Joanne Lynn

Last Updated:
Sep 3, 2008

Send Message
Instant Message
Email to a Friend
Subscribe

Blog Archive
Older     Newer ]


Thursday, September 04, 2008

To all my concered friends and Ffamily
Current mood: blessed

Okies its Time, Time that is I have release the cat out of the bag sort of speaking -

I know some of you haven't heard from me in this fashion, so anyway...

Some of my close Friends and contacts have been keeping close tabs on me for that Thank you for your support and concern :)
But after hearing a lot about Second Life before I could write about something I wanted to check it out for myself -get all the facts, humm something today's media doesn't do .. shakes her head, looks up , so while finding more info about SL i came a cross a very negative blog

at http://world-sl.blogspot.com/ regarding a subject that dear to my heart.. my wintke brothers and sisters

anyway heres the blog - (Author unknown)

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

My Own Shields

I also had to build shields. Some are clear, some are not; in Second Life, I use different avatars to shield myself from unwanted propositions. If I look like I normally do, like a voluptuous woman, I usually get all kinds of propositions, even when I don't want to engage romantically. I got myself an avatar that is less suggestive –a shield. It has worked so far. When I wear it, I'm not approached to go on dates. The last time I was a woman, I was asked for a walk in the forest and to spend time near a waterfall. Then I was asked to cuddle and kiss. I did. After some time, Curtis –I will call him Curtis – was interested in getting to know me, and I was open to share all I could. Then the conversation became very personal. I revealed myself, and since then, no more dates with Curtis for me. Here is how the exchange went:

me: so now, what other things about my RL do u want to know
me: dont u think there's so much to know about each other that we dont know
Curtis: loads!
Curtis: ask whatever u want
Curtis: ur a woman u must have hundreds of questions lol
Curtis: come .. typing then deleting lol
me: i do...do all women ask lots of questions
Curtis: of course its in their nature lol
me: so, what is it that u like about women then? besides the obvious of course
Curtis: lol thats gotta be the hardest question ever!
Curtis: theres lots to like and lots not to like, but at the end of the day we all need companionship, wether ur straight or gay, in my case im straight so its a woman
me: do u know gay people?
Curtis: no gays in my circle of friends at the moment but have known plenty, huge gay community in london
me: of course, what a dumb question
me: i love this song..i think this is so romantic
Curtis: surprised u know it, didnt realise paul young made it in the us
me: of course...are we listening the same tune "every time u go away"
Curtis: yes, paul young
Curtis: he had green hair when he did this, no idea why i remember that lol
me: so, how would u feel about dating a transexual woman
Curtis: never really given it much thought, u r transexual?
me: not really
Curtis: not really? yes or no r the only possible answers lol
me: well, remember when we met, and I told u I was studying behaviors in SL
Curtis: yes
me: so, i am trying to see how people react to transexuals
Curtis: an old mate of mine lived with one for years, we wasnt supposed to know but did, so i dont find them shocking and want to run away lol
Curtis: on the other hand i wouldnt see any future with one personally so wouldnt get involved
me: because, you think that they are not really like a woman
me: whats different
Curtis: diff as in they have no womb and cant ovulate or have kids
me: so, whats more important for u is to have children
Curtis: not sure i do personally, but would like the option, im not getting any younger!
me: couldnt u adopt?
Curtis: true, but its still diff from a woman who was born a woman but cant have kids for medical reasons
me: yes, i guess u want to have ur own kids
me: i mean ur genes…
Curtis: i would prefer that, but would never rule out adoption if my future mrs couldnt have them, or if i cant, ive never tried!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Humm okies some education needed there...

Here's one I found interesting ..

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Second Life is a Post-Gender environment

I've actually spent some of my life in some very progressive spaces, and I must say that some communities - extremely liberal college campuses (Antioch and Evergreen spring to mind), the Vancouver BC and San Francisco queer and "fetish" communities, and a few odd pockets here and there, have made the jump to what I would call "Post-Gender".
It's not to say that Gender isn't important in these spaces, it clearly is, mostly because we're sexual people, and because we have preferences about what genders we're attracted to and which we "associate" with. The big difference is that these environments run (mostly - we ARE made of individuals after all, and no utopia is universally perfect) without the assumptions of gender based on birth/physical characteristics. This is harder than you'd imagine in RL, but it is possible to take the time to talk, and listen, and pick up on the cues of someone's current Gender Identity rather than simply scanning some physical characteristics.
It's not unlike joining a roleplay community in SL, where the rules of exchange dictate that your RP character cannot automatically know anything about people whom you meet - including the person's name that's floating in glowing characters over their head. You have to engage and learn based on how they interchange with you.
In fact, it's a *lot* like SL RP in that way, because a person's identity can be just as fluid in RL, and you might be talking to Fae as Femme one day, and Butchy Fae the next day, even though it's the same person, or an Angel one day, and a Demon the next.

So the really interesting jump, to me, is that SL imposes a direct filter in your interactions - you're facing an Avatar, and not seeing the person's RL Gender, Race, Age, (dis)Ability, or other factors that normally in RL society provide the cues as to how we're "supposed" to treat them.

The beautiful thing about this filter is that it removes the tools of prejudice in immediate 1st-time interactions. If you cannot see someone's gender, race, age, or other factor during your 1st meeting, you must evaluate them based on the core person that they present, that is to say, the core person as that person defines it, not you the viewer. I call this core person their Identity, the one that they own and define as they choose, to differentiate from your preconceptions of it.

Some people find this filter, or even the concept of it, to be deeply offensive, because they're not "seeing the real person" - and precisely for this reason I point out that they don't need to know these preconcepts, they're striving to reach for their RL prejudices, and they need to learn to rise above them. Even though we politically and socially agree that prejudice in housing, employment, social organizations, healthcare is abhorrent, it clearly still happens constantly. This is because it's near-impossible for our society to overcome these assumptions we have about women, and racial minorities, and our older members, and "put them in their place". Feminism has been a strong and active force for half a century, but yet we've made no significant progress in salary equality in the past 20 years. Racism has too many clear examples to even begin the list.

Second Life pushes us past these filters, and allows people to meet and talk, on truly level ground, for the first time in many ways. Let's not let our prejudices creep back into the equation. Hold firm that we are all strong people, regardless of our RL bodies, and let's show what new types of open, richly diverse, and stronger societies we can build if we truly are listening to each other's True Identity rather than the physical masks we're forced to wear.

Source http://cala-sl.blogspot.com/

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What does being Transgender in Second Life Mean?

Transgender is such an overloaded term, and interpreted by many people in so many different ways, that it's worth an investment of time to explain what I mean by the term "Transgender in Second Life".
First, let us examine what wikipedia has to say on the topic. "Transgender is the state of one's "gender identity" (self-identification as male, female, both or neither) not matching one's "assigned gender" (identification by others as male or female based on physical/genetic sex). Transgender does not imply any specific form ofsexual orientation" (Bold and Italic highlights added by myself)
To clarify - Gender Identity "describes thegender with which a person identifies (i.e, whether one perceives oneself to be a man, a woman, or describes oneself in some less conventional way)".
Put simply, to feel or express oneself *in any way* - dress, mannerisms, up through physical body modifications, other than what is expected by society based on one's birth gender, is Transgender. Transgender is aninclusive term that covers a very broad set of subcategories, from Crossdressers, Transvestites, Drag Queens, Genderqueer, Transsexual, and a million shades of grey in between. It is not a term reserved solely for people who have such strong needs to change their body that they go through Hormone Replacement Therapy and Sexual Reassignment Surgery.

Note: expressing oneself as Transgender *in any way* in our First Lives takes incredible bravery, or desperation, or both. Generally,only someone who cannot live without it will go through it, because of the massive public revulsion, ignorance, fear, and hatred associated with this massively misunderstood category of people. Transgender people are regularlydisowned from their families or had their children removed from their homes,fired from their jobs, refused housing, refused medical treatment,physically abused, and tortured and killed with no notice or care from the public or authorities. The struggles for basic Human Rights, much less acceptance and understanding, have not progressed very far even in these supposedly very liberal times. In the United States, only 10 states include language inclusive of Gender Identity in Hate Crimes legislation.Only 5 States include Gender Identity in anti-discrimination legislation. Because of this, an incredible majority of people who are driven to express themselves as another gender are forced to completely hide their needs or desires for fear of any and all of these repercussions. We are usually referred to as imposters or posers or liars. In the best case, we are ridiculed and made the subject of humiliating and dehumanizing jokes. In the worst cases, we are killed and tossed aside by an uncaring public.

Enter Second Life. Suddenly, an incredibly high number of people who otherwise would never consider expressing themselves as the opposite gender suddenly have been provided a safe, anonymous, healthy way to meet this desire- or in many cases- need, that they never would have otherwise safely had. Now, with the entrance of voice, and now identity verification, the potential for public exposure and outing of one's Second Life gender identity (freely self-chosen) and having it associated with one's "assigned gender" (society's expectations of us) becomes an incredibly high risk. For anyone that is frightened by this, or would choose to hide closeted again, or lie and feel ashamed again, this is not a joke or a subject to be taken lightly. Families, careers, and lives are at stake here.

Because of the negative connotations of the Transgender term, the vast majority of people that I would include in my definition of TGs in SL would absolutely deny that they are part of that category- and that is their perogative, as Gender Identity is *SELF* chosen. And absolutely NO ONE ELSE can define for you whether you are "really transgender" or not- the very thought is ludicrous, as there is no test for transgenderism, and no one can actually read your mind and know your heart's hidden desires. I would simply point out that these are real people expressing themselves in real ways with real (though digital) identities that are critically important to them, and that the Transgender definition and community certainly includes all of them, if they so choose. One does not have to actually physically crossdress, or be public about your feelings, or go through the costs and perils of transsexualism to be a part of this community.

If you or someone you know or love is facing this fear, there are groups of us out here looking out for you and will happily join you in solidarity and support. You can continue to enjoy your Second Life in anonymous privacy and still join private support organizations and gain understanding and a willing ear - and when needed, a shoulder to cry on. There is a HUGE diversity in this community, and all of us have different stories and background. The vast majority of the TG community that I know is completely closeted in First Life and would never even consider admitting their desires or needs- for precisely the reasons I outlined above. I and my friends understand this, and I aim to be public enough to have more people understand and end the humiliation and abuse, and to continue to help all of you.

Love,
-Cala

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This next one hits home on its own merit Yes I'm a Dj on second life an have to use voice in alot of the clubs I work at but not voice chat that's optional and not required to use ... Anyway I have noticed at first the first time I voiced ...There was shock !!! My tips dropped, My fan base dropped and even some support. and Dj battles don't help but they are fun giggles

However like I said before with the exception of the VLD.. yes they are a real Ffamily to me , so I may have lost my birthfamily and gained one Taht truly loves, supports and stands with you no matter who you are, or follow gor or not, it doesn't matter to them and they have been the best support this Girl has ever had, I love them all,

Yes there are negative points and positives points about SL it depends on the user i guess, me I am very open on SL as alot of you know and some it even scares you.-giggles

The good news Northwest PA trans and Demonic Desires is trying to get the education out there for all those who would accept it about our community, and  they dont have a Big Obama sign near they location like another resource center did at one time who will remain nameless

Which I haven't figure out he's going to do if he supports Bush faith based stuff hummm anyway...

Hyper OMG OMG OMG !!!!

Its Official Alanna and I are married and she's collared to me - Giggles

10/08/2008 

[13:19]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: It is with great pleasure that we gather today to witness the joining of two hands, and two hearts as Mistress and submissive. These two people, Mistress JoanneLynn Dreamscape and Alley Gotter, have fallen in love so deeply, so completely, that today, they make a bond, a sacred covenant, whereby their hearts, their bodies, and their souls shall be united as Mistress and submissive for the rest of their days.

[13:19]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: JoanneLynn Dreamscape and Alley Gotter's respective friends, each represent a circle of love. A circle of love where members care for, and nurture each other, in times of joy and in times of sorrow. Today, they join their lives together to make a new circle of love, one that overlaps with, and is made stronger by those from which it has emerged. You have been invited here because of their special relationship with you, to witness the creation of this sacred bond.

[13:20]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: I have not known JoanneLynn and Alley long, yet it should be clear to any the levels of love and devotion that exist between them. They have asked to take the next step, to bring this relationship to its inevitable conclusion.

[13:21]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: Both realize where they are going, and know that a collar is not something to be taken lightly. They have come to this day through trust, honesty, and integrity, and from this day on, will be bound together for all time.

[13:22]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: I would like to share with you a short reading from "The Art of Marriage", in which hte author wisely states...

[13:22]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: In the relationship, the little things are the big things.

It is never being too old to hold hands.

It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once each day,

It is never going to sleep angry.

It is having a mutual sense of values and objectives.

It is standing together and facing the world.

It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.

It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.

It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.

It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each person can grow.

It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.

It is not only collaring the right person

It is being the right partner.

[13:23]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: The covenant of collaring is one that can be entered into only by persons who are both spiritually free to offer themselves to each other. Therefore, in the presence of all the witnesses here, I will ask JoanneLynn and Alley to state their intention. JoanneLynn and Alley, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other?

[13:23]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: yes I have

[13:24]  Allley Gotter: yes i have

[13:24]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: Is there anyone who wants to say anything, to tell JoanneLynn why he should accept Alley's offer?

[13:25]  Stazja Kirax: Joanna and ally I am so honored to be a part of this most wonderful day! Ive seen the both of Y/you and the love Y/you both share for one another and it is the most beautiful of relationships! Ive seen the love you ally show your beautiful Mistress and how You Joanna shine because of how proud You are of her.the tow of Y/you bring out each others strenghts

[13:26]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: aww thanks Stazzy

[13:26]  Stazja Kirax: I am so glad Yyou have each other and I wish Yyou both all the love and best from here to etertiny

[13:27]  Allley Gotter smiles

[13:27]  Stazja Kirax: love Y/you both dearly

[13:27]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: Is there anyone else gathered here today that would like to take this opportunity to speak further about this couple?

[13:28]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: JoanneLynn and Alley, please face each other and join your hands, and in so doing, join your hearts.

[13:30]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: JoanneLynn, please repeat after me:

I, JoanneLynn Dreamscape, take you Allley Gotter, to be my loyal and loving submissive,

to have and to hold, to love and to cherish,

for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,

in sickness and in health,

from this day forward, until death do us part.

[13:30]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: I, JoanneLynn Dreamscape, take you Allley Gotter, to be my loyal and loving submissive,

to have and to hold, to love and to cherish,

for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,

in sickness and in health,

from this day forward, until death do us part.

[13:30]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: Alley. please repeat after me:

I, Allley Gotter, take you JoanneLynn Dreamscape, to be my loyal and loving Mistress,

to have and to hold, to love and to cherish,

for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,

in sickness and in health,

from this day forward, until death do us part.

[13:32]  Allley Gotter: I, Allley Gotter, take you JoanneLynn Dreamscape, to be my loyal and loving Mistress, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, from this day forward.

[13:33]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: Divine Spirit, bless this collar and leash that JoanneLynn and Alley are about to exchange. May this collar and leash forever remind them of their covenant with one another, as well as the circle of love they have publicly created here today. May their compassion and kindness for one another always be like this collar, with no beginning and no end. May their relationship always be like this leash, binding the one to the other, separate but close, simple but beautiful, and may their love always belong in each other's hearts.

[13:34]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: Alley, please look into JoanneLynn's eyes, and present her with this leash, and repeat after me, "With this leash, this girl offers thee her servitude and love for all her days".

[13:35]  Allley Gotter: "With this leash, this girl offers thee her servitude and love for all her days"

[13:36]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: At this time, Alley, please recite your vows to your Mistress.

[13:36]  Allley Gotter: Beloved Mistress JoanneLynn, On this day, i offer you my Heart, Mind, Body, and Spirit.

[13:37]  Allley Gotter: I Vow: To be completely Honest and Faithful with you, Keeping Nothing from you.

[13:37]  Allley Gotter: To bring Honor to You. To Obey you completely in All Maters. I will Proudly and publicy wear your collar for as long as you desire to keep me as your own. in this world and the next.

[13:38]  Allley Gotter: i do so freely and without reservation, or restriction

[13:39]  Allley Gotter: i love you Mistress JoanneLynn

[13:39]  G0 Oh sniffles

[13:40]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: JoanneLynn, please look into the eyes of your beloved, and place this collar, a symbol of your love for Alley Gotter upon her neck, and recite your vows to her.

[13:40]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: With the placing of this collar around your neck and your acceptance thereof, I vow to do everything I can to be worthy of you, and your love, and service to me.

[13:41]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: I promise to hold you and keep you safe, to stretch you and give you flight, to respect the needs of our relationship above all others, to love you, honor you, support you in all things and be sensitive to your needs and desires all underpinned by the respect that I have for you and the deep and joyful knowledge that with you two halves are made whole.

[13:41]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: I acknowledge the trust you have placed in me and the responsibility that goes with my acceptance of that trust. I will never violate or even threaten to violate that trust.

I will continue to abide by SSC- and what we already have established.

[13:41]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: I will endeavour to be open minded enough to learn new things. Strong enough to grow. In times of trouble, to be a supportive friend and partner, never forgetting that this is still a loving relationship between two caring people.

[13:42]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: I acknowledge and accept with all my heart the gift of submission you have made to me. The collar itself is a symbol of that which we already know... that you are mine and by it's wearing you are safe to be everything that you are

[13:42]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: Do you accept this symbol in the spirit by which it is given you?

[13:42]  Allley Gotter: Yes, Happily.

[13:42]  Allley Gotter: i do

[13:43]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: it it with great honor that i lock your collar

[13:44]  G0 Oh sobs happily

[13:44]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: JoanneLynn Dreamscape and Alley Gotter,

with the support of your families and friends,

by the vows you have made to one another,

by the strength of your covenant,

and in the presence of the Divine Spirit,

it is my pleasure to pronounce you "Mistress and submissive."

You may seal your union with a kiss.

[13:45]  Allley Gotter: agkiss joannelynn

[13:45]  Allley's collar: Allley gives JoanneLynn Dreamscape a big kiss.

[13:45]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: We will close with a final blessing for your union:

[13:46]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: Now you will feel no rain,

For each of you will be shelter to the other.

Now you will feel no cold,

For each of you will be warmth to the other.

Now there is no more loneliness,

For each of you will be companion to the other.

Now you are two bodies,

But there is only one life before you.

Go now to your dwelling place,

To enter into the days of your togetherness.

And may your days be good and long upon the earth.

[13:47]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: Ladies and gentleman, it is my great honor and privilege to present to you for the very first time, Mistress JoanneLynn Dreamscape and her girl Alley Gotter!

[13:47]  Pearlita Noel applauses : Congrats girls!!!

[13:47]  DemonElderVLD Bondar: congradulations to Yyou both

[13:47]  Kerri Fall: congratulations :)

[13:47]  You: ~Tameiki~ >^_^<

[13:47]  LaDonna Oceanlane applauds and smiles

[13:47]  Caitlin Gunawan: congratulations :)

[13:47]  Antone Blessed: smiles for the happy couple ..

[13:47]  sapphyVLD Drut: grinsss congrats Ms Joanne n allley

[13:47]  Greywind Heron: Long life and happiness to both of you!

[13:47]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: thank you Ffamily anmd friends

[13:48]  tashaMC Obolensky: congrats Mistress Joanne and Her allley

[13:48]  LaDonna Oceanlane: Congratulations!

[13:48]  lilvampy Destiny: congrats

[13:48]  Stazja Kirax: smiles proudly!!!!

[13:48]  G0 Oh: Congratulations!

[13:48]  VampyressVLD Finl: many blessings be to Yyou on this day and on this union

[13:48]  G0 Oh: YAYYY!!!

[13:48]  You: Congrats, Miss Joanne and Allley

[13:48]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: thank you Vampress hugs

[13:48]  Allley Gotter smiles

[13:49]  Allley Gotter: thank you Aall

[13:49]  Cherysh Rhiadra: Congratulations now lets party

[13:49]  Greywind Heron: Here here!

[13:49]  Isis Hellman: Congradulations guys

[13:49]  LaDonna Oceanlane: woo lol

[13:49]  Greywind Heron: lol

[13:49]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: party at DD

[13:49]  EvalaDouce Boa: bonne bourre les filles :)

[13:49]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: on the beach

[13:49]  Greywind Heron: Nice

[13:49]  Stazja Kirax: congratz to Y/you both

[13:50]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: thanks Satzzy love ya sis

[13:50]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: Stazzy

[13:50]  Allley Gotter blinks

[13:50]  Antone Blessed: yay .. a toast to the ladies ... long life and happiness .. sl and rl alike ..

[13:51]  LaDonna Oceanlane: Cheers

[13:51]  Stazja Kirax: Anputeti the sevevies was amazing =)

[13:52]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: Thank you Izumi for all the work you have done and letting us borrow the temple

[13:52]  Stazja Kirax: *service

[13:52]  Izumi Coronet: it was me a pleasure and honour, Miss Joanne

[13:52]  Allley Gotter grins

[13:52]  Pearlita Noel blows a kiss wrapped in a wish of happiness westward

[13:52]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: thank you so much Anputeti

[13:53]  Anputeti Blabbermouth: Of course

[13:53]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: ok whos up for a party

[13:53]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: giggles

[13:53]  Izumi Coronet: wooooot

[13:53]  LaDonna Oceanlane: yay

[13:54]  JoanneLynn Dreamscape: Party will be at on the beach behind Demonic Desires

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fantasy%20City/138/103/25

[13:54]  DemonElderVLD Bondar: party?

[13:54]  DemonElderVLD Bondar: woo hoo
-------------------------------------------------

Her Vows

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Vows

I want to thank all those who attended as well in rl and SL our neighbors and friends
 who sat here watching a computer screen, for this wonderful day - thanks so much it means alot to Uus both!!!

humm lost my train of thought ... yea!!!

and its consider an international marriage WOOT!!! so Kicks the U.S. religious idiots.
Image that, two Lesbians getting married and it being recognized in other countries
 like it was in many native American Nations not to many moons ago..

oh yes here exciting news

Leonard Peltier
LMHR Love music, hate racism project will be doing a nonofficial birthday event and education sessionand they choose to have a club allley and I run Demonic Desires host it at our club sometime during the week of September 12 at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fantasy%20City/138/103/25

see this site for more info about Leonard Peltier http://www.leonardpeltier.net/

Leonard Peltier (bornSeptember 12,1944) is aNative American activist and member of theAmerican Indian Movement. In 1977 he was convicted and sentenced to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment for the murder of twoFBI Agents who died during a 1975 shoot-out on thePine Ridge Indian Reservation. There has been considerable debate over Peltier's guilt and the fairness of his trial. Some supporters and organizations, includingAmnesty International, consider him to be apolitical prisoner.[1]Amnesty International said, for example, that "Although he has not been adopted as a prisoner of conscience, there is concern about the fairness of the proceedings leading to his conviction and it is believed that political factors may have influenced the way the case was prosecuted."[2] Numerous lawsuits have been filed on his behalf but none has succeeded. Peltier is currently incarcerated at the United States penitentiary inLewisburg, Pennsylvania. sourcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Peltier

WOOOT !!!! Hyper OMG OMG OMG !!!!

for updated details keep checkinghttp://intencityentertainment.ning.com/group/demonic_desires

okies now what...hummmm

------------------------------------------------------------

Places I am currently working on SL

I run Demonic Desires and no its just a name, we haven't sacrificed anyone yet -giggles

Location                                                                                     Position

Demonic Desires
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fantasy%20City/58/35/423 -
Manager/ hostess / Dj

Club Cristi -http://slurl.com/secondlife/Pahto/48/249/36 -Manager/ hostess / Dj /dancer

Club VLD- http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fantasy%20City/58/35/423 -Dj

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Places I have worked at in the past

Club Cristi -http://slurl.com/secondlife/Pahto/48/249/36
 ( this was the first club I worked for ever on Sl special moments and nice people )! 

The Havenhttp://slurl.com/secondlife/Sins%20Island/139/68/23 -Dancer

Sinful Needshttp://slurl.com/secondlife/Fantasy%20City/58/35/423 -Dancer/ Dj /Hostess

The Realmhttp://slurl.com/secondlife/Awenhai/93/176/22 - A well paid Dj giggles

The Mortuary http://slurl.com/secondlife/Grand%20Cay/230/224/21 -DJ

If my profile doesn't scare you off than feel free to im or send me a note card in SL....

Joanne's Profile

Photo work done by Adoaration
Photo Credit: Adoration

If your been asking, why I sound male on mic while djing at sinful needs you need to readhttp://www.hormone.org/Pituitary/secretory.cfm
before you judge me, Yes I have a partner and sub named allley Gotter who is also my rl wife and sub,
who I love very much and will do anything for her, so don't attempt to play games with her or your ass is mine !!!
If your one of those hateful, genocide believing "christian people" I have no time 4U!!
If you're still interested in me see my web/rl tab -hugs

 

First Life Tab

Hello, I'm Joanne Lynn
I am also known as Garfield25,
I am also known as a Winkte two- spirited person in my Native American heritage. yes I'm trans
Yes I am a wiccian priestess and a Native American shaman and healer and don't want to be converted!!!

okays there's the truth no hiding for me sorry just my convection :)

until next time

loves and hugs
VLD Mistress JoanneLynn Dreamscape

for more info aboutSecond Life see

http://www.secondlife.com/?u=7868eaed8ee14f52a54dca3a72957213

3:05 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Prevent Hate Crimes in PA

Prevent Hate Crimes in PA

 


 

Take Action today to fully reinstate PA's Hate Crimes Law

When I was a boy growing up inBoston I had an older neighbor who was a little different.  As a teenager Rick was outgoing, liked to dance and wore flamboyant outfits.  Despite his clothing choices, he was popular with a lot of the boys in the neighborhood because he was a great dancer, and he was willing to teach us some basic moves so that we could go to the junior high dances and not look completely foolish.

One day I saw Rick walking by my house, but I didn't recognize him.  His face was swollen his nose was broken and he lost some teeth.  My mother said he was beaten up because he was "a queer."  I didn't know what that meant, but I knew it was wrong to beat up somebody simply because he was a little different.  I remember telling my mother that there should be a law to protect people like Rick.

InPennsylvania, there was a law protecting people like Rick.  It was an amendment to a law called the Ethnic Intimidation and Institutional Vandalism Act, better known as the PA Hate Crimes Law.  It was overwhelmingly passed in 2002 by Democrats and Republicans and signed into law by then-Governor Mark Schweiker.

That bill extended protections against hate crimes for people based on their gender, ancestry, sexual orientation,gender identity and mental and physical disability.

But last month thePA Supreme Court struck down the law on a technicality, saying it was passed illegally. That leaves Pennsylvanians in all of those categories vulnerable to hate crimes.

I don't know about you, but I find that unacceptable.  That's why we're calling on our State Senators andState Representatives to once again pass this legislation-and to do it right this time. Pennsylvania protects people based on their religion, race and ethnicity.  Shouldn't we extend the same protections to people based on their gender, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and mental and physical disability?

Please join Keystone Progress in calling for the reinstatement the amendments to PA's hate crimes law by clicking here.

Michael Morrill
Keystone Progress

10:47 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Widow Sues Pfizer Over Chantix After Husband’s Suicide and more ..

Widow Sues Pfizer Over Chantix After Husband's Suicide

Posted by Sarah Rubenstein Where there's a drug-safety controversy, there's a lawsuit waiting in the wings.

chantixIn Pfizer's case, the suit over the smoking-cessation drug Chantix was filed by the widow of a man who shot himself to death in January, Dow Jones Newswires reports. He'd started using Chantix in late October 2007, according to the suit, filed by Linda Collins of Gas City, Ind.

Collins alleges that Pfizer should have known Chantix was associated with psychiatric side effects and should have warned sooner about the issue. The husband didn't have any history of psychiatric disorders, according to Collins's lawyer, Kristian Rasmussen.

Pfizer said in a written statement that it has acted "responsibly, appropriately and in the best interests of patient safety" in connection with Chantix. It said it hadn't been served with a copy of the suit yet but planned to file a formal response.

Rasmussen of Birmingham, Ala., told the Dow Jones he believes this will set off a wave of lawsuits against Pfizer. Perhaps that's wishful thinking on his part, but lawsuit waves aren't exactly rare for Big Pharma. After controversy erupted over Merck and Schering-Plough's cholesterol drug Vytorin earlier this year, we noted that a New York attorneybrought suit on behalf of his mother. It wasn't long before class-action suitswere in the picture too.

Source:http://www.smokersclubinc.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4534

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Argentina investigates deaths of vaccinated kids

Aug. 15 2008

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Argentine authorities are exploring a possible link between the deaths of 14 children and an experimental vaccine they were taking in a clinical trial run by GlaxoSmithKline.

Argentina's food and drug administration is investigating whether the deaths are tied to the Synflorix vaccine, said an agency official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case.

The drug, designed to fight pneumonia, ear infections and several other pneumococcal diseases, was manufactured by the London-based GlaxoSmithKline PLC, the world's second-largest drug maker.

A U.S. spokeswoman for Glaxo, Sarah Alspach, said the company is not attributing the deaths to the experimental vaccine, which is being tested in three Latin American countries and in other countries around the world.

An independent board monitoring participants' safety recommended that the Latin American trials be temporarily suspended -- which they were in late June -- but then gave its OK for tests to resume, she added.

"We rely on their safety review," Alspach said. "Safety is our primary concern, always, with the development of any new treatment."

More than 19,000 babies have received at least one dose of Synflorix, which Glaxo plans to test on a total of 24,000 infants, she said. The company is still enrolling participants.

But according to the Argentine official, who works at the country's National Medicine, Food and Medical Technology Administration, the agency "received complaints about irregularities in the recruitment of patients" for the drug trial and on July 31 asked that recruitment be suspended.

Glaxo stopped recruiting the following day, saying it had already gathered the necessary number of participants, the official said.

Ana Maria Marchesse, who heads one of two groups that notified the national food and drug administration, told The Associated Press that she'd witnessed "poor ethical management" of patient recruitment.

"They didn't explain to the parents that this was an experimental vaccine, and a lot of the parents who signed consent forms were illiterate," said Marchesse, a pediatrician who heads the Health Professionals' Labor Association in the northern Argentine province of Santiago del Estero, where she said seven of the 14 children died.

"In some cases, they first gave them the vaccine and then gave them a 13-page consent form to sign that I had to read three times to understand," she added.

Marchesse said her group and a provincial doctors' association reported what they saw to the food and drug administration.

Glaxo's trial includes thousands of babies in Argentina, where Alspach said 12 children died; in Panama, where another two died; and in Chile. The natural infant death rate in those countries from pneumonia is 4 to 5 of every 1,000 live births -- more than four times the rate seen in the study, Alspach said.

Pneumonia is the world's top killer among infectious diseases, causing more than 2 million deaths a year in children under five, mostly in developing countries, she said.

The company is testing the vaccine in more than 40 clinical studies around the world, she added. Data from other studies show the vaccine is about as safe and tolerable as competitor Wyeth's blockbuster Prevnar, a vaccine widely used against pneumococcal disease, she said.

Still, the Argentine province of Santiago del Estero is conducting a separate inquiry into the deaths of the seven children there, local Health Minister Franklin Moyano told state news media.

"While legal authorities investigate, we're in an observation phase to see if everything happened as expected, or if there were deviations that caused damage, in this case the death of seven kids," he said.

Sourcehttp://www.smokersclubinc.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1373

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Smoking Ban Increases Heart Attacks

Anti-smoking activists claim smoking bans inScotland andWales led to immediate, sizable reductions in heart attacks. In both cases, Michael Siegel shows on his tobacco policy blog, these assertions are unfounded.

Anarticle in the July 31 New England Journal of Medicine cites a 17 percent decline in hospital admissions for acute coronary syndrome during the first 10 months after the Scottish ban took effect at the end of March 2006. Siegelnotes that the comparison was based .. from only nine hospitals. Based on data for all Scottish hospitals, he reports, the post-ban drop in heart attacks looks similar to declines seen in previous years. Between 2005 and 2006, heart attack admissions fell by 4.3 percent, slightly smaller than the 4.6 percent drop from 2003 to 2004. The difference between 2006 and 2007 was 8 percent, smaller than the 10.2 percent difference between 1999 and 2000. The two-year drop from 2005 to 2007 (11.9 percent) was not much bigger than the two-year drop from 1999 to 2001 (10.7 percent). Although "the analysis in this paper assumes that the entire observed change in heart attacks is attributable to the smoking ban," Siegel writes, "one cannot rule out the very plausible alternative hypothesis that the observed decline in heart attacks is explained by random variation in the data and the already existing secular trend of declining heart attacks in Scotland."

In the case of Wales, U.K. Action on Smoking and Health and the British Heart Foundation cited a 13 percent drop in heart attacks as evidence of the smoking ban's immediate positive effect. But as Siegelshows, drawing ..presented by Christopher Snowdon, this decline appears only if you compare the arbitrarily selected months of October through December 2007 to those same months in the previous year. But the Welsh smoking ban took effect in early April 2007. Data for the entire nine-month period between then and the end of the year show virtually no change in heart attack admissions compared to the same months in 2006. The overall drop between 2006 and 2007 was about 1 percent, much smaller than the drops seen from 2004 to 2005 (10.3 percent) and from 2005 to 2006 (6.3 percent). Furthermore, heart attacks rose in the first five months after the ban before falling again in the next four months. Based on the post hoc, ergo propter hoc logic of activists who assume that any decline in heart attacks following a smoking ban must be due to the ban, Snowdon writes, "we might even say that the smoking ban 'caused' a rise in heart attacks in Wales."

As I've said before, many of the jurisdictions that adopt smoking bans inevitably will see declines in heart attacks in the year or two after the bans take effect. If you focus only on those jurisdictions while ignoring random variation and pre-existing trends, it's not hard to create the illusion of an effect, especially if everyone forgets how biologically implausible it is for heart attacks to fall so quickly in response to a smoking ban (whether because of less smoking, less secondhand smoke exposure, or some combination of the two). Given the vast potential for cherry-picking data, the remarkable thing is what a bad job the ban boosters are doing.

Source http://www.reason.com/blog/show/127939.html and
http://www.smokersclubinc.com/Page/6106.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Truth is, healthy people cost us all a lot of money
July 21, 2008
By FROMA HARROP


The word "prevention" has a nice ring in any health-care discussion. Thus, many politicians argue that programs to stop smoking, improve diets and otherwise promote wholesome living save money in the long run. A healthier population at less cost — sounds like a win-win situation.
Unfortunately, that formulation is a pleasant fantasy.


Medical economists agree that cancer screenings and gym classes can lead to physical well-being and longer lives. But in the interests of honest accounting, they add that prevention does not reduce overall health-care spending. On the contrary.
Let's put it bluntly: Longer lives cost more money. Those who make it to 90 thanks to exercise and six daily servings of vegetables are more likely to suffer the expensive ravages of old age. Everyone dies of something.
So he who avoids a fatal heart attack at 70 is more at risk of cancer at 80. Those extra 10 years can mean extra CT scans, hip replacements and physical therapy, even for those in relative good health.
Despite this reality, the cost-saving virtues of wellness programs echo along the presidential campaign trail. Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Edwards talked them up — as did Republican Mike Huckabee. The presumptive major-party nominees, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, both include "prevention" in their health-care proposals.
"Prevention is absolutely the right thing to do," Arthur Garson Jr., the provost at the University of Virginia Medical School, told me. "The issue is, do not expect to get to the end of the day and have enough money from prevention savings to pay for the uninsured."
Author of the book Health Care Half Truths, Garson cites a recently published study on the high cost of healthy people. Dutch researchers found that medical spending on smokers, who died at an average age of 77, was $100,000 less than on nonsmokers who were thin and died at 84.
Companies that include wellness programs in their employee benefits may indeed see a savings in lower medical costs and absenteeism. But what they have done, really, is delay the onset of serious illness during the employees' working years and pass it onto Medicare, when the taxpayers take over.
A study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine finds that only 19 percent of preventive interventions save money. Their value depends on the particular intervention and the sort of people who get it. "For example, drugs used to treat high cholesterol yield much greater value for the money if the targeted population is at high risk for coronary heart disease," write the authors, Joshua T. Cohen, Peter J. Neumann and Milton C. Weinstein.
Rapidly rising prices for health care also add to the expense of moving big-ticket medical procedures into later years, explains Garson, a cardiologist. "In today's world, where the rate of medical care inflation is twice the rate of regular inflation, anything done 10 years from now is, in real dollars, 25 percent more expensive."
There are two ways to deal with that problem, according to Garson. Get medical costs down, and "keep people as healthy as possible as long as possible so that they don't spend as much money being sick."
The best kind of aging, he says, is to "have early old age last as long as possible and late old age last 15 minutes."
Yes, preventive care is a good thing because a long and healthy life is a good thing. We shouldn't lose sight of that big picture. But let's not deceive ourselves into believing that wellness programs can reduce medical spending over the long haul. That may come off as an attractive selling point for a health-care plan, but it's not so.


Harrop is a syndicated columnist in Providence, R.I.

Source http://www.smokersclubinc.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4531

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

The United Pro Choice
Smokers Rights Newsletter

August 22, 2008 - Issue 496

"The New England Journal of Medicine reports that 9 out of 10 doctors agree that 1 out of 10 doctors is an idiot."
- Jay Leno

Lexington Junk Science. Pay someone the money and they will produce what they're paid for. Anyone who's followed the issue of smoking bans at all knows full well what side of the aisle Ms. Hahn works on and knows full well what the results of any study designed and carried out by her will likely show.

Bad Air Like Smoking 300 Cigarettes A Day. Free radicals are made when your body processes food for energy, and also during the burning of fuels and in the same photochemical processes that produce ozone. They can contribute to aging and certain diseases.

How much is too much? Beyond the lies, lies by omission and exaggerations, the statistical deceit, the financial costs and incredible levels of profiteering, or the long list of other damages to otherwise peaceful and co-operative communities. Realization of huge mistakes made, shortly after they were made, the last time this nanny state theology was popular, might help to refresh our memories.

Smoking Ban Increases Heart Attacks. By Jacob Sullum. Given the vast potential for cherry-picking data, the remarkable thing is what a bad job the ban boosters are doing.

Tobacco smoke exposure does not increase breast cancer risk. By Andrew Czyzewski. Results did not vary with regard to parity, alcohol consumption, body mass index, age at menarche, age at first birth, whether or not the woman worked, use of oral contraceptives, or use of hormone replacement therapy.

Truth is, healthy people cost us all a lot of money. By Froma Harrop. The word "prevention" has a nice ring in any health-care discussion. Thus, many politicians argue that programs to stop smoking, improve diets and otherwise promote wholesome living save money in the long run. A healthier population at less cost — sounds like a win-win situation. Unfortunately, that formulation is a pleasant fantasy.

Killer Vaccine. Argentine authorities are exploring a possible link between the deaths of 14 children and an experimental vaccine they were taking in a clinical trial run by GlaxoSmithKline.

Widow Sues Pfizer Over Chantix After Husband's Suicide. Collins alleges that Pfizer should have known Chantix was associated with psychiatric side effects and should have warned sooner about the issue.

 From The Mailbag

CA: Pensions: Big Funds Eye Reinvesting in Tobacco Firms.
CA: Lawndale City Council blows off Hanna's hookah cafe bid.
IL: Melko and Cigar makers huff and puff over smoking ban.
IN: Lafayette man files appeal in slander case against councilman.
KY: Nelson County says NO to smoking ban. Thanks Alan and Nick!
KY: UK study says bingo not affected by smoking bans.
SC: Lark Jones replies from North Augusta about the people ban.
TX: Florist decides to stay open with no walk-in customers.
WV: Kanawha County Bar Owners Alter Strategy to Fight Ban.
USA: Time To Ban The Bans. It is individual choice.
The Canadian Smokers Rights Newsletter, read all the news.
Canada: Calgary gaming houses push for level playing field.
Canada: Police seize van full of contraband smokes near Oxford.
Holland: Kleine Horeca, Small Business Unite Against Bans.
Ireland: Alcohol-free hotel bar owner seeks to reverse smoking ban.
UK: Harry Singer jailed for NHS smoking scam, inventing quitters.
UK: MP David Heyes barred from pub for smoke ban support.

Welcome to the smoke-free
Olympics. Got a light?

 

Note: just click on the links to read the full articles.

Join FREE - Home - Events - Forum -Videos - Please Help -©

 

10:42 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Not yielding to the sum of all fears. and more articles
Current mood: forgotten
Category: News and Politics

The United Pro Choice
Smokers Rights Newsletter

July 11, 2008 - Issue 490

"Democracy's a very fragile thing. You have to take care of democracy. As soon as you stop being responsible to it and allow it to turn into scare tactics, it's no longer democracy, is it? It's something else. It may be an inch away from totalitarianism."
- Sam Shepard

Not yielding to the sum of all fears. By Kevin Mulvina. Today we need to rage against the real enemy. Those leaders of coercive greed and their manipulative campaigns that imprison us in the politics of fear.

The fag end of advocacy research. By Basham and Luik. The real miracle here is that such a scientifically illiterate story would be (a) written, and (b) make it past the editors of (c) even the sensationalist Daily Mail. There are so many problems with this claim that we shall confine ourselves to the three most glaring. AND Read Michael Siegel's, New Meta-Analysis of Effect of Smoking Bans on Heart Attacks Shows Bias in Tobacco Control Research. Unfortunately, a meta-analysis is only as good as the studies that go into it. Since the studies used in this meta-analysis have each been discredited, the meta-analysis is not of particular value. A meta-analysis cannot legitimately show that smoking bans dramatically and immediately reduce heart attacks if the individual studies have no validity in drawing such conclusions because they are based on shoddy science.

Secondhand Smoke is No Danger. Rush Limbaugh noted on his nationally syndicated radio program, fear-mongers unfairly have made an article of faith out of the charge that second-hand tobacco smoke can cause disease in humans. Dr. Arnett wrote that the basis for the second-hand smoke scare an EPA report in 1992 is not supported by reliable scientific evidence. The report has been largely discredited and, in 1998, was legally vacated by a federal judge.
 

From The Mailbag


Canada: At 95, legendary pianist Pinetop Perkins' is still smoking.
UK: Old Ned's still in top gear for his 108th birthday milestone.
Birthday Card: Share with friends, and sing along.

CA: Loma Linda, no smoking, alcohol, caffeine and meat.
IA: City awaiting "shake out" of new smoking ban.
MA: Poor excuse for taxes, have-nots must hand it all over.
MA: Princeton Street fire caused by fire-safe cigarette.
USA: FTC considers backing off nicotine guidance.
The Canadian Smokers Rights Newsletter, read all the news.
Denmark: Now ready to force smokers even further into a corner.
 

Defiance

IA: COBRA, IBOC file petition to overturn smoking ban .
HI: Smokers protest state restrictions. Motorcyclists, gun enthusiasts join in rally in front of state Capitol.
TX: Smoking Ban Seen as Unconstitutional by Local Tobacconist.
Canada: Shopkeeper willing to fight tobacco laws up to top court.
NZ: Court rules smoking room is part of workplace.
UK: Only bar still legal to smoke in is in the house of commons.
 

Ban Damage Hurts Everyone

MD: Woman shot and killed for not handing over cigarettes.
NY: Smoking woman falls 4 stories from midtown building.
OH: 6 teens beat, rob mail carrier after asking for smoke.
Canada: 2 women assaulted employee who reported puffing.
USA: Woman lights cigarette, punches flight attendant, diverts flight.
MO: Casino lost money from the same period last year.
Canada: Racetrack Attractions Hippiques owes more than $73M.
Germany: Smoking Ban Proves Costly for German Bars.
 

The Slippery Slope After Tobacco

Alcohol: India World no liquor day on October 2.
Alcohol: Pub banned from selling alcohol in Wales.
Food: Food Matters. Towards a Strategy for the 21st Century.
Peanut-free zone: How far should public accommodations go?
Sugar: The War On Sugar. By Chad Lilly. A grave danger threatens every man, women, and child in our country today. And from this menace, no one is safe.


WATCH: Smokers die younger! Than who?

The statements placed on cigarette packs are meaningless.
 They are worded for maximum shock value without any real substance.
They are just a load of bollocks.

 

Note: just click on the links to read the full articles.

Join FREE -Home -Events -Forum -Videos -Please Help -©

10:47 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Music Video: Georgie Jessup,



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh7R2Or1bdI


Description: As many of you know Georgie Jessup is one of my favorite
Winkte Artists,


 This song is from the CD "Woman In A Man's Suit," and is one of my favs

The video was directed by Tom Murray

Be sure to visit her page at

http://www.georgiejessup.com/

1:47 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Obama to expand Bush’s faith-based programs
Category: News and Politics

Obama to expand Bush's faith-based programs

By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer 28 minutes ago

Reaching out to evangelical voters, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is announcing plans that would expand President Bush's program steering federal social service dollars to religious groups and — in a move sure to cause controversy — support their ability to hire and fire based on faith.

Obama was unveiling his approach to getting religious charities more involved in government anti-poverty programs during a tour and remarks Tuesday at Eastside Community Ministry in Zanesville, Ohio. The arm of Central Presbyterian Church operates a food bank, provides clothes, has a youth ministry and provides other services in its impoverished community.

"The challenges we face today, from putting people back to work to improving our schools, from saving our planet to combating HIV/AIDS to ending genocide, are simply too big for government to solve alone," Obama was to say, according to a prepared text of his remarks obtained by The Associated Press. "We need all hands on deck."

But Obama's support for letting religious charities that receive federal funding consider religion in employment decisions was likely to invite a storm of protest from those who view such faith requirements as discrimination.

David Kuo, a conservative Christian who was deputy director of Bush's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives until 2003 and later became a critic of Bush's commitment to the cause, said Obama's position has the potential to be a major "Sister Souljah moment" for his campaign.

This is a reference to Bill Clinton's accusation in his 1992 presidential campaign that the hip hop artist incited violence against whites. Because Clinton said this before a black audience, it fed into an image of him as a bold politician who was willing to take risks and refused to pander.

"It would be a very, very, very interesting thing," said Kuo, who is not an Obama adviser or supporter but was contacted by the campaign to review the new plan.

Kuo called Obama's approach smart, impressive and well thought-out but took a wait-and-see attitude about whether it would deliver.

"When it comes to promises to help the poor, promises are easy," said Kuo, who wrote a 2006 book described his frustration at what he called Bush's lackluster enthusiasm for the program. "The question is commitment."

Obama proposes to elevate the program to a "moral center" of his administration, by renaming it the Office of Community and Faith-Based Partnerships, and changing training from occasional huge conferences to empowering larger religious charities to mentor smaller ones in their communities.

He also proposes a $500 million per year program to provide summer learning for 1 million poor children to help close achievement gaps with white and wealthier students. A campaign fact sheet said he would pay for it by better managing surplus federal properties, reducing growth in the federal travel budget and streamlining the federal procurement process.

Like Bush, Obama was arguing that religious organizations can and should play a bigger role in serving the poor and meeting other social needs. But while Bush argued that the strength of religious charities lies primarily in shared religious identity between workers and recipients, Obama was to tout the benefits of their "bottom-up" approach.

"Because they're so close to the people, they're well-placed to offer help," he was to say.

Obama does not see a need to push for a law to make this program work as Bush did, said a senior adviser to the campaign, who spoke on condition of anonymity to more freely describe the new policy.

Bush never got Congress to go along so he conducted his effort to give religious groups equal footing with nonsectarian groups in competing for federal contracts through administrative actions and executive orders.

Obama does not support requiring religious tests for aid recipients nor using federal money to proselytize, the official said.

Obama's announcement is part of a series of events leading up to Friday's Fourth of July holiday that are focused on American values.

The Democratic presidential candidate spent Monday talking about his vision of patriotism in the battleground state of Missouri. With Tuesday's talk about faith, Obama was attempting to settle debate in two key areas where his beliefs have come under question.

He planned to talk bluntly about the genesis of his Christian faith in his work as a community organizer in Chicago, and its importance to him now.

"In time, I came to see faith as being both a personal commitment to Christ and a commitment to my community; that while I could sit in church and pray all I want, I wouldn't be fulfilling God's will unless I went out and did the Lord's work," he was to say.

Source :http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080701/ap_on_el_pr/obama_faith;_ylt=AuRKSaHK_o_VBaI7q1NqqJes0NUE

8:30 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Clinton ending candidacy, supporting Obama
Current mood: betrayed
Category: News and Politics

Clinton ending candidacy, supporting Obama

By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writer
53 minutes ago

Her path to the nomination inevitable no more, Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to announce she is ending her groundbreaking candidacy and supporting Barack Obama, her rival in a presidential quest for the ages.

Clinton prepared to declare Saturday that she is backing the Illinois senator after Democratic congressional colleagues made clear they had no stomach for a protracted intraparty battle once Obama secured the 2,118 delegates necessary to clinch the nomination.

A presidential contender who announced 17 months ago that she was "in it to win it," the former first lady plans to end her quest with a more humble plea for party unity.

In truth, she had little choice.

Hours after Obama sealed the nomination, Democrats coalesced around his candidacy, sending a strong signal to Clinton that it was time to bow out. The New York senator told House Democrats during a private conference call Wednesday that she would express support for Obama's candidacy and congratulate him for gathering the necessary delegates to be the party's nominee.

"Senator Clinton will be hosting an event in Washington, D.C., to thank her supporters and express her support for Senator Obama and party unity. This event will be held on Saturday to accommodate more of Senator Clinton's supporters who want to attend," her communications director, Howard Wolfson, said.

Also in the speech, Clinton will urge once-warring Democrats to focus on the general election and defeating Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

The only degree of uncertainty was how. Clinton is exploring options to retain her delegates and promote her issues, including a signature call for universal health care.

The announcement closed an epic five-month nominating battle pitting the first serious female candidate against the most viable black contender ever.

Obama on Tuesday night secured the delegates needed to clinch the Democratic nomination. But Clinton stopped short of acknowledging that milestone, defiantly insisting she was better positioned to defeat McCain in November.

"What does Hillary want? What does she want?" Clinton asked, hours after telling supporters she'd be open to joining Obama as his vice presidential running mate.

But by Wednesday, other Democrats made it abundantly clear they wanted something too: a swift end to the often bitter nominating contest.

Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean and the Democratic congressional leadership released a statement urging the party to rally behind Obama, and several lawmakers, including Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar and Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, all endorsed their Illinois colleague.

Obama also announced he had named a three-person vice presidential vetting team that included Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the late President Kennedy.

On the telephone call with impatient congressional supporters that included New York Rep. Charles Rangel, a longtime political patron, Clinton was urged to draw a close to the contentious campaign, or at least express support for Obama. Her decision to acquiesce caught many in the campaign by surprise and left the campaign scrambling to finalize the logistics and specifics behind her campaign departure.

It was an inauspicious end for a candidacy that appeared all but indestructible when it began Jan. 20, 2007.

Armed with celebrity, a prodigious fundraising network, a battle-tested campaign team and husband who also was a popular two-term former president, Clinton was believed by many observers to be unbeatable.

But in Obama, the New York senator faced an opponent who appeared perfectly suited to the time — a charismatic newcomer who had opposed the Iraq war from the beginning — in contrast to her — and who offered voters a compelling message of change. Clinton voted for the legislation that authorized military force against Iraq, a decision that hampered her campaign from the beginning.

After a disastrous showing in the leadoff Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3, Clinton won New Hampshire's primary Jan. 8, setting off the state-by-state war of attrition with Obama that followed.

Her fortunes rose and fell like a fever chart: She was up in Nevada, down in South Carolina. Then, after a roughly even finish on Super Tuesday Feb. 5, she suffered a string of unanswered losses that, almost before Clinton noticed, put Obama so far ahead in the delegate hunt that all the big-state victories she piled up couldn't close the delegate gap.

By March, her options limited, Clinton adopted the persona of a tenacious fighter for the middle class. She powered successfully through primaries in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia and Kentucky, showing grit that earned her valuable political currency.

White men, blue-collar workers, socially conservative Democrats and older women were especially receptive to her message, and her strong showing with those voters exposed Obama's vulnerabilities among those groups.

Democrats whose No. 1 concern had been ending the Iraq war at the campaign's outset started worrying more about the economy. That was a switch from Obama's strength to hers.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080605/ap_on_el_pr/clinton

2:58 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos -