of the story," she told The Associated Press. "His sensible, no-nonsense (side) is inherited from her. " Madelyn Lee Payne was born to Rolla and Leona Payne in October, 1922, in Peru, Kan., but lived much of her childhood in nearby Augusta. She was the oldest of four children, and she loved to read everything from James Hilton's "Lost Horizon" to Agatha Christie's "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. " Dunham and her husband were "vicious" bridge players, according to her brother Jack. After retirement, the two of them would take island cruises and do little but play bridge and a more difficult version called duplicate bridge. Associated Press Writer Nedra Pickler in Charlotte, N.C. contributed to this report.

In Case You Missed it - Obama's Prime Time Special

jeffparsons — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 09:19:46 GMT

http://www.hulu.com/watch/41886/obamas-prime-time-special#s-p1-st-i0

Live From Dave Navarro’s House

jeffparsons — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 05:02:37 GMT

Follow this link to the website http://www.spreadradiolive.com/indiebands.php Follow this link to hear the stream http://www.spreadradiolive.com/srlplayer/spreadradio.html

Alaska's largest newspaper endorses Obama

jeffparsons — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:11:28 GMT

Oct 26 03:48 PM US/Eastern ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The Anchorage Daily News, Alaska's largest newspaper, has endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president. The newspaper said Sunday the Democrat "brings far more promise to the office. In a time of grave economic crisis, he displays thoughtful analysis, enlists wise counsel and operates with a cool, steady hand." The Daily News said since the economic crisis has emerged, Republican presidential candidate John McCain has "stumbled and fumbled badly" in dealing with it. "Of the two candidates, Sen. Obama better understands the mortgage meltdown's root causes and has the judgment and intelligence to shape a solution, as well as the leadership to rally the country behind it," the paper said. The Daily News said Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has shown the country why she is a success as governor. But the paper said few would argue that Palin is truly ready to step into the job of being president despite her passion, charisma and strong work ethic. "Gov. Palin's nomination clearly alters the landscape for Alaskans as we survey this race for the presidency—but it does not overwhelm all other judgment. The election, after all is said and down, is not about Sarah Palin, and our sober view is that her running mate, Sen. John McCain, is the wrong choice for president at this critical time for our nation," the paper said. "Like picking Sen. McCain for president, putting her one 72-year-old heartbeat from the leadership of the free world is just too risky at this time," the paper concluded

Calling All Tribe Users!!!

jeffparsons — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 08:42:10 GMT

Where are all the Tribers gathering when tribe is down??? Tribe Refugees is where??? Come check it out and join if you like, it's free!!! http://triberefugees.ning.com My profile http://triberefugees.ning.com/profile/scoundrel Scoundrel

Rosemont Mine threatens S. Arizona's beauty

jeffparsons — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 01:09:05 GMT

Guest Opinion From The Tucson Citizen By Greg Saxe Driving the length of the designated scenic highway that is state Route 83, I was reminded that the Rosemont Mine and its blast dust will be visible from all over Sonoita - from the rodeo stands at the fairgrounds, from the Elgin School and from the Sonoita Fire Station. The idea that they will place a berm along 83 as mitigation is laughable. The mine will be seen from the west gate of Fort Huachuca and the entire Sonoita plateau, from backyards, schoolyards, churches, rented Harleys and thoroughbred horses, and from the ever-expanding vineyards. If you have not taken this drive, please do. Driving north from the Huachuca Mountains toward Sonoita really is one of the most beautiful drives anywhere. Along 83 north and south of Sonoita, you see the Huachucas, Santa Ritas, Catalinas, Rincons, Chiracauhuas, San Pedro Valley and more for 60 miles in every direction. To say you will not see the pit where it climbs to the ridge of the northern arm of the Santa Ritas is absurd. This area is home to people, pronghorn and cougars. To destroy such priceless resources as a lifelong safe home for our citizens in exchange for the short-term profits of a foreign investor is to guarantee that our homeland is not secure at all. Geographically, this area is so diverse that it attracts tourists from all over the world. It is the only land bridge above 4,000 feet between the Rockies and the Sierra Madre. Look at any 1,000-foot contour map of the continents, and you will see this narrow isthmus between continental mountain ranges. Our weather is created there. Traveling along Route 83 leaving the Sonoran Desert, you climb past the mine site into grasslands plateau truly rare in the Southwest and then into Madrean evergreen forest. The mine is at the transition point where in winter you may first view the snowcapped peak of Mount Wrightson and in early summer the mass of monsoon building to the southeast. This is where the monsoon meets the mountains and hot air rising from Tucson to create our rain, at the headwaters of our watershed. Mine development in that location will not only destroy the Forest Service's multiuse management goal, but also our own unique geography. Economists, hydrologists, chemists, engineers and biologists will undoubtedly weigh the predicted changes, but the damage is easy to foresee. Over Labor Day weekend, Davidson Canyon was running bank to bank (as the O'odham cowboys say) and full with mud. The grass was waist high and reminiscent of its historical proportions. The caterpillars and flowers were plentiful. This is truly one of the least appropriate places for a mine. While I shed a tear for this area, the sorrow will be much greater the first time someone dies in an accident on Route 83 involving a mining truck. And it will be greater forever for residents of eastern Pima and western Cochise counties. Greg Saxe is a University of Arizona graduate and Tucson resident who has worked locally as a planner for 15 years.

Rosemont mine will destroy Hohokam ruins, archeologist says

jeffparsons — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:57:06 GMT

By John Collins Rudolf · September 17, 2008 The Zonie Report The proposed Rosemont copper mine has been the focus of a huge amount of attention in the Tucson area, but one issue has largely evaded public concern so far: the impact of the mining operation on ancient Hohokam archeological sites in the area. (I explored the Rosemont issue in depth a few weeks ago) The site of the mine contains the ruins of a Hohokam ball field and a large village, says Gayle Hartmann, an archeologist with the Arizona State Museum in Tucson. The earliest ruins on the property date back almost 1,900 years. “There’s lots of reasons why this mine shouldn’t be there, and this is certainly one of them,” she says. The ballcourt and village were initially excavated about 20 years ago during a previous mining company’s exploration of the area. “It was a large Hohokam village, and it did have a ballcourt,” Hartmann says of the site. “There are not a huge amount of ballcourts in the Tucson area. To have a ballcourt, you had to be a village of some prominence.” While the ballcourt ruins are not unique, many others have already been destroyed by development. “It’s not unique, but many of them are gone. They get destroyed,” she says. “From my point of view, this is one more value that we will lose if this mining operation goes through.” While state law requires that archeological sites be investigated and documented, once the investigation is complete, development projects like the proposed mine can continue, even if they destroy the site in the process. The Rosemont mine plan of operations devotes only a few paragraphs to the issue of archeological sites. “The Rosemont Project area has a ranching and mining past, and many relics of these enterprises remain. In addition, evidence from past archaeological surveys indicates that prehistoric sites are present as well,” the plan reads. “Rosemont Project planning has included efforts to reduce the overall footprint of the project to the minimum possible area, thereby avoiding cultural resources to the extent practicable.” Hartmann estimates that the archeological work will cost the company a minimum of $1 million, and that local tribal representatives will have to be involved. “In this case, the odds are that the Apache, Zuni and Yaqui will have to be consulted with before anything can go ahead,” she says. The process could drag out the mine’s development as sites are catalogued and any remains are properly turned over to tribal representatives. Hartmann, who strongly opposes the mine, says that while the cost of mitigating archeological concerns for the mine site may be pocket change to Rosemont, the time and expense is just one more headache for the company to deal with. “I think they were naïve when they bought the property. They’re trying to make the public think that everything is hunky-dory,” she says. “They’re beginning to become aware that there is an awful lot that they will have to do before they ever get a mining permit, and mitigating the archeology would be one of them.” JCR