String Fever is Mounting!

Time to start making summer plans.  This camp keeps getting better and better.  Plenty of info here and on the site but I would be happy to answer any questions you have.  Hope to see you there.

Steven Vance

Extreme Strings Orchestra

 

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We just keep adding more ... STRINGS WITHOUT BOUNDARIES  DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY, PITTSBURGH Click  to REGISTER We are looking forward to sharing a vast array of playing and learning opportunities with you as we celebrate our sixth anniversary! NEW this summer: The SWB raffle on Friday, July 2nd! Prizes will include a 10% discount from the Electric Violin Shop with free shipping and two Knilling-Glasser Braided Carbon Fiber bows (violin and cello) from the Knilling catalogue ... Yamaha Strings is now an SWB partner Win a free set of Helicore strings by D'Addario if you are one of the first twelve registrants. Win a free Electric Violin Shop calendar if you are one of the second dozen registrants. Do you have or know of an alternative styles string group that's looking for a performance venue? Contact Julie Lyonn Lieberman to discuss performing on July 2nd, early afternoon, at SWB. TEACHERS: Bring four students and get free tuition to attend the teacher training or any classes you choose! (Room and board not included.)  NEW this year:Share the wealth! Two one-hour "Student Tune Labs." This is when YOU get to teach tunes and licks from your favorite style to SWB participants. ·         Check out our new Strings Without Boundaries T-shirts, tote bags, baseball caps, postage stamps, mouse pads, mugs, and more. The cool thing about the Zazzle store, is that you can choose from any of the SWB designs and mix and match with any merchandise from their catalogue. Choose your own colors, too!  Strings Without Boundaries at ZAZZLE  Our spicy summer program is open to string players of all ages and levels. We open with a festive participatory session on Sunday evening, June 27th and will end Friday evening, July 2nd with an awesome participant concert! Our faculty will include world-renowned fiddler Richard Greene (American fiddle styles) author and jazz violinist Martin Norgaard (jazz styles), improvising cellist and composer Matt Turner(rock styles), and improvising violinist/author/composer, Julie Lyonn Lieberman (Blues From Around the World).  Our incredible teaching faculty will include newcomer Vicki Richards (premiere performer/educator in East Indian string techniques and repertoire), Steven Vance (Extreme Strings), Jan Farrar Royce,(author/educator) and Mary Ann Willis (author, Gypsy and Eastern European styles). A camp for all ages, levels, and styles ... Richard Greene ... One of America's most influential fiddlers - certainly one of the giants of modern fiddling, with Richard Greene you get the complete Bluegrass fiddle package: great technique, daring invention, sensitivity to the music's inner soul and a fiery presentation. - Bluegrass Unlimited Matt Turner ...  Turner's capabilities on the cello are remarkable, from percussive African riffs to gossamer melodies. - Hollis Taylor, Fiddler Magazine Martin Norgaard ...  What Norgaard does best is, in a word, balance. He is a player, and he is a teacher. We don't always find the two combining so efficiently. - Fiddler Magazine Julie Lyonn Lieberman ... Innovative jazz violinist/vocalist Julie Lyonn Lieberman is striking out into new territory once again, taking fellow string players on a global odyssey...Lieberman has always been a step ahead of the curve. - Fiddler Magazine What distinguishes our summer session?   Our faculty is composed of professional performers who are also renowned educators, composers, and authors. This translates into awesome playing in combination with excellent communication skills: we know how to impart techniques and styles in an organized, clear fashion. This year, some of the electives offered, include:  Gypsy, Eastern European, East Indian, Arabic Taqsim, and Celtic styles; practice techniques; amplification techniques; jazz theory; Gypsy jazz; small group improv; electronic instruments; how to choose and set up a sound system; marketing and entrepreneurship; and much, much more. In addition to teaching repertoire from dozens of styles, we focus on ensemble-oriented classes. Players are encouraged to solo, to interact with one another, and to learn the repertoire through a comprehensive, global approach: style-appropriate techniques, melody, harmony, rhythm & groove, bass lines, and counterpoint. Our group classes maintain a feeling of connection between the students. Now in our fourth year, our program was the first in the world to offer an Eclectic Styles Teacher Training Program After the opening faculty concert on Monday night, we offer a jam session in a different style each night. We welcome students aged 11 through 100+ and do not separate by age group, but rather by level because we believe that all ages have something to contribute to one another. We endeavor to create a family feel that is comfortable and honors the talents of every individual.   About Vicki Richards ... Completely original, totally captivating, a startling journey through North Indian, Far Eastern and modern melodic styles, wrapped in mesmerizing layers of rhythm and harmony... raging solos...majestic, delicate.  - Jazz Times  About Mary Ann Willis ... If the sound of a wild Gypsy violin moves your spirit, Mary Ann [Willis] Harbar's Gypsy violin is a great place to learn...We could certainly use a few more fiddlers out there who can play with Harbar's skill and spirit. Fortunately, she's willing to teach us how. - Tom Knapp, Rambles.net editor   Eclectic Styles Teacher Training  -- the first in the world -- offers an In-Depth Experience Julie Lyonn Lieberman started the eclectic styles teacher training four summers ago to help support string teachers in offering a stylistically inclusive approach to their students. After close to thirty years conducting teacher training through MEA and ASTA chapters as well as in-school residencies across the country, she had already been on a crusade to teach American students about their own country's string music, as well as world styles. She saw first-hand the need for a central training facility that could help string teachers compensate for a lack of stylistically inclusive training in their own backgrounds. Four years ago, Strings Without Boundaries provided her with the support she needed to launch a teacher training program. The Eclectic Styles Teacher Training Program at Strings Without Boundaries will provide you with right- and left-hand techniques to sound style-appropriate, five approaches to improvisation, and an overview of American vernacular and world styles -- all in a safe, comfortable setting. Sessions will include American fiddle styles with Jan Farrar Royce, jazz styles with Martin Norgaard and much, much more. Download your free Alternative Styles Teacher Manual! You can purchase a copy of the text for the course, Alternative Strings: The New Curriculum, on amazon.com. At SWB, we recognize that every classroom in America is different. We focus on helping you develop the skills necessary to create a unique and malleable stylistically inclusive learning environment for your students. Our teacher training will answer the most common questions, like: Why do I still sound classical when I try to play other styles? How do I choose from so many different styles? How can I teach something that I have little or no background in? What is the best way to organize an eclectic styles lesson plan? What do I need to learn on my instrument that will help my students? How can I justify appropriating time for improvisation or other styles when I hardly have enough time as it is? and much, much more. Julie will demonstrate what she calls a "music without boundaries" approach that applies learning techniques from around the world to any style of music. This approach prepares the student for all styles.   Graduate and Act 48 (continuing ed.) credits are available for teachers who participate in these sessions or any aspect of the week. For more information, email Chris Bromley  Julie Lyonn Lieberman can help you incorporate new approaches into your curriculum better than anyone I know.  - Roberta Guaspari-Tzavaras, Artistic Director, Opus 118 Harlem Center for Strings; inspiration for the Academy Award-nominated movie,Music of the Heart.  Lieberman, already the consummate performer, composer, and educator, [is] an undeniably intelligent, perceptive and articulate individual well ahead of the curve in string music education...  - J.F.R., American String Teacher. Please become our friend on Facebook and MySpace!! If you've been with us in the past, we welcome your comments on our blog about your experiences at Strings Without Boundaries! My Space: Strings Without Boundaries Facebook: Strings Without Boundaries Check out our videos from summer 2009!! Program Director: Stephen Benham  Artistic Director: Julie Lyonn Lieberman  Program Founder: Roy Sonne For questions regarding registration (including course credit) and housing, please contact Christopher Bromley: 412-396-6083 or bromleyc@duq.edu For other questions regarding the camp, contact Stephen Benham: 412-396-1887 orbenham@duq.edu strings@stringswithoutboundaries.com Visit Us Online Phone: 412-396-6083 re: registration and housing

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Viddler changes it video policy and will NUKE source files after 30 days. I've got a lot to download now

Hello,
First, thanks for choosing Viddler. We’ve experienced amazing growth since we launched in Dec. 2006. Viddler provides three different levels of service: business, partners and personal. The business and partners services generate revenue for Viddler and cover the cost of their bandwidth and storage usage. The personal service, while generating some revenue from ads, does not cover the cost of bandwidth and storage for all the personal usage.

The Viddler team wants to continue to provide the personal use service, especially for the amazing community that has grown with us over the past 3 years. We’ve been monitoring our costs, and the way people view videos. Over the past three years, the amount of original source file storage has grown astronomically – with very few people ever accessing the original source file (the one you originally uploaded to Viddler that was then converted into another file to play in our player.) While we want to keep the original source files for everyone, in order to continue to grow, and remain in budget, we can’t continue to do it as part of the personal level service.

The Terms of Use are changing to state that personal level accounts’ original source file will be stored for 30 days from the date it was uploaded. Of course, the converted video file will be available as long as your account is active. And you will still be able to download the converted file.

This email is to make you aware of the change in policy – and to give you 30 days to download any original source files you may need. Original source files uploaded before this email (March 29, 2010) will be available until May 1, 2010. Original source files uploaded from today (March 29, 2010) on will be available for 30 days.

Thank you for your patience and understanding and thanks again for choosing Viddler.

Donna DeMarco & the Viddler Team

I have a few hundred videos on Viddler. I've tried to trust them with the source files -- until now. I've got a lot of DVDs and CD-Rs to ready to get those files.

Or, I need to find a sponsor to get me to the point where I can keep those on their servers as I've done in the past.

Univ. California Davis Swimming

Prepared statements: Pittsburgh City Council: Garment workers are not rocksalt

To be presented at Pittburgh City Council - March 30, 2010

KENNETH MILLLER, Pittsburgh Anti Sweatshop Community Alliance, 412-867-9213

nosweatshopsbucco@yahoo.com

The Pittsburgh Anti Sweatshop Community Alliance participated in a celebration of Martin Luther King Day with garment workers in Bangladesh this year. It was an opportunity for us to discuss what we have in common and our shared hopes for the future. Two action items were put into motion during that celebration. Workers decided to:

SOLICIT testimony from union members that work is specific factories that have entered into contractual arrangements with the City of Pittsburgh

VISIT Pittsburgh to deliver this testimony.

Members of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity will be here on Tuesday April 27, 2010, less than one month from now.

I know that this community is against sweatshop working conditions and that we support Human Rights. This Council and the Ravenstahl Administration are eager to enforce our anti sweatshop ordinance.

The ordinance is designed to leverage our procurement of apparel. Immediately, you can see several obstacles:

The apparel we are referring to has already been purchased. The policy cannot be implemented by guiding a procurement decision/we have contracts that have to be remediated.

We have purchasing agreements with Allegheny County and it is unclear exactly who executed the contracts that procured this apparel.

THIS IS THE BIG ONE: The success of any anti sweatshop procurement policy is about our ability to leverage procurement. It follows that the larger the procurements being leveraged, the more successful the outcome, the more effectively we will meet the intention of our law.

Often, intergovernmental cooperation is lauded as the best way to achieve efficiencies in government or leverage government dollars in the market place to save money. My message to you today is that GARMENT WORKERS are not ROCKSALT. You need the governments of Allegheny County and the State of PA to respond to the testimony you will receive on April 27. Your work with these governments will require a little more persistence and rigger than the kind of work you might apply to determine benefits the city might receive from a contract for rocksalt.

Timothy Johnson at Allegheny County’s Department of Administrative Services has the list of factories that the City of Pittsburgh has been supplied by and is able to affirm that these are specific factories we are reviewing testimony from on April 27. John Dieghan in Procurement is requiring venders to promise that the apparel they are providing is not made in sweatshop working conditions. The testimony we will receive on April 27 will directly contradict the bid specifications that were agreed to.

Governor Rendell has asked Secretary Creedon to rigorously implement his anti sweatshop Executive Order of 2004. The City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County will need to work with them and enter into specific agreements… such as a “SweatFree Consortium” or a joint contract with a credible 3rd party investigator. Secretary Creedon and his staff are very alert to the logistical and financial difficulties the implementation of this legislation could have on cities such as ours and have developed strategies that take this into account.

The Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity is coming here with the clear and reasonable expectation that we will RESPOND to their testimony in a way that empowers them to exercise their Human Rights and be able to go to work in a garment factory that is not a sweatshop. Please, Council President Harris, arrange for them to come and present their testimony here in City Council at 2 PM on Tuesday April 27.

What needs to be done in preparation for April 27 is difficult. This is not an intergovernmental agreement about rocksalt. This is about human beings. This is responding to people telling us about Human Rights abuses they are experiencing and that we have a legal mandate to address. I believe that this Council has the fortitude, where-with-all, intelligence and commitment to Human Rights.

from Citizens Against Government Waste

Porker of the Month: Rep. Louise Slaughter

Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) has named House Rules
Committee Chairwoman Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) Porker of the Month for
conjuring up an eponymous House "rule" that would have
allowed House Democrats to ram through the $2.3 trillion healthcare
reform bill without directly voting on it. The invocation of the
"Slaughter Rule" was one of the last steps in the tortured
journey of the bloated, expensive healthcare bill. In an effort
to absolve vulnerable House Democrats of having to take an unpopular
vote on the Senate version of the bill without an ironclad guarantee
that the Senate would later enact corrections to the most toxic
provisions, Chairwoman Slaughter jury-rigged a proposed
"self-enacting" rule that would allow the House to vote to
"deem" the Senate bill as passed without forcing members
to cast individual votes up or down. To quote former House
Speaker Newt Gingrich, "Last year, the House was passing bills
without reading them. This year, they're passing bills
without voting on them." This mind-boggling disintegration
of the legislative process into procedural travesty enabled by
Chairwoman Slaughter provoked questions of constitutionality,
fairness, and transparency, and in the end was not used to pass the
abominable healthcare bill. For her mindless slaughter of the
legislative process and leading an assault on the credibility of
Congress, House Rules Committee Chairwoman Slaughter is CAGW's
March Porker of the Month. Read more about the Porker of the
Month.

http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=qz_MY9frZx9mBhKxSdU51A..


CCAGW Praises GOP for All-Out Earmark Moratorium

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) commended
House Republicans this month for enacting a unilateral ban on
congressional earmarks, including those that are tariff- and
tax-related, for fiscal year (FY) 2011. The GOP's move
came one day after House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey
(D-Wis.) and Defense Subcommittee Chairman Norm Dicks (D-Wash.)
announced that the committee would no longer accept earmark requests
directed to for-profit entities. "House Republicans have
finally stepped up to rein in wasteful and corruptive earmarked
spending," declared CCAGW President Tom Schatz.
"This move has been a long time coming and tens of thousands of
wasteful earmarks worth hundreds of billions of dollars have been
enacted while taxpayers waited for authentic leadership from members
of Congress." Due to the efforts of waste watchdogs,
earmarks have been on a downward trajectory over the last four years,
as documented by CAGW's Pork Database. In FY 2006,
Congress stuffed the appropriations bills with 9,963 earmarks totaling
$29 billion. In FY 2009, the appropriations bills contained
10,160 earmarks costing $19.6 billion, a 32 percent reduction in
dollar terms. During that same period, Congress began requiring
that all earmarks be accompanied by the name of their congressional
sponsor, a significant improvement in transparency.
http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=0RwTQi9eUTrZ5p5OugsPSw..

Read more about the House Republicans' earmark moratorium

http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=eKXByx90mwzaN036aLL_WQ..
CAGW Applauds President's Support for Fraud "Bounty
Hunters"
CAGW applauded President Obama for announcing on March 10 that he will
use private-sector auditors to root out fraud in the country's
two massive government-run healthcare plans, Medicare and
Medicaid. The practice of using private-sector auditors,
technically called recovery audit contractors (RACs), to identify and
recover improper payments to healthcare contractors and providers has
been a staple in the private sector for many years. The Office
of Management and Budget reported on November 18, 2009 that federal
improper payments across the board totaled $98 billion in FY 2009, an
increase of 38 percent over the $72 billion in FY 2008. Medicare
and Medicaid accounted for $54 billion in improper payments.
Even though a limited three-state Medicare RAC demonstration project
implemented by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services between
2005 and 2008 initially encountered stiff resistance from hospital
associations, some providers, and some members of Congress, the
program was nonetheless rolled out nationwide by January, 2010.
"Recovery auditing has been a critical tool in the
government's anti-waste arsenal for several years," said
CAGW President Tom Schatz. "We are pleased to see the
President publicly recognize its importance and advocate its use to
claw back tens of billions of taxpayer dollars lost to waste and
abuse." Read more about the savings produced by Medicare fraud
"bounty hunters."

http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=29AH0BxkzzAIbbu-O5G19w..

CAGW Applauds Georgia Budget Task Force

CAGW has congratulated Georgia Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle (R)
upon the release of the report of the Budget Task Force. The
seven-member Task Force performed a detailed review of state
government spending and operations, and the report provides 50
recommendations that have the potential to save more than $3
billion. The proposals can help alleviate the state's $1.6
billion budget shortfall without raising taxes. "Georgia
is the latest state to undertake the kind of detailed review of
programs and functions that should be performed by governments at all
levels, from federal to local," asserted CAGW President Tom
Schatz. "States from South Carolina to Nevada have been
issuing similar reports over the past several years and adopting
recommendations to make government more efficient and effective.
The Georgia report notes that the 50 states are facing an overall $350
billion budget shortfall in fiscal year 2011, making these task forces
even more essential." CAGW has been working with and
encouraging the creation of state cost-cutting commissions around the
country in order to promote more effective and efficient government
and to help balance budgets without raising taxes. Read more
about the Georgia Budget Task Force's recommendations
http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=Y9pXm4RmGvEjakc8Mvv2tQ..

Take Action!

Tell Congress: Sign the No Pork Pledge!  http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=CtmIAaeSgFujUk4AJkrfWw..

Sign the Citizen's Demand to Ground the Joint Strike Fighter Alternate
Engine Program! http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=OWdANuEpgNNkTyz8sM4F7Q..

Washington Residents: Help Stop a Tax Increase in Your State! http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=X7XzVTdJgBIcWi4wdLDhgQ..

CAGW Commentary: "Sex, Drugs and BlackBerrys" by CAGW President Tom Schatz, http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=XAotVZRY-Qzg9kfZl343eQ..  The Washington Times (March 16, 2010)

Visit CAGW's Blog! - Give us your opinions and tips about government waste in your area on
"The Swine Line"!  http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=FAebB8RCEOZXCzP3Zqb4bQ..

Read more
http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=x3NKFyqn_G32UyrrBzV3UQ..

about the Pork Advisory System.

Wastewatcher Read the monthly newsletter online.
http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=-7Sj9kfnWgZ96hB2tN2rfQ..

This month's issue includes the articles:

"There Ain't No Rules Here": Vote Buying, Fix-its, and Budget Gimmicks Used to Ram  through Healthcare Bill http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=zSpR0PiJcj-nPcw_fuX-5Q..

Government Broadband is too Broad http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=u4EV5-hBnTv4-k7bmoKqmg..

It is Time to Deflate Federal Salaries http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=1B9eUzQC0_I-3AVi1KZU1g..

To Infinity and Beyond! http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=Dw3Dq2jqmjpzzJq6YzeIMA..

Robbing Peter to Pay Paul: Trying to Track Stimulus Money Robs Oversight of Other Federal Spending http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=NXanbNG_v2Ym_ZbovhxNhQ..

Shop CAGW! http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=UcflCZ_fgmLz1ii5L2c6tw..

In the News...

The Washington Post(March 23, 2010): "Breaking the Earmark
Addiction" http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=HJXjdl9ZXRX4gUTGp2zhkg..

The Cleveland Plain Dealer(March 21, 2010): "Health Care Bill Arrives at Historic Vote Today in U.S. House of Representatives" http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=ZxS6WUCDL-mld-zEDETVNg..

FOX News (March 17, 2010): "Watchdogs Barking at Taxpayer-Funded
Traffic Barrier 'Art'" http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/R?i=i8ljxFy_mU0rIszi6i2k_g..

Fw: DR News: Can Corbett See the Forest for the Trees?

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

---

From: Tim Potts Democracy Rising PA <tim@democracyrisingpa.com>

Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:46:57 -0400 (EDT)

To: <mark.rauterkus@gmail.com>

Subject: DR News: Can Corbett See the Forest for the Trees?

Democracy Rising Pennsylvania

UNSUBSCRIBE HERE Referendum & Convention Update Here's another reason for a Constitution convention: Clouding Up Sunshine Law, Editorial, Dubois Courier-Express, March 22 And here's another candidate who has signed the petition for a referendum this fall: In the Lehigh Valley, Justin Simmons is opposing Rep. Karen Beyer in the Republican primary. Can Corbett See the Forest for the Trees? Although a jury returned guilty verdicts against former House Democratic Whip Mike Veon, D-Beaver, and two staff on Monday, Attorney General Tom Corbett didn't have long to savor his victory last week. The rest of the week was all downhill. Click here for a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story summarizing the verdicts. At his victory news conference on Tuesday, Corbett exposed a curious myopia about the relationship between the trees felled in the trial (as well as 13 more defendants awaiting trial) and the forest of government that he hopes to lead as he campaigns for governor. "Hopefully the people of Pennsylvania can have a little bit more faith in their state government today now that these defendants have been convicted," Corbett said in The Philadelphia Inquirer. Click here. Other news reports also quoted Corbett as saying that we will never know whether lawmakers have learned a lesson from his prosecutions. Corbett seems to be unaware and unconcerned that after three years of investigations, trials and pleas, lawmakers have not enacted a single law to make sure that this scandal, which has now cost taxpayers more than $10 million according to some estimates, will not happen again. New laws, plus better enforcement of existing laws, can raise citizen confidence and show that lawmakers are determined to repair the conspicuous problems with state government. Now they seem to be biding their time before reverting to the culture of corruption that allowed the Bonus Scandal in the first place. Given his roles as both attorney general and gubernatorial candidate, Corbett is in the ideal position both to recommend new laws to prevent a repeat of the Bonus Scandal and to campaign for a Constitution convention where citizens can decide for themselves how to alter and reform their government. He has done neither. By the end of the week, that dual position became more troublesome. A preliminary hearing for another defendant, former Rep. and former Revenue Secretary Steve Stetler, D-York, had to be postponed. Stetler's attorney filed a motion to dismiss the charges against him with the accusation that Corbett engaged in the same practice of using tax dollars to subsidize his own election campaigns. Click here for a story from the York Daily Record. Judge Richard Lewis has given Corbett two weeks to respond to the motion. Also, an attorney for one of the staff convicted on Monday has asked the judge to declare a mistrial. A juror wrote in a blog post that jurors had visited the capitol building during lunch one day to see the scene of the crimes. However, jurors are not permitted to do their own investigations and must limit their deliberations to the evidence presented in court. Click here for a Post-Gazette story. Lewis gave Corbett two weeks to respond to that motion, too. While finding a variety of activities to be illegal, jurors did not find another act to be illegal. That is the practice of lawmakers charging taxpayers for meals on top of the three meals a day taxpayers already buy them with per diems . Veon and a cadre of basketball buddies charged taxpayers more than $15,000 for meals following their after-hours pick-up games. Click here for Brian O'Neill's latest column in today's Post-Gazette. Questions for lawmakers: We often pose questions that citizens and reporters may want to ask their lawmakers. Now the AP's Mark Scoloforo has compiled a list of questions that voters can ask incumbents as a result of the Bonus Scandal. Click here. And here are a few of our own: When will PA debate a "resign-to-run" law to prohibit public officials from serving in one office while running for another? How many meals do taxpayers have to pay for each day? Why aren't three a day enough? When will the House and Senate adopt a rule (better yet, a law) that tax dollars may not be used for food beyond what lawmakers receive in per diems? Which "leader" is going to make that happen? When will the House and Senate require lawmakers to document their expenses in order to receive per diems, just as everyone else in America must do? A New Reality We don't have to settle for whatever government lawmakers, judges and governors want to give us. 1. Click here to sign the petition for a referendum on a Constitution convention. 2. Forward this edition of DR News to others and ask them to sign the petition. 3. Donate to keep the pressure on. A new reality is up to us, because only we can keep democracy rising! Democracy Rising Pennsylvania abides by strict NO-SPAM rules. Please read our Privacy Policy for more details. We can be reached at: P.O. Box 618, Carlisle, PA 17013  © Democracy Rising Pennsylvania 2001-2010. All Rights Reserved. Powered by the Action Potential Nonprofit Web Toolkit

Fw: City Council: Garment workers are not rocksalt

From: PGH Sweatshop <nosweatshopsbucco@yahoo.com>

Workers from Bangladesh are coming here to provide testimony that will directly contradict legal documents that their bosses have signed… the bosses promised our local governments that the working conditions were much better than they actually are.  These sweatshop bosses lied to take advantage of government contracts. 

Members of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity are coming to Pittsburgh on April 27 and they expect us to implement our laws in ways that will empower them at work.   They know that we have laws in the City, County, and State that are designed to protect their rights… laws designed to leverage our governmental procurement and be felt as improvements to sweatshop working conditions in Bangladesh.  The workers are coming to ask us if our laws work, if our legal system and administrative policies can have an impact for them.

Our answer is YES!  The Pittsburgh Anti  Sweatshop Community Alliance does not underestimate the challenges this testimony will pose to our government officials, but the resources and capacity to take action are at our finger tips.   Members of PASCA will speak before Pittsburgh City Council at 10 AM on Tuesday March 30 and to Allegheny Council at 5 PM on Tuesday April 6… The message for the members of Pittsburgh City Council this Tuesday is simple: Garment Workers are not rocksalt. 

The momentum towards April 27 has surged forward with a grant award from the Three Rivers Community Foundation that will help pay for the workers' visit.  Thank you TRCF for believing in a Civil Rights Bridge from Pittsburgh to the Floor of the Global Sweatshop.  Yes, 'Change not Charity.'

NINE different labor unions, civil rights organizations, individuals, and businesses have stepped up to co-sponsor this workers visit with generous donations for $50 - $200.  Please join them. 

CONTACT: Kenneth - 412 867 9213 or nosweatshopsbucco@yahoo.com

Send a donation to: PASCA c/o Thomas Merton Center, 5125 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15224

Fw: Tea Party Battle Hymns Celebrated in Spin Magazine

By, Angie Ress, Staff Writer, http://RestoreTheRepublic.com

On page 28 of the 25th anniversary edition of Spin Magazine, Ted Nugent says, "Basically, these guys are telling the government to 'Leave me the f*** alone.'" in reference to the "Band of Patriots" single "Take Our Freedom Back" written by Glenn Hudson, Gary Franchi and Billy Worley.

"The Nuge" was on hand to provide punditry and interpretation for the April issue of Spin in the article titled, "Battle Hymns of the Republic". Spencer Kornhaber who penned the article provides a guide to the top 5 most popular Tea Party Anthems where the song produced by Franchi came in number #1.

Kornhaber writes of the Restore the Republic produced "Band of Patriots" song "Take Our Freedom Back", "It sounds like if Lynyrd Skynard cut their hair and featured pennywhistle solos."

"We wanted something that would evoke songs of old and inspire people to stand up," says Franchi on the pages of Spin Magazine. Kornhaber further clarifies Franchi's statements by pointing out the Revolutionary War as the founding inspiration for the Tea Party tune.

Three members of the "Band of Patriots", Glenn Hudson, Gary Franchi and Billy Worley stand out on a star spangled backdrop along with four other leading music figures of the Tea Party Revolution. Lisa Mei Norton, an Air Force vet who came in at number two and sang "A Revolution is Brewing".  Steve Vaus, a.k.a. Buck Howdy, came in third place with "We Must Take America Back". Nashville's Brion Butterbaugh who was inspired by Rick Santelli's now famous statements on CNBC in 2009 rounded out 4th place with "It's Time to Party". The self-described "proud black conservative" Lloyd Marcus, took fifth place with his song "American Tea Party Anthem".

When asked about the recent spotlight on the dedication of the "Band of Patriots" Franchi stated, "We're moving in fast, and we're going to take our freedom back town by town, iPod by iPod. The song is free but freedom isn't. Those who came before us paid a price so we could sing songs like this and I'll be damned before the 'War on Terror' is turned into the 'War on Liberty.'" Franchi's statements were made in light of the recent advisory, by security industry professionals to DHS, to raise the Terror Alert in response to the public outcry against the health care bill.

He continued, "This song is the anthem we march behind on the front lines of the new revolution and we're crossing over into popular culture thanks to Spin Magazine."

The "Band of Patriots" are:

Glenn Hudson - Songwriter, Lead Singer, Guitars, Vocals.
Billy Worley - Songwriter, Lead Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals.
Gary Franchi - Lyricist, Poet, Video Director, Producer.
Bito Cruz - Guitars
Berto Gonzalez - Drums

Spin Magazine enjoys a monthly circulation volume of 462,000 and an audience of 1.8 million. Spin Magazine Online traffic reaches 4.2 million unique visitors and 48 million monthly page views.

Restore the Republic was co-founded by the late producer Aaron Russo who managed Bette Midler and is credited for booking Led Zepplin's first American gig at the famous Chicago hot spot the Kinetic Playground.

The music video of the "Band of Patriots" single, "Take Our Freedom Back" can be seen and downloaded in MP3 format at http://BandOfPatriots.US

# # #

RestoreTheRepublic.com, 3149 Dundee Rd #176, Northbrook, Illinois 60062, USA

Education Week: Struggling Georgia School Firing Entire Staff

Who wants a job in Georgia?

Education Week: Struggling Georgia School Firing Entire Staff A failing Savannah high school is firing its entire staff in an effort to avoid further sanctions from the state and to make the school eligible for up to $6 million in federal money, officials said Thursday.

"You're fired." Now pay us money.

So, the taxpayers see 200 people going onto unemployement. And, the district gets lots of extra money because such drastic measures were taken.

Tell Congress to Sign the No Pork Pledge!

Tell your lawmakers to sign CCAGW's No Pork Pledge and to reject the pork-barrel earmarks that corrupt the federal budgetary process. Please click the link below or visit the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste's web site, http://www.ccagw.org/, to send a letter today.
To take action on this issue, click on the link below:
https://secure2.convio.net/cagw/site/Advocacy?s_oo=Q7fXrbD1DkFWSE_GxEARHg..&id=615

Kissing a toad leads to this madness

Once upon a time, ...

Police: Man tried to revive dead possum; alcohol involved Police: Man tried to revive dead possum; alcohol involved
Friday, March 26, 2010
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Police said a man will be charged with public drunkenness after several witnesses saw him attempting to resuscitate a road-killed opossum.
State police said they charged Donald Wolfe, 55, of Brookville, Jefferson County, after they arrived at the scene on Route 36 in Oliver Township around 3 p.m. Thursday.
A news release from police does not state how he was trying to revive the opossum.

Thankfully, the porcupine got to the other side of the road.

Urban Forest takes root in Hazelwood

A Facebook message that can be shared.

Hazelwood Food FOrest WOrkdays! :)

We are happy to announce that we will be hosting a Food Forest workday this Saturday, March 27th 1pm-5pm. If you are interested please read this entire email, as it contains important information! :)

1. You will need to bring your own tools! Sorry about this! We are working to get tools for future workdays but you will need to bring your own until further notice. Bring water, gloves and a hat as well. Its supposed to be sunny! :)
2. Please respond to this email if you plan to addend the workday this weekend. Also email us any questions/ concerns. I will provide those who respond with my cell phone number, in case you get lost trying to find us!
3. Email us if you do not wish to receive notification of workdays! We really dont want to bug you if you are not interested!!
4. The site is located on Irvine/ 2nd Avenue. E-mail pghfoodforests@gmail.com if you plan to attend and we will give you more specific directions.
5. Future work dates are included and will be held from 1pm - 5pm.

Tools you could bring if you have them! (There is some work that can be done without tools....so please come even if you dont have any of the items below, also we will have some to share...we just dont have enough for everyone!)
maddox- to remove tree roots
spades
hard rakes
digging bar/ pry bar
loppers
tree saw
gloves
blue recycling bags
garbage bags/ cans

Work days:

March 27- continue clearing
April 3- import soil, compost, mulch? begin forming pathways
April 10- import soil, compost, mulch? begin forming pathways

Workshops:
April 17- fence in site/ sheet mulch/ form raised beds
April 24- plant trees/ shrubs

Thanks SO much!!! We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you this Saturday!
Juliette

The fix is in. A quote from Today Show about Health Care Bills

They said it, "The fix is in."

Gosh.

Belmont Club » “It’s For the Children”

Belmont Club » “It’s For the Children” Admission to top Chicago schools has long been a competitive and murky process, with longstanding rumors of abuse. Mr. Duncan created a formal appeals process in 2008, and when he left to join the Obama administration, his successor, Ron Huberman, created a system to stop the gaming of the system.

If a school soars with a waiting list and there is more demand, then the school could be expanded.

Does it scale?

I went to a meeting about afterschool activities in Pittsburgh the other day.

By the way, another open informational meeting will be held for all and any afterschool providers on Friday, tomorrow, at 9 am (to 10) on the South Side on Sarah Street at the Brashear Association, right next to Phillips Elementary School. Join me there if you can.

There are lots of questions and issues that swirl around the whole concept of afterschool and getting the best for our kids -- while they are in school and out of it.

One of the questions was about scaling programs.

I look at swimming as an afterschool activity that scales -- and I don't mean like the skin of a fish either. Rather, we need to teach swimming to kids of all ages and even can have masters (adults) swimming. Plus, we can have and should have swim lessons at all our city pools -- in the schools. I want to lead a learn to swim enterprise that teaches swimming from the east end to the west end -- and all the places in between.

Here is another way to look at scales in a fun light.

Board votes to close 2 Pittsburgh schools

Board votes to close 2 Pittsburgh schools: "The board, in an 8-1 vote, approved the closure of Pittsburgh Vann K-5 in the Hill District and Pittsburgh Rooney 6-8 in Brighton Heights, effective June 30.
Pittsburgh Weil Accelerated Learning Academy K-8, also in the Hill, will be reconfigured to Pre K-5 beginning with the 2010-11 school year."

Fw: Hi, it's me. The Internet.

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

---

From: The Internet <info@freepress.net>

Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:59:17 -0500 (CDT)

To: <mark@rauterkus.com>

Subject: Hi, it's me. The Internet.

Dear Mark, It's me, the Internet. Can you help me? My future is in danger, which means your online freedom is in danger, too. The FCC just released its National Broadband Plan to get me into more homes in America, but the agency punted on the most serious problem: Companies like Comcast and AT&T have made me too expensive, too slow and too scarce. Even with this plan, you won't see a better me anytime soon, and many Americans still won't have access to me. You've already done so much for me. But I urgently need your help again today.  Can you donate $3 a month to save me? The FCC has sent their plan to Congress, and industry lobbyists will be out in full force to try to make the plan meet their own interests rather than yours. My friends at the Free Press Action Fund are working to make sure that the FCC hears from you, and that industry lobbyists don't strong-arm the FCC into accepting their anti-consumer agenda. Your contribution today will help the Free Press Action Fund to: Turn the lofty goals of the National Broadband Plan into reality Give you a voice at the FCC and in Congress, where Internet policy is being decided Fight to make sure the FCC crafts clear, strong Net Neutrality rules Rally public support across the country for building the super-fast, world-class, ubiquitous, open Internet you deserve Your access to information and freedom to communicate will be decided in this monumental fight. Don't let companies like AT&T and Time Warner Cable take away the free-flowing platform I was born to provide. The National Broadband Plan is my best chance to thrive — but it won't happen without strong leadership from the FCC. Defend me with a $3 monthly gift If thousands of people chip in just $3 a month, it will go a long way toward sustaining the Free Press Action Fund's work. And it will ensure that I'm here and healthy for generations to come. Thank you — and see you online! Your friend, The Internet P.S. Your monthly gift to the Free Press Action Fund will help get me, the Internet, into every home and business in the country. Without access to me at my best — fast, affordable and neutral — millions won't have access to the world. That's a future none of us can afford. Please donate today! Want to learn more? Join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. If you haven't already, you can also join our E-Activist list. You ( mark@rauterkus.com) are receiving this e-mail as an opt-in subscriber to Free Press' E-Activist Network. You can unsubscribe or manage your account at any time.