Benny's World

Friday, January 19, 2007

Edwards Gets A Hybrid: Promotes Action Day

Finally! JRE got a hybrid. I've been nagging about this (not online, but to friends) that he needed to get one.

How do I know? I got an e-mail from him today.

Dear Benny,

People everywhere are responding to our call to change America.

In the three weeks since we launched our campaign, One Corps has grown to more than 800 chapters in all 50 states. Thousands of Americans are signing up to take action now -- people like you and me who are not willing to wait until the next president is elected to begin changing our country.

One Corps allows people to join with friends and neighbors to take action in our local communities. And next Saturday, January 27, we're all coming together for our first National Day of Action -- working together in our communities to conserve energy and fight global warming:

Click here to join us in your community on the National Day of Energy Action next Saturday

Since announcing my candidacy, I've been speaking of our need to break our country's addiction to oil and create a new energy economy. I've also been speaking about the huge moral issue that global warming presents for America and the entire world.

These are tremendous challenges which won't be solved in a day -- but each of us can take responsibility in small ways that make a big difference.

For example, after years of driving a regular SUV, Elizabeth and I just purchased a hybrid SUV.

I'm not asking each of you to buy a new car, however, or fight this problem on your own. We can all work together in our communities -- educating others and changing the way we use energy in our homes and workplaces -- to bring about the change we need today:

Take the first step by pledging to do what you can to conserve energy in your home and life -- then sign up to take action in your community on January 27th

We all know that government or technological innovation alone will not solve global warming or increase energy efficiency. To solve these problems, we need to ask Americans to be patriotic about something other than war.

Today, I'm asking you to join with thousands of One Corps members across the country and be patriotic -- to make a difference in how you and your community use energy, and to get the word out on January 27th.

Thank you for taking action.


Your friend,
John

So in the spirit of the Action Day, what have I been doing?

My spouse bought compact florescent bulbs last week and installed them in several places in the house and in our front yard lamp. We recycle at least once, but some times twice weekly, in which once is by our waste company's pick-up, the other I take to the town's recycling center. I reuse my grocery bags every week when I go shopping (I get funny looks sometimes because the bags are not necessarily from the same grocer) and I keep one in the Prius that I drive if I need one during the week. I buy gas every 3 weeks. I keep the house at about 64 degrees in the winter and 80 during the summer. Most days when it is sunny, I open the drapes to let the sunlight in. The kitties love sunbathing, and it warms up the room during the day.

I still don't do enough, but it's a good start.

So the real question BW readers: what do you pledge to do to help our environment? Little bit goes a long way and we're all in this together.

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The Culture Warriors Meet



Who's the act here? Nonetheless, it's pretty funny. Enjoy.

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Thursday, January 18, 2007

Robert Scoble Got Older Today

It's his 42nd birthday.

And still the one of first official 2008 Presidential campaign vloggers (with Chuck Olsen). You did a good job at making people feel at ease, or at least you did with me when I was interviewed in Iowa.

Happy Birthday, Robert. You geek good.

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Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Favorite Dem Snarks

Dem blogger pundits can make funny snarks much as nasty ones. Among my favorites that I red today were from Kos and Oliver Willis.

Oliver Willis's clever comment was about Jeb Bush:

"BUT, I want Jeb to run and be the nominee because it would lead to a landslide for the Democrat. It doesn't matter which Democrat. If the Republican nominee is a Bush, Dennis Kucinich is sworn in with Al Sharpton as his vice president."

Kos's comment was about Joe Biden, in the context of who has 'mo in the 2008 campaign already:

8. Joe Biden (D-MBNA)

I'm still trying to figure out who Biden thinks is his base.


That says it all.

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We Shall Overcome

Awesome video of using excerpts of JRE's speech that fit the closing song of the MLK Celebration at Riverside Church the other day: We Shall Overcome.



John Edwards said these words on Sunday in remembrance of MLK and his call against the war in Vietnam.

It is a betrayal..

To stand silent and watch 37 million of our own brothers and sisters who literally live worrying survioring every single day..

I also believe it is a betrayal...

Not to speak out against an escalation of the war in Iraq.


We shall overcome, we shall overcome,
We shall overcome some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe we shall overcome some day

We shall all be free, we shall all be free,
We shall all be free some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe we shall overcome some day

We shall live in peace, we shall live in peace,
We shall live in peace some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe we shall overcome some day



"The World needs to see our better angels."

It is the first time I've ever seen John Edwards really sing. And it's first time in a long time since January 1993 I've seen such a beautiful celebration for MLK and his work for justice.

You can support the peace movement by chipping in to put a full page ad in Roll Call, a publication read by nearly every pol in Congress or political operative this week. Yes, JRE is leading the initiative to do this and trying to convince many that the McCain Doctrine is wrong and not to fund the surge. This is what he means by taking action now.

Tomorrow Begins Today. Shalom.

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Sunday, January 14, 2007

Edwards Impresses Audience at MLK Remembrance in NYC


From the LA Times (via AP):

NEW YORK -- Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards called on Americans to resist President Bush's planned troop escalation in Iraq, echoing a plea by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. 40 years ago to end the Vietnam War.

Edwards addressed about 1,200 parishioners Sunday at Riverside Church, a multiracial, politically active Manhattan congregation where King delivered his famous "Beyond Vietnam" speech on April 4, 1967. King was assassinated exactly one year later.

Edwards spoke from the same wooden pulpit King used and was introduced by King's son, Martin Luther King III. The younger King said his father would have admired Edwards' commitment to fighting poverty.

More buzz l8tr...

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