It Certainly Couldn't Hurt

"If you leave your money with the big banks, they will use it to pay lobbyists to keep Congress from fixing the system."

The Move Your Money project is a nonprofit campaign that encourages individuals and institutions to divest from the nation's largest Wall Street banks and move to local financial institutions. Little has changed to prevent another financial crisis or to end 'Too Big To Fail,' and with Congress unwilling to act, we are encouraging individuals to take power into their own hands by voting with their dollars and no longer contributing to a financial system that has led our country astray. We are a campaign that gives people real, concrete actions they can take to create a more sane, stable and localized banking system

More info here:
http://moveyourmoneyproject.org/

The Future of Media and Public Access TV

A direct re-post from http://colinrhinesmith.com/2010/01/30/the-future-of-media-and-public-access-tv/

Inspired by last October’s Knight Commission report, “Informing Communities: Sustaining Democracy in the Digital Age,” the Federal Communications Commission launched a new review last week, entitled The Future of Media to examine and report on the information needs of local communities.
The FCC’s public notice, released on January 21 (.Doc), announcing the initiative explains:

The objective of this review is to assess whether all Americans have access to vibrant, diverse sources of news and information that will enable them to enrich their lives, their communities and our democracy.

The FCC is encouraging public comments and suggestions, by March 8, 2010, on various aspects of the media landscape, including changes within Noncommercial and Public Media. In question 27, the FCC asks a number of pertinent questions related to the state of Public, Educational and Government Access Television:

With regard to cable television, local franchising authorities can require a cable operator to provide channel capacity for Public, Education and Government (PEG) channels and some facilities and funding for such channels. Are these channels being used as effectively as possible for the provision of useful news and information to communities? How has the role of PEG channels changed over time, and how could their effectiveness be improved? Does statewide franchising change the number and composition of PEG channels? Does it serve to promote the intended benefits from PEG channels or undermine them? Are there other ways to provide for the benefits from PEG channels in the digital age? How should operators of PEG channels work with noncommercial television and radio licensees, as well as with other non-profit media entities?

The FCC is also looking for answers to the following questions about the state of Media In Your Community:

Tell us about your community and its media. Do you have a newspaper? Local TV news stations? Great websites? Anything else? What works well? What works poorly? How have things changed over time? What information do you wish you could get but can’t?

The Future of Media website at Reboot.FCC.Gov also provides visitors with the opportunity to vote on ideas that have already been submitted.
To learn more about the FCC’s Future of Media, visit the project’s mission on their website.

As It Ever Should Be

POLYFACE FARMS
http://www.polyfacefarms.com/principles.aspx

Check out Fresh

If the movie isn't screening near you, please write Ana Joanes, the Director of FRESH at screenings@freshthemovie.com to inquire about organizing a screening in your community.

Meet Joel Salatin himself at the NOFA/MASS ANNUAL WINTER CONFERENCE - Food From Farms For Families
January 16, 2010- 9am-5:30pm
Worcester Technical High School, Worcester, Ma
Download a registration form here


Further Reading:

10 Ways to Live a More Sustainable Lifestyle
http://www.freshthemovie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Ana-10-FRESH-Solutions.pdf

Community Supported Agriculture
http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

Some great "How to" Books from Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms
http://www.polyfacefarms.com/books.aspx

Civic Literacy

71% of Americans fail a basic Civic Literacy Test - Overall average score of 49%.*

"Our constitutional system and the liberty it protects can endure only if Americans retain an understanding of our founding principles. Citizens ought to understand America’s institutions, texts, core history, and basic market principles."

Can you spread knowledge and inspire civic action? What talents can you employ to remind the unappreciative and passive majority that the freedoms most of us take for granted were not "won" for us over 200 years ago and now ours to keep forever without any effort on our part? How can you remind your fellow Americans that the revolution must continue to be fought?

Now more than ever, a growing majority of folks are silently sleeping. Passive. Barely even spectating, as so many of the civil liberties our ancestors fought for slowly diminish. Collective apathy and ignorance is all around.

Registered to vote? Created or signed any petitions? Ever contact a public official? Have you ever sent a letter to the editor?

Are you a poet? A songwriter? Musician? A writer? A painter? Photographer? Do you have a blog? Utilize social networking sites? Host a local radio or television show?

What can you offer to inspire mass awakening? Can you inspire active participation into the democratic process?

Inquiring minds want to know.

*http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/2008/summary_introduction.html

Become the Media Yourself

• For issues and calls to action by groups and organizations that span the political spectrum in the U.S.: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issuesaction/orgs

• The Center for Citizen Media enables and encourages grassroots media, especially citizen journalism, at every level: http://citmedia.org/blog/about/

• The First Amendment Center's website covers key issues and topics concerning the First Amendment: http://firstamendmentcenter.org/

• The First Amendment Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and promoting freedom of information, expression, and petition: http://www.thefirstamendment.org/
  

How to Petition

• Start a national or global petition: http://www.gopetition.com/

• Care 2: The Petition Site: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/
  

Driving Change

• For the full list of congressmen's names and contact info, as well as information about what committees they serve upon: http://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml

• For a list of what is currently on the House floor and to search roll call votes: http://www.house.gov

• Contact your U.S. senator: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
  

• Contact the president ot vice president: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

• Search for YOUR congressperson's recent votes at Congressional Record online: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/crecord/