Equal rights for all? What about Water Buffalos?

I apologize in advance for the in-video commercial!

Oregon wants you to donate to politics and then they want to pay you back for doing it!

I would like to recommend you use this benefit and if you are looking for a group who should benefit, look no further than the BusPAC. BusPAC is the Political Action Committee that directly improves Oregon by working to elect progressive candidates during election season. In 2002 and 2004, Bus-supported candidates won in 9 out of 10 State Senate races. In 2006, 9 out of the 10 State House candidates we supported won their races.

Click the image below to get to the BusPAC Donation Page! (Click the same image on that page for lazy people like me who prefer to use Paypal)

Why is it free?? Check out the Oregon Political Tax Credit. It lets you credit $50 (or $100 if you’re married and filing jointly) in contributions to particular groups like Political Action Committees. This means that you need not fear that the $50 you donate to the BusPAC is gone forever. Come tax season, the lovely people from the Oregon Department of Revenue will hear of your generosity and reciprocate by giving you $50 back. It’s not a tax deduction. It’s a direct credit.For more details check out these resources:

Oregon Tax Credit Info
Donate to the BusPAC
BlueOregon

I was pleasantly surprised to find a nice little check from the Oregon Dept. of Revenue in my mailbox the other day! Now what can I do with that extra money? Certainly some will go to some Christmas gift purchases, but I realize it is a really great time to give a little to the Bus!!

Let me run down the top three ways you can do it…

1) Give to the Bus through the “Give! Guide” (clicking makes you feel good)

This is a great way to donate and also encourage giving by others. If you check out the graph below, you will see that The Bus is leading the way for Under 35 givers. Let’s boost that up and make it a landslide victory! Any small amount will help. Click the link above for more details.

2) Rebooting Democracy. (These boots were made for clicking)

Portland, OR
Montgomery Park Atrium and Ballroom
2701 NW Vaughn St

Get some bang for your buck! Attend a weekend full of politics and shenanigans in Portland! Don’t just send the money off to let someone else put it to good use, learn about it yourself and join the fun! The cost is ridiculously low for the amazing weekend you will have. Think of all the cool things you will learn and swell people you will meet! If you are traveling from Eugene, join the Lane Bus crew and take the Bus up with us!

3) Monthly Membership. (a one-click wonder)

You still aren’t a Monthly member?! Why not?! I am one of the cheapest people I know and I am a monthly member. I did it for the key chain, but I stay for the Change!

So for the spirit of the Holidays, open up those wallets and give it up for those who are working hard for Oregon. I know that those Salvation Army folks probably do some great things with their bell ringing buckets, but they don’t take automated credit card withdrawals…We do!

I don’t normally travel in circles where I hear all of the new Pink music, so I was pretty surprised to see this song “Dear Mr. President” on YouTube. Pretty fascinating that the Dixie Chicks were vilified for speaking out like this, but Pink has generally been praised for it. Is it a change in the times or a classic case of “know your audience!”? Enjoy.

As i wrote about in August, the drumbeat to Iran looks very familiar. And it isn’t just fox news, but CNN is trying to prove it can keep up. What happens when they try to keep up and embarrassing news comes out? Discount that news:

‘Iran: Fact & Fiction’ An intelligence bombshell about Iran and nuclear weapons. But is the intelligence correct? Sat & Sun, 7 & 11 p.m. ET

Oh and here’s part of why CNN would be embarrassed that they were following the pied piper…again:
CNN Forced To Scrap Doc “We Were Warned — Iran Goes Nuclear”

From CNN: “Mall shooter’s suicide note: Now I’ll be famous“. On top of this headline for the past almost 24 hours now has been his full size picture and name where millions of people open up the site and see this mass murderer.

CNN (and other news networks) have successfully fulfilled the stated goal of this mass murderer by making him famous. And any other would-be mass murderers can see yet another example of the instant-fame begotten by killing.

CNN, there are 30 gun deaths in the US each day. Report on the policies that allow this. Report on the fact that it is less than 1 in many other industrialized countries. Report about the hundreds of accidental gun deaths and the simple safety mechanisms to prevent them. And if reporting on a mass murder such as this, report on the victims, but don’t glorify the culprit by giving him any face time. The next shooter is watching.