The summer soldier

The following is an excerpt from an exchange of emails I had with Dave and Drew, the gist of which was my disbelief that there appears to be no organized call for a congressional investigation into actions of the financial sector and the possibility of their defrauding the public. Drew mentioned posting what follows below as he felt I had hot on something important.

Am I surprised that there isn't a current move to prosecute/investigate of its own volition? No. Am I surprised that more people in the general public aren't screaming for an investigation? Yes.

Now perhaps the reply could be made that the system is broken and that the people can scream all they want and no one is going to do anything because the politicians are in the financial warlocks' pockets. I don't deny that many are indeed in the pockets of bankers, but I resist the idea that WE, in the public sense of the term, have no power. I'm sure corporate interests would prefer that we THINK we have no power because, in a way, just believing that means they've already won. Anyone who doesn't vote and keep themselves politically involved under the pretense that it is a waste of time has peddled off one of the few democratic weapons they possess for complacent nihilism. It isn't a clear-headed appraisal of the deficiencies in our political system, but a failure to struggle when struggle is most obviously needed. Civic disengagement is an agent of social atrophy. I can't always say with certainty whose purposes it will serve, but it will never be your own.

"THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." -- Tom Paine

Of course things aren't as bad as Paine's day, but they aren't ideal...

Help Save the World The Easy Way This March

Mark your Calendar: March 28, 2009 from 8:30 PM- 9:30 PM.

Why? Earth Hour.

All around the globe on March 28th, people will be turning off all their lights for that one hour to save power and energy. The idea started in Sydney Australia back in 2007, and has grown to a global event. This year they hope to "reach one billion people, more than 1000 cities."

Sponsored by the WWF, Earth Hour is a step in the right direction for us to start thinking more realistically about sustainable energy sources and reducing our carbon emissions.

So light a candle, turn off the lights and put the kids to bed early; I'm sure you'll find something to do for an hour in the dark...

Hold him to his word

In a 2007 campaign speech given in Lexington, Kentucky, president-elect Barack Obama said, "We have to find more environmentally sounds ways of mining coal, than simply blowing the tops off mountains."

The plight of the Appalachian Mountains versus big coal has historically been a regional affair. But national attention has recently been drawn to this issue thanks to in part to independent media coverage and special interest groups like iLoveMountains.org, which points out, "Mountaintop removal tears apart communities, poisons water supplies, pollutes the air and destroys our nation's natural heritage – while only making the climate crisis worse."

iLovemountains.org suggests we hold Obama to his word by writing and asking that he put a moritorium on mountaintop removal within his first 100 days of office. You can join them in that effort by going here, and sending a message which iLoveMountains.org will post to Obama's Change.gov website.

Sign the petition to help Repeal CA's Proposition 8

Despite all the wonderful news this past election in regards to Obama's election, a very tragic thing happened in California: the rights of gays and lesbians to marry were repealed. This law, which was open to vote, was known as Proposition 8. It's a huge blow against human rights, and a sad thing for our country that gays and lesbians remain a target of bigotry within the government. Proposition 8 should be repealed; sign the petition:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/RepealProp8

Help Save Coal River Mountain

Recently in southern West Virginia, Massey coal company announced that it wanted to start a Mountaintop removal project on Coal River Mountain. They had originally stated that they would start blasting on September 10, despite not having a legal permit to do so. Due to many people writing to WV governor Manchin and signing a petition to stop Mountaintop removal in the area, Massey was stopped, at least temporarily.

Unfortunately, however, Massey has plans to begin as soon as the proper permits are acquired. The area has been identified as prime landscape for a Wind Power farm capable of sustaining electricity for 150,000 homes--an infinitely sustainable resource. Massey's mine is projected to be open for only fourteen years. If you have a chance, email the governor, and sign the petition. Perhaps we can prove that this media hype behind "the greening of America" is actually a real thing.

What can Brown do for you?

Posted by Rod:

A crappy slogan perhaps, but UPS offers more than just trustworthy shipping services--they're a company that takes care of their employees. The same can't be said of FedEx, their most recognizable competitor, excluding the Post Office.

FedEx has come under government scrutiny lately for categorizing their drivers as independent contractors, as opposed to company employees. As a result, FedEx drivers are not given the kind of legal protection afforded employees (e.g. medical leave, disability protection), as well as having to foot the bill for a truck, gas, and insurance.

None of this would raise concern if FedEx drivers had the liberties an actual independent contractor would have, but as Jean Capobianco--a FedEx driver-- points out, they do not: “We’re told what to do, when to do it, how to do it, when to take time off...You have to wear their uniform. You can’t wear your hair certain ways. You have to deliver every single thing they put on the truck.”

The strategy saves FedEx an estimated $400 million a year in taxes.

Compare that to UPS, who not only classifies their drivers as employers, but also has a unionized workforce. The next time you need something shipped, go with UPS, and support a company that supports the people doing the labor. If the retailer your ordering from doesn't offer UPS as a shipping option, then write an email asking them to, or go with USPS instead.

(All quotes and information come from the article "US: Working Life (High and Low).")

Ten (Easy) Things You Can do as a (Lazy) Writer to Help Improve the World

Posted by Drew and Rod:

I think as a whole, we writers are a pretty lazy bunch. At least for me, summoning the will to force myself into seclusion to write is a pretty big event, and especially after a wretched day at work, the fact that I get upstairs as all is indeed a feat. So, until Rod sprung the idea that Warrior Poet Group should take on some social issues to help better the world and support literature at the same time, admittedly, I wasn't the most eco-conscious. Sure, I was doing some things to help improve the environment, but I wasn't really looking for ways to improve my contribution until now-ishly.

Recently, my wife (having just watched a documentary on how Exxon lobbyists [and other oil companies] are spinning anti-science to shut down the scientists decrying the global warming crisis), and I sat down and had a discussion about what we could do to help bolster our efforts in cleaning up the environment. We came up with a lot of ideas--some more easily implemented than others. So without further ado, here are ten things you can do to save the world without having to get up out of your writing chair too much:

1. Change your desklamp (and all the bulbs in your house to CFL bulbs). CFLs not only last longer, but they save you on average $42 per bulb for the life of the bulb. We swapped out our whole house, and I saw a $15-$20 drop in my electric bill. If you want extra credit, go with lower wattage CFLs, because honestly, if you want to be in brightness equivalent to the sun, go outside.


2. Turn off your computer when you're not using it. This is my big sin. I leave that beast running 24/7, when really, if lucky, I get 2-3 hours a day on it. These days most PCs have at least 450watt power supplies--that's chewing up a lot of energy for no benefit. You can also download freeware programs like CO2 Saver that ensure your computer shuts off after a set idle time. For extra credit, turn off your printers, and your computers at work when you go home at night.


3. Don't leave lights on if you're not using them. Mythbusters proved that you don't save energy by leaving a light on if you're leaving the room for just a second. Besides, developing good dark vision will help you escape the vampires, cannibals, and Republicans that may be lurking and going bump in the night. Try writing by the monitor's glow, or by candlelight--I find both to be very conductive to my creativity.


4. Cut your paper usage. As writers, we all do a lot of printing: editing, submitting, reading, and trading with friends. Try to limit your print jobs. Many literary journals are (finally) starting to switch over to email/online submission practices; cater to those magazines over traditional snail mail...you'll save on postage too. Also, try to do as much editing on your computer as possible; if the screen is giving you a hard time with finding errors; read your manuscript out loud. When commenting on friend's work, make use of the "Track Changes" feature common in every office suite. That way you can still mark things up, but it'll be color coded, and easily emailed back to boot.


5. When you do have to print, try to make sure it's on recycled paper. Most stationary stores have at least one recycled alternative. Look for "100% Post-Consumer Content" for the best ecological impact. Be sure to recycle the paper you use. Here are some brands to look for at your favorite office supply store (courtesy of newdream.org)







In Office Depot look for:
Office Depot’s EnviroCopy paper—35 % PCW
Office Depot’s Eco-Friendly Binders—made of 100% recyclable materials.
Tops Second Nature Writing Pads/Notebooks---100% recycled, 40% PCW
3M Post-It Recycled Notes—100% recycled, 30% PCW
In Office Max look for:
NatureSaver Recycled Steno notebooks—60% recycled paper, 30% PCW
OfficeMax MaxBrite Laser/Inkjet/Multipurpose paper—30% PCW
In Staples look for:
Ampad Recycled Notebooks—50% recycled content, 20% PCW
Staples Recycled copy paper—30% PCW
Earthwise Recycled Composition Book—100% recycled.
Southworth 25% Cotton Recycled Paper



6. Offset the paper you do use by switching your billing statements to paperless. Most credit cards, phone companies, and even utilities offer this option, where you receive your bill in your email account as opposed to the mail. Some companies even offer an incentive for making the switch (e.g., Progressive Insurance plants a tree in a National Forest for every policy switched to paperless). If you want to go a step further, you can take yourself off the junkmail lists. Much like the federal do-not-call list, there are several organizations that will help you remove your name from junk mail lists. Here are a few to try:

   https://www.optoutprescreen.com/ or 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688).
   http://opt-out.cdt.org/
   http://www.fightidentitytheft.com/junkmail.html
   http://www.dmachoice.org//index.php



7. Buy used books. Half.com and the Amazon Marketplace offer nearly any book you can think of for drastic reductions in cost. Many books on half.com are as cheap as $0.75. Buying used books saves paper, and gives you a little bit of added color to your book's copy.


8. Fix that leaking faucet. I (Drew) am, by far, the least handy person around, and I recently replaced both bathroom sink faucets in our house because they were so leaky and corroded. In most cases though, you should be able to get away with just replacing the gaskets. This will save you from wasting thousands of gallons of water a year, and even with replacing both faucets, I only spent around $60. I'm sure gaskets are just a couple of bucks.


9. Buy canvas bags, or re-use your plastic bags when grocery shopping. Most places these days are starting to offer canvas grocery bags for about a dollar; you can find fancier ones online for a little more, and places like Aldi's have been doing the recycling thing for a long time. In addition to being reusable, most canvas bags hold 2-3 times as much as a traditional plastic bag.


10. Finally, use those writerly talents to raise eco-awareness. Write an informative short story or poem. Post a blog. Write emails to friends and politicians. Do what you have to in order to get the word out.