Quixotic Quince’s blog

This might not be as pressing as saving public housing in NOLA or speaking up about sexual violence in the DRC, but please take a second to help stop media consolidation. In it's current state, mass media is already owned by so few corporations, don't let that number get smaller.

Please repost!

http://action.freepress.net/campaign/sbmopenletter

It happened. A few minutes ago, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and his two fellow GOP commissioners approved new rules that will unleash a flood of media consolidation across America. The rules will further consolidate local media markets -- taking away independent voices in cities already woefully short on local news and investigative journalism.

In 2003, the FCC tried to do the same thing, but millions of people demanded that Congress reject the FCC's rules. And they did. It's time to do it again.

We need 100,000 people to get Congress to reverse the FCC's rules right now.

Sign Our Open Letter to Congress
Then get three of your friends to do the same.

This is about whether we will have access to the information that democracy requires. It is about whether or not we'll have real news and local voices on radio, television and in the newspaper in your town. It's about whether the public airwaves will represent our nation's diversity.

Just yesterday -- spurred by your calls and letters -- 26 senators from both parties sent a letter to the FCC Chairman promising "to revoke and nullify the proposed rule" if the FCC voted to lift the longstanding ban on "newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership." But Chairman Martin did it anyway.

Congress has the power to throw out these rules -- and if 100,000 people demand it, they'll have to listen.

Take action now and spread the word.
http://action.freepress.net/campaign/sbmopenletter

Some say that nobody listens to letters like this. Well they definitely do, and it's a way you can truly help the cause with just a few clicks. Sign on now -- and get your friends to do the same.

Your actions are making a difference. Let's keep up the pressure. And stay tuned -- this fight is far from over.

http://action.freepress.net/campaign/sbmopenletter

Thanks for bringing us this far,

Robert McChesney
President
Free Press
www.freepress.net

P.S. Spread the word: Recruit three new friends to sign on to this letter and send the message to Congress.

P.P.S. Read Senator John Kerry's blog post on today's decision on the Free Press Action Network.

If you do one thing today version 2.0

I'm not really a fan of internet activism... signing one petition online, in most cases, does not usually amount to more than a few more bits of data clogging the interwebs. I also recognize that I spend countless hours clicking these keys, reading the news, blogging, so on and so on...

And many of you do too... (otherwise why would you be reading this, eh?)

So here's to doing one thing a day. Just one, pick and choose which ones you agree with, there will always be one tomorrow.

Today's blog is brought to you by: 4,500 houses about to be destroyed.

I got an e-mail today from the Miami Workers Center that HUD is going to tear down 4,500 liveable houses and hand the $762 million dollar bill to the taxpayers. Make sure that pulic housing doesn't fall to the wayside.

Tell Senator Vitter that stopping the Senate bill to replace each house, 1-for-1, is not okay. The bill won't hit the senate floor again, but these actions can be stopped before they start...

go here: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/811/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=21983

Speak up! Because families are losing places to live and city is losing pieces of history faster and faster each day.

And if they do go down, I hope someone pulls an homage to Rachel Whiteread and makes sure they don't come down easyily...

Top Records of 2007... local and otherwise

Browsing through NPR today, I stumbled across their top records of 2007 which reminded me of all of the amazing records released this year. Here are my top 15 records of '07, in no particular order. I couldn't pick just 10. Scroll down for the 10 ten in local music.

1. White Chalk PJ Harvey
2. Let in the Light Shannon Wright
3. 100 Days, 100 Nights Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
4. Kala M.I.A.
5. Woke Myself Up Julie Dorian
6. 23 Blonde Redhead
7. What's the Time Mr. Wolf? The Noisettes
8. We'll Never Turn Back Mavis Staples
9. Oh Yell! Midtown Dickens
10. Ear Drum Talib Kweli
11. West Lucinda Williams
12. Finding Forever Common
13. This Fool Can Die Now Scout Niblett
14. Placelessness Alina Simone
15. The Shepard's Dog Iron and Wine

plus, honorable mentions: Marisa Nadler, Amy Winehouse (or perhaps Mark Ronson for being the producer), I'll probably like the Tender Forever CD, and then there's Patti Scialfa's Play It as It Lays (otherwise known as Bruce Springsteen's wife, whose own Magic might have made the top 15 if I didn't hold the We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions in such high esteem.

Top 10 in Triangle Music

1. Oh Yell! Midtown Dickens
2. Hyms for a Dark Horse Bowerbirds
3. Self-titled FKON
4. Lovers EP Un Deux Trois
5. Bury the Square Megafaun
6. Now Everyon Can Sing! Sweater Weather
7. Selft-titled Nathan Oliver
8. The Window Mosadi Music
9. oxex_ep Ex-Members
10. Battle of the Beards des ark/ben davis

Bands that shouldn't have broken up in 2007: Le Tigre and Jurassic 5.

And a couple of the worst: Korn Unplugged and Explosions in the Sky and Glamarous by Fergie because it gets stuck stuck stuck in my head.

If you do one thing today...

There are actually three things... but you only have to choose one. At least one. That's right, you have to. Not because I say so but because you live in a democracy and it's your right. Plus it will only take about 5 minutes tops and if you're already checking your Myspace page, you have a couple of minutes to burn.

1. Universal Health Care: Write to your representative in congress about passing H.R. 676, the United States National Health Insurance Act. This bill is important even if you HAVE insurance!

Click here for more info: http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/what-can-i-do/

There's a petition here: http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/what-can-i-do/petitions/pnum649.php

Our you can write to our NC congress folk:
Elizabeth Dole: http://dole.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactInformation.ContactForm

Richard Burr
http://burr.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home

David Price
http://www.house.gov/sites/members/nc04_price/
contact/contact_form.shtml

Write 'em a note, long or short because right now, none of them are co-sponsors for the bill.
THIS IS IMPORANT, EVEN IF YOU THINK YOU'RE FULLY INSURED RIGHT NOW.

2. While you're at it, you might also want to write to those same folks to ensure that Durham doesn't become the home of two new nuclear reactors. The "powers that be" are revisiting the idea that nuclear power plants are a good source of "clean" energy. Oops, what's a little nuclear waste?

And where are they proposing to put two new reactors as a testing ground? That's right, Durham, NC. Right off Jordan Lake. Right in our back yards.

These reactors were originally proposed when the plant was built, but were never finished because Chernobyl happened around the time. Don't let history repeat itself. Speak up!

3. This past week I was doing research about international penal codes for homosexuality. There are 70+ countries where being queer is illegal, but I was shocked to find out that there are still countries where the punishment is the DEATH PENALTY including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Mauritania, Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen.

I can't think of a "one-click" answer for this one. Maybe support the HRC: http://www.hrc.org/get_involved/ways_to_support.asp and ask that the money be earmarked for international legislation. Write a letter to congress.

I'm also trying to work up a pen pal (or e-mail pal) support system with folks who live in countries with such legislation and folks who live in countries where they aren't persecuted.