Sad commentary update

It appears I have confused Change.org with Change.gov.  Change.gov is the web site of the Obama transition, and what I said in my post below should actually have read:

I’ve never commented on Change.gov (until now) as I’ve never believed that Obama planned on listening to us at all (Rick Warren anyone?).  In my opinion Change.gov  exists merely to keep the masses in thrall, busy, and “believing” they are instruments of “change.”   Hence the Potemkin Change.gov. Smoke and mirrors.

On the other hand there is Change.org.

According to their web site Change.org is a social networking website where you can (1) Learn about causes (2) Connect to Good People & Non-profits (3) Take Action.  They are operating under the delusion that the Obama administration will listen to them through their “Ideas for Change in America” plan.

What is Ideas for Change in America?

Ideas for Change in America is a citizen-driven project that aims to identify and create momentum around the best ideas for how the Obama Administration and 111th Congress can turn the broad call for “change” across the country into specific policies.

The project is nonpartisan, and invites all political points of view. It is not connected to the Obama campaign or the Obama Administration.

The “Top 10 Ideas for America” will be determined through two rounds of voting. In the first round, ideas will compete against other ideas in the same issue category. The first round will end on December 31, 2008, and the top 3 rated ideas from each category will make it into the second round. The second round of voting will begin on Monday, January 5, and each qualifying idea will compete against the qualifying ideas from all other categories. Second round voting will end on Thursday, January 15.

Who’s behind it?

Ideas for Change in America is a project of Change.org, an online community and media network for social issues, in partnership with more than three dozen leading organizations, including MySpace, techPresident, the Sunlight Foundation, Netroots Nation, Declare Yourself, Student PIRGs, Voto Latino, HeadCount, and Change Congress.

Anyone can submit an idea and comment and vote on others. The top 10 rated ideas will be presented to the Obama Administration on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009 as the “Top 10 Ideas for America.” We will then launch a national campaign behind each idea and mobilize the collective energy of the millions of members of Change.org, MySpace, and partner organizations to ensure that each winning idea gets the full consideration of the Obama Administration and Members of Congress.

How does it work?

Anyone can submit an idea and comment and vote on others. The top 10 rated ideas will be presented to the Obama Administration on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009 as the “Top 10 Ideas for America.” We will then launch a national campaign behind each idea and mobilize the collective energy of the millions of members of Change.org, MySpace, and partner organizations to ensure that each winning idea gets the full consideration of the Obama Administration and Members of Congress.

A full listing of the top three ideas in each category can be found here. It’s a mixed bag.  Some good, some bad, some just a tad weird. Number one under “Agricultural Policy” is “Legalize Milk” which left me scratching my head until I clicked on it. Seriously, legalizing raw milk was the number one vote-getter under Agricultural Policy? 

Plan on losing weight this year?

If losing weight is one your New Year’s resolutions, check out the 20th Annual Slim Chance Awards:

Healthy Weight Network released its 20th annual Slim Chance Awards today, highlighting both the hidden dangers of diets and supplements that often contain unknown ingredients and sometimes potent drugs, and the merely ridiculous.

One of the “winners” caught my eye.

WORST GIMMICK: Skineez jeans ($139). A new item in the fight against cellulite, Skineez jeans are impregnated with a so-called “medication” of retinol and chitosan, a shellfish product once claimed to cut fat absorption in the stomach (see 1999 Slim Chance Awards). Friction between the jeans and skin supposedly triggers release of the substance, which goes to work on fat when absorbed through the skin. Reportedly a big hit in Europe, the “smart fabric” is also used in lingerie.

As one who is deeply committed to the fight to cure breast cancer, I find the following abhorrent.

Ironically, the creators of Skineez, Clothes for a Cause, profess to raise funds for breast cancer and “a wide range of other socially conscious charities.” So while the company hoodwinks women into buying an expensive pair of jeans, it promises they can “do good with every purchase … As our sales grow, so will our ability to help others.” FTC, however, is clear about such gimmicks, emphasizing that products worn or rubbed on the skin do not cause weight loss or fat loss.

Of course what list wouldn’t be complete with out the man who has turned health-care quackery into high art?

MOST OUTRAGEOUS CLAIM: Kevin Trudeau infomercials. It’s rare that regulatory agencies look at books, given our free speech laws, but the infomercials for Kevin Trudeau’s weight loss book and his repeated violations were just too much for the Federal Trade Commission, and this past August he was fined over $5 million and banned from infomercials for three years. In “willful efforts” to deceive, Trudeau told listeners they could easily follow the diet protocol at home, even though his book calls for human growth hormone injections and colonics that must be done by a licensed practitioner. The tortured case began in 1998 when FTC charged Trudeau with false and misleading diet infomercials. In 2003 he was charged with false claims; in 2004 he was fined $2 million and banned from infomercials. Again in 2007 a contempt action said he misled thousands with false claims for his weight loss book “in flagrant violation” of court orders.

Sad commentary

The proposal to “Create nationally required science standards” at Change.org will not make it into the second round and at this moment only has 1,980 votes. 

This idea finished in 5th Place in Education category. Only the top three ideas in each category make it to the final round, but we encourage you to continue raising awareness about this idea by sharing it with your friends.

On the other hand, here are the top three that will make it into the next round.  In order of preference:

2468 votes – Accept and Sign ” The Autism Reform Act of 2009″

2172 votes – Introduce Esperanto as a foreign language subject in schools

2058 votes – Mobilize mentors, tutors, and “citizen teachers” to help kids succeed

 

Esperanto beat out science? Seriously? I’ve never commented on Change.org  (until now) as I’ve never believed that Obama planned on listening to us at all (Rick Warren anyone?).  In my opinion Change.org exists merely to keep the masses in thrall, busy, and “believing” they are instruments of “change.”   Hence the Potemkin Change.org. Smoke and mirrors.

This is worth an “Awww!”

My mom sent this You Tube to me. Enjoy!

The pup in the video looks a lot like our Buddy and appears to have the same loving temperment.

Buddy on Christmas Eve 2008

Another critter video from my pal Chris.  (Cannot be embedded)

Blogroll addition

I received an email from Cynthia Ryan (Reno!  As in: Nevada!) to check out her blog, maven&meddler. It’s quite dandy, doncha know. She has several sections, and all are worth your time. Start with her FAQ to get a heads up on who she is and then proceed.  Sweetie will be intrigued that she’s a pilot and involved in Civil Air Patrol. I, on the other hand, love that she embraces being a meddler. Whee!

 May I recommend her latest Resolutions: Invariably Made Too Soon

Challenge all your assumptions – or as Dr. Phil would say: “how’s that working for you?”

I’ll forgive her for quoting Dr. Phil, because even self-righteous blowhards can dispense wisdom on occasion.  Her resolution to “challenge all your assumptions” is one worth endorsing and adopting, and something I’ve made a seriously conscious effort to do in recent years.

Happily added to my blogroll.