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Over the past several months the Evangelical Environmental Network has submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 334,530 comments from 202,068 pro-life Christians in support of reducing carbon pollution.
Here is one of their recent messages to the EPA:
As pro-life Christians, we urge the EPA to protect life and God's creation by reducing carbon pollution and toxic emissions from existing coal burning power plants. We ask the EPA to provide maximum flexibility to states as to how they will cut emissions, including options such as a pollution fee that could cut other taxes. It is time for our leaders to act for the sake of our children's health, the most vulnerable among us, and His beautiful creation.
Some may be surprised at this number of comments. After all, a recent poll once again confirms that "White evangelical Protestants are more likely than any other religious group to be climate change Skeptics."
"We have been able to reach and activate those considered unreachable by traditional environmentalists because we share their values and our actions are informed by those values," said the Rev. Mitch Hescox, EEN's President/CEO.
Forging a Bi-partisan Consensus on the Green Climate Fund:
Expressing Gratitude for the Leadership of President
Obama and Senators Graham and Corker
A Statement by the Rev. Mitch Hescox
President/CEO of the Evangelical Environmental Network
There is a long tradition in our country of strong bi-partisan support for doing what is in our national interest and consistent with American values in the area of foreign relations. This has included helping poor countries with natural disasters, combating AIDS through President Bush's initiative, and tackling diseases like malaria.
In today's political climate, shaped by renewed isolationism in some quarters and our present economic recovery, keeping our country on the right track in providing such leadership is challenging.
That's why we are very grateful for the steadfast leadership provided by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Bob Corker (R-TN) in their capacities as incoming Chairs of the most important Senate committees. Their job isn't easy or popular, and much of the time it's a thankless one. We offer our thanks to Senators Graham and Corker to begin to redress this "gratitude deficit."
If foreign relations funding in general is challenging, that for helping the poor in poor countries overcome climate change and create sustainable economic progress via clean energy is even more so. But such funding, known as "climate finance," also has had a tradition of bi-partisan support precisely because it is in our national interest and in keeping with American values.
Building upon the leadership of President George W. Bush on climate finance, President Obama is pledging that the United States will contribute $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund. Such a contribution is consistent with the percentage of support the U.S. provides for natural disasters and AIDS work in relation to the contributions of other countries.
Just as we are grateful for the leadership of Senators Graham and Corker, so too are we thankful for the President's leadership for this proposed $3 billion in climate finance.
We stand ready to work with President Obama and Senators Graham and Corker to once again forge a bi-partisan consensus on funding to help the poor create prosperity powered by clean, decentralized, homegrown energy and build resilience against climate impacts, just like the Patriarch Joseph did in the Bible.
by Rev. Mitch Hescox
In my family we hug a lot. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but what can I say, we're huggers. My wife Clare and I especially love it when our grandkids give us hugs.
My seven-year-old grandson runs into my arms to give me the biggest hug he can muster, and when I say, "I love you" he replies, "I love you more!" My three-year-old just jumps in my arms, plants a big wet kiss, and says, "Love you, Poppop!" The youngest, just 4 weeks old, simply looks at me when I hold and hug him.
My grandkids and their future immediately came home to me on Monday morning as I received a hug from a friend. It just happened to be at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the friend giving me the hug was the head of the EPA, Administrator Gina McCarthy. She did so immediately after she signed the proposed standards for reducing carbon pollution from existing power plants.
I've made no secret of the fact that Administrator McCarthy and I have a good working relationship. Our ministry at the Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN) has supported Administrator McCarthy and the EPA on a number of occasions. We worked hard to put the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards into effect because mercury harms the brains of our unborn and newly born children. We stood alongside EPA and others to support new fuel standards that would make cars more efficient and therefore reduce harmful air population linked in numerous medical studies to birth defects. And now, we are standing with the EPA for a proposed standard for reducing carbon pollution from the single largest source, electric power plants.
Administrator McCarthy and I make an odd couple. I'm an evangelical pro-life Christian and have been a registered Republican my entire life. McCarthy grew up with an Irish Catholic background and is a member of President Obama's cabinet "much more progressive. She's also a Red Sox fan while I support the Orioles.
However, what we have in common is so much greater than our differences. We love our kids and grandkids. Climate change is a serious threat to those we love and a tremendous opportunity for creating a better life for them via a clean energy economy. Following the leadership of our Risen Lord Jesus, we can work to provide an abundant life in tune with God's plan for humanity as caretakers for His world.
As a fiscal conservative, I would prefer a market based approach to reducing carbon. It is simply egregious that we put the costs of carbon pollution in our children lungs and brains while the profits are privatized. Simply put, the market has never realized the true cost of fossil fuels. As an example, we might like our neighbors and be thankful for ways that they helped us, but none of us would be happy with the same neighbors tossing their trash into our yards and expecting us to clean it up. That's exactly what has been happening with our fossil fuel use and it's time to act before it's too late.
Common sense and our own experience tells us it is better to act sooner to address a looming threat than to ignore it and wait until it's harder and more expensive. That's what economists tell us about climate change: act now or the costs both human and economic will escalate. With each year of delay, the costs multiply for addressing increased disease, sea-level rise, extreme weather, food scarcity, and resource conflicts.
It would be great to have a national discussion on the best policy approaches to address climate change, and as I've said, I think a market-based approach is best. But it's hard to have a discussion when one team refuses to acknowledge that there is a problem. Now there are many reasons that Republicans don't want to discuss climate science, but I believe it's time that we start to engage and I think most conservative policy makers agree, at least privately. A few months ago, during a private meeting, a leading Republican in U.S. House of Representatives said, "We all know we have to price carbon."
As a Republican, I am proud of my party's conservation legacy. Ronald Reagan signed the Montreal Protocol to save our ozone layer (and bought us some time in addressing climate). President George H.W. Bush revised the Clean Air Act and reduced acid rain. These basic protections did not significantly impact the economy, in fact, they produced a lot of co-benefits and spurred new industries.
My prayer is that people I respect, like Speaker Boehner and Senate Minority Leader McConnell might lead a new discussion on addressing our environmental challenges. Perhaps we could share a pat on the back as well. For me, hugs celebrate not only the importance of love and life but a job well done.
We're not there yet. Addressing global warming will take all of us working together. So for the moment at least, I will keep hugging and praying for my grandkids, follow our Risen Lord, and help provide hope for a new future. Our kids, grandkids, and all God's children deserve the best from all of us.
The Rev. Mitchell C. Hescox is President/C.E.O. of the Evangelical Environmental Network and lives in New Freedom, PA.
In our current political moment many have given up on achieving anything big, like a "grand bargain" on the budget and deficit reduction (e.g. The New York Times recent editorial, "An End to the Grand-Bargain Charades"). The realism of incrementalism is back. A fatigue factor has set in after 3 years of political brinkmanship and paralysis. In this political climate, forget trying to find common ground with one's political adversaries to solve the big issues of the day.
Thing is, most of the big problems got big precisely because we've ignored them or given up trying to find common ground. And these issues are not going away. Thinking small isn't helpful, either. That's certainly true with one of the most divisive issues of our day, climate change.
As an evangelical Republican working on climate change, I know how hard it is to find common ground. Yet my own experience within the evangelical community is that shared values overcome polarization and working together is possible on big issues that matter to people's lives.
Recently I spoke at an event of religious leaders with senior White House and Administration officials to talk about overcoming climate change. I'll be searching for a way forward together, despite our differences, and I'm hopeful -- confident, even -- that such a way can be found.
My confidence rests on our shared values as expressed in our Declaration of Independence: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. From these American values can we create a vision of the future worthy of our past bequeathed to us by our forbearers, worthy of the love we have for our children, a vision big enough to inspire us once again to greatness?
Our Founding Fathers issued the Declaration of Independence and fought the American Revolution because tyranny threatened our values.
President Obama and I have found common ground in believing that we must declare our independence from another form of tyranny, global warming, and its threat to life, liberty, and happiness:
Life: While global warming's tyranny has and will threaten the lives of millions, the solutions we create will enhance the lives of billions.
Liberty: While global warming's cruelty has and will threaten the political and economic liberty of around the world, American ingenuity and can-do spirit will foster freedom through clean energy growth and the creation of new industries both here and abroad.
Happiness: While global warming tries to steal happiness from us in the misery it portends, a richer, deeper quality of life awaits us, one of deep fulfillment that comes from creating a better future for our children.
President Obama said recently, in announcing the start of creating new fuel economy standards for big trucks, that we should learn from past fuel economy efforts. The lesson? Don't make small plans, make big plans.
The President is exactly right. Global warming is a big challenge that creates an even bigger opportunity to overcome this tyranny and build a brighter future for our children.
We need to envision this future together. To get the conversation started, let me share what I believe our future can look like.
I see cleaner skies and purer water, healthy children free to enjoy the beauty of God's creation, their bodies not hindered by pollution, their brains not diminished by toxics. I see an economy that is the envy of the world producing the technologies that help us achieve life, liberty and happiness; plentiful, affordable energy to power our homes and vehicles and businesses, freeing up time to spend with family and loved ones, to rebuild community life, and to be creative with the gifts God has given each of us. I see such a life being made possible in the Majority World, where American technology creates clean energy and new industries that lift billions out of poverty and into prosperity.
Leaders of our past dared to think big -- Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Edison, Martin Luther King, Steve Jobs -- and achieved great things that make our lives better today. Let's be inspired by their example and not make the mistake of thinking small and achieving even less.
And so, strange as it may seem in our current moment of polarization and disillusionment, now is precisely the time to think big. Although it may seem that the big issues divide us, it's just as true that an issue like global warming has the potential to unite us and bring us together as we envision a brighter future based on our shared values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The Rev. Mitchell C. Hescox is president of the Evangelical Environmental Network and lives in New Freedom, PA. Before leading EEN, Rev. Hescox pastored a local church for 18 years and previous to ministry worked in the coal and coal utility industries.
We should embrace higher fuel standards
Published: Thursday, August 23, 2012, 12:33 AM
By Patriot-News Op-Ed
By The Rev. Mitchell C. Hescox and the Rev. Dr. Emilio Marrero
What's in your wallet? For many for us,what's not in our wallet is extra cash. And none of us wants to spend the extracash paying for gasoline. That's justone of the reasons we favor the new fuel economy standards soon to befinalized.
Vehicles that get better gas mileage will cost a bit more, it'strue, but the average family will still save from $6,000 to $8,000 through thelife of the vehicle. That's certainly good news for our wallets. About 45percent of our daily petroleum use goes toward driving our cars and lighttrucks " 3.1 billion barrels per year, the equivalent of 620 Gulf oil spills.Reducing oil consumption by more than 2.2 million barrels by 2025 and foreignimports sounds like a good idea to many.
This month, during a raucous Senate hearing, Sen. Jeff Sessions(R-Ala.) told Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), "Fuel efficiency standards aresomething we can all agree on." Sen.Sessions got it right. Carmakers, autoworkers, retired military leaders,environmental organizations, more than 74 percent of the American public andfaith community leaders such as us are all rallying in support for new fueleconomy standards that will double fuel efficiency to 54.5 mpg by 2025.
A decade ago, the Rev. Jim Ball initiated one of the most coveredstories in 2002 " the "What Would Jesus Drive" educational campaign. WWJDrive focused on the moral implicationsfrom our love affair with the automobile and the need for more fuel-efficientvehicle choices.
Pollution pours out the tailpipes of our cars and threatens publichealth. Soot, smog, ozone-forming volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxideand carbon pollution contribute mightily to Pennsylvania's polluted air. Whilewe have made progress, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh still make the top 10 inworst particle pollution and the top 20 in ozone pollution.
Those living in south-central Pennsylvania who believe theybreathe easy should remember this: York, Dauphin and Lancaster countiesreceived failing or close to failing marks in pollution measurements providedby the American Lung Association's "Stateof the Air 2012" report.
Car and truck exhaust in medical study after study causesincreased asthma, more heart attacks and premature death. Research that is morerecent links autism and other serious threats to our unborn babies fromtransportation-related pollution. All in all, our love affair with the carmakes us sick, and better fuel efficiency reduces pollution and affords anopportunity for a healthy and abundant life.
In a year without winter and now drought, covering 63 percent ofthe United States, one cannot help to think of the weird extreme weather thatseems to be all too common these days.
Scientists seem to issue daily additional peer-reviewed studiesthat confirm our extreme weather results from a changing climate. The new fueleconomy standards limit vehicle carbon pollution. Through their lifetime, thesestandards will reduce carbon pollution significantly, enough to equal oneyear's worth from all sources at today's levels. Although only a beginning, thenew standard has us traveling on the right road in reducing climate-change pollution.
The standard will double fuel efficiency, save us money, reducedependence on foreign oil, reduce health threats, save lives and create jobs. It's good for all America.
Let's applaud these new standards and find more ways to work together and find solutions. We believe Jesus wants us to drive as good stewards of all creation.
© 2012 PennLive.com. Allrights reserved.
by Mitch Hescox & Alexei Laushkin
The hottest July on record, drought plaguing almost two-thirds of the US, and Arctic sea ice at historic low levels. God's creation needs a little good news and we just got it. US carbon pollution is declining with emissions at their lowest point in 20 years. With that the US has made deeper and faster cuts in carbon pollution emissions than any country in the world over the last 6 years. It's not enough to avert the moral challenges that are and will be associated with climate change, but it's a bigger start than anyone expected.
No one was predicting this, but like we've been saying all along the American entrepreneurial spirit drives change. Investment in natural gas, as a transition fuel, and with the soon to be released Fuel Economy Standards leading to cars that are more efficient, plus LEED building standards, and more sustainable products are putting us on the onramp to a clean fuel highway. Americans are tired of waste, wasteful spending and wasteful energy use.
What we need now is a comprehensive energy strategy, a roadmap that incentivizes renewable energy and home grown clean energy jobs. We need America to lead the clean energy market. Let's make America the center of a new revolution for industry instead of maintaining our dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels.
Natural gas puts us on the starting blocks for what will be a marathon toward a clean energy economy. Its' current cheap price makes for the perfect transition fuel for achieving our initial carbon pollution reductions and clean air goals. The EPA's proposed new standards for methane will mitigate most drilling and transportation leakage issues, but hydraulic fracturing remains a significant human health concern. Yet, there are simply too many unknowns to complete an informed safety judgment on fracturing. Simply put natural gas is part of the solution, but it can't be the only path toward our clean energy renaissance.
When we recover from our economic doldrums (which we will!), Americans have a fundamental choice to make. Will we make smart investments in clean home grown technology or will we rely on the same old fossil formulas?
We need a real investment in our clean energy manufacturing base and an energy policy that helps us solve the moral challenges of climate change. We're a can do people, a hopeful people. Americans are waiting to show the world that we can have free-prosperous societies that don't perpetuate pollution and undermine the livelihoods of others who rely on clean air, clean water, and a stable food supply to provide for their families.
Americans want fuel abundant, cheap, and clean. Until technological efficiencies can kick in we need to count the cost of our over reliance on pollution intensive energy.
Others will find a way to develop clean abundant energy; we believe America should get there first. If we can win the race for clean energy we will have provided for the next generation of Americans manufacturers and sent the signal that you can choose for democracy and freedom without undermining the ability to provide for your family. We can solve the challenges of our time while cherishing and protecting our freedoms. The dirty fossil economy spewed dangerous toxins polluting God's creation. Let's start a new race on a new road toward a clean energy future that provides a healthy environment for our children and our economy. Natural gas brought us to the starting line will we jump into the race to win or will this just be another false start?
Rev. Mitch Hescox is the President & CEO of the Evangelical Environmental Network. Alexei Laushkin is the Senior Director of Communications for the Evangelical Environmental Network.
by Gary Bergel
Two weeks have passed since the Derecho, a rare land hurricane with shearing 60-90 mph "line winds" and violent thunderstorms, swept across the U.S. from Illinois and Indiana over the East Coast and out into the Atlantic. A reported 26 individuals lost their lives and over 4 million residences and businesses in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey were left without electricity. In just a few minutes on Friday, June 29, "energy poverty" hit home with no advance warning. It was "lights out" and sweltering days of 90-100 degree heat for millions, including a number of us on the EEN team. Online power outage maps indicate that hundreds to thousands are still without power.
By 11:00 a.m. the morning after the Derecho passed, it was futile to look to buy a chain saw or generator in the Eastern Panhandle of WV. This was also true for many of the other areas that were hard hit. The frontal line wind of the Derecho (Spanish for "straight") snapped multitudes of old, massive trees in an instant taking down power lines and blocking roadways for days to come.
Neighbors came to the aid of neighbors. Fortunately we were able to transport water and a small inverter generator helped us salvage frozen food. Cell phone signals disappeared, often for hours at a time. A few inexpensive little solar garden walkway lights became our night-lights. We have become friends of solar.
In conversing with rural and city residents I discovered that most were unaware that over 1.4 billion of the earth's population have no access to electricity. Most were also unaware of the term "energy poverty." Without power and cooking on their grills, they could empathize a bit with the 3 billion or more people who must use non-renewable resources like wood, charcoal, and even dung and other waste for cooking and heating. Smoky kerosene lamps often provide some of the only light these people presently experience. Most of the world's people who live without electricity are poor.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon shares often, most recently at the Rio+20 Summit that he grew up without electricity in his native South Korea, which was devastated by the 1950-1953 war. "I was studying under kerosene lamplight. Can you believe that? For exams I was permitted to use candles," he relays in his speeches. "Now I'm standing in front of you as the Secretary General of the United Nations. Access to modern energy transformed my world and my country. We need such a transformation possible for all people around the world." Ban Ki-moon stresses our need to move beyond dirty-burning fossil fuels and toward rapid implementation of clean, renewable energy sources. He and many see sustainable energy as a strategic way to lift the poor out of poverty. The UN General Assembly has declared 2012 the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.
2012: The International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
An awakening is underway. More and more Christian leaders and pastors are beginning to rethink energy, to reevaluate energy sources, and are catching on to the ethics and benefits of clean sustainable energy. Prominent evangelical leader Charles Colson (1931-2012) brought forth the benefits of renewable energy in his January 3, 2012 Breakpoint radio broadcast. This was one of Colson's final words to the Church:
"This past August, the UN Secretary General touted renewal energy sources " like solar energy, wind power, and hydropower " as a means to help lift the poor out of poverty. And for once, I find myself agreeing with the United Nations. In Cambodia, for example, a typical kerosene lamp costs around $30 to light a home for a year - that's about 10 percent of what an average Cambodian earns each year. But solar lanterns only cost $25."
Chuck Colson then shared the story of Allen Rainey's discovery that solar energy was a lot more affordable for his 50 acres in rural Indiana than grid electricity. "As a follower of Christ, Rainey wasn't content to keep his discovery to himself," Chuck shared. Rainey launched SonLight Power and has gone on to install solar powered refrigerators in medical clinics, and complete solar systems expected to function for 30 years in orphanages, hospitals, and churches in Honduras, Kenya, Guatemala, Haiti, Equador, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Mexico.
Chuck Colson also pointed his Breakpoint followers to the work of Plant with Purpose and Food for the Hungry. He concluded by declaring:
"These examples demonstrate that instead of existing as two separate agendas, environmental sustainability and the fight to end poverty are inextricably linked.... We can and should do both at the same time."
We at the Evangelical Environmental Network/Creation Care wholeheartedly agree. We are grateful for Chuck Colson's wisdom and prophetic call to followers of Christ at this time. Please pray for us as materials are being compiled for a "Light Up the World / Light of the World" campaign that EEN and partnering ministries will launch this fall. Just email firstname.lastname@example.com to join the EEN Prayer Team and to be kept informed.
"...environmental sustainability and the fight to end poverty are inextricably linked...." Charles Colson, January 3, 2012
It's inexpensive and relatively easy to bring natural light and spiritual light to the 1.4 billion enduring darkness and a lack of clean energy. A solar study light like the one pictured below costs just a dollar or two on the front U.S. production end, and $10 on the foreign delivery end. Solar lanterns can light a home. Solar suitcase kits, pictured, are enabling doctors and surgeons to treat more patients and save lives at night.
Gidfay, a third grade student in Haiti and his three older sisters tried to do their homework before nightfall. Often, their hardworking parents could not afford to feed the family and also purchase kerosene for a lamp. World Vision provided the family with a single solar lamp. "This light brings me joy to read," Gidfay says. Education is seen as a way out of poverty and a door to a different future. "I pray to God every day for those who made it possible to study under this light. I like math and Creole," exclaims Gidfay.
This is a time for all of us to evaluate energy usage and efficiency in our homes, in our businesses, and in our local church and ministry facilities. This is an appointed time to share energy savings by bringing solar and other clean sustainable energy sources to our neighbors suffering energy poverty and pollution around the world.
by Mitch Hescox
On March 16, 2011, the EPA proposed the First National Standard for Mercury Pollution from Power Plants. This new national standard offers a historic opportunity for the evangelical Christian Church to put its preaching into action. Life, as sacred, has long been a foundational tenet of our faith. We are pro-life and have struggled long to protect the unborn from harm, especially abortion. Over 1,000,000 unborn children die each year from abortions. However, another great threat faces the unborn, mercury poisoning. Unborn children are the most at risk as they are developmentally unable to protect themselves.
According to research, at least 1 in 12, and as many as 1 in 6 women of childbearing age have unsafe levels of mercury in her blood, enough to put a baby at risk for brain damage, autism,and other neurological imparities. These effects are not just temporary but are irreversible. Other research depicts that mercury levels continue elevating in American women, putting more unborn at risk. Mercury easily transmits from mother to child. One UCLA research project found mercury in 30% of US females of childbearing age in 2006, up from only 2%of same age group in 1999. This threat to our unborn is simply not acceptable.
The primary domestic source of mercury comes from the burning of coal. Industrial and utility coal consumption represents at least 87% and as much as 99% of the mercury poisoning of the unborn. Smokestacks emit the mercury that then falls into our streams, lakes, and rivers. Fish consume the mercury we eat the fish and for pregnant mothers the contaminated fish finally accumulates in the weakest -- unborn children.
This isn't a limited problem. Mercury contaminates over 6 million acres of freshwater lakes, 46,000 miles of streams, and 225,000 wetland acres across the United States. The vast majority of our fresh water in every corner of America contains dangerous mercury levels. In fact, every state has some type of fish consumption advisory, including the recommendation for pregnant women not to eat any locally caught fish.
The Evangelical Environmental Network is putting action to our faith by standing in support of EPA's proposed standards limiting mercury and its threats to the unborn. The standard, twenty years in the making reduces 91% mercury released to the air. Some will attempt to weaken this proposed standard. However, unborn children deserve our greatest protection, and we believe the rule as proposed provides the best protection for the weakest in our society, the unborn child. This is an issue in life's sacredness. We encourage all who stand for life to stand with us and especially the unborn.
For more information, please visit www.creationcare.org/
by Jim Ball
In the summer of 2008 gas prices reached over $4 a gallon, helping to tip the economy into the Great Recession from which we are still recovering. Could we be heading towards $4 a gallon once again, this time helping to stall our still fragile recovery?
According to the federal government's Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average price for gas around the country was higher than any February in history even before the crises in Egypt and Lybia kicked in. Subsequently, gas prices during the last week alone jumping 20 cents a gallon.
One reason gas prices spiked in 08 was due to speculators, a situation that probably won't be repeated this year. However, unease in the Middle East has been driving prices upward, and no one can predict what the situation there will be when the summer driving season hits.
Even without such instability, EIA projects that prices will continue to rise. Looking even further out to 2012, a recent CEO of Shell, John Hofmeister, has predicted that gas could be over $5 a gallon in 2012. And secret State Department cables on WikiLeaks has revealed that even a senior Saudi official privately admits that Saudi reserves may have been overstated by as much as 40%, and that by 2012 his country could no longer be counted on to pump enough extra oil to keep prices from rising too high.
Meanwhile the current rise in gas prices threatens our recovery and is already having detrimental impacts on US consumers. According to an economic analyst at Moody's, if the price for a barrell of oil averages over $90 this year -- and EIA's projection even before the Middle East unrest was $93 -- it would erase a quarter of the $120 billion payroll tax cut recently enacted to further stimulate the economy.
As for consumers, the NYTimes reports:
Rising gasoline prices have already led Jayme Webb, an office manager at a recycling center in Sioux City,Iowa, and her husband, Ken, who works at Wal-Mart, to cutback on spending.
In the last month, they have canceled their satellite television subscription and their Internet service. They have also stopped driving from their home in rural Moville to Sioux City on weekends to see Ms. Webb's parents.
Along with making their commutes to work more expensive, rising oil prices have driven up the cost of food for animals and people. So the couple have stopped buying feed for their dozen sheep and goats and six chickens and instead asked neighboring farmers to let them use scraps from their corn fields.
"It's a struggle," said Ms. Webb, 49. "We have to watch every little penny."
Interestingly, in the same NYTimes article they interviewed an owner of a company that makes church pews:
"Revenue is down, costs are up, and you can't make anymoney," said R. Jerol Kivett, the owner of Kivett's Inc., a company that manufactures pews and other church furniture in Clinton, N.C. "You're just trying to meet payroll and keep people working, hoping the economy will turn. But it just seems like setback after setback after setback."
Given all of this, isn't it well past time we really started moving the country towards energy independence through increased fuel economy and the development of alternative fuels and electric vehicles powered by clean electricity?
Rising gas prices are bad news for most of us and the economy in general, but good news for oil companies because their profits go up. Indeed, the big 5 oil companies have done exceedingly well over the past decade, earning nearly $1 trillion in profit.
So here's an idea. Why not take the billions in subsidies we give to oil companies and use it instead to invest in efficiency, renewables, electric vehicles, and alternative fuels -- in a true transition towards energy independence, in other words? Certainly in an era of national debt and budget cutting some of the richest corporations in America don't need public assistance to incentivize them to find and produce oil when it's at $100 a barrel? Indeed, former President George W. Bush, a former oil man himself, proposed that the oil companies do without public assistance when oil was at $55 a barrel. So, surely, they don't need our subsidies when it's at $100 and they've earned nearly $1 trillion in profit in the last decade? Surely this rich and mature industry, which began receiving subsidies in 1916, is ready to be weaned off public assistance? Let's take the $36 billion they would receive this decade and create a better future with it, ok?
Well, unfortunately, House Republicans still think these rich oil companies need our tax dollars even as they cut funding for research that would help to create energy independence and a clean energy future (see my earlier blog). On Tuesday (Mar 1) every single House Republican (except for 4 who didn't vote) voted to keep the billions in public assistance/subsidies flowing out of the US Treasury and into the oil company's coffers. As they vote to protect public assistance for oil companies, they do so against the wishes of the American people, as reflected in a NBC/WSJ poll out this week showing 74% approval for eliminating these unnecessary subsidies.
With gas prices once again approaching $4 a gallon this summer and many families like the Webbs already struggling just to get by, the oil companies certainly don't need any more of our money. And it's well past time for us as a country to make real investments in energy independence and clean energy.
The Rev. Jim Ball, Ph.D., is Executive Vice President at EEN and author of Global Warming and the Risen LORD.
by Jim Ball
Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) is one of the most respected Senators in our country, and such respect is well-deserved. He has long toiled in areas that are vital to America's well-being yet don't get much attention or appreciation, such as his great work with former Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA) to secure the nuclear weapons programs of the former Soviet Union once the Cold War ended. These great efforts have helped to keep America and the rest of the world safe.
Continuing in the tradition of Senator-Statesman, Sen. Lugar gave an important speech at the Clean Economy Summit on how America can create a clean energy future and move towards energy independence. While we don't agree with everything Sen. Lugar said, there is much to appreciate in the speech.
One of his first important points is that while America has begun to wake up to what needs to happen, we have not yet begun to act in a serious and meaningful way:
"Although Americans and their leaders are embracing the idea of changing our energy destiny, we have not committed ourselves to the action steps required to achieve an alternative future ... If our economy is crippled by an oil embargo, if terrorists succeed in disrupting our oil lifeline, or if we slide into a war because oil wealth has emboldened anti-American regimes, it will not matter that before disaster struck, the American public and its leaders only began to gain an understanding of our vulnerability."
As the saying goes, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
After noting that both President Bush and President Obama have failed to create a bold, bi-partisan approach to weaning us off our addiction to oil (as President Bush put it) and the creation of a clean energy future, Sen Lugar states:
"I believe it is possible to revitalize energy security as a bipartisan issue. To do this, the President and leaders in Congress should explore the most fertile ground for cooperation " overcoming U.S. oil dependence. There is little disagreement that our oil dependence is a major threat to our economy and security. A disruption of oil supplies due to war, political instability, terrorism, embargo or other causes is one of the most troubling and likely short-term threats to our economy. Rising gasoline prices give Americans a visible reminder of this on a weekly basis."
Sen Lugar wanted to see a clear statement to this effect in President Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday. While the President didn't address oil dependence explicitly, he did put forward a goal of having 80% of America's electricity come from clean sources by 2035.
We agree with both President Obama's goal for a clean energy future and Sen. Lugar's goal of overcoming oil dependence. And when you look at the energy bill that Sen. Lugar introduced in the last Congress, his Practical Energy Plan, it has policies to do both, including one similar to the Clean Energy Standard that the President and others like Sen Lindsay Graham (R-SC) have been talking about.
(As an aside, Sen Lugar's bill from last year was actually called the "Practical Energy and Climate Plan," but in his speech on Monday he dropped the word "Climate." In his speech he was also critical of past efforts on climate. We'll agree to disagree and let bygones be bygones.)
Our question of Sen Lugar is this: who will bring along enough of his fellow Republicans to achieve these goals of overcoming oil dependence AND having 80% of our electricity come from clean energy sources?
Another question to Sen Lugar: will your Practical Energy Plan introduced in this Congress once again have a Clean Energy Standard?
We certainly hope so, and are ready to join Sen Lugar and the President to achieve both of these goals.
Sen. Lugar has achieved great things with little fanfare in his career. We hope both he and President Obama will work together on these vital goals, and that both will help to bring along their parties to do what's best for America.
Rev. Jim Ball, Ph.D., is Executive Vice President at EEN and author of Global Warming and the Risen LORD.
by Jim Ball
Michael Levi of the Council on Foreign Relations has done some quick crunching of the numbers to compare President Obama's goal of 80% of electricity coming from clean energy by 2035 announced last night in his State of the Union speech.
By Levi's calculation, this would generate more clean energy than last year's proposed legislation by Senators Kerry, Graham, and Lieberman (74% by 2035). It would also have carbon's price per ton at around $90 in 2035, which would be a healthy price signal.
If a Clean Energy Standard that achieved 80% by 2035 were to pass Congress this session (a very big if), it would be a major step forward in overcoming global warming and helping our country create a clean energy future. It's not all we need to be doing. But it would be very important.
Rev. Jim Ball, Ph.D., is Executive Vice President at EEN and author of Global Warming and the Risen LORD.
by Jim Ball
Last night President Obama gave his State of the Union speech. His basic theme was summed up in this phrase: "The future is ours to win." He went on to say, "But to get there, we can't just stand still. As Robert Kennedy told us, 'The future is not a gift. It is an achievement.' Sustaining the American Dream has never been about standing pat. It has required each generation to sacrifice, and struggle, and meet the demands of a new age."
We agree.
We were pleased to see that the first thing he said we needed to invest in as a country to win the future was clean energy. Here's an extended excerpt:
"This is our generation's Sputnik moment. Two years ago, I said that we needed to reach a level of research and development we haven't seen since the height of the Space Race. And in a few weeks, I will be sending a budget to Congress that helps us meet that goal. We'll invest in biomedical research, information technology, and especially clean energy technology -" (applause) -- an investment that will strengthen our security, protect our planet, and create countless new jobs for our people.
Already, we're seeing the promise of renewable energy. Robert and Gary Allen are brothers who run a small Michigan roofing company. After September 11th, they volunteered their best roofers to help repair the Pentagon. But half of their factory went unused, and the recession hit them hard. Today, with the help of a government loan, that empty space is being used to manufacture solar shingles that are being sold all across the country. In Robert's words, "We reinvented ourselves."
That's what Americans have done for over 200 years: reinvented ourselves. And to spur on more success stories like the Allen Brothers, we've begun to reinvent our energy policy. We're not just handing out money. We're issuing a challenge. We're telling America's scientists and engineers that if they assemble teams of the best minds in their fields, and focus on the hardest problems in clean energy, we'll fund the Apollo projects of our time.
At the California Institute of Technology, they're developing a way to turn sunlight and water into fuel for our cars. At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, they're using supercomputers to get a lot more power out of our nuclear facilities. With more research and incentives, we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and become the first country to have a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015. (Applause.)
We need to get behind this innovation. And to help pay for it, I'm asking Congress to eliminate the billions in taxpayer dollars we currently give to oil companies. (Applause.) I don't know if -- I don't know if you've noticed, but they're doing just fine on their own. (Laughter.) So instead of subsidizing yesterday's energy, let's invest in tomorrow's.
Now, clean energy breakthroughs will only translate into clean energy jobs if businesses know there will be a market for what they're selling. So tonight, I challenge you to join me in setting a new goal: By 2035, 80 percent of America's electricity will come from clean energy sources. (Applause.)
Some folks want wind and solar. Others want nuclear, clean coal and natural gas. To meet this goal, we will need them all -- and I urge Democrats and Republicans to work together to make it happen. (Applause.)"
The President's call to have 80% of our electricity come from clean energy sources by 2035 was a pleasant surprise. And we think paying for the innovation to get us there by using subsidies we currently give to oil companies is exactly right.
Rev. Jim Ball, Ph.D., is Executive Vice President at EEN and author of Global Warming and the Risen LORD.
by Jim Ball
Politico is reporting that Carol Browner, President Obama's point person on energy and climate change, will soon be leaving the White House. That's unfortunate. We hope it doesn't signal a diminishment of the President's commitment to both clean energy and climate change.
We would like to publicly thank Ms. Browner for her service to our country these past few years (and again for her time as EPA Administrator during the Clinton Administration). While we didn't achieve the success we all wanted with the passage of a comprehensive climate and energy bill, Ms. Browner did her best in a difficult situation. She was always open to meeting with representatives from the religious community, and communicated our views to others within the Administration.
Again, we greatly appreciate Ms. Browner's service during this tour of duty in the White House, and we look forward to continuing to work with her in the future. We know she'll be continuing the fight.


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Fed Will Release Interchange Rule on June 29 (Misc News: June 21, 2011)
The Federal Reserve will announce the final rule for debit interchange on Wednesday, June 29, less than a month before it is scheduled to take effect.
The Fed did not offer any details on the final rule.
Also on Tuesday, the American Bankers' Association called on the Fed to essentially delay implementation of the new interchange rule by at least three months to give financial institutions time to comply.
The Fed announced that the staff memo to the Fed board will be made available to the public about 20 minutes prior to the meeting and the background material will be made available on compact disc. Click here to see the Fed's announcement.
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that ABA President Frank Keating's letter to Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke called on him "to use its existing authority to deem institutions in compliance with any new rule for some appropriate period in order to provide banks and payment networks with a reasonable chance to meet their obligations under the law." That period, he added, "should be no less than the three-month window envisioned by the statute as enacted."
The debit interchange rule is scheduled to take effect on July 21, a year after it was passed by Congress as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Earlier this month, financial institutions lost a hard-fought battle in the U.S. Senate to have the interchange rule delayed so it could be studied and modified if needed. The measure garnered 54 votes, six shy of the 60 needed to defeat a promised filibuster by its champion, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. Privately, some senators have said they will step in if the Fed did not come up with a better rule than the one it first proposed in December.
The final rule was due to be released on April 21, three months before implementation, but Bernanke said in before the deadline that the Fed would miss it because of the large volume of extremely complex commentary it had received on its proposed rule.
Financial institutions would be allowed to charge no more than 12 cents per transaction for interchange under the proposed rule. Right now, interchange fees average about 44 cents per transaction. Some experts have said that the Fed did not take into consideration fraud prevention or other costs when it made its proposed rule, but some observers have said that the law doesn't allow the Fed to consider those costs.
Small institutions, including almost all of the country's credit unions, would be exempt from the cap, but many credit union supporters do not believe that the exemption will work in the marketplace.

subset: commoncrawl


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Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'The GatorTail Pub' started by GatorPrincess8, Aug 3, 2013.
Other than the facts that Electro is perpetually defeated by everyone and that I'm scared for Jamie Foxx's career as he takes roles like the President in White House Down and this one, looks good.
Wuerffel, I think Jamie Fox will be fine. It does look good doesn't it.


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March 14, 2013
Jefferson City, Mo. – Attorney General Chris Koster said today that he has reached a settlement with a Kansas City funeral home director for submitting a fraudulent invoice for funeral items to the Crime Victims Compensation Program.
Koster's settlement is with Duane E. Harvey, doing business as Duane E. Harvey Funeral Directors. Koster said the state investigated Mr. Harvey after receiving a complaint that Harvey submitted an invoice for goods and services to the Crime Victims Compensation Program that were not actually purchased or provided.
The Crime Victims Compensation Program, which is run by the Missouri Department of Public Safety, financially assists victims of violent crime in paying for reasonable medical expenses, counseling expenses, funeral expenses, lost wages and loss of support. The Program caught the fraudulent invoice and had not paid it.
Under the terms of the settlement, Mr. Harvey must comply with all of Missouri's Merchandising Practices laws and Embalmers and Funeral Directors laws. Mr. Harvey also agreed to pay $500 to the Missouri Merchandising Practices Revolving Fund and $1,000 in civil penalties to the state.
"We will not tolerate attempts to wrongfully take money from the state, particularly from such a worthy fund as the Crime Victims Compensation Program," Koster said. "We are fortunate that no consumers lost money because of Mr. Harvey's unlawful actions. We hope this settlement sends a message to all who bill services to the state that, if you submit fraudulent invoices, you will be held accountable."
If you have a complaint against Duane E. Harvey or Duane E. Harvey Funeral Directors, contact the Attorney General's Consumer Hotline at 1-800-392-8222 or online at ago.mo.gov to file a consumer complaint.


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To ensure the North Carolina Zoo is a safe place for children, families, employees and volunteers, all applicants are searched on the National Sex Offenders Public Registry. Applicants must provide a photo ID at the time of orientation.
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Beebe Healthcare
We strive to combine excellent, high-tech medical care with attentive, caring customer service.
News Directory
Margaret H Rollins School of Nursing at Beebe Medical Center Graduates Class of 2013
Submitted by Susan Towers on
The Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing at Beebe Medical Center recently celebrated the graduation of 19 graduates, the Class of 2013, at Epworth United Methodist Church in Rehoboth Beach. Ralph...
Beebe Medical Center Honors Gina Travatello with the "You Make a Difference" Award
Submitted by Susan Towers on
Gina Travatello, a discharge planner for Beebe Medical Center's Case Management Department, has been honored with the "You make a Difference" Award for June. As a Discharge Planner, Gina is focused...
Beebe Medical Foundation's Board of Ambassadors Welcomes New Members
Submitted by Susan Towers on
Beebe Medical Foundation welcomes 10 new members to its Board of Ambassadors. The responsibility of the Board is to work with the Foundation to support and advocate for the expansion of quality...
Beebe Medical Center Publications Win National Healthcare
Submitted by Susan Towers on
The teamwork of Beebe Medical Center's Marketing and Communications Department and Dean Design/Marketing Group has been honored with awards in two national healthcare industry marketing competitions...
Health Services Opening a Festive Event in Millsboro
Submitted by Susan Towers on
Despite threatening weather, more than 75 people dropped in for snacks, tours, conversation, and free health screenings during the grand opening festivities in Millsboro for Beebe Medical Center's...
Sussex County Cancer Survivors Fund Honored with Spirit of Hope Award at 10th Annual Miracle Mile
Submitted by Susan Towers on
The Sussex County Cancer Survivors Fund (SCCSF) was honored June 8 with the new Spirit of Hope Caregivers Award for its support of local cancer patients treated at Beebe Medical Center's Tunnell...
Beebe Medical Center Expands Health Services in Millsboro
Submitted by Susan Towers on
Beebe Medical Center proudly announces that it has expanded outpatient health services in Millsboro to make care more convenient for those living in the Millsboro area. The new services include:...
Beebe Medical Center Welcomes Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon to its Medical Staff
Submitted by beebemed.org on
Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon Nnamdi Azie, MD, has joined the Beebe Medical Staff and is in practice with Cardiothoracic Surgeon M.L. Ray Kuretu, MD, at 400 Savannah Road in Lewes. He can be contacted by calling (302) 644-4282. Dr. Azie brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Beebe Medical Center. He is Board Certified in Cardiothoracic Surgery, Vascular Surgery and General Surgery.
Steven Rhone takes over as Vice President of Patient Care Services at Beebe Medical Center
Submitted by beebemed.org on
Steven Rhone, RN, BSN, MS, NE-BC, has been appointed Vice President of Patient Care Services Beebe Medical Center announces that Steven Rhone, RN, BSN, MS, NE-BC, has been appointed Vice President of Patient Care Services. He joined Beebe Medical Center from Christiana Care Health System where he served as Administrative Director of Patient Access and Capacity Management. At Beebe Medical Center,
Summer Hours Announced for Beebe Medical Center's Walk-in Care in Millville
Submitted by beebemed.org on
On Memorial Day weekend, Beebe Medical Center will expand the Beebe Health Campus – Millville Walk-in Care Center's hours for visitors and residents whose primary care physicians are unavailable. The...


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In the late 1980s and 1990s, many state legislatures radically altered the way that their laws treated children accused of crimes. Responding to what was perceived of as an epidemic of juvenile violence, academics and policymakers began to think of child criminals as a "new breed" of incorrigible "superpredators." States responded by making it easier for prosecutors to try and sentence juveniles as adults, even making it mandatory in some circumstances.
Yet in the past decade, the Supreme Court handed down four opinions that limit the states' ability to treat children as adults in the justice system. Roper v. Simmons banned the death penalty for children under eighteen, overruling Stanford v. Kentucky. Graham v. Florida prohibited life without parole ("LWOP") sentences for children under eighteen convicted of non-homicide crimes. J.D.B. v. North Carolina held that a child's age properly factors into the "reasonable person" analysis in determining whether a police officer must give a Miranda warning. And Miller v. Alabama "combined" Roper and Graham to prohibit mandatory LWOP sentences for children under eighteen.


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DC to Daylight, the phrase ham radio operators use to
describe the range of frequencies from zero hertz to the frequency of daylight,
is a moniker befitting of these indie rockers and their varied, yet coherent sound.
Hear Our Influences On DC to Daylight Radio!
Everyone is always asking about our influences. Well, now you can listen to them on Yahoo Launch!
Click here to make it your favorite station.
For booking and other information
Phone: (425) 922-3473
E-Mail: email@example.com


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Stop Coal Ash Contamination
Demand that EPA –
- Put coal ash under the federally enforceable hazardous waste requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act;
- Regulate coal combustion waste from generation to final disposal, including coal ash "beneficially re- used" in construction, agricultural fields, and consumer products.
Tell EPA to regulate coal combustion wastes under Subtitle C and to stop supporting coal ash reuse without adequate environmental and human health safeguards.
EPA is accepting comments on the coal ash regulatory proposals until September 20, 2010. Comments may be sent by e-mail, fax, or mail: Identify your comments by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-RCRA-2009-0640. Email to email@example.com; Fax to 202-566-0272; or send two copies by mail to: Hazar
dous Waste Management System; Identification and Listing of Special Wastes; Disposal of Coal Comb ustion Residuals from Electric Utilities Docket, Attention Docket ID No., EPA-HQ-RCRA-2009-0640, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 5305T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20460.
You can send your comments directly to the RCRA docket by using the sample comments provided below. Feel free to share, personalize, or amend these comments. Visit PEER.org for more information about coal combustion wastes used in consumer products, agriculture, and building materials.


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Chuck seemed uncharacteristically timid in his first night back on the air. Barkley is a fan and athlete favorite due to his shoot from the lip style of honest commentating.
During Barkley's absence, TNT subbed with other ex-NBAers including Karl Malone and Chris Webber.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Chuck Is Back
posted by IntrinsicBent
Chuck seemed uncharacteristically timid in his first night back on the air. Barkley is a fan and athlete favorite due to his shoot from the lip style of honest commentating.
Posted by IntrinsicBent at 8:51 PM 0 comments
Labels: Charles Barkley, Chris Webber, Karl Malone, TNT
99 Economic Problems But A Pay Per View Ain't One
posted by MMA Daddy
Say what you will about UFC President Dana White and the Ultimate Fighting Championship MMA empire he has built, but it stands as one of the few recession resistant entertainment enterprises in existence today.
With the most recent UFC 94 event breaking Las Vegas live attendance and pay per view records, White looks like he will continue growing his brand of MMA promotion while others falter and flail.
UFC 100 is scheduled to be held somewhere around July this year, and may be the pinnacle event of 2009. It's rumored that the UFC is planning to have every weight class champ challenged with a fight for their belt at this event, barring any injuries to the participants.
Many aspects of fight fans' lives are being tightened during this economic downturn, but the belt's not yet hitting the UFC notch.
Posted by MMA Daddy at 8:20 PM 0 comments
Labels: Dana White, MMA, UFC
Sports Hero(es) Of The Week
posted by IntrinsicBent
In this era of economic turmoil, juicing baseball players, bong hitting backstrokers, and other daily headline downers, this article reminds us that right still exists, and sometimes putting basic human decency ahead of win at all costs is still the road to choose.
I'm not going to butcher the article by trying to give a summary. This is a good read.
If you don't feel touched by this story, check yourself for a pulse. This also supports my theory that anything ending with the consumption of pizza is usually awesome.
Story Source
Posted by IntrinsicBent at 7:00 PM 2 comments
Friday, February 13, 2009
A Time to Differentiate
posted by MoneyMouth
The latest news that A-Rod and 103 other players tested positive for steroids in MLB's 2003 tests is tragic for two reasons.
Number 1: This is definitely a steroid era in baseball that will forever mark this period of time and any record that was broken during its duration. These leaked results just show how pervasive steroid use has been in baseball, and the fact that some big names like A-Rod are a part of these positive results makes it all the more painful.
Number 2: These names were never supposed to be released. Players agreed in 2003 to these initial tests on the basis that they would be kept confidential and that this was simply a survey to investigate the true level of steroid use within baseball. What would have never marred a man's career could now cost him a trip to the hall of fame. A-Rod, along with plenty of other players, stopped using -- or found better chemists -- and have never tested positive again for a banned substance once MLB declared these substances illegal.
I'm not sure why I feel compelled to stick up for A-Rod, Tejada, or any other shmoe that was stupid enough to take performance enhancing drugs before 2004, but I think it's time we start differentiating between those players who tested positive after 2003 and those who tested positive or were linked to steroids before 2004. The fact of the matter is that before 2004, steroids, precursors, and performance-enhancing drugs were not considered to be illegal for baseball players to take. And while we all consider it to be cheating, there have been plenty of other well-known cheaters throughout baseball who have actually been praised for their desire to win. These users were no doubt stupid for doing what they did, but I think it's time we give these guys a break. Forget the discussion of asterisks and bans, these guys have earned their places in the record books, no matter how dirty that place is.
Posted by MoneyMouth at 6:08 AM 3 comments
Labels: A-Rod, Alex Rodriguez, Miguel Tejada, MLB, PED, Steroids
Saturday, February 07, 2009
posted by IntrinsicBent
Here's where it begins to get greasy. MLB never had intentions of the results of this testing to get out. They coded the samples which were in a lab, and had the key to the codes (names and codes) in another office in a different state. Seems the Feds are pretty good at the whole sleuthing game and after obtaining the information during a subpoena search, had no problem connecting the dots.
A-Rod's comment was a wimpy statement of he won't say anything and inquiries should go to the union about it. The union is mum to this point as well.
We need to officially turn the page on hoping that great players that came through the last decade and a half were anything but dirty. Baseball, the sport that you could compare using the numbers of the game has forever been sullied and is left as a 3 stage sport: Before Testing (BT), During Drugging (DD), and After Testing (AT).
This latest finding also kills the all time home run record as many were hopeful that Rodriguez would smash this record and wipe away the stain that was Barry Bonds.
I say give everyone a pass, test the crap out of the players for every conceivable cheating mechanism, put real teeth in the punishment, and move on.
No word on whether or not Madonna or Joe Torre had any comments on this matter.
Posted by IntrinsicBent at 10:56 AM 0 comments
Labels: A-Rod, Barry Bonds, Joe Torre, New York Yankees, PED
Friday, February 06, 2009
Regarding Michael Phelps
posted by BiCoastal Bias
This is one situation where I wish I wasn't right (see my Olympics post of last summer where I suggested he get a therapist to deal with the post-Olympic letdown). We saw this four years ago, and we're seeing it again now. Phelps hasn't quite learned to deal with his time outside of the swimming pool.
Yes, he is just a 23 year old - and yes, he is held to a higher standard. But rightfully so.
Posted by BiCoastal Bias at 7:38 AM 1 comments
Labels: Michael Phelps
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Cowher's Stock Plumets
posted by MoneyMouth
Since BiCoastal is in denial that there was championship football game played last week that didn't involve "the genius" Bill Belichick and his beloved Patriots, I'll do us all a favor and bring us back to the aftermath of one of the most amazing Super Bowl games I have ever witnessed. And while I would like to point out that Boldin's career is going down hill from here and make the bold prediction that Matt Leinart will once again return to the Super Bowl, I have to take a moment to talk about Bill Cowher.
Poor Bill Cowher.
It was only three seasons ago that Cowher was winning his first Super Bowl and vindicating his successful coaching career. When Cowher retired after 15 seasons with the Steelers, he had won 8 division titles, secured ten playoff births, coached 6 AFC championship games and made two Super Bowl appearances. And with the 2006 Super Bowl win, he had assured himself that if at anytime he wanted to coach football again after retiring in 2007, he could all but pick his team and name his asking price.
That is until Mike Tomlin came along and showed the world that Bill Cowher is overrated.
With the Steelers' win on Sunday, Tomlin has helped to reaffirm the growing trend in the NFL that you don't need a big-time coach to lead your team to the Super Bowl, you just need a guy who can work within a good system. Unfortunately for Cowher, that means he's one week too late in announcing his return to coaching (there is/was an attractive position still available in Kansas City that would have fallen head-over-heels for a pre-Super Bowl XLIII Bill Cowher). Now all he can hope for is a catastrophe of a season for the 2009 Steelers or else his stock is just going to continue to plumet.
So the question is: why pay several million to hire Cowher as your head coach when you can use that several million to spread across a great coaching staff and probably produce just as good of an outcome? I'll let you chew on that one for a while.
Posted by MoneyMouth at 5:37 AM 2 comments
Labels: Anquan Boldin, Bill Cowher, Matt Leinart, Mike Tomlin, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers
Monday, February 02, 2009
Sports Douche of the Week
posted by BiCoastal Bias
Here at the Frappe, we don't write about tennis very often - and to be honest, I feel kinda funny blogging about this particular sport the day after the Super Bowl. But, something must be said about Novak Djokovic.
During the quarterfinals of the Australian Open last week, Djokovic retired in the fourth set of his match against Andy Roddick who was leading 2 sets to 1 and was already up a break. I don't think Djokovic gave any reason for giving up, other than a lack of energy due to the heat.
As they would say in Djokovic's native land of Serbia - this guy needs some cajones.
Yes, it was ridiculously hot, but Roddick seemed willing to go on. And yes, Djokovic's match the night before went late, but isn't that part of the job description? What's worse is that Djokovic waited until he was clearly going to lose to throw in the towel. At what point is it better just to let your opponent finish you off rather than bare the humiliation of being a quitter?
Wait, the humiliation gets better. It was only four months ago that Roddick accused Djokovic of being a gigantic wus, wondering aloud whether Djokovic's problems involved bird flu, SARS, and and maybe even anthrax, and then saying "You know, he's either quick to call a trainer or he's the most courageous guy of all time."
After those comments, Djokovic knocked Roddick out of the US Open, which only goes to show that the guy can play when he's provoked. But apparently Djokovic's feelings have healed, because not even playing against Roddick could give him the motivation to finish out the fourth set in the Australian Open last week.
Djokovic already had a reputation for quitting matches due to supposed medical reasons more than anyone else on the tour - but now he's even quitting against the very guy who called him out on it - and without even giving a legitimate reason other than that the conditions and the schedule of the tournament were too much for him.
All of us knew a Djokovic growing up - he was the kid who would "accidentally" step on your last ping pong ball right before you crushed him for the sixth straight game. The difference between Djokovic and that kid was that Djokovic actually has talent - which is what makes Djokovic all the more despicable.
Posted by BiCoastal Bias at 1:52 PM 1 comments
Labels: Novak Djokovic, tennis
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Officiating Stays Consistent In The Big Game
posted by IntrinsicBent
The Sports Frappe has been reporting all year on the consistency of officiating gaffes that have affected the outcomes of contests this season in the National Football League.
Tonight in an awesome matchup between the first time to get there Cardinals and the trying to be the first to win 6 Steelers, it is this blogger's opinion that this has happened again.
But I will never know for sure.
Teams cannot challenge calls in the last 2 minutes of halves. Wasn't it the responsibility of the officials to at least look at the Kurt Warner intended pass that was ruled a fumble? I'm sure I saw a ball come loose as the arm was moving forward. Why should I feel the burden to figure things out? If I disagree with the way something was called, that's one thing. If I have no confidence because the officials don't give any effort to look to be sure, that's horrendous.
The game was great in the last quarter after looking like the Steelers would run away with it in the 1st quarter.
Take nothing away from the Steelers and especially quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who thread the needle and found Santonio Holmes in a miracle play to score the go ahead touchdown.
But something should be done with the NFL officiating. All the rules and procedures are in place.
Use them.
Michael Phelps thinks the refs showed poor judgement.
Posted by IntrinsicBent at 7:16 PM 1 comments
Labels: Arizona Cardinals, Ben Roethlisberger, Kurt Warner, Pittsburgh Steelers, Santonio Holmes, Super Bowl


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Narrow your search
European investigators are set to accuse Apple of receiving "illegal state aid" in Ireland for more than 20 years.
The new old-school Nokia 130 comes in single or dual-SIM versions and goes on sale in China, India and Africa.
Got a spare 10,000 Euro burning a hole in your Swiss bank account? Here's an all-digital audiophile speaker that's just the job.
Motorola is bringing its flagship Android phone to Britain, France and Germany next month.
The whispering voice, the beautiful visuals, they're always in fancy watch ads. Motorola decides to add a twist.
Lenovo takes on the mighty Nexus 7 with this half-pound hero, out later this year.
To the European gamers stuck waiting until 2014 for the console's launch in their home country, Microsoft reiterates the point: Games can be played on any Xbox One regardless of where it's bought.
European Union and Chinese government strike a deal to end an investigation into whether Chinese telecom equipment makers, including Huawei and ZTE, received illegal subsidies.
Dyson repels over-aggressive advertising from rival vacuum-maker Shark.
Bring a flash of Euro design style to your cat's life with the Woozy, a modern-looking hammock designed to hook onto a radiator.


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Live From e-G8 in Paris–Jeff Jarvis Takes on Mr. Sarkozy, Also…Jazz Robots
American in Paris Tech
Nicolas Sarkozy's e-G8 summit kicked off this morning, Paris time, in big white tents in the Tuileries Gardens off the Rue di Rivoli. It's supposed to draw an assortment of heavy hitters regarding e-commerce, copyrights and the expansion of web access.
Betabeat was scarfing suacisson when we noticed a robot wandering the main hall, where hundreds of tech industry people, journalists and French politicians stood about, stuffing themselves and chatting. Read More


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Easy Baked Beans
- Total Time:
- 1 hr 30 min
- Prep:
- 30 min
- Cook:
- 1 hr
- Yield:
- 10 servings
- Level:
- Easy
- Total Time:
- 1 hr 30 min
- Prep:
- 30 min
- Cook:
- 1 hr
- Yield:
- 10 servings
- Level:
- Easy
- 1 pound bacon
- 1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, finely chopped
- Four 14-ounce cans pork and beans
- 1/2 cup dark molasses
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the drippings, and drain it on paper towels. Crumble and set aside.
Add the onion to the pan with the bacon drippings and saute until softened, a couple minutes. Stir in the beans, molasses, brown sugar, mustard and crumbled bacon, and mix well.
Pour the beans into a 3-quart casserole and bake, uncovered, for about 45 minutes.
Adapted from "Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen" by Trisha Yearwood (c) Clarkson Potter 2008. Provided courtesy of Trisha Yearwood. All rights reserved.
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Sunny's Easy Baked Beans
Recipe courtesy of Sunny Anderson
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Recipe courtesy of Jamie Deen


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Électrique Intrecciato VN Belt
Lift your separates with this finely crafted, hand-woven, intrecciato belt. Finely rendered in soft, supple VN leather, this versatile design has been accented with a solid metal buckle and eyelets.
- Solid colour, Leather lining, Metallic buckle closure
Composition: Calf-skin leather
Height: 3,0 cm
Made In Italy
Style: 271914V46504217
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Select size (Size Guide)
- 80
- 85
- 95
- 100
- 110
The size shown for this item is the size indicated by the designer on the label.
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Share and review vegan brands and items, and where to buy them!
Items need not be raw. Organic and sustainable items are a plus.
Vegan makeup should not been a compromise in quality and effectiveness.
Members: 142
Latest Activity: Dec 13
Welcome to "Vegan Makeup, Beauty and Fashion!"...
This is a group for all girls (and maybe some guys) that are firm believers in cruelty free vegan products (organic, raw and sustainable/eco friendly are a plus) but also want to have makeup and beauty products that rival or surpass the "quality" of the mainstream.
This group is in its earliest stages and will be building up a list of products ( more quickly with your help) in FOUR pages found below:
Vegan Makeup Products - Accessories like makeup romoval cotton pads, to brush sets, brush cleaners, foundations, illuminsers, lipsticks, nailpolishes and so on!
Vegan Hair Products - Shampoo, Conditioner, masques, Deep conditioners, Vegetable Colours, Dyes, Hair Sprays, Dry Shampoo and so on!
Vegan Skincare Products - Face toners, creams, body moisturizers, body brushes, shaving creams and so on!
Vegan Fashion Items- Clothes, shoes, jewelry, accessories . Companies and brands that are ethical with animals (and humans)!
Vegan Miscellaneous - Focus on sustainability, items from menstrual cups, toothbrushes/pastes/tabs and cleaning products.
If you know Items you'll like to suggest please comment on the relevant page!
The Discussion Forum is for questions related to products, specific brands, help with selecting a product and reviews. Refrain from having conversations on the Pages.
I'm looking to start a YouTube Channel called the "EarthBeautyChannel" with tutorials, reviews and discussions on vegan, cruetly-free and organic products.
Started by NiksPiks Nov 22. 0 Replies 0 Likes
What shampoo are you using? I've been using vegan, non-animal tested products for years and years and have no problems finding good stuff when it comes to make up, body lotions, conditioners etc., but I've so far completely failed when it comes to…Continue
Started by Lia Mack. Last reply by Amy May 29. 2 Replies 0 Likes
I've only been vegan for just under a year, 80% raw for 4 months.In this time I've been kicking one addiction after another - meat, cheese, milk, soy, dairy alternatives, over-processed foods, sodium, caffeine, refined sugar and most recently…Continue
Started by Michelle. Last reply by Amy May 29. 4 Replies 0 Likes
I'm a huge YouTube addict, and I find there are many awesome YouTubers who only use cruelty-free products, and deserve way more subscribers.Be sure to subscribe to them! :) They're awesome. Feel free to list your favorite(s)!…Continue
Started by Linda lee Dec 7, 2013. 0 Replies 0 Likes
I am looking to transition into vegan products, but I am still transitioning into raw till 4 (I make it half the time, or do one fruit meal and two high carb vegan meals). I do feel that I do not need to wash my hair as much, or lotion as much, but…Continue
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Hey Fruit Bats!
I'm Tabby Cat [ sorry, I prefer the anonymity..], and I'm 16.
Could anybody recommend any great vegan products in Australia, and where I could purchase them? I live in WA.
This group is awesome... I have just joined it and I am checking it out now.
xx Take care
Hi all!! I'm starting a video series on youtube of vegan makeup products. I also do tutorials, but those aren't 100% vegan yet! However, I'm getting there! There are SO MANY vegan makeup products out there and so many brands that I love so so much that I never knew were vegan! Anyways, I love makeup so much so it's really fun for me to transition with not only my food to be vegan but other things in my life. Here's my channel if you want to check it out :) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCKqCjahOFxhKb-jCWOaBKQ
Not sure if this store has been mentioned yet, but I came across them at a recent dance festival here in Sydney, I think the online store is located at footprintfashions.com.au (they stock dance shoes and a variety of others). The owner was lovely and the store looks worth checking out for any dancers out there. Cheers!
If anyone is interested in purchasing Arbonne's vegan, cruelty free skin care products (anything from makeup to shaving creme to deodorant to body scrubs and more) let me know!
We can chat one on one or in a group (either via Skype or a local meeting if you live in New Brunswick, Canada).
All of Arbonne products are pure, safe and beneficial. They are vegan certified, botanically-based, pH corrected, hypoallergenic, dermatologist tested and packaged in recyclable containers.
They are made without the use of animal products or by-products, mineral oil, petroleum products, waxes, SD 40 alcohol, acetone, Phthalates, parabens, dyes or chemical fragrances.
If you would like to learn more you can check out their website athttps://www.arbonne.ca/ or send me a private message on 30BaD.
Looking forward to meeting you!
I want to share some makeup tips with all of you.
Wash your hands and face! When touching your face, dependably wash your hands with an antibacterial cleanser and warm water. Verify your face is clean before applying cosmetics. To clean your face legitimately, get a great cleaning agent from your dermatologist. In the event that you can't manage the cost of a dermatologist, attempt a ton of diverse items and see which ones work better for you! Yet recall, items from Walmart, Walgreens, Target, and so forth all hold the same fixings in light of the fact that they can't offer any higher centralization of benzoyl peroxide (the purifying element).
These are the best makeup for teens. You should try these tips to get good results.
Apply lotion. When beginning, dependably utilize sunscreen, particularly on the off chance that you have issues with hyper-pigmentation (when your skin is mending and is somewhat darker than the common skin). It's better to get a lotion separate from your SPF on the grounds that then your SPF will be stronger. On the off chance that you have low melanin sums you have to utilize SPF 45. On the off chance that you have olive, dull skin and so forth then simply use around SPF 15.
Smooth. With a concealer brush or establishment brush, tenderly stipple that is one shade lighter than your skin tone under the eye to blanket any murkiness. Likewise utilize your concealer on zits, red spots or different defects. Presently blotch it in utilizing your center finger. Verify you spot, instead of wipe with your finger, else you will take all the concealer off. Additionally, you can utilize establishment as concealer, however utilizing genuine concealer will provide for you better comes about.
Pat. In the event that you have skin inflammation mineral cosmetics its greatly improved for your skin than ordinary establishment. Use Bare Minerals or Prescriptives; no shabby stuff. Keep in mind your skin is your greatest breathing organ! Young ladies with oilier skin may need to adhere to powder, and young ladies with drier skin may favor fluid/cream establishment or tinted lotion. All the more sleek skin can utilize matte gels or silicone based first stage which help to bring down the level of oil transformed.
Kohl, kajal, or Surma traditionally is vegan. Main stream companies may not keep this tradition though. I personally changed my eye makeup to this over a year ago. I got mine from http://loveallraces.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-to-make-kohl-and-where.... It is a powder that you use a stick to apply. Note stick is not included, but it comes in a nice glass supported bottle and there is a substantial amount. Personally I am light handed and do not use makeup very often, so this will last awhile . I liked this lady, because she explains on the page how it is made and was very open in her emails. Based on geographic location the recipe changes.
This question's not very glamorous, but can someone please recommend a brand of bedroom/houseslipper that is animal-friendly? Thanks!!
Part 2 - sorry due to the word limit couldnt finish previous comment.
Anyways so, get on your favorite vegan company and email them, once you mention the word vegan most places will be happy to send you a list of products which are vegan in their range.
When I emailed FOA makeup brand they were extremely helpful, they not only sent me the ingredients list but also highlighted which products are not vegan.
If they are happy to help you its most likely because they have no secrets to hid and are vegan or stock vegan products.
In general: most products are vegan, most foundations, concelors, primers, eye shadows (except once with extremely rich color pigment - often contain carmin +lanolin) as well as pressed powders and transulcent powders are all vegan.
blushers and bronzers are generally vegan also.
The only thing with makeup that isnt vegan are:
- eye liners
- mascaras
- some eyeshadows
- lip tars/lip gloss
- lip sticks
- lip liners
they all contain lonolin, carmin and beeswax. BUT there are plenty of vegan versions available, PURE GEISHA available on ebay is 100% vegan.
Eco tools - 100% vegan brushes.
ebay sells a lot of vegan makeup.
Also, when buying vegan makeup brushes, read the back of the package, most of them tell you if its fur or synthetic.
if it says 'natural fibre' it means dead animal fur.
you want to be buying synthetic or micro-synthetic brushes.
- if your a MUA/ beauty pro then crown brushes does stock plenty of micro sythetic brushes, they have a full range, a little pricey but are excellent for a professional environment, applies makeup great without the use of animal hair bristles.
I could go on and on, but this is a general guidline. Hope this helps and message me if you have an questions.
Also if your in Australia, FOA (face of Australia) is cruelty free and almost all of their stock is vegan, they were happy to send me a ingredients list outling their vegan products.
I buy a lot of FOA and Australis products - both are almost vegan and not tested on animals,
- all foundations, primers, concelors basically all face products are 100% vegan,
- all their eye shadows are 100% vegan
- they have a a couple different mascaras but the 'MEGA LASH' mascara is 100% vegan,
- almost all eyeliners and lip products are 100% vegan
they use synthetic version of lanolin so its 100% vegan,
Also NATIO - is a 100% ORGANIC and 100% vegan makeup brand
nothing is tested on animals, they have a full range of professional makeup that is all vegan, except for some lip sticks that contain beeswax.
(did product training course with them so I can assure you they are 100% vegan - plus they are accredited as cruelty free)
Hi cosmetic lover!
I'm a Vegan Makeup-Artist and would be happy to help any questions regarding makeup/cosmetics.
below I'm summarizing how I find vegan makeup products, and my experience and advice, as well as where to find vegan makeup, - trust me there is a lot of vegan makeup out there.
I know how it feels at the start when you are looking for vegan makeupt, it can be challenging, first thing is to familirise your self with the ingredients, especialy the ones that come in number form eg. 2232xyz . Peta has a list of all ingredients that are and are not vegan in cosmetics.
In addition Peta has accredited several companies to be 'cruelty free' you can find this list on their website. NOTE! that a company can be 'cruelty free' and still use animal ingredients!, cruelty free on makeup/cosmetics often means that its 'not tested on animals' however they still use animal ingredients in the makeup.
If your a strict vegan like me and find this annoying well peta also has a full list of accredited vegan makeup brands, there are actually plenty to choose from!.
you want to stay away from big expensive brands like Loreal, Chanel, YSL, and most of all MAC! Im sorry but MAC is the most cruel makeup company, all most all their brushes are made from real animal fur YUK! and non of their products are vegan.
Again the peta list can assist you in finding vegan makeup products.
I have been vegan for 6 years and raw in the past year, as a makeup artist it was hell changing my whole makeup kit to vegan, because I had to throw out everything, the key to vegan makeup is READING ingredients! and knowing whats in them
Also, if you are not a big fan of online shopping like me, than you will be surprised to find affordable makeup products in your local stores.
Do not be afraid to email!!!! I did this with hundreds of makeup companies requesting the ingredients list of their products. Some take a few days to send since many have to get this from the lab. But if they are kind enough to send you the ingredients then THANK THEM! (have to keep a friendly reputation for us vegan makeup fans)
If a company is not willing to help you with your questions, or 'doesnt know' what vegan ingredients are, and if the company refuses to give you the ingredient list, DO NOT BUY FROM THEM!. because they are NOT VEGAN.
You can still find popular vegan brands like NYX which actually stock a lot of vegan makeup products.
If your new to this, the two MAIN INGREDIENTS to look out for are lanolin and carmin, which are the most popular used animal ingredients, Lanolin is from sheeps wool, its the oil in it, and Carmin are innocent crushed up bugs used for their color pigment.
Also beeswax is commonly used but not all vegans have a problem with this being in their makeup, since its technically not hurting the animal, its just stealing from bees so its up to you just make sure its from a ethical supplier.
Also, if you are ever getting you makeup done professionally, feel free to ask for vegan only makeup to be used. your makeup artist should know the ingredients, and she should know what to use. if your makeup artist doesnt know what vegan/cruelty free makeup is, then LEAVE! because they will most likely put dead animal products on your face.
Its a part of makeup school to study the skin and ways to work with sensitive skin, the core unit is studying organic makeup which is mostly vegan - as this is also used for clients who have sensitive skin. ITS YOUR RIGHT TO ASK QUESTIONS! DONT BE AFRAID.
Hi to our two first members (didn't realise you had to ask approval to join, hopefully it's fixed now so people can just join!)
It'll take us a while to come up with full lists. You can do your part by doing some research, you may need to email these companies directly to see if they use any animal products. Some companies have vegan items, but aren't all vegan - an example being LUSH (you may have to specify vegan products vs non-vegan)
I'm trying to put together the BEST brands, there are a lot out there. I'll start doing video reviews next year. ;)
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text: That's how much money outside groups told the Federal Election Commission they have spent to date on the 2012 elections, according to Sunlight Foundation, a Washington-based watchdog group. Most of that money — $548 million — has gone to tell voters why they shouldn't support a particular candidate, rather than why they should. The figures include money spent by political parties and super-PACs that do disclose their donors, as well by as nonprofits that keep their contributors hidden.


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Billy Eichner: Gay, White, and Terrified!
Don't be fooled by the title of Billy Eichner's new one-man show at Joe's Pub, because this gay comic isn't terrified of anything (certainly not of Hugh Jackman's handlers).
Billy Eichner: Gay, White, and Terrified!
Don't be fooled by the title of Billy Eichner's new one-man show at Joe's Pub, because this gay comic isn't terrified of anything (certainly not of Hugh Jackman's handlers).
'Harper Regan' Tries to Complicate the Uncomplicated
Simon Stephens' "Harper Regan," getting its American premiere at Atlantic Theater Company after debuting at London's National Theatre in 2008, is far too muddled for its own good.
Nonmusical Revue 'How to Be a New Yorker' Is Bland Tourist Fare
"How to Be a New Yorker," the nonmusical revue of New York facts, sketches, and stereotypes playing at Sofia's Downstairs Theater, mines obvious material in unimaginative ways.
'North' Is a Strikingly Staged Fantasia on the Lindberghs and Saint-Exupéry
Jennifer Schlueter and Christina Ritter's "North," at 59E59 Theaters, is a mesmerizing fictional look at Charles Lindbergh; his wife, Anne; and French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
'Powder Her Face' Is Witty, Stylish, and Moving
New York City Opera's "Powder Her Face," a musically adventuresome, sexually explicit contemporary opera about a notorious British scandal, at BAM, both challenges and entertains.
'F#%king Up Everything' Is Tamer Than Its Title
David Eric Davis and Sam Forman's rock musical "F#%king Up Everything" stays safely within the realm of musical comedy but offers exuberant songs and a vibrant young cast.
'The Drowning Girls' Takes Your Breath Away
With a capable cast and an evocative staging, Strange Sun Theater's "The Drowning Girls" breathes vivid life and cheeky humor into the true story of the Brides in the Bath Murders.
'Mulan the Musical' Excitingly Blends Eastern and Western Culture
In "Mulan the Musical," the Red Poppy Ladies, an all-female Chinese percussion troupe, use dazzling drumming to tell the tale of a young woman who disguises herself as a soldier.
'Ganesh Versus the Third Reich' Raises Disturbing Questions
Uncomfortable silences, disturbing questions, and raw humor mark "Ganesh Versus the Third Reich," from Australia's Back to Back Theatre, in Under the Radar at the Public Theater.
Let's just get the superlatives out of the way. "Sarah Ruhl's Passion Play" is the most exciting, stimulating, and thrilling piece of theater to hit New York since "Angels in America."