Please check out our small website! We are just a group of people combatting poverty. Please take a look at the site, it only takes a minute of consideration. Thank you very much.

www.bri0505.tripod.com

ps. this is not a scam, just a website thrown together quickly! we all have full time jobs and are involved in other activities so its difficult to efficiently promote the cause.

Will tonight make a difference? NOT!!! This will be over the 20th debate. I guess it will serve some purpose to get into the bitter comment (as if that thing hasn't been hacked to death). THat won't make a difference though. Hillary voters who are offended weren't voting for him anyway. His supporters won't be so easily swayed. It will be interesting to see the exit polls and to see of the late deciders how many were swung by the bitter comments. Stay tuned....

Why is everyone so bitter? Did Obama say something that was offensive or untrue. The media has made a caricature of what they think he meant by focusing on two words…. cling and bitter. On the face of it, if you easily succomb to others interpretation of events without taking the whole statement in context then I guess I understand. Voters who vote based on guns, religion, culture, traditions…. drumroll please they are called VALUES VOTERS. Isn’t that why in ’04 Rove/Bush were able to get same sex marriage on the ballot because they know there is a certain segment of the demos that does not vote their economic interests but instead votes based on their values. That is all Obama was saying….. that these voters have lost faith in their gov’t so they don’t believe they will do anything to improve their economic status, so they vote Values (aka guns, religion, family traditions, etc.)

The some segments of the media have gotten beaten over having a love affair with Barack. The Rev. Wright thing didn’t stick so Barack’s detractors say it is because the media lets him slide… the media is liberal, Barack is liberal, blah, blah, blah. So now with this little dust-up the networks have to show they are tough and analyze and parse and breakdown to prove they are on the case. GREAT, this will only make Obama stronger. The Clintons are no joke if he can beat them within the party (when conceivably the machine can’t really get involved) then he will whoop McCain!

www.thefutureisus.com

Last night at the Compassion Forum, Barack sought to put an end to the recent flap over his "bitter" comments. He explained that he felt that industrial voters have a right to be bitter and in times of ecomomic distress, people "cling" to what they feel they can count on (ie religion, culture, family traditions) which is what he says he does in times of trial. It seems quite desperate on Clinton's part to try and make a mountian out of those statments. McCain.... well that is what should be expected. It seems like Clinton's response has Mark Penn written all over it. She has once again opened herself to questions she doesn't want to answer (when was the last time you were in church?) and makes her seem like she is pandering (to her own base? but I digress) with stories of how she is protecting sportsman and her daddy taught her to shoot. Next she will say she has a skeet shooting range in Chappequa (sp?). We will see if this is it or if the story lives on. One thing I can say though is "The lesson of Kerry" is understood by all Dems now, when hit, you must hit back immediately. Well by most Dems.... Hillary ducked (pun intended) the sniper fire story to long in my opinion.. but again I digress.

www.thefutureisus.com

Here is a sample of what young voters are talking about, it is from our Conversations for Solutions series.... check it out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sto-spf3Or0

www.thefutureisus.com

Check this ad out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wHM2eyTAO8 Has anyone else seen this? I thought is was right on point especially considering the latest comments over Barack's Characterization of Industrial State voters by Hillary and McCain.

A new GREEN WEBSITE is being launched to help GREEN CONSUMERS & GREEN COMPANIES connect. Philly Goes Green is a non-profit organization. Our website will be fully launched very soon! We are receiving an overwhelming response to our FREE BUSINESS LISTINGS. We offer free business listings on our site for those who meet the standards of green products / services. If you are a business or consumer and would like to submit a Green Company located in the Greater Philadelphia Area, please do so by going to http://www.phillygoesgreen.com, & fill out the form on the page "Get Listed".

We look forward to helping the great community of Philadelphia. Thank you for your time and support for our green earth and green Philadelphia.

students run philly style 2008

Thursday after school, I was in my classroom working on lesson plans, as usual. Ms. ...., popped her head in and had asked me if I could help her out with her and her runners. She needed somebody to stand at 17th and Girard, while 12 of the 7th and 8th grade runners ran around Gesu School and St. Joe's Prep, which is probably equivalent to 1/3 of a mile. I timed them 15-minutes and cheered 'em on! (Need I remind you, most of these students are obese, out of shape, unmotivated, low self-esteemed, inner-city kids.)

It was fun, despite the fact, about 100 yards from me were 5 cop cars, a ton of cops carrying off a fellow from off the ground, who had literally hit one of our students.

Anyways, after the run, we stretched for about 10-minutes, and as we were walking back into the school, one of the 7th grade girls put her arm around me and had asked me if I was going to their meet this weekend. S...., she is one of the most stubborn, confused, mean, yet sweet girls that you'll ever meet. I met her 2 summers ago, and I had the honor to go to Cape May, New Jersey with her and a bunch of our students last summer for Whale-Watching as a side-trip, although we only saw dolphins, it was awesome! She is awesome. Like I said, she's stubborn, so you have to catch her on a good day, but even at her bad moments, she still carries a slight smirk on her face. She and her older sister, S...., live down the street and the neighborhood...it's not pretty. So anyways, a little side-tracked. She and I kinda grew on each other. I'm pretty damn stubborn myself and we just click. She was one of the reasons why I chose to go to their meet today instead of the FACAA.

I don't even know where to start with how I was feeling at this first meet...I honestly didn't know what I was getting into until we hopped onto a school bus with 13 of our 7th and 8th graders, rowdy as always, yes, even early as 8-in-the-morning! And hungry as always, which reminds me, I'm bringing in snacks for our next meet.

So, there were 550 members (kids and adults from all over Philly) and that's not including the many, many volunteers who helped out with this training for a marathon for the youth. This particular run is for teens from 12-17 yrs. old, most of whom come from the sketchy parts of town (which to me is anywhere in Philly). Inner-city kids coming together to prove to everyone and themselves that they are worth...worth something! I mean, if you met them, you'd know they are worth so much, but after this marathon or even during training, they'll learn to believe this fact for themselves.

Getting off the bus, we ran to our destination in the pouring rain. When we got in, they had snacks and a short documentary for us. The documentary was about five 17-year old students from Oakland, CA, who struggle in their daily lives such as our Philly students, but after running a 26-mile marathon, they felt like they could conquer the world. I mean, wouldn't you? It was so inspiring and so touching, I was ready to take on any obstacle, but this isn't about ME! As I was watching our kids, A.... was playing with R....'s braids, K.... was playing Tetris on his phone, while J.... was watching intently with a huge smile on his face. J.... is a character. Shy, but determined. I was telling him about Oakland, and how before I left Cali, I felt like Oakland's crime-rate was what kept me from visiting more often. When I moved to Philly, in my mind Oakland was the relevancy to Philly. (Philly's homicide rate is about three to four-times higher.)

After the documentary, we walked through the school, played some Ice-Breakers like a Get-to-Know/Meet and Greet BINGO game and Steal the Bacon-like relay races in the gym. We made some cheers, ate lunch, and I watched the hormonal boys stalk the girls from other schools and the girls giggle at the boys from the other schools. HILARIOUS! We took a group photo with our neon green STUDENTS RUN PHILLY STYLE shirts as our "before picture" and cheered for those who have finished one or more marathons, they were the celebrities of the morning. H...., Ms. ....'s 5-year old daughter, finished 3/4 of a marathon, last year, and I don't know about you, but that's pretty damn impressive! She was my little side-kick today, funny little one. Lots of energy and old in spirit. She was telling our teens about "cooties" and "lowering" their voices on the bus. Old spirit trapped in a tiny body.

So, my point...just excited about this. We will meet the same group of people, the other students again next month, in April. The marathon will be in November 2008 on Broad Street, Philadelphia, 26-miles. Come cheer us...them on! I see so much potential in these students and hopefully soon, they will see it, too!

I feel like this is a win-win situation for me. I'm so glad to be a part of the Students Run Philly Style. We chanted: Who are we? STUDENTS! What do we do? RUN! How do we do it? PHILLY STYLE!

Eh, eh, you like that?

Check out this link. I'll be on those same steps (Museum of Art-where "Rocky" ran up) with my kids in November! http://www.fasttracksrunning.org/studentsrunphillystyle.html

Oh Ken Davis hates blogs does he? We're like sooooooooooo shocked. We all woke up this morning to the news that Ken Davis was stepping down as Chairman of the Montgomery County Republican Party. (and honestly, we were shocked not to read it first on CRN)

Can we say, it has been a bad week for Ken? First, Ed Lipkin resigns as the Ardmore Developer, and now this news?

So anyway, Writemarsh and Tony Phyrillas broke the news that we saw first, and well, we are so amused. And we almost couldn't contain ourselves when Mr. Davis announced in his letter that he still hates blog and bloggers. We are shocked! Shocked we tell you! But then again, can it be said what do we know that small group of mean spirited individuals that also thought eminent domain was a bad, bad thing?

LOL, We are sure he was thinking of us along with whomever else he hates in the blogosphere, right? Look, Former Commissioner Ken Davis did do some great things for Lower Merion no doubt, but unfortunately, can it be said part of his legacy is this and eminent domain? In a way, that's sad...

Here is an excerpt of the burning letter courtesy of Writemarh Blog Posting

Dear Republican Leader,
When speaking of those who serve the public in elective or appointive office, President Theodore Roosevelt had this to say, almost one hundred years ago:

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly..."

...After serving as your Chairman for the last four years, I have decided to leave the "arena", and will not seek another term.....I will also not miss, especially, the anonymous, ignorant cowards who hide from behind the internet to spew their hate and venom, without having to reveal their identities or to speak for attribution, on the record; and the so-called "bloggers" self-important "know nothings" to a fault, thinking that anybody really cares what they have to say. These people, as Theodore Roosevelt noted, "know neither victory or defeat" themselves, yet never hesitate to criticize those of us who do.

"Arcane Explosion: The damage cap for area of effect damage on this spell has been increased by approximately 50%.runescape gold.

Arcane Fortitude now increases your armor by an amount equal to 100% of your Intellect, up from 50%.runescape money.

Blink, Slow, and Spellsteal have all had their mana cost reduced.

Improved Blink: This talent no longer reduces the mana cost of Blink.sell wow gold.
Instead, it increases the chance for all attacks to miss the Mage by 25% for 2/4 sec after Blink is cast.Warhammer online gold.

Using low ranks of Fire Ward and Frost Ward spell will now be penalized the same way healing spells are penalized.

Frostbite: When a frost spell is reflected back at a Mage, it is now possible for the Mage to suffer from the Frostbite effect.or wow.

Ice Barrier: Using low ranks of this spell will now be penalized the same way healing spells are penalized.

Icy Veins no longer stacks with Bloodlust, Heroism, or Power Infusion.

Improved FireWard has become Molten Shields.

Mana Shield: This spell will now get a percentage of the Mage’s bonus to spell damage as an additional effect.

New Talent: Molten Shields will cause your Fire Ward to have a 10/20% chance to reflect Fire spells while active.
In addition, your Molten Armor has a 50/100% chance to affect ranged and spell attacks.

Permafrost: This talent will now correctly increase the movement slowing effect of frost Armor instead of the attack speed slow.

Spellsteal will no longer overwrite a longer duration buff.
"
.

Please watch this music video on YouTube about Breaking the Cycle in Philly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DvWaDNDXmM

Thanks!

Are dogs possessions or members of the family? Do puppy lemon laws mean anything?

Look, this topic of irresponsible dog breeding, dog hoarding, pet abuse is a topic that makes me sick to my stomach. A long time ago, I put up a post called "ANOTHER PA Dog Breeder violates Puppy Lemon Laws....". The post has stayed a bit active...recently, someone claiming to be the breeder in question has posted comments. I have no problem with that, but her lawyers might as it puts her ever so out there...in the comments, whomever this person is said they would replace "defective" puppies?

Dogs are not shoes they are members of our families, so ...to some people what was suggested is fine, but to others, that is like trading in a defective child. And that leads me to an interesting question: what do these breeders do with "defective" puppies that people return? Where do unwanted puppies go?

So anyway, I found the following on the web:

January 29, 2008
Bullie Pups R Us case still pending

I've received quite a few comments and e-mails about the status of the Pennsylvania Attorney General's lawsuit against Bullie Pups R Us and its owner Traci Murai.

My entry on English bulldogs hitting the AKC top 10 breeds is what stirred the pot on this issue.

I had been trying to get a comment from Attorney General Tom Corbett's office for about two weeks and finally got some information today.

According to Nils Frederiksen, deputy press secretary for the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office, the Bullie Pups R Us lawsuit is an ongoing civil case. The Reading Eagle had published a story when the case was filed, back in April of 2006

Reading Eagle Paws Blog

Press: The Attorney General's Press Office - Pennsylvania Office ...

Better Business Bureau Reliability Report

Kennel Shut Down For Selling Sick Bulldogs

Thoughts on Paws: April 2006 Archives

PetAbuse.com

Classified Ad Online

Reading Eagle Paws Blog

next day pets ad

bulldogs from russia

Is this the breeder website? BulliePupsRUs Legal Info

NOTE: OFFERS FOR SALE ARE NOT VALID TO RESIDENTS IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

Refund/Cancellation policy
NO REFUNDS in part or in full will be given for ANY reason. ONLY full credit for another puppy will be given for any and all reasons.

If you are unhappy with your puppy for any reason that is not covered under the contract, and that we feel is valid, we will possibly work with you on getting a second puppy at a siginifigant discount. We review each case individually and retain the right to refuse a discount for another puppy at any given time.

Additional important links... Please check to see if your state has a Puppy Lemon Law.

Currently 11 states throughout the USA have Puppy Lemon Laws. Know your rights!

Is this breeder now only selling OUTSIDE of the Commonwealth of PA? Do the people buying these dogs know that probably invalidates at least some of their rights under puppy lemon laws? (I am not a lawyer, but a lawyer told me possibly "yes") If you breed good dogs, why all the random registries? (non AKC)

www.bulliepupsrus.com/forsale

redorbit.com: amity kennel is sued by state

dog channel

news story (related)

k9 stud

k9stud

Publication:Reading Eagle; Date:Mar 14, 2007; Section:Berks & Beyond; Page Number:B3
Police log

District judges

(All information was obtained through records in the Berks County Courthouse.)

Before Victor M. Frederick IV: Cases waived into court:

Traci Murai, 36, of the 300 block of West Morlatten Road, Amity Township, forgery and tampering with records.

awarenessday.org

bulliepupsrusattorneygeneral.blogspot.com

The Shut the Duck UP! video has finally been finished! Two Drexel Students worked on it and the video has now been placed on YouTube for all to see. Watch as campaign leader Walt Sherman crushes quackers, protests on the streets, and actually experiences what it's like to ride the Duck Boats!

You can find the video here.

Find more information and sign the online petition on the Shut the Duck UP! Blog!

THANK YOU for everyone's support in helping to Shut the Duck UP! We at Shut the Duck UP! are confident that change is coming soon.

Sincerely,
Walt Sherman

Well, it doesn't do my wannabe fashionista-political pundit wannabe status any good that I am now the poster child for the "R" word...yes faithful followers, I have been silent because of my increasing frustration at being a fashion statement for Recession and I am damn angry about it. When I last blogged, really, I wrote a post called "now what". I am still asking the same boring question. And I still haven't found a job.

AP: Odds Are Growing for Economic Recession
By JEANNINE AVERSA – 1 day ago

The unemployment rate leaps to a two-year high, record numbers of people are forced from their homes and Wall Street nose-dives again. Such is the fallout from a housing meltdown that threatens to slingshot the country into a recession.

The big economic question these days is whether the weakening economy will survive the strains or collapse under them.

The odds have grown that the economy will slip into a recession. At the beginning of last year, many economists put that chance at less than 1-in-3; now an increasing number says it has climbed to around 50-50. Goldman Sachs, the biggest investment bank on Wall Street even thinks a recession is inevitable this year.

First let me thank George W. Bush. You ruined what previous to this country? A baseball team and oil company or whatever? So that wasn't enough and daddy bought you poliitcal office and others made the mistake of thinking you were at least half the man your father was? Dude, you can't even hold a candle to your parents.

So here it is January. I am still out of work. I am interviewing, but unless I want to work minimum wage, in the Philadelphia area it just ain't happening...however, soon I might not have a choice and my college educated ass could be reduced to minimum wage - then I will officially join the ranks of the working poor instead of just skirting it as I now do. I have new found respect for those who really struggle to make ends meet. I don't know how all of you do this all the time and I believe you how tough it is out there, because I'm right here with you now....

I haven't posted in a while. Why? Well this being out of work crap is depressing and saps my creative energy. It was damn hard getting through the holidays and silly as it sounds, I also resent having to think twice about pampering myself with a new pair or shoes, or even a manicure. Ok, well I can do my own nails if I have to, but shoes? I'm a girl. Shoes are a necessity. Like chocolate, but I digress.

I have plastered every job website with moi. I have called in some of my markers and favors, and will continue to do so. One of the ironies is I can't even count how many other freakin' people I helped get a job who don't know my name right now. Which brings me to another fun fact of unemployment: becoming a social pariah due to change in economic status. Screw all of them for that, too. So like you are only my friend if I have a kicky job? What if I do decide to get that minimum wage job at Target? Will you avert your eyes, cover half your face like you need blinders and scuttle across the floor like a damn cockroach if I catch you and your pretentious ass in the low budget fashion aisles of Target? HAH!

And what of the loverly former co-workers? People I spent too many years to count with? You know all those lovely folks I contributed hundreds of dollars towards on holiday gifts, countless bridal/baby showers, divorce celebrations, birthdays, retirements? Occasionally I hear from one or two...but then even that gets on the last proverbial nerve when I hear of people like ones who qualify for village idiot status who should lose their jobs, but don't. And then there are the ones with whom potential employers for me have to telephone for references because they are in positions of authority. How about not hesitating when someone calls for a basic reference unless you want someone to sue your ass some day?

Going on job interviews is like going on blind dates. Only trickier. Everyone knows someone somewhere. You have these monster interviews that take hours. And then? Then they don't follow up with you. Forget about rejections or offers, how about plain old ordinary basic Miss Manners follow-up? I send my thank you notes and do my follow up, would it kill you people interviewing me and other poor slobs out there to follow the freak up?

Am I angry at this point? Oh yeah. Adding to the frustration level? The resume expert. Ahem, you are charged with the task of reinventing moi on paper. Newsflash: I can write and spell better than you. I also make fewer grammatical and other errors.

And then there are the people calling in the middle of the day to solicit funds for wannabe political candidates. When you are home, you inadvertantly take these calls - because some of them don't come up with the candidate's name on caller i.d. and what if it is a potential job offer and you miss the call? So you answer and it is some slob with a questionable command of the english language asking you the unemployed to pledge money to a candidate. And they all sound alike. They are all promising change, yet not one of them can tell you what defines change and what change means to me other than another fool in the White House lying to me? Yeah, well campaign person - I am out of work and you all should be paying me to listen to your bull.

Phew. Now I feel better. Only truly? I don't. I worry about everything. I don't sleep. All I want is a job that I can live with. And oh yes, I actually do need benefits - yes - a lot of jobs want to do a wiggle out of benefits - even professional jobs.

We are in a sorry state in this country. And yes, I am the poster child for recession. And recession is happening. And we have no one to blame but ourselves I suppose. But that doesn't mean it makes paying the PECO bill any easier.

Seriously, I might be mouthy but I am smart, hard working, well educated, and passably attractive. I look good on paper because I have worked really hard. So why is it people like me who have worked really hard end up like this? Would life have been easier if I was a self serving, duplicitious, sneaky slacker? Can I get a do over?

Nah. Never mind. I might be unemployed but at least I can look myself in the eye in the mirror every day.