Doubling the Peace Corps: an idea whose time has come

When President Kennedy created the Peace Corps in 1961, he envisioned ramping up the number of volunteers to 100,000 per year. We would like to see that, but have taken on a more pragmatic goal of doubling the size of the Peace Corps. Just imagine what the world wold look like today if there were 3 million returned Peace Corps Volunteers (instead of 200K) among the electorate. Harris Wofford postulated the other day that our foreign policy, our image abroad, and our domestic policy would be much different. I believe it would be unrecognizably different (and 10 times better and more progressive).

Please take actions recommended below. Follow and post your efforts using the Twitter hashtag #PCx2

Below is a blog post from http://peacecorpsconnect.typepad.com

A Time to Focus: Next Tuesday’s MorePeaceCorps National Day of Action

from Jonathan Pearson
National Peace Corps Association Advocacy Coordinator

A lot can change in 48 hours in Washington. And I’m not just talking about the fickle weather, where a cold February day can be quickly supplanted by a brilliant feel of spring.

I’m also talking about politics and government and advocacy. It can be discouraging and hard to navigate and sometimes it can be downright nasty! But then, things can turn and renew the feelings of spirit and hope.

We’ve experienced that in the last 48 hours, as the last touches were placed on a delayed budget process for the current fiscal year that has strapped the operation of many government programs, including Peace Corps. Discouraging for sure, with a small increase in funding for Peace Corps, bringing current funding to only $340 Million. Many have responded to this and expressed their disappointment.

And now, new developments in the last two days give me reason for optimism – mind you, measured and cautious optimism – as we turn to the budget for Fiscal Year 2010.

Yesterday, President Obama put down his first true mark on a budget blueprint for America. And the indicators for Peace Corps – though still vague – are very positive. While a President normally has his complete budget to Congress by now, a new President is given some extra time. So, while the exact numbers are not expected until April, consider this: The International Affairs budget has dozens and dozens of individual line items, and Peace Corps was one of the few programs the President chose to single out. Included in the President’s Funding Highlights was this:

“…additional funding for key programs that advance U.S. foreign policy goals, including significantly increasing funding for energy initiatives, programs addressing global climate change, agriculture investments, and the Peace Corps.” (emphasis added).

That was yesterday. Then came today. I looked at the latest list of co-sponsors of the “Peace Corps Expansion Act of 2009”. Not even two weeks in circulation, and nearly 1 out of every 5 Congressman/woman in the House of Representatives has signed on as a co-sponsor, including RPCV sponsor Sam Farr (D-CA) and the bi-partisan members of the House who served in Peace Corps: Mike Honda (D-CA), Tom Petri (R-WI) and Steve Driehaus (D-OH).

These are exciting developments. They are not guarantees and we need to be vigilant.

And that brings me to the first big advocacy action of the MorePeaceCorps Campaign. Next Tuesday’s MorePeaceCorps National Day of Action.

We need to build on the momentum of the Obama budget outline and the Peace Corps Expansion Act. MorePeaceCorps Campaign Coordinator Rajeev Goyal and I ask you to engage your lawmakers next week to positively reinforce these recent developments by urging them to co-sponsor the Farr legislation and sign onto Senate and House “Dear Colleague” letters that will be circulating. And if they do? We urge you to thank them! And if they don’t? We want to find ways to work with you and build momentum to turn that opinion around.

Next Tuesday, when you visit www.morepeacecorps.org, the site will be converted to focus attention solely on the Day of Action with links to your lawmakers and instructions that we hope will allow you to take quick, effective action.

So…what can you do to help right now? The easiest thing is to help us spread the word. Share this message, post on your blog, let’s make it happen.

Tuesday…March 3rd. You are about to bring the voice of the members and friends of the Peace Corps community to our nation’s capital, like it never has been heard before.

Peace Corps at Inaugural Parade

I marched last Tuesday in the Inaugural Parade. It was fun.

Check out this interesting blog post about the parade written by Audrey Scott http://tinyurl.com/aky5kw And this one in the Huffington Post

Also a short video greeting in multiple language by former volunteers recorded before the parade.

WOWIO: Free on-line Books

WOWIO: Free Books on-line
http://www.wowio.com/index.asp

A source where readers can access thousands of high-quality copyrighted ebooks from leading publishers. Most titles can be read on-line free. A wide range of titles are available, including comics, graphic novels, works of literature, children’s titles and other popular works in every category.

Watch documentary films free on-line

SnagFilms is committed to finding the world‘s most compelling documentaries, whether from established heavyweights or first-time filmmakers, and making them available to the wide audience these titles deserve.

SnagFilms.com is a website where you can watch full-length documentary films for free, but we’re also a platform that lets you “snag” a film and put it anywhere on the web. With a library of 250 films, and rapidly growing, you’re bound to find films that resonate with your interests. We make it easy for you to find a film that shines a light on a cause you care about. You can then open a virtual movie theater on any web site, so any one can watch your favorite SnagFilms for free.

SnagFilms can be summed up in four words: Find. Watch. Snag. Support.

Find. Whether using our custom search tools, browsing by topic, or tuning into one of the great channels provided by our partners, with a few clicks you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for.

Watch. By streaming films worldwide, on-demand, 24×7 and with no software installation or downloading required, we have radically expanded the audience for documentary films. All you need is a decent broadband connection. Just click play, go full-screen, and lean back and enjoy our films.

Snag. Widgets let you take your favorite SnagFilms with you wherever you like to go online. Open a virtual movie theater right in your webpage, blog, Facebook or MySpace page, or just about any other place online you can think of.

Support. At their best, documentaries don‘t merely entertain us, they engage and inspire us to action. Our filmmakers have selected their favorite charities and causes so you can get involved, immediately. And just by embedding our widget our widgets, you’ve donated your pixels and helped support independent film.

Rans Crank Forward Bicycle

Update March 27,2022: Still loving this bike and riding it almost every day. Just learned that Rans sold off its bike business to https://phoenixbikewrx.com

For the past few years I have been commuting to work in DC by bicycle. I was using a standard, rigid frame, Mt. Bike. After a while, I developed chronic back, neck, and shoulder pain. After a few month hiatus, and a new bike, I am back to my commute of 17 miles a day on a bicycle. Three months ago, I purchased a Rans Crank Forward from Bikes@Vienna. It is a fantastic commuting bike. I recommend it highly. The reason it is called a “Crank Forward,” is because the bottom bracket (pedals) are in front of the seat instead of below the seat. It is a hybrid between a recumbent and a regular bike, combining the best of both. I bought the Cruz, which is the most relaxed model. There is no pressure on my wrists, no hunching of the shoulders, and no craning of the neck. The steering is a little squirrelly, and it takes a short while to get used to. It is a little longer than a standard bike, but I can still take it in the metro, if I need to. I’m not sure I could transport it on the bus. The racks on the front of the buses are made for standard size bikes.

Another benefit of the bike is that there is only one frame size. I am 6’2″ and my girlfriend is 5’3″ and we can both ride the same bike with just a quick seat adjustment.

WHY RIDE CRANK FORWARD BIKES?
See: http://www.crankforward.com/whyride.htm

See what they look like in action:

[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0sgUjhCF6U&feature=related]

A few reviews from different sources:

http://www.bentrideronline.com/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=133&blogId=1

RANS Fusion

Bryan | 16 March, 2007 20:19

By BRYAN J. BALL
Managing Editor

I admit it. My name is Bryan Ball and I used to be a crank forward skeptic. I had ridden a lot of these “crank forward” semi-recumbent bikes over the last year or so and until a couple of months ago, I really did not think that much of them. I thought they were fun enough but I hadn’t been on any that were very comfortable or really made me consider choosing one over a good recumbent. Or a good upright bike for that matter. Fortunately, Randy Schlitter of RANS didn’t give up on me and kept pushing me to give one a longer run. I finally decided to take him up on his offer and he sent me a nice aqua green 2007 Fusion to review.

Since the Fusion comes from an actual recumbent bicycle manufacturer, it’s quite a bit different than many other crank forwards. The bottom bracket is a lot farther forward than many other flat footer bikes and it has a real recumbent style seat base. Fusions are also a bit more upscale than many of their counterparts and the line has pretty nice components and very nice details and options. It’s $950 price tag is a bit higher than many other flat foot style bikes but the Fusion appears to be well worth the asking price in my opinion.

…[delete]…

I intentionally took a little bit longer with this review than I usually do. From all accounts I’ve heard, the Fusion is one of the best crank forward/flat footer/semi recumbent bikes out there and I wanted to make sure I gave it fair shake. I usually put between 100 and 200 miles on a test bike but I put about 400 on the Fusion. I was definitely left with a positive impression. I’m still nowhere ready to give up any of my recumbents for one but I could see a place in my stable for one of these bikes. It’s a great for urban riding and performs better than I thought it would. If you’re looking for a fun bike for recreational or urban riding I would take a look at the Fusion line for sure.

RANS FUSION
MSRP – $950
Highs – A blast to ride, pretty light, good value
Lows – Not as fast as a fast recumbent, not as comfortable as some recumbents
More Info – http://www.ransbikes.com

Re: Crankforward

Posted by: Spanky (IP Logged)

Date: March 22, 2007 10:27PM

I have a RANS Zenetik, which in fact I reviewed in the reader’s bikes section of the last edition of VV. I’ve owned 3 recumbents and a great many uprights, and have found this bike to be quite a revelation. It really does combine the best of both worlds, and still performs very well, at least as well as a standard road bike. It is also much faster and more comfortable than my Pedersen, (but possibly not as groovy).

Right now it’s my favourite bike, with another RANS, the Stratus, as second in line to the throne. I don’t even ride standard geometry type bikes any more. The Zenetik is the most versatile bike I’ve ever owned, nimble enough for tight situations, yet comfortable enough for long days in the saddle.

I don’t know about other ‘Crank Forward’ models, but RANS’ line up has, in my view, revolutionary potential. I know I sound like an ad campaign, but really, this bike can’t be compared to things like the Giant Revive, or any other of the heavyish iterations of similar geometries.

It does appear that it might be quite a reach to the bars, but the bars themselves adjust backwards to a considerable extent, and there is also the possibility of installing a swept back type bar, like the Rivendell Albatross or Dove bars.

If you’re curious, why don’t you just give RANS a call and order a frame set, then have it built up wherever you live. That’s probably the cheapest way. I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

Cheers, John Hopkinson

georgebush

Sr. Member

Posts: 396

Making cycling enjoyable to the masses

« on: October 15, 2007, 11:41:20 AM »

If cycling were enjoyable more people would do it. I started riding at an early age and continued into my teens until I quit because the cycling world seemed to move in an unprogressive direction. I didn’t like the full-suspension approach to making cycling comfortable. Although cycling brings out the best in the body, the industry had failed in the thinking aspect. In my early twenties I walked/hitchhiked/trained/bussed accross the US after abandoning my motorcycle in New England (I didn’t have any money for gas). After the journey, I continued to live motorfree in a mountain town. Getting jobs eventually involved long distance travel for which I needed a bicycle. Riding the bike to work day in and day out had repurcussions unrelated to weather. Due to the logistics of my work and lifestyle, wearing bike shorts was difficult and I decided not to wear them. Right from the start, numbness was a huge problem. I could definately identify with a culture that shunned the bicycle, because for me the feeling was nothing short of sadomasichistic. Showing up to work with sleepynumb legs and a stiff neck, started off every workday on the unproductive side of things. Fortunately my employers tolerated my catatonic state enough to keep me around. I lasted a couple of years in this painfull routine until I stumbled accross a recumbent bike. At the point that I found recumbents I had grown one incredibly large testicle and shrank the other. The recumbent greatly increased my happiness level. The only problem I have with recumbents is the terrain limitations. Riding in the winter required that I regress back to the asshatchet. My search for the perfect bike brought me to the world of Crank Forward. Crankforward is a term created by Ransbikes owner Randy Schlitter. The crankforward gives the rider a high seat without a backrest which looks alot like a standard bike. The crankforward bike doesn’t compromise comfort either. I feel more comfortable without the backrest because the road vibration upsets my sensitive stomach. The road vibration that once travelled up the seat now gets absorbed in the muscle. I know have a bike that I can take safely on dirt road and even off-road. I have now taken back mountainbiking into my life, thumbing my nose at the bike industry by riding a fully-rigid crankforward. I still shun bike shorts and see any bike that requires them as LATOC unfriendly. Of course there are the die-hard riders who love the asshatchet and find it comfortable after ten hours in the saddle, but I find those people are few and far between. Everytime somone askes me what bike they should get I tell them to strongly consider a Crankforward. There are several models available from companies like trek, giant, electra, and Rans. I see these bikes as the future of cycling because they solve the oldest malady to industrial society; the uncomfortable bicycle.

superfund365.org

Superfund365, A Site-A-Day, is an online data visualization application with an accompanying RSS-feed and email alert system. Each day for a year, starting on September 1, 2007, Superfund365 will visit one toxic site currently active in the Superfund program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We begin the journey in the New York City area and work our way across the country, ending the year in Hawaii. (We will need a beach vacation by then!) In the end, the archive will consist of 365 visualizations of some of the worst toxic sites in the U.S., roughly a quarter of the total number on the Superfund’s National Priorities List (NPL). Along the way, we will write an email update with highlights and conduct video interviews.

Content changes frequently at Superfund365 (everyday to be exact) so be sure to visit often or use the subscribe tools to have content delivered to you.

CREDITS
WHAT EXACTLY IS SUPERFUND?

Tags: environment, epa, superfund, visualization

Why I no longer work at the Department of Labor

It is far worse than you could possibly imagine. This just scratches the surface:

July 18, 2008

EDITORIAL

No Friend of the Workers

It should surprise no one, at this point, that an arm of the Bush administration charged with protecting Americans’ rights or safety is not doing its job. Even so, a government report and a Congressional hearing this week painted a disturbing picture of a Labor Department that simply is not standing up for workers.

President Bush has filled top posts across his administration with people who do not agree with the missions of their organizations. His Environmental Protection Agency has failed to protect the environment; his Justice Department has promoted injustice.

To lead the Department of Labor, Mr. Bush appointed Elaine Chao, who took office in 2001 arguing that states should be able to opt out of the federal minimum wage — a terrible idea that would drive down wages for the lowest-paid employees. For more than seven years, Ms. Chao has run a department that has tilted toward employers and failed to properly enforce labor laws.

In a report released this week, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office took a close look at a sampling of cases handled — or, rather, mishandled — by the Wage and Hour Division of the Labor Department. It found that the division failed to adequately investigate complaints that workers were not paid the minimum wage, were denied mandatory overtime or were not paid their last paychecks.

In one case, a delivery truck driver complained that he was not being paid for overtime that he had earned. The complaint languished for more than 17 months before an investigator was assigned. Then, the case was soon closed because the statute of limitations was about to run out.

The division dropped another case, in which disabled children were allegedly being paid cash by a trucking company to operate large machinery in violation of child-labor laws, because its investigators could not locate the employer. The G.A.O. had little trouble finding a company that appears to be the one cited in the complaint.

The G.A.O.’s findings suggest that the government is not doing its job of going after employers who “cheat their employees out of their hard-earned wages,” said Representative George Miller, the California Democrat who chairs the committee that held this week’s hearing.

The Labor Department responded, as The Times’s Steven Greenhouse reported, that the “Wage and Hour Division is delivering pay for workers, not a payday for trial lawyers.” The department has it exactly backward. By failing to enforce the law, it is creating more work for trial lawyers, who can turn what should be simple administrative procedures into full-blown lawsuits.

Attacking trial lawyers is a classic Republican talking point. Its use in response to complaints from hard-working Americans that they are being cheated is a giveaway that the real problem at the department is not one of competence, but of ideology.

The first step in getting the nation’s laws enforced again will be entrusting enforcement to people who believe in them. We hope the next president will do that.

FILMOCRACY Winners Make a Statement!

After checking out these clips, go to the library and check out the book entitled Food Politics, by Marion Nestle. I highly recommend it.

Repost of: Independent Lens Newsletter: June 23, 2008

KING CORN, one of this season’s favorite docs, provided the backdrop
for the first Filmocracy mashup contest, where we asked people to mix
it up, make a statement and answer the question: If you are what you
eat, what are you?

Many people used the powerful medium of film to illustrate their
point of view on the politics of food, using KING CORN clips and
footage from Getty Images. Participants uploaded their own clips as
well, and mixed it all up with the Eyespot online editing tool.

And without further adieu… the Filmocracy contest winners are:

Grand Prize
“Corn King Takes Over the World” by Kylee Darcy

Highest Rated
“The Politics of Food” by Brandon Savoie

Most Popular
“And So It Is” by Ananta

Watch at:
http://www.pbs.org/filmocracy

Grand prizewinner Kylee Darcy won $1,000 and her stop-motion animated
short, “Corn King Takes Over the World,” will be screened throughout
the country at Indie Lens Community Cinema events this fall. She also
gets a KING CORN DVD, soundtrack and other fabulous corn-free prizes!
The most popular and highest rated videos get cool prizes too.

Darcy, age 19, is a health conscious sophomore at UC Berkeley who is
passionate about food politics. She came across the Filmocracy
contest while conducting research about the relationship between
nutrition and exercise with mental health. For her entry, Darcy
created her own hand-drawn animation and mixed it up with KING CORN
clips and archival images to make a bold and colorful statement about
the politics of food.

The KING CORN filmmakers chose the grand prizewinner, and Eyespot
viewers gave the highest ratings to “The Politics of Food” by Brandon
Savoie. Savoie, a 22-year-old student and forklift operator from
Louisiana, has “a passion for indie filmmaking,” and entered the
contest to comment on the fast food controversy he had read about on
the Internet. “Even if I didn’t win,” he said, “I thought it would be
a good opportunity to help inform others of the irresponsibility of
the major fast food companies.” The winner of Most Popular
designation, “And So It Is” by Ananta, has not responded to our email
request.

Watch the Independent Lens Filmocracy contest shorts winners (all
under 3 minutes) at:
http://www.pbs.org/filmocracy