Archive for the ‘politics’ Category
Peace Vigil
Monday, April 9th, 2007
Anna attended her first peace vigil – we joined a few hundred people on the fourth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq at Boulder’s courthouse lawn. We sang songs, lit candles, and organizers read letters from troops who died in Iraq, in concert with hundreds of other vigils around the country.
See www.moveon.org.
Living Will
Wednesday, April 27th, 2005A friend just reminded me that I haven’t prepared a living will. He knows I’m lazy, so he sent the following to help me get going:
I, _ (fill in the blank), being of sound mind and body, do not wish to be kept alive indefinitely by artificial means.Under no circumstances should my fate be put in the hands of peckerwood ethically challenged politicians who couldn’t pass ninth-grade biology if their lives depended on it.
If a reasonable amount of time passes and I fail to sit up and ask for a local microbrew, a Mudslide on the rocks, fine Merlot, etc., it should be presumed that I won’t ever get better. When such a determination is reached, I hereby instruct my spouse, children and attending physicians to pull the plug, reel in the tubes and call it a day.
Under no circumstances shall the hypocritical members of the Legislature (State or Federal) enact a special law to keep me on life-support machinery. It is my wish that these boneheads mind their own damn business, and pay attention instead to the health, education and future of the millions of Americans who aren’t in a permanent coma.
Under no circumstances shall any politicians butt into this case.
I don’t care how many fundamentalist votes they’re trying to scrounge for their run for the presidency, it is my wish that they play politics with someone else’s life and leave me alone to die in peace.
I couldn’t care less if a hundred religious zealots send e-mails to legislators in which they pretend to care about me. I don’t know these people, and I certainly haven’t authorized them to preach and crusade on my behalf.They should mind their own business, too.
If any of my family goes against my wishes and turns my case into a political cause, I hereby promise to come back from the grave and make his or her existence a living hell.
_
Signature, date
_
Witness, date
Thanks, Lance. Good one.
Happy Earth Day!
Friday, April 22nd, 2005Thank you, Union of Concerned Scientists!
That’s just the thing—I’m sure my planet will appreciate it, and I even think it fits. A, um “friend” over at UCS, whom I know personally and who has taken me to lunch in his official capacity as president of the organization, sent me a little note today supporting some upcoming legislation. It was so personal, he included his signature and a recent picture. He looks so good! Like a man who means business.
Anyway, he suggested I write a letter to my congressmen. And for my birthday, I would love it if you could do the same. It would mean so much to me, to Erika, and especially to Anna when she grows up.
It’ll take you a few minutes, but you’ll get a warm little feeling in your left ventricle when you do it. That’s a good thing :)
So here’s the link: http://www.ucsaction.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=25859
I’ll make it easier—you can crib from me all you like. This is a modified version of the copy they have, so it’s vaguely more personal. Copy this and then head on over to the above link:
I am writing to urge you to support a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), a.ka. a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), which would require utilities to gradually increase their use of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and bioenergy to 20 percent of total power generation.The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has found that a 20 percent RES would be both affordable and achievable.
Such a standard would reduce demand for natural gas, lower gas and electricity prices, and provide consumer savings of $49 billion by 2020, according to a recent study by the Union of Concerned Scientists.
It would also boost the economy, creating over 300,000 jobs in various fields, much more than the jobs created by generating the electricity from fossil fuels. It would also help rural communities with wind power land leases.
Overall, the benefits are as great for our near-term economy as they are for our long-term future. Please help us move toward a cleaner energy future by co-sponsoring a strong RES bill (HR 983/ S. 427) and insisting that any national energy legislation must include a strong RES.
I look forward to learning about your position on this important issue.
Thank you, it’s wonderful. I’ll wear it for years to come :)
