Tell Congress to Wake Up

Dear American,

When the producers of An Inconvenient Truth first approached me with the concept for the film, I was skeptical. Could we really take a slideshow about the climate crisis and turn it into a compelling movie? Davis Guggenheim’s Oscar win for best documentary and a second one for Melissa Etheridge’s beautiful song “I Need to Wake Up” was a testament to their ability, but it was also a testament to you.

It was you who packed the theaters and got your friends to go see this film, greatly increasing the audience. And then this past December, it was you who connected through MoveOn.org and AlGore.com to attend An Inconvenient Truth viewing parties. At those parties and in the weeks that followed, nearly 200,000 of you wrote to Congress, demanding that they address the climate crisis like the planetary emergency that it is.

Even though I have been a life-long movie fan, I didn’t really understand how big of an audience a movie could reach. And of course I never would have imagined in a million years that a movie that I was a part of would receive two Academy Awards—or one—or would have ever been made in the first place! As humbling as this moment is, An Inconvenient Truth will only succeed if it drives all of us to take action. That’s why I’m asking you to join me in the next stage of our fight. On March 21st, I'm going to hand-deliver the messages you signed when I testify at Congressional hearings on the climate crisis.

This is an incredible opportunity to demonstrate to Congress that we demand immediate action. And I need your help to really make this moment count. Can you commit to getting 10 friends to send their message to Congress through AlGore.com before March 21st? The more voices I can bring to Washington, the more powerful our message will be.

To get your friends involved, just forward them this note or direct them to:
http://algore.com/cards.html

There is no longer a debate about the fact that global warming is real. We're causing it. The consequences are serious, and could be headed towards catastrophe if we don’t fix it. And it's not too late. I don't want to imagine a future in which our children say, “What were our parents thinking?” “Why didn't they wake up when they had a chance?” And I know you don’t either.

The hundreds of thousands of you who signed messages to Congress showed me what's possible. Working together we can unite millions of people and build support for real action on a scale that has never been seen before.

Help me take the first step and fill up that hearing room with your signatures. That picture alone will send a powerful message.

Can you commit to getting ten more people to send messages to Congress demanding action to stop global warming?
http://algore.com/cards.html

I’m looking forward to working with you on this monumental task.
Thank you,
Al Gore

Al Gore, international rock star

Oscar hopeful making case as America’s coolest ex-vice president

In the annals of vice presidential history, tonight will be something different. In his black tux, the man known to his most fervent fans as "The Goracle" will arrive by hybrid eco-limo and, surrounded by fellow Hollywood greenies Cameron Diaz and Leonardo DiCaprio, will stroll down the red carpet at the Academy Awards to answer the immortal question: "Al, who are you wearing?"

What a year it has been for Al Gore and his little indie film.

"An Inconvenient Truth," the 100-minute movie that is essentially Gore giving a slide show about global warming, is the third-highest-grossing documentary ever, with a worldwide box office of $45 million, right behind blockbusters "Fahrenheit 9/11" and "March of the Penguins."

Read the entire article at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17321273/

Who's the scariest man in the world?

If you guessed Dick Cheney, Cheers to you, you've been paying attention. This is the guy behind the entire Iraq War mess, also the one who profited from Halliburton stock as a result of Iraq contracts. This is also the guy behind PNAC, who said in 2000, the only way to return to the old-school way of American military power was to attack the Middle East and the only way to do that would come from a "Pearl Harbor" like attack, hence 9/11 less than a year later.

So what's new with Iran? Nohing much. Now Cheney says military action is still an option on the table. (Some experts predicted several years ago that an Iranian conflict would occur by the end of this administration) and they may be right after all.

Cheney leaves open military option against Iran

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17305000/

To boot, Cheney also blasted China this week for routine missile tests. It appears the United States is the only nation allowed to test and use weapons.

Cheney rips China’s anti-satellite weapons test

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17273020/

Also, this week, Cheney compared Democrats to terrorists again. This old trick is exactly that: OLD. Do Americans really still believe this crap? Democrats like Nancy Pelosi aren't standing for it.

Cheney won’t back down from Pelosi criticism

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17295904/

U.S. Govenrment Reveals Technology to Scan and Record Your Naked Body

The following is more evidence that your privacy and the world of privacy is over. We have officially entered the Orwellian world that George Orwell warned us of in 1948 in his book 1984. A world of constant surveillance, a world of government over individual, a world of corporation over individual. We are entering a Brave New World of comfort over freedom, and security over expression.

Powerful X-ray machine debuts in Phoenix
‘Backscatter’ visually strips off clothing
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17296248/

While some may laugh this off, this invasion is only a step in a series of invasions of our privacy. Security is the excuse. 9/11 is the excuse, even though we know the only reason 9/11 even happened in the first place was government failures at the top. This will have ugly results, mark my words.

LIVE EARTH

The Concert for a Climate in Crisis is Coming
http://liveearth.org

7/7/07

Rudy Runs Again, just like he did on September 11th

Giuliani confirms he’s running in 2008
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17158406/

While Bush was busy exploiting 9/11 to get what would become the biggest gain in rating polls for a sitting president, the Mayor of New York City was doing the same. Rudolph Giuliani who broke every promise he ever made while in office and whose own ratings were in the danger zone, used 9/11 as a springboard for million-dollar book deals and lectures. His popularity soared and he wore the name “hero” as if it were really true. Here was a politician running away from the scene of terrorist attacks yelling “let’s head uptown,” and yet he’s called a hero? For what? Rallying the people of New York after a terrorist attack? That’s not enough to be called a hero. The real heroes were the ones heading in the opposite direction as the mayor. The real heroes were the ones who climbed those steps and tried to rescue people from the burning towers. The brave New York City fire fighters and police officers, they were the heroes. I would like to see someone try and justify Rudolph Giuliani’s exploitation of 9/11. I would. I really am curious.

Rudy Giuliani & The Bush Administration Destroyed the WTC Demolition Evidence: http://www.ifilm.com/video/2778503

Rudy Giuliani Is Not a Hero. Repeat After Me.
When you place the command and control center so close to the World Trade Center that the new $50 million facility was destroyed in the attacks, and you are the one responsible for the FDNY having inoperable Motorola radios (how many people would have been saved if the firefighters could have actually heard the orders to evacuate?) and then, despite the fact that almost 3,000 of your constituents died, you fought against the formation of the 9/11 Commission, just as President Bush did, you are not a hero. You are a hypocrite.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-boyce/rudy-giuliani-is-not-a-he_b_40235.html

IS THE ECONOMY REALLY "FIRED UP"?

IS THE ECONOMY REALLY FIRED UP?
Compiled by Annabelle Gurwitch

Whose economy is it anyway? Jobless rate in America is the lowest since 2001; but since 2001, 95% of working people in America’s wages have been flat or falling. Only the top 5% have shared in the economic growth. Real wages and salaries makeup the lowest share of the GDP since 1947, corporate profits are the highest they’ve been since the 1960’s.
Where’s my gold watch? You won’t be receiving a gold watch if you were working for any of these companies:

• AOL said so long to 5,000. Employees in Aug 06.
• Intel cut its ties to 10,000 employees in Sept 06.
• Ford offered 75,000 workers buyout packages in October, and announced that 14 plants will close by 2012 eliminating 30,000 jobs.
• GM also offered buyouts to 100,000 workers if they said goodbye to their jobs.
• Dupont declared in the week before Labor Day that new workers will no longer receive defined benefit pension plans and more tenured employees’ pensions will be reduced. And uh, we’re not offering health care either - Happy Labor Day!
  

Ratio of average CEO salary to the average American worker is now 435 to 1

People who are unemployed stay unemployed fifty percent longer than they did in the seventies, and only about half as many receive unemployment insurance as did so in 1947.

Actress and humorist ANNABELLE GURWITCH, best known to television audiences for her many years as the co-host of the cult favorite “Dinner and a Movie” on TBS.
She is currently a contributing writer and commentator on “Day to Day” on NPR.

Her film FIRED is currently playing in select theaters: http://www.firedthemovie.com/
http://www.internationalfilmcircuit.com/fired/playdate.html

Global Warming is Certain

Officials from 113 countries agreed that a much-awaited report will say that recent global warming was “very likely” caused by human activity...

The officials also approved language that said an increase in hurricane and tropical cyclone strength since 1970 “more likely than not” can be attributed to man-made warming, according to delegates Leonard Fields of Barbados and Cedric Nelom of Surinam.

In its last report in 2001, the same panel had said there was not enough evidence to make such a conclusion. The last U.N. report, in 2001, said global warming was “likely” caused by human activity. There had been speculation that the participants might try to change the wording this time to “virtually certain,” which means a 99 percent chance.

The new report is expected to predict that global temperatures could between 2.5 to 10.4 degrees by the year 2100 unless stronger efforts are made to reduce carbon emissions from vehicles, power plants and other industry. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16922234/

Meanwhile...

Oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp. on Thursday posted the largest annual profit by a U.S. company — $39.5 billion — even as earnings for the last quarter of 2006 declined 4 percent. The 2006 profit topped the previous record of $36.13 billion which Exxon set in 2005.

Revenue at the world’s largest publicly traded oil company rose to $377.64 billion for the year, surpassing the record $370.68 billion that Exxon posted in 2005.

Exxon Mobil’s record annual earnings followed a year of extraordinarily high energy prices as crude oil topped $78 a barrel in the summer — driving up average gasoline prices in the United States to more than $3 a gallon. Prices retreated later in the year.