So, I hear that Obama wants us to ‘Tweet!’ to our Congress and tell them to compromise.
Screw that. Have you seen the latest details on the sputtering economy? GDP was something like 1.3% in the last quarter. That’s atrocious. And don’t think that Americans don’t notice. They knew long before the stats came out that the economy is bad, worse than they’ve ever known it.
So, why the hell should we be calling and tweeting our congresspersons to compromise on one of the bills that will drastically cut spending to such an extent that economic recovery will be extremely difficult? That makes absolutely no sense. If anything, we should be tweeting our congress to pass the debt ceiling without any conditions at all and scrap whatever harsh and brutally cruel austerity measure it was contemplating.
Congress needs to go back to the blackboard and craft a new stimulus package. Republicans and Tea Party lunatics need to get off of the social safety net slash viagra and get in touch with their human side, assuming they have one. I’ve read that Tea Party activists have complained that the $17 billion in Pell Grants in the budget bills were “welfare”. Let me just say that after all of the years that I sent enough money to Washington in taxes to support a family of four, I do not want to hear from the jerks who think that a Pell grant is “welfare”. We’re unemployed professionals. If you don’t want us sucking off the government, you’d better get the economy back on its feet.
And stay the f%^* out of New Jersey.
Anyway, Merck is laying off something like 12,000 people and 30-40% of those workers are coming out of the United States’ research sites. I have friends and former colleagues who work at Merck who are worried that they’re next. They’re not deadbeats. They’re well educated professionals with more brains in their pinkies than some assholes in Congress have in their entire heads. This is not fair to them or the hundreds of thousands of future patients who will not get the treatment they need because there won’t be new drugs on the market.
I’m sick of the crap the Republican House is pulling. I’m enraged by the hostage crisis. And Obama is the WORST president of my lifetime if he thinks he can capitulate to these maniacs and get away with it.
Screw compromise. Pass the damn debt ceiling and get back to work.
We now know there are more than 11.5 million people — primarily in Ethiopia, Kenya, and especially Somalia — in need of emergency assistance.
Given the rapidly evolving humanitarian emergency in the region, I was encouraged to see so many countries convene so quickly in Rome for the ministerial-level meeting. There is no time to lose — and meetings such as these must continue to bring the world’s attention to the situation in the Horn.
Here at the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome, we have been working practically around the clock to support the broader U.S. and global response to the present crisis; but perhaps more importantly, we have also been working with our partners over the past months to prepare for a drought that we knew was coming. With U.S. Government support, food was pre-positioned in the area, saving over 4 million lives that otherwise would have been at risk.
Twelve million people are facing a hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa, and they are in desperate need of help.
The United Nations declared a famine in parts of southern Somalia, calling for a widespread international response to end the suffering.
Thousands of Somalis have been fleeing the country each week in search of food, water and shelter — many of them walking for days in the sweltering sun toward refugee camps in Kenya and Ethiopia.
Nearly half a million children are at risk of dying from malnutrition and disease.
Relief organizations are calling on the international community to join together to end the crisis, and they’re working to gain entrance into areas with limited humanitarian access.
There are ways you can help.
UNICEF is asking for $31.8 million over the next three months for relief efforts. The money will help provide therapeutic treatment for women and children with severe malnutrition, access to clean drinking water and vaccinations to prevent deadly diseases like measles and polio.
“The earlier we act, the more children we can save. Americans are a generous people, and a little goes a long way — just $10 can feed a child for 10 days,” said Caryl Stern, president of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.
$10 bucks. It sounds like a tiny amount but $10 can go a long way in the hands of organizations that are experienced in handling these kinds of emergencies. $10 can buy high energy biscuits, clean drinking water, and medical assistance. I’m a big fan of the cell phone donation method because you can’t get away from it. Before the cell phone donation, I used to read appeals for donations and think, “Wow, that’s really bad. I feel for those people. I want to do something, right after I do XYZ” and then I would forget to call or complete the form. With the cell phone, all you have to do is type the code to the number and voile!, your lunch money is added to your phone bill. It’s quick, it’s easy and if you like the feeling of empowerment you get from helping others, you can give up another meal and try a different cell phone donation tomorrow.
But today, I’m only asking you to give up one lunch. Don’t buy that stuffed burrito and iced tea, decline the 5 Guys burger with The Works and the insane amount of french fries. Skip the weekly lunch with your work colleagues at the Thai restaurant. Even we unemployed can get in on the act. It hits closer to home with us and, really, $10 is not a lot of money.
Give your lunch money to the Horn of Africa.
The CNN article has a couple cell phone donation suggestions:
The United Nations World Food Programme has plans to airlift high energy biscuits and highly nutritious supplementary foods for children and pregnant or nursing mothers into southern Somalia.
Donations can be made from various countries online or via text. To donate $10 from the United States, text “AID” to 27722; to donate $5 from Canada, text “RELIEF” to 45678; to donate £3 from the United Kingdom text “AID” to 70303.
World Vision is working to regain safe humanitarian access in south central Somalia where millions of children are in urgent need of food and assistance.
The organization continues to implement programs in Somaliland and affected areas in Puntland. For families fleeing the drought, World Vision is providing nutrition supplements to malnourished children and improving healthcare and sanitation.
To donate to relief efforts from the United States, visit the website, call 1-888-56-CHILD or text “4AFRICA” to 20222 to donate $10.
For those of you who have a little more money to spend, consider donating to:
If you have any other suggestions, add them in the comments.
And if you’re really dedicated, don’t forget your fellow Americans who are visiting food banks in increasing numbers during The Lesser Depression. Feeding America is my major donation site. When combined with other $25 donations, that money goes a long way towards feeding families who run out of money before the end of the month. If you have the means, consider a monthly automatic donation.
Be like a tiny drop of rain and storm over Africa:
Long time followers of this blog will remember our Friday Fast posts. Give up your lunch money on Friday and send it to someone who needs it more.
The Confluence 