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Wow. I gave the concluding remarks and told those in the room that Dr. King was a true gift for America. I shared my ignorance of Dr. King growing up in a small farming community in upstate New York (there were 54 kids in our High School graduating class). Full disclosure, we were ignorant.

I first started to admire Dr. King’s messages when I was on the USS Intrepid in the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam. The day after his assassination young black men set fires on the ship. All this while several of America’s cites were also in flames. The only problem was that it’s a bit hard to evacuate when you’re 500 miles from a safe shore.

Keeping with my budding mantra of CYA (challenge your assumptions) I tried to learn what could cause such anger and truly irrational behavior. I learned more and more of Dr. King and especially his stand against the Vietnam conflict. My admiration only grew and my resolve to try to do more to promote justice and equality.

I must admit that I didn’t (and don’t) have nearly the impact of Dr. King, but can be responsible for doing what I can in the moment when I am aware of injustice and inequality. I’ve tried to do that in my life.

I ended my remarks with a quote from Dr. King on persistence and staying the course. He said in a speech as Spellman College in 1968, “if you can’t fly, run. if you can’t run walk. if you can’t walk crawl, but never stop moving.”

I know for me that means accepting incremental change, but doing what you can, when you can. Am I upset that in this great country every American does not have access to quality and affordable health care? You betcha. But social security got fixed after the initial bill was watered down. Crawling. Does that mean I’m going to go easy on Mark Warner and Jim Webb if they vote for less? Not this guy, but crawl…

Dr. King and President Obama got the Nobel prize and both said many others deserved it before them. This I share with them, but I proudly accepted my award, because it’s good to see a fat white guy who believes in Dr. King’s messages – and then does something about it.

The Honor was humbling, and all because of a few fires on an aircraft carrier 42 years ago and a guy who refused to accept the status quo.

Crawl…

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I am a Washington Redskins season ticket holder.  I was on the list for about 20 years before they called and said some room was available in Section 426 of FedEx near the top.  In  the 10 years I’ve been going to see my beloved Skins,  the Danster bought the team and has proceeded to destroy one of the greatest franchises in the history of the game.  Now he gives $50k to Bob McDonnell.

Now if you’ve every read this Blog you gotta know that I’m a huge Creigh fan and would never vote for McDonnell in a million years.  After all he is who he is.  But if anyone ever needed confirmation about what a loser McDonnell is, the Danster loves him!

Dan Snyder who has brought in a succession of losers and never beens, meddled with what passes for a  front office/coaches, and continues to have an escalator that still doesn’t work, and loves Bob McDonnell!!!!!!  Is there any thing more to be said?  Really!

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Afternoon All -
I just got off the phone with an aide from Rep. Wolfs office.  I  called because I had been led to believe that the Congressman was supposed to have had his tele-town hall meeting by now and since I signed up through his website and had not heard anything, I was curious.

The woman I spoke with told me that the tele-town hall meeting is scheduled for TONIGHT at 7:10 P.M.  Surprised, I asked her why I hadn’t been notified earlier.  She had no idea when the decision had been made, she just knew was that it was tonight.  I asked her for the number to call into so I could take part in the
event and she responded that there wasn’t one.  “Then how am I going to be able to take part?” I asked.  She said that as long as I had signed up in advance and they had my email address, they would be calling me.

I asked what my email address had to do with making a call and again, she had no answer.   So finally I asked “Does this mean that the Congressman is not going to be attending the President’s Address this evening?”  She laughed and said she didn’t know, unless he was holding the tele-town hall downtown.
Can you believe this crap?  Has anyone else heard anything about this supposed event that coincidentally is scheduled for roughly the same time as the President’s speech?  Just thought you should know.  Feel free to distribute this information to anyone and everyone.

Rich

Sounds like Congressman Wolf has some really neat technology from the House Science and Technology Sub Committee.

On a somewhat related note, the far right is all abuzz with priase for that dufus from South Carolina that acted like some breathless birther blooger during the President’s speech last night.  Not quite the “Free Speech” perspective they applied to Cindy Sheehan.  I’m just sayin…

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Always a good sign when you’re supposed to be a lock for re-election. Hmmm. Wonder if Jackson knows something we don’t??

And what’s up with ducking the NAACP forum?  Perhaps the previous manager was a secret health care freak and just wanted to rally the 58% that voted for Barak last year.  Well the good news is that BVBL is making the Miller campaign look very professional.  With friends like these…

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Wolf To Hold Town ‘Call’ on Health Care Reform
By Jason Jacks
Tuesday, 25 August 2009

Loudouners will get a chance to add their two cents to the heated debate on health care reform without having to fight traffic to do so.
On Sept. 8, U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10th) will hold what is being billed as a “Town Call,” where residents will be able to opine on President Barack Obama’s plan to restructure the nation’s health care insurance system via their telephones.
Through much of August, federal lawmakers have been holding town halls across the country to gather constituents’ feedback on what the government should do with respect to health care. Some of the gatherings have turned into shouting matches, with backers on both sides attempting to drown out the other.
As for where Wolf stands on the issue, he said he opposes health car legislation now in Congress due to its expected high cost and option for a government-run coverage plan.
“I believe that any plan put forward must control costs, not add billions of dollars to an already ballooning deficit; ensure competition and choice, and provide that patients and their doctors make the decisions on medical care rather than a government-run agency,” he said in a statement.
With the town call, constituents who signed up to receive Wolf’s e-newsletter through his Web site and supplied their phone number and zip code as well will likely receive a call in the late-afternoon on Sept. 8 asking if they want to take part. During the call, Wolf will give an opening address and then take questions.
Wolf spokesman Dan Scandling said Wolf has been holding tele-town halls for the past two years to rave reviews from participants.
“People love it,” he said. “You don’t have to leave your house and you can hear what you want to hear … It’s an easier way to communicate than town halls.”
Scandling added that while health care reform will likely dominate discussion during the Sept. 8 call, constituents can ask questions on any topic they please.

Double standard?? I think not. Just business as usual…

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Quote from a speaker at the Prince William County TEA Party. They sure do hate us for our freedoms.

Darkness falls across the land
The midnight hour is close at hand
Creatures crawl in search of blood
To terrorize y’alls neighborhood

The foulest stench is in the air
The funk of forty thousand years
And grizzly ghouls from every tomb
Are closing in to seal your doom

And though you fight to stay alive
Your body starts to shiver
For no mere mortal can resist
The evil of the thriller

CORRECTION. Seems the karmic signals were crossed and this Michael Jackson Thriller Lyrics must have intruded into my internet tubes from VH1 or Palladia. I thought Obannon sounded too much like Vincent Price. They are both pretty scary tho…

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This program is very new to Virginia and I’m seriously thinking of starting a PAC to move the conversation in the Commonwealth to a different agenda. Would you be interested in helping in some way?

I know this stuff is new so I’ve got a link to two recent forums on the topic to get you up to speed and a LINK of the Washington Monthly article on the Rooftop Revolution.

New America Foundation forum on FIT
World Future Council FIT Symposium
The Washington Monthly The Rooftop Revolution

I’ve also prepared and delivered a FIT briefing book for Deeds and Bowerbank.

FIT’s have the potential to really separate us from the pack with real proposals to reduce our dependence on carbon based power generation, and with Obama’s new ’smart grid’ allow us to move much closer to a generation centric distribution system as opposed to a grid centric one that now requires all that cheap coal electricity being shipped from parts unknown (losing electrons along the way).

Interested? EMAIL ME AT ROEMMELT[AT]EROLS.COM

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The results:
Terry 23
Brian 24
Creigh 49

Woot!

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One to go…

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