Fwd: BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! New Downsize DC Agenda bill coming soon!

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From: Downsizer-Dispatch <Newsletter@downsizedc.org>

Joining the One Subject at a Time Act, the Read the Bills Act, and the Write the Laws Act Share this message from the Downsize DC blog If all the people who like our transpartisan bills would ACT, America would CHANGE, instantly! Retweet We're about to unveil a new, "transpartisan" Downsize DC Agenda bill. It's the first bill we've added to our agenda since June 2011! Read on to see how this bill fits into our overall strategy.  Our main objective is to recruit and mobilize enough people to Downsize DC. Our key strategy for achieving that goal is discovery before persuasion. "Discovery" means that we focus first on finding, recruiting, and mobilizing people who already agree with us. "Before persuasion" means that we attempt persuasion as a secondary effort, or even as a side-effect of our discovery efforts. We're NOT advocating discovery instead of persuasion, we're advocating discovery before persuasion. We believe in persuasion, but we don't want to prioritize it. We want to discover and mobilize people who already agree, first, and try to persuade people who disagree second. What does it mean to focus on people who agree? It means finding people who agree... On individual issues On most issues The first group can include people from the Left or Right. The second type will be various kinds of libertarians. There are currently about 64-million Americans who either self-describe as libertarian or who hold mostly libertarian views on the issues. Please notice two things about that number... 64-million people is enough to equalize with the Left and the Right, except that... Nearly all of the 64-million are currently inactive, probably out of apathy because the Left and the Right control a rigged and exclusionary electoral system. So... If the electoral strategy provokes apathy, perhaps another strategy could inspire action. We long ago noticed that electoral change requires a majority -- tens of millions of people -- while grassroots pressure organizations (like the NRA and MPP) can change legislation with mere thousands or hundreds of thousands. We also observed that libertarians tend to agree with the Left and the Right on more issues than the Left and RIght agree with each other. That means the libertarian view can be the swing position on most controversies, if only libertarians show up. Enter Downsize DC! Our strategy gives us two ways to win. We can... Take advantage of broad agreement on specific issues or Prevail on most issues as we discover, recruit, and activate the sleeping libertarians. We think these strategies can work without having to be a majority or win a single election. For an example of how a vocal minority can triumph, just look at how the populists took over the Republican Party under Trump. Indeed, even the so-called conservatives and liberals are distinct minorities in the broad spectrum of public opinion. Our transpartisan Downsize DC Agenda is an example of pursuing opportunities for success with individual issues. If you surveyed all Americans, you'd find that overwhelming majorities would support the Read the Bills Act and the One Subject at a Time Act, and that support would even transcend normal partisan divisions. These are powerful examples of how Downsize DC looks for areas of agreement as a starting point. Now we're going to add another bill that should have solid majority support... We'll tell you more about this bill in an upcoming message. We'll be promoting this bill in concert with another organization that we like very much. This organization aims to show how the non-state sector solves problems better than The State does. The bill we will promote together aims to give Americans more say in how their tax money gets spent. Stay tuned to learn more. In the meantime... We hope you'll embrace the idea of constantly increasing the amount of libertarian pressure Congress feels each day. If you haven't sent a January message on each of our current Agenda bills, please do that now: OSTA, RTBA, WTLA If you're on Facebook but are not yet following us there, please do "Follow" us. Remember, set your follow to "See First," otherwise you might only hear from us when we pay Facebook to show you a posting. We can currently recruit new DC Downsizers for (far) less than $2 each. Please make a contribution or start a monthly pledge so we can recruit more people to expand our pressure on Congress. Thanks for being an ACTIVE DC Downsizer, Perry Willis & Jim Babka Downsize DC

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Ta.


Mark Rauterkus       Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com
Swimming and Water Polo Coach, Schenley High School, Pittsburgh, PA
http://CLOH.wikia.com
412 298 3432 = cell

Fwd: PRESS RELEASE

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From: The Pittsburgh Project

PRESS RELEASE RIVERS CASINO COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS TEAM UP WITH THE PITTSBURGH PROJECT FOR A DAY OF SERVICE Volunteers to transform youth space in Pittsburgh's Northside PITTSBURGH — Jan. 22, 2018 — The Rivers Casino Community Champions will lend a helping hand to the Northside community, as they partner with The Pittsburgh Project Friday, Jan. 26. Team Members will donate their time to assist the staff as they redesign and enhance the youth's creative mentoring and learning environment. The Pittsburgh Project coordinates service initiatives that improve local residents' homes, maintain community areas and engage Pittsburgh's youth. The organization's service projects include annual free home repair for more than 130 of Pittsburgh's elderly homeowners, maintenance of Fowler Park and Fowler pool and operates a progressive series of after-school and summer programs for more than 250 students. "Our community wouldn't be the same without the unwavering dedication and service of The Pittsburgh Project," said Rahmon Hart, director of community relations at Rivers Casino. "We are so grateful for the chance to assist them in their efforts." This volunteer opportunity is part of Rivers Casino's ongoing community service outreach program. Each month, Team Members assist in a service project that benefits the Pittsburgh community. Most recently, the Rivers Casino Community Champions completed a service project with the American Red Cross and the Southwestern Veterans' Center. "The Community Champions of Rivers Casino are wonderful service volunteers who help us in fulfilling our mission," said Dennis Allan, board vice president of The Pittsburgh Project. "Our devoted team paired with the added support from Community Champions is what allows us to better our community." For more information about Rivers Casino, please visit www.riverscasino.com. ### ABOUT RIVERS CASINO Opened in 2009, Rivers Casino has been voted a "Best Place to Work" in the Pittsburgh Business Times, a "Top Workplace" in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Best Overall Gaming Resort" in Pennsylvania by Casino Player magazine and "Best Overall Casino" in Pennsylvania by Strictly Slots magazine. The casino features more than 2,900 slots, 92 table games, a 30-table poker room, nine distinctive restaurants and bars, a riverside amphitheater, a multi-purpose event space, live music performances, free parking and multiple promotions and giveaways daily. Already, more than $631 million in jackpots have been awarded to players at Rivers Casino. For more information, visit RiversCasino.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Hunter Filippo For Rivers Casino 267-932-8760 x 307 hunter@hornercom.com The Pittsburgh Project © 2018 2801 North Charles St, Pittsburgh, PA 15214

Fwd: The Democrats are coming on . . .

From: John H

Well here we go, the establishment Democrats and the DNC are, in the light of 2016's cataclysmic losses, now pushing extra hard to . . . do the same old things in 2018.  Some would characterize this as being stone-deaf to the prevailing attitudes of the electorate.  But the real culprit is almost certainly an unwillingness to wean the Party from tits of big finance and the corporate military/industrial/security complex to which the 'New Democrats' are hopelessly wedded.  Instead of supporting insurgent candidates with wide popular support, the Party is determined to run the same old tired slate of 'moderate' corporatists who can self-finance or raise lots of corporate cash.  This is both a foolish and a losing strategy and will most certainly backfire on the Party and the nation at a time when the world desperately needs progressive victories in coming elections.

The attached article is rather long, but it clearly documents how the Party has done everything in its power to discourage and defeat progressive candidates with popular support all around the nation – and, in most cases, have suffered grievous losses as a result.  The article identifies some of the third-party insider groups which cling tenaciously to Party dogma even when it means a race which could have been won will be lost.  This is a terrible state of affairs when real harm is the outcome of these losses.   It's way past time for the Democratic Party elite to come down from their high-horse and admit that the 2016 debacle was not the result of any alleged Russian interference, but their own stubborn adherence to corrupting corporate largesse from which most of these so-called leaders handsomely benefit personally – and, in particular, their handpicked campaign consultants who formulate and direct so many losing campaigns.

John

Article: The Dead Enders, PDF

Fwd: This is how MONEY works when we understand it

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From: John H

Jim Kavanagh (The Polemicist) regularly produces some of the best postings of anyone out on the Internet.  Today's article is certainly no exception.  Here he tackles what for most Americans is little more than an enigma wrapped in a mystery, the function of money in a sovereign issuer of its own currency.  Americans have been, since at least 1971, seduced into believing that federal government money is a scarce resource and that our over-spending is certain to lead us into a catastrophic collapse due to a crushing national debt.  This is one of the great myths of our time and is, unfortunately, politically debilitating once citizens have been propagandized into believing it.  The problem is that it seems so normal to equate the federal budget and spending policies with each of our household budgets and spending priorities.  They are, however, nothing alike. 

As Jim explains quite clearly, the federal government is a currency creator of its own sovereign money.  Your and my households are users of government created money.  We, unlike the federal government, cannot create our own dollars – that is called counterfeiting.  This means that we are resource constrained when it comes to money.  We can only spend what we can accumulate by working, borrowing and, perhaps, inheriting.  The federal government is no so constrained, nor is it constrained by debt (at least insofar as its debt is denominated in Dollars).  To be clear, there is no limit on the amount of Dollar debt the federal government can pay, without creating rampant inflation.  And, there can be no adverse consequence for our children or their children as a result of this debt.

Here is the kicker, virtually all of the constraints we face in terms of obtaining meaningful social safety-net benefits, infrastructure, and, yes, even military expenditures are artificially created by Congress (including the existence of the national debt itself) and maintained because this false belief system operates to the great benefit of the plutocracy.  Neoliberalism, the political philosophy which has overtaken our world in recent years, depends upon this myth persisting in order to maintain control and impose austerity everywhere possible – not just in the U.S.

As many of you know, this has long been an issue close to my heart.  If somehow we can get people to overcome their unawareness of how money should work, it will open many minds to the realization of just how messed up this system has become; and, perhaps, give them cause to stand up and say enough is enough.

  Do read Jim's piece.  It is somewhat long, but well worth the effort.

John

A Left Take on Taxes, Spending and Modern ...

Fwd: Things to think about

From John H

This may well be a watershed year in American politics, or not.  But as January passes with the government shut down there is much for Americans to consider and reflect upon if any sort of actual positive change is to occur.  Attached are two articles which should provide some fodder for thought.

John

• Article 1, those Dems
• Article 2, Dr. King

Fwd: Your 2018 Recruiting Game Plan

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From: NCSA Team Edition <TeamEdition@ncsasports.org>

Recruiting tips and tricks for the new year

Recruiting tips and tricks for the new year Questions? Call 312-999-6176

Welcome to 2018! The new year is traditionally a time to look ahead and create goals to be productive in the months to come. As you think about your resolutions for 2018, consider what you'd like to accomplish in your recruiting strategy. What worked in 2017 and what needs to change? If you're looking for some recruiting inspiration, NCSA Team Edition user Scott Barker of Case Batbusters has a few pieces of advice: "Learn how the recruiting process works so you can truly guide your players and their parents through the recruiting journey. I'd also say be honest with college coaches, players and parents. Honesty and integrity will go a long way to developing a good reputation, which is essential." At NCSA, our goals for the new year are simple: Continue to improve our recruiting resources so coaches, athletes and families can better navigate the complex recruiting process. We have a lot of ideas to put into action in 2018, but we're always looking for feedback. Is there a particular piece of content that would really help your families? Is there an aspect of the recruiting process that you'd like more clarity on? If you have any thoughts or suggestions, please send them to teamedition@ncsasports.org. And, as always, happy recruiting! Send Feedback Helpful Resources 5 ways athletes can recharge their recruiting this winter It's easy to be sluggish and unproductive in the winter time. That's why we created a top 5 list of ways athletes can easily recharge their recruiting and get ahead in the new year. CONTACT US How to make the most of college camps Camp and combine season is coming up, and this is a great time for families to plan out their camp schedule for the year. Here's what they should look for and how they can prepare for their upcoming events. READ MORE 25 good reasons to contact a college coach Everyone in the recruiting world agrees that athletes must be proactive in their recruiting; however, it's tough to come up with reasons to reach out to college coaches. This list can help them get started. READ MORE Can athletes get recruited late their senior year? If you have seniors who haven't been recruited yet, it may not be too late for them to snag an offer. We've laid out the steps they can take to fast track their recruiting this semester. READ MORE View in browser | Privacy Policy | This email was sent by: NCSA Next College Student Athlete 1333 N Kingsbury St, Chicago, IL, 60642, US Phone: 866-495-5172 | Email: TeamEdition@ncsasports.org

Fwd: Announcement of public meeting, Wednesday, Jan 24

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From: John H

For those interested this should be an excellent meeting to attend.  The idea is based on sound organizing principles and focuses on bringing together diverse groups of folks with various interests and experiences in an effort to establish community-based movements in a coordinated manner which is necessary to effect change in our society.  I urge you to attend if you are free next Wednesday evening.  I have a conflict and will be unable to attend, but I did attend a planning session for the program this evening and can assure you that it will be well worth while to be there. Jules Lobel and Carl Redwood, et al, have a great grasp of what needs to be done to move a progressive agenda forward in South Western PA.  Check out Carl Redwood's speech at the link below.

John

From: Lobel, Jules [mailto:jll4@pitt.edu]
Sent: Friday, January 19, 2018

Subject: announcement of public meeting

There will be a meeting to form a new organization of residents in Southwest Pennsylvania who believe in the need for radical change of our economic and political system.  This group will combine  activism with independent participation in local elections  to challenge a system that is run by and for the interests of a small corporate dominated elite who use racism and sexism  to divide us, and not in the interests of  the majority of the city and county's population. The group is organized to provide an alternative in Pittsburgh  based on the principles stated by Carl Redwood in his speech to the Thomas Merton Center this past June.  Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ6Uf64VUyU at 53.30

The meeting will discuss the basic platform of the group, what initial activities and campaigns we should get involved with, and our longer term strategy.  Wednesday January 24 from 7 pm to 9 pm, University of Pittsburgh Law School, 3900 Forbes Ave (corner of Forbes and Bouquet St) in Room 229.  For more information, contact Jules Lobel at 412-648-1375

More Bike Lanes -- as I've got some experience with them in Chengdu, China

More bike lanes! Because, some day, I'm going to be the one in the back seat! Plus, the brakes on that sucker didn't work so much. The brake on the bar for the front tire flew off the first time I applied pressure, flipping forward. The only real stopping power came from the sick break, in the middle of the frame. To stop, push downward. The question was always, use both hands to turn away from the crash, and be with less grip in the pending collision. Or, put a hand on the brake while reaching downward getting out of balance, but protecting some other vulnerable body positions.

I am born in the year of the rooster -- as per the story at The Moth.

See and listen to more insights from my wife, Catherine, at https://themoth.org/storytellers/catherine-palmer

NAPA presentation

Grant to Navy for AI event

https://ntcgrants.tulane.edu/2018/01/04/grant-rauterkus-naval-academy-science-and-engineering-conference-in-annapolis-md/

Fwd: [Camp-AK-O-MAK] Ak-O-Mak New Year’s Greeting 2018

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From: Dianne <dianne@campakomak.com>
Date: Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Subject: [Camp-AK-O-MAK] Ak-O-Mak New Year's Greeting 2018
To: Camp Ak-O-Mak <dianne@campakomak.com>

Dear Friends,

 

Happy New Year and warmest wishes to you and your family from Camp Ak-O-Mak!

 

2018 will be an exciting year for Camp Ak-O-Mak as she celebrates her 90th Anniversary!  This is a monumental achievement for a small, non-profit camp as more and more have given way to larger 'institutional' settings over the past 20 years.  We extend our heartfelt thanks to the volunteers and friends who have been a help to us in continuing the Ak-O-Mak legacy for the next generation of girls.

 

Ak-O-Mak's inaugural Adult Sports Camp in 2017 was a resounding success according to our "campers" and we are looking forward to a repeat performance in 2018.  Adult campers enjoyed activities ranging from reading/relaxating on the dock, fishing the local waters, swimming their first Ak-O-Mak Mile, developing Tri skills or biking around the lake.  Every meal was a 5-Star dinning experience a la Chef Samson!! (Check out cookingwithsamm on facebook).   This camp's program is adult-friendly and includes wine with dinner, fireside yoga, expert motivational talks and so much more...all adult-optional!

 

Registration for our Main Camp Sessions is already quite active and we anticipate being sold out again this year.  Our summer schedule is very busy due to the rich and evolving programming.  One of the highlights is the paddling program, a favourite due to the Regatta trip to Ottawa, Canada's Capital.  The girls LOVE the combination of the competitive experience followed by some sightseeing around the parliament buildings then shopping together on our way home.

 

Ak-O-Mak's triathlon program has grown immensely over the past 10 years.  We are the only ALL -GIRLS' Tri Team at every triathlon that we attend and leave quite an impression wherever we go!  Ak-O-Mak is the only sports camp in North America that takes a team out to compete in triathlons.  These events are fun, inspiring, challenging and always capped off with ICE CREAM...always a crowd pleaser!...("I scream!  You scream!  We ALL scream for ICE CREAM!")

 

We continue to enhance the Ak-O-Mak experience for our campers, be it learning triathlon skills, mountain and road biking, paddling or open water swimming.   Additional forest areas are carefully bushwhacked to develop our woodland trails.  The campers enjoy other activities such as Colour Runs, Net Ball, Tennis Tournies & the weekly Parry Sound Road Bike Time Trials.  Of course, camp just wouldn't be "camp" without sailing with friends on a sunny day, yucking it up in the cabin prepping for Lip Sinc or Skit Night or the mounting excitement of Team Comp!

 

A highpoint of 2018 will undoubtedly be the Ak-O-Mak 90th Reunion Weekend...open to all alumni, family and friends.  All ages are welcome!...Your chance to be a camper again (with optional Early Bird)...rekindle friendships, paddle a canoe or swing in a hammock, sing in the Main House or at Camp Fire.  Pre-registration is required so please visit our website at campakomak.com.  (Remember to click on "Rates & Dates" then "scroll down" to 90th Reunion Information.)

 

Now for the BIG, BIG ANNOUNCEMENT of 2018!....

 

Camp Ak-O-Mak has been selected by the organization, Volunteer Builders, to be the beneficiary of their annual Volunteer Build Project for 2019!  Following an interview and site visit, Ak-O-Mak was chosen as the worthy, non-profit camp for Southern Ontario.

 

Volunteer Builders is an organization comprised of professional contractors, architects, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, painters...you name it...who donate their time, energy and expertise to construct a much needed building for a worthy camp...in our case, a   "Pavilion" for Camp Ak-O-Mak. 

 

This wonderful group brings130 skilled men and women to live at Camp for 4-5 days while professionally constructing a much needed, multi-purpose building for Ak-O-Mak. This flexi-use-Pavilion has been a dream of ours for years...to accommodate our campers during inclement weather, to permit the expansion of our sports program and even store our beautiful road bikes and cedar strip canoes during winter.

 

You can learn more about this amazing organization and view their previous projects at volunteerbuilders.org

 

Camp Ak-O-Mak is required to raise the funds for the purchase of all building materials.

 

Therefore, Camp Ak-O-Mak will be launching her first ever, fundraising campaign in order to break ground in spring of 2019.   Our goal is to have the Pavilion ready for use for the 2019 camp season!  Please stay tuned for additional information throughout the year.

 

We hope to see you at the lake in 2018!

 

Dianne & Catherine

 

 

Dianne Young

Executive Director

 

Camp AK-O-Mak

Business Office

14-441 Stonehenge Drive

Ancaster, ON L9K 0B1

Phone: 416-427-3171

Fax: 905-304-2982

Email: dianne@campakomak.com

www.campakomak.com

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Ta.
 
 
Mark Rauterkus       Mark@Rauterkus.com
PPS Summer Dreamers' Swim & Water Polo Camp Executive Coach

Varsity Boys Swim Coach, Pittsburgh Obama Academy

Recent Head Water Polo Coach, Carnegie Mellon University Women's Club Team
Pittsburgh Combined Water Polo Team

http://CLOH.org

412 298 3432 = cell

PPS 2018 Calendar

Sead's photo was in the PPS 2018 calendar

Fwd: Two must read articles

From John H

Attached are two "must read" articles both of which deal in one way or another with the future of American "democracy".  The first, by eminent historian Jackson Lears.  It is perhaps the best I have encountered anywhere concerning the Russian hacking story and what it means for the ability of the American people to regain our democratic institutional processes which are rapidly being discarded and destroyed by the exclusion of dissent and the envelopment of society in a neo-McCarthyist mindset. 

The second brief article by Norman Solomon follows on with some comments about how Americans concerned with these processes should respond to the neoliberal/neoconservative nature of the Democratic Party elite which has shown no interest whatsoever in modifying its pro-corporate, pro-Wall Street, pro-military interventionist policies in order to focus on the real needs of the people it claims to represent.

I strongly encourage you to read both.

John

Articles:

• What we don't talk about when talking about Russian hacking
• This is what Pseudo-Democracy looks like

Fwd: 10 best articles & podcasts of 2017

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From: Bryan Harris

Cool podcasts or audio recordings I found this year... 1. Best thing on leadership I've ever heard 2. Red Napkin via Jon Taffer 3. 11 star experience 4. Synergist Framework Cool articles I read this year... 1. How to destroy ISIS 2. Berkshire Hathaway of the Internet 3. Behind Scenes of 1,000 True Fans Cool articles we published this year... 1. Download 11 Killer Lead Magnet Ideas & Templates 2. Ultimate Product Launch Plan: How We Made $220,750 with a New Product 3. How to Build a Sales Funnel That Automates Your Business … What cool podcast episodes and blog posts did you come across in 2017? Hit reply and let me know! -Bryan

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